CarComplaints.com Notes: For the third year in a row, the 3rd generation Focus is experiencing massive transmission problems.
Most notably owners keep complaining about how there's bad hesitation and jerking when starting from a stop. This isn't the result of an old, worn out part. In fact, the average mileage it's reported to us is just over 15k miles.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
23 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
12 / 0
Average Mileage:
39,541 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
This 2014 Ford Focus often shudders violently when accelerating from stops through first and second gear. Little power when accelerating through a right hand turn.
Since I've had the car, it has shuddered, jerked, made noises, lost acceleration, jerked forward without me giving it gas....it has been in for service many times, replaced clutch once already...continues to get worse and become a nuisance to drive....I always rent a car now when driving on the highway....called the dealership to have it looked at again, but they do not answer or return my calls....this is the newest, yet worst car I have ever owned....I now owe way more than the car is worth due to this issue.....
I have had transmission problems since I purchased my 2014 Ford Focus SE. Within the first 15,000 miles, I had to get the transmission fixed because my vehicle was shuddering/stalling. Ford told me the transmission was under warranty and it would be free to fix. I had to have it fixed three other times before hitting 60,000 miles for the same issues. Now I am out of warranty and next time it will cost me $1500 to fix! these issues pose a true safety concern. About 10,000-ish miles after getting my car fixed it will begin to shutter when I'm pulling out into traffic. Over time this shutter becomes a hesitation or a stall, meaning that I become a sitting duck in the middle of intersections or when entering busy roads, or merging onto interstates. When driving it is important to be able to time your entry into traffic, I have to make sure to give myself an extra beat just in case my car decides to hesitate! usually after a hesitation or shutter while entering traffic, my car fails to accelerate as it should which adds to the danger. In addition, my car will also roll/lurch forward at times when I have it in reverse. I must slam on my break and often take it out of gear before it will act as it should. It also does a weird thing when I am using my cruise control at higher speeds. If I push my break to cancel the cruise the engine sounds as though it is stuck, the rpms stay really high, and it is as though I am in neutral. My break still works but I can press my gas to the floor and it won't make a difference.the amount of time this lasts will vary. After complaining, I have been told I'm not driving my automatic correctly, or I have been offered the "opportunity" to buy a new Ford. I have also been told its not a big deal because it won't put me on the side of the road. What I'm most concerned about is that it will get me killed while on the road.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. On several occasions, while driving various speeds, the vehicle lost power, but did not stall. The vehicle was taken to fairlane Ford (located at 14585 Michigan ave, dearborn, mi 48126, (313) 846-5000) where it was diagnosed; however, she was not given the prognosis. The vehicle was repaired twice per a warranty extension program. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 13V523000 (power train). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 8,000.
Multiple transmission repairs/issues including shudder, slipping out of gear while moving, bucking. In 3 specific incidents, the car slipped out of gear while in motion in an intersection in heavy traffic. Car was sold as an "automatic" but it was not disclosed that it was a computer controlled manual. Dealer says car is performing as designed performed some non-specific update.
- Woodbridge, VA, USA
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I have had this car since 2017 and it seems like there is a delay in shifting. I was driving the car in 2018 and the car suddenly stops in the highway. My car would not move at all. It was taken to a Ford dealer for power train issue but it has since been doing the same. It stalls and seems like there is a transmission issue. I can't afford another transmission. I'm not under warranty. I have nothing but issues with this car. My clutch has been changed thee times.
Since buying the car new I have had multiple issues with the transmission jerking, slipping, loss of take off power and feelings of unsafe driving situations. My vehicle one time felt like someone threw on an emergency brake and nose dived on the highway when it lost power during acceleration off entrance ramp. Most of the time the surging, bucking, slow to respond happens when the vehicle is warmed up and have to move after a stop light or sign. Also had to bring it in to dealer to have wiring fixed due to vibrations of vehicle. Last few trips to the dealer I had to pay out of pocket and never got any solid answers to the problem or any fixes, just told it is within limits. With no fixes in the plans I quit taking it in to the dealership due to no issues being covered under warranty.
Takata recall. I was in the drive thru at krystal after receiving my food, I begin to pull off from the window into the street the check engine light came on the car completely stopped in traffic. The car shut down I put it in park and it hesitate to start up but after a second try it did. The car hesitate to go forward I coasted into the bank parking to get out of traffic. I restarted the car it goes forward fine this time but I couldn't reverse. The transmission has already been replaced once. The clutch has also been repaired several times. Now the car needs another transmission
Transmission dps6 issue that is noted all over the press but the NHTSA refuses to investigate further and pursue recall. Stutters on acceleration, goes into neutral getting up to speed on highway. This is a daily occurrence, millions feel unsafe in this car.
I purchased Ford Focus 2014 in 2015 brand new with only w few miles on it, after 2 months of driving I started having issues with this car. The car started to jerk/ shudder/shake, when I took the car back to Ford dealer, I was told that's how the transmission is made and I will get use to it. Few months later I try to revers from a parking spot and the car was not moving, I called Ford and they told me to bring the car in they did software update. Few months later while I was driving the car jerk so hard, I thought I was hit by a car. Ford replaced the clutch, at least that was I was told. In 2016 the car lurched forward slamming into a car in front of me, the damage totaling to $23,000. Ford replaced the clutch 3 times and with the last repair they try to charge me for the clutch which I refused to pay the car was under extended warranty. I am extremely afraid driving this car every little jerk I panic. This car is not drivable.
Automatic car would not shift correctly in gear especially while in 1st gear this made it difficult to pull into traffic and keep up speed with the transmission jerking trying to change gears. This almost caused my daughter to get hit several times. Took to dealership 3 times for computer programming. 1 time for clutch replacement and finally dealership said the car was unsafe to drive but they couldn't do amy more warranty work on it. Clutch wore out less than 6 months after being replaced. Dealer wanted payment up front before they would repair the car.
Rear doors - latches were bad. Passenger side opened while turning. Used bungee cords to keep it shut until latches could be replaced. Transmission - chattered upon driving, like when 1st learning to drive stick shift. Sometimes it would not shift until reaching high rpms. Occasionally would momentarily seem to pop into neutral. That happened January 25, 2019. Was pulling out of a restaurant after dark, turning left on a 4 lane divided highway. It paused half way across the near lane, a car was coming directly toward me and I turned too sharply and ran over the median. Ended up cracking the oil pan, messing up the steering and cracking the engine. It was a total loss. I was livid when I found out that the transmission was well known to be defective and don chalmers Ford knowingly sold it to me.
Car badly stutters, makes it hard to take off at lights. Very dangerous at intersections. Sometimes can feel like the car is powering out. Very rough when switching gears. You can even hear a grinding sound and great vibrations of the car. Some days you don't feel safe driving it.
Purchased the vehicle new from Ford. The sales person took us on a test drive during which time he advised that he car handled "differently" but that it was normal and the way that the vehicle should operate. The vehicle stalls almost completely out, hesitates to go jerks when accelerating and skips. When sitting in traffic or on surface roads with alot of stop and go the vehicle jerks, hesitates and attempts to stall out. There have been instances where it has jerked so bad it sees that the transmission was going to fall out. Ford has repeatedly said to drive it and it will work itself out. We have taken it in for service, but no fix has been made. The cost of repeatedly going to "service" these concerns is costly and time consuming, especially when no resolution seems available.we are extremely fearful that the vehicle will stall out while traveling at higher speeds on the highway. Not at all safe!
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. When the vehicle was placed in reverse, it moved forward instead of backwards. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was slow to respond. Also, when the vehicle accelerated, it would not move forward. The contact took the vehicle to jordan Ford (13010 ih 35 N, san antonio, tx 78233, (210) 653-3673) where it was diagnosed that the vehicle was operating as designed. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 82,000. Consumer stated not included from my verb statement is the following: Car has had failures to respond on numerous occasions, with the most recent being listed on the report.(7/2019). Car has not been taken to dealer since July 2017 when it was experiencing all of the same symptoms but they told me nothing was wrong with it after keeping it for over a week. Car has had issues since date of purchase Jan 2004 and I am the original owner. To this date, car continues to slip out of both reverse and out of drive while in operation. Acceleration is slow and unpredictable, sometimes doesn't move forward at all when accelerating, sometimes jumps forward and takes off at a rapid speed from a dead stop. Car hesitates, shakes, shudder, jerks and makes grinding noises all indicators of transmission issues. I have scheduled another service appt. With jordan Ford for 9/2/19, which was the first appt. They had available.
I have transmission problems since I bought my car in 2016. Lose of power on freeways and acceleration problems all the time. The service engine light continues to turn on and off unexpectedly. Ford continue to denying those problem, causing a lot of stress every time that I drive long distances
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle shuttered whenever the gears were shifted. When the contact depressed the accelerator pedal, the pedal would not let up easily. The vehicle was driven to autonation (20777 katy fwy, katy, tx 77450, (281) 305-8949) where the contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty; therefore, they would not service the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not assist. The dealer also stated that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was 58,000.
My 2014 Ford Focus has had several instances where I have had to press the accelerator multiple times to even get it to move but on Sunday July 14th, 2019 at about 2:30 in the afternoon I was crossing an intersection in downtown apex nc and my car just stopped and wouldn't go. It continually kept revving up and wouldn't go anywhere! I had a 6 month old as well as my 2 year old son in my backseat and traffic was about to start coming right for me. I had to literally floor my car numerous times before it would even move and when it did it jumped into the next lane over. I have had the clutches replaced in this vehicle 4 times already and have taken it back to get them done and have been turned down because supposedly there isn't an issue. I am officially scared for mine and my sons lives driving this car but there is nothing I can do because it is the only car I have to drive to work. Something needs to be done about these cars and they need to be taken off the roads!
Car transmission hesitates, shakes and shimmers. I have had this car repaired 3 times. Each time it comes back. Its especially worse in stop and go traffic. At about 20-25 miles per hour I have to let go of the gas then press again just to get it to go. The dealership pretty much told me their isn't much else they can do except keeping replacing the manual clutch inside the automatic transmission. When it hesitates, it literally doesn't take off as fast as it should. I don't feel like I can trust it.
The transmission clutch shudders during light acceleration causing hesitation when at stop light or stop sign. On several occasions, when at a stop, I was almost rear-ended due to delay in acceleration. It feels like I am in 3rd gear when trying to accelerate at a stop light/sign.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Chesterfield Township, MI, USA