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.
In the city after stopping at light and starting to drive car shudders, vibrates and tires feel like they are not rotating. Which the car behind me to step on his brakes to avoid hitting me. Once I get pass the "shudder, vibrate and jerking the car drives O.K. I have been told it is the transmission. I also had the car jerk forward with increase speed without me increasing my speed.
Transmission does not engage smoothly between shifts. Transmission is slow to fully engage into gear. Vehicle shakes and shudders when progressing through gears. No power during attempted acceleration. Transmission does not shift into gear when gas pedal depressed. In all conditions, stationary, motion and all locations, city, highway, turning. Occurs continuously from purchase until current date.
The 2014 Ford Focus has several issues. The power shift transmission is a complete disaster. It jerks, bucks, shudders, delays shifting, and has an erratic shifting pattern. The uneven and erratic shifting causes gas mileage to fluctuate between 20 mpg and 28 mpg.(actual not average-average is somewhere between 23 and 25 mpg). There is never better gas mileage than 28 mpg. This is unacceptable for a 4 cylinder vehicle that is advertised as 33 average mpg. I have spent a lot of time registering, filing for, and documenting necessary repairs for the class action law suit and eventual arbitration. The local Ford dealer has been difficult to work with and we only have one on the East side of the big island of Hawaii, where I live. This has been a huge inconvenience and I have to rent a car every time I take the Focus in for repairs. Ford has replaced the clutch which has improved the shifting to some degree, but not mitigated the problems, completely. The car is going in for a third evaluation as it is still staying in first gear for an inappropriately long time and bucking at low speeds. I have requested that Ford replace or repurchase this vehicle. So far, so bad. The "deal" Ford offered me was nothing, after I filed my paperwork. I am waiting to be assigned an arbitrator, but that has been stalled by a third party in Colorado, who wants the rules of arbitration changed. I have read the entire arbitration document and it favors Ford, of course. However, if they offer to repurchase or replace this vehicle, I would be agreeable to that. I do not know what more the Colorado people want, but it is stalling all of us waiting for our chance at arbitration. In the meantime, I am stuck with this major lemon vehicle, which, is covered under Hawaii's lemon law as well. Ford manufactured a sub-standard vehicle and needs to take it back.
Dual clutch and electrical wiring harness shifted transmission in drive when I was in park resulting the car wrecking into my garage. Canister purge valve stuck open resulting in low fuel pressure causing the vehicle to stall when driving on the highway. Several occasions the car gave me inaccurate gas mileage miles to empty causing me to become stranded.transmission shutter when the vehicle is off but you open a door or turn on a light. Trunk came open while I was in the car wash. Another ncident almost causing me to wreck when I wss braking the car accelerated. Death trap!
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. While driving 35 mph and merging off a ramp, the vehicle began to shake violently and shifted to neutral independently and without warning. The vehicle was pulled over to the shoulder lane, shut off, and restarted. The vehicle was able to restart, but the failure was persistent. The vehicle was taken to morristown Ford (1112 w morris blvd, morristown tn, 37813) where it was diagnosed that the seals in the clutch failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
- Pigeon Forge, TN, USA
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I have had transmission issues with this vehicle since about the 10,000 mile mark. The car shutters and shakes when accelerating and looses power. It will barely pull hills and at times when driving the car will not shift into gear and the rpms have reved above 5000 and if I didn't shift into neutral I'm afraid the motor would have blown. This occurred when I was merging into traffic on the interstate and nearly caused an accident. There has been a warranty extension by you all for certain models of this vehicle but not all. I would request you guys extend the warranty to all model year Ford Focus as the issue seems to be the clutch.
Car transmission jerks, sputters, accelerates and stalls. In addition now having issues with fuel tank not guaging and now it hesitates, stalls out and is not safe. Car suddenly stopped running had to be towed to the shop and shop advised the fuel tank guage was not operating and registering gas. Now I am going to have to take it back to the shop as it appears it may involve fuel tank, fuel pump and vapor management. I only know this is because searching on line I see many simiilar complaints about the jerking transmission problems, and problems with the vehicle stalling out. It says Ford is not acknowleding this as a problem. I believe they need to recall this and fix this although it appears based on reviews even after repeated attempts to fix it is still not resolved. Many customers have had to pay thousands of dollars. This vehicle is not safe to drive and is in a class action lawsuit.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. While driving low speeds, the vehicle jerked without warning. When the vehicle was in third gear, it drove normally. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer (jerry duncan Ford, 801 N roane St, harriman, tn 37748) where it was diagnosed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and opened case number: Cas 13448915. The failure mileage was 83,000.
At times the car won't start, then after a few minutes it starts. Cuts off while driving at any speed as if it is out of gas. Cuts off on the interstate while driving at high speed or low speed. First the batter and oil light appears in red on dash when pushing the gas nothing happens and it cuts off. It stalls more and more, the fuel gage somes goes past full or fluctuates when driving. After putting gas in car it stalls more. Also, as I pull off after stopped or initially, the car hesitates and skips and the tires skip when until it gets past 15 -20 miles then the transmission is steady when it's not salling.. when it rains the passenger side floor and roof leaks water constantly when I am driving in water the passenger side floor gets wet. When it rains and the car is parked water leaks and the passenger roof is wet from front to back as well as about 2 inches of water on the passenger front and back on the floor.
Transmission at highway speed jumps out of gear. Had Ford look at it and they would not even drive it just put it on the computer and said its fine. Also it slips when pulling out. Worst car that I've owned never buy another had 2007 with no issues
When starting from a stopped mode the car jerks through 1st and 2nd gears. When accelerating quickly it is hard to control the car. Took to dealer (max Ford harrisonville, mo) and he said it was the electric clutch. The 2012 and 2013 had a campaign with an extended warranty of 7 years or 100K miles to replace the clutch. He did not know why my 2014 was not covered since it is the same engine and clutch. My car has 67K miles so is out of the basic warranty. I called Ford and they could not give a reason as to why it was not covered. Short of spending 1500 dollars to have clutch replaced I am stuck. I was told by dealer this would only be a temporary fix anyway because the clutch only lasts about 30K miles.
Vehicle has an automatic transition but does not transition from one gear to the next properly. When accelerating from a stop, the vehicle jerks before the transmission switches gears. The "clutch" has been replaced by the dealership one already as "defective". this was approximately a year and a half ago. Now the problem is happening again. Vehicle is at dealership having the exact same repair done. Major devalue to vehicle and concerned this will just happen again since the car is less than 3 years old and is already having the third clutch installed (including original).
When vehicle is in a stopped position at for ex: A red light and you give it a little gas to move - the vehicle will lunge forward out of control - the vehicle will also accelerate on its own and decelerate on its own - and gears are sputtering - this is a serious safety hazard - was taken to Ford dealership for repair and was told its operating normally. And these problems continue to happen - there are current class action suits against Ford for faulty transmissions - my dealership and Ford Corp refuse to do anything to remedy this issue -
I noticed that my Ford Focus automatic was driving hesitantly/ shuddering/ delayed gear shifting, the same set of problems for which my car got a recall repair 13 mos. Ago in which the clutch and seals were replaced. I took my vehicle in to the dealership service dept. Where they discovered the same replacements need to be done again. Cost quote: $1500. They claim it's not covered by the recall and not under extended warranty.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. While driving various speeds, the vehicle jerked and the clutch failed to shift out of gear. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to anderson Ford (124 S sangamon ave, gibson city, il 60936, phone number: (217) 784-4119) where it was diagnosed that the clutch failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred three times. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 16,481.
5 speed manual transmission, loss of power at 3K RPM in all gears. This occured on the highway at 60 mph, speed slowly decreased to 45 mph and I was able to exit the highway safely. No check engine lights or warnings. Called dealership and they suggested using a fuel injection cleaner.
The clutches in the Ford automatic 6-speed power shift transmission fail within a year timeframe. Currently on my third set of clutches. A recall extending the warranty on these clutches was issued for the same transmission used between 8-1-10 and 6-5-13. My car was build on 12-8-13 and does not have the extended coverage but certainly has the same problem. Clutches fail within a year and exhibit a chattering jerking condition. Ford will not extend the warranty on my vehicle. I filed a complaint #cas-12870770-Q5T9F0 with Ford customer service.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. While driving 45 mph, the vehicle hesitated and jerked without warning. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to western avenue Nissan (7410 S western ave, Chicago, il 60636) from where it was purchased. The contact was informed that the transmission malfunctioned and needed replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to metro Ford sales and service (6455 S western ave, Chicago, il 60636 (773) 776-7600) where the contact was informed to call the manufacturer. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced on July 28, 2016 per tsb number: 15B22 (transmission control module reprogramming for overty tcm failure warning- 2011-2015 Ford fiesta and 2012-2014 Ford Focus) at fox Ford Lincoln (2501 N elston ave, Chicago, il 60647 (888) 380-8568). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,800.
Excess clutch shudder during acceleration in lower gears. Causes vehicle to accelerate unpredictably which could cause traffic accidents. Ford replaced the clutch a few times. But won't do it again. They say tsb 15-0120 was superseded and no longer applies to my vehicle. This problem is getting worse over time. Vehicle is at 89,354 miles over two and a half years and is driven carefully and safely, and should not have needed so many clutches in such a short time.
The is a serious issue with this vehicle. It St-udders badly as you accelerate. However, upon bringing this into the Ford store in pueblo they are using some bullshit excuse saying that this is a 14M01 and therefore not covered as the 14M02 is. They are shysters and they don't want to cover their faulty product. This is a safety issue and should be resolved. The poor lady that bought this care from us carpros in pueblo Colorado is the victim here. Who can we contact to resolve this issue. Ford conveniently doesn't give you a number to hq. We don't really know where to go with this issue other than to you guys. Ford needs to handle this! this car reacts this way as soon as you hit the gas. It seems to be a very common issue with this model and year of Ford Focus and Ford in pueblo, co at least is trying to duck it.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Topeka, KS, USA