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Ford Focus Transmission Problems

672 messages,  Last post on May 22, 2013 at 12:25 AM

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What is this discussion about? Ford Focus SVT, Ford Focus, Coupe, Hatchback, Sedan, Wagon

    
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Messages Page 57 of 68

#558 of 672 Re: 2012 ford focus sucks! [jgdarling] by nofordforme754

Nov 08, 2012 (9:08 pm)

Replying to: jgdarling (Nov 04, 2012 1:52 pm)
my 2012 focus has been in shop two times for hill assist not working at all, even with 12b37 upgrade and i do not blame the dealership for this. i blame ford motor company for not being able to fix problem as of right now. the service department has their hands tied and probably are getting information slowly about fix. since this could be a safety issue, you should call ford motor company as we did and are awaiting return call and call NHTSA and report the hill assist failure as a safety issue.

#559 of 672 Hill Start Assist by kam327

Nov 09, 2012 (6:33 am)

Hill start assist not working is your biggest complaint? Really? Somehow every manual transmission owner in history has managed to handle rolling back on hills, I really think you guys can too. Simply move your foot from brake to gas more quickly in the future. Or if you really want to get fancy, keep your left foot on the brake while you press the gas with the right foot before you release the brake. You won't roll back at all. This is pretty simple stuff folks.
 
I rented a Nissan Maxima with their ubiquitous CVT and it rolled back on inclines as well. And was generally dreadful to drive. Of the new transmission technologies I'd much rather have the DCT than a CVT, even given the DCT's teething problems.

#560 of 672 Re: Hill Start Assist [kam327] by nofordforme754

Nov 09, 2012 (1:12 pm)

Replying to: kam327 (Nov 09, 2012 6:33 am)
I would have bought a manual if that is what I wanted to deal with , but since I paid approx 1,000 dollars more for what I was thought was an automatic tranny, I think they should of made me aware of the different driving characteristics of this car on inclines . Our test drive was on a 6 mile course on very flat terrain. I would be OK with the hill assist if it worked consistantly on our car, plus it feels like a different car each time I drive it.Because of the sparatic gear changes and lurches this car makes, the transmission draws attention to itself.Others riding with me even ask me whats wrong with my car.
My senior Mother also drives and depends on this car and I think this justifies the extra concern.

#561 of 672 Re: 2012 ford focus sucks! [jgdarling] by starluck3000

Nov 12, 2012 (8:08 pm)

Replying to: jgdarling (Nov 04, 2012 1:52 pm)
Well.... I am glad that I am not going CRAZY!!!! I have been telling my husband about the shaking & shuddering for just about a few weeks...it has actually gotten worse! I have a 2012 focus se that we bought in March & have about 4800 miles on it...now don't get me wrong...I love this little car, but when the transmission mechanic tells my husband that this is normal for this "type" of transmission....SORRY!!! but I don't believe it...I used to have a manual stick vw bug and it never drove like this. So..what are you going to do?? I am just beginning on my mission to either get it fixed, or get a different car from Ford and I am sure that will take some doing!! Most aggravated....that should be my screen name!!

#562 of 672 Re: 2012 ford focus sucks! [starluck3000] by jgdarling

Nov 13, 2012 (4:46 am)

Replying to: starluck3000 (Nov 12, 2012 8:08 pm)
IM with ya on that, tired of being told its normal! Mine has almost stalled out and it only gets 27mpg! I bought it for the gas mileage I could live with the rest, for th 40mpg I was promised, but they tell me then can do nothing about the gas mileage either, then yesterday my air stopped working, I have over 10,000 on my car and each time I take it back it gets worse. Not sure what to do, think Im going to trade it on a toyota!

#563 of 672 It's Normal by kam327

Nov 13, 2012 (1:45 pm)

For you guys being told "it's normal", you're going to get that excuse from most dealers for any number of problems. It's up to you to raise a stink and make sure the dealer knows you're not accepting that answer. A few things you can do:
 
1) Tell them you want the absolute latest software update installed regardless of whether they think it needs it
2) Insist on going for a ride in another Focus on their lot to demonstrate to them this is what you expect your car to drive like
3) Go to a different dealer (yes, there can be vast differences in service between dealers)
4) Get the regional Ford reps involved

#564 of 672 2012 Focus all is well by bobananda

Nov 14, 2012 (8:01 am)

I have a 2012Focus sedan with handling package, 6speed automatic. For the first 3000 miles there was a small amount of shudder which lessened quickly after that. With 1 year and 15000 miles there is never a shudder, car creeps ahead when stopped like any other automatic. It runs flawlessly. Has not needed service except oil change that came out very clean at 8500 miles. mpg for my partial country road, partial interstate, partial in town driving is 42 to 43 mpg. Cruzing on interstate at 80mph -- 38mpg. 75mph ---40 mpg. 70mph----42mpg. 60 to 65 mph ----43 plus mpg.
 
It handles beautifully and the brakes are impressive.
 
Don't understand this stuff about rolling backward when starting on a hill. Standard shifts do that all the time---sounds like driving 101 to me.

#565 of 672 Electrical problem and not a Transmission problem by carburetor1

Nov 24, 2012 (12:21 pm)

The initial post was titled something like “ transmission or electrical problem”. Its been a while since my last post, maybe because the Focus has been working relatively well (2001, ZX3 , with automatic transaxle, with 40,000 miles) . Several months ago, we took a 500 mile trip and the car experienced some jerking phenomena. Actually we couldn’t tell if it was the engine burping or the transmission shifting because it was very intermittent / short lived. Hoping that the problem was a result of some bad gasoline, we added some water remover and hoped for the best. The problem just kept getting worse and during a typical bad drive the car would do the following: shift hard (jerk) going up a hill, shift hard pulling away from a stop, shift hard when the cruse control was activated, or the windshield wipers were turned on, or when the high beam head lights were turned on, or when the turn signal was activated, or when we ran over a bump in the road. The headlights , dash lights, would flicker during a bump in the road. At this point, I was thinking the primary problem must be electrical and the transmission problem was a spin-off. I Googled using phrases like “Focus electrical problems” and found some leads, the majority of which said that check that the battery ground was good. I looked at the battery ground and it had one large wire, one medium size wire and one very skinny wire attached. Although they all looked clean and seemed to make good contact, I cleaned them anyway. I figured that the large wire was for the starter, the medium wire was for other stuff and had no Idea what the skinny wire was for. Although it made no since to me, I decided to add a forth wire and route it from the negative battery terminal to a handy bolt on the fender brace. I used some scrap wire I had, probably a # 12 or #14 wire size. I had a few crimp wire lugs and used them. I am holding my breath and the car has not had any of the bad thing happen since, and its been about one week. I have ordered some #10 flexible ground cable and some new crimp wire lugs and I plan on running a new ground to the chassis and to some place on the engine block, it can't hurt and maybe it will prevent the reoccurrence of bad things...Bottom line of this post---WHAT CAN IT HURT TO ADD ANOTHER GROUND WIRE-- and it might help.

#566 of 672 Re: Ford is the worst ever!!!!! [socal19] by focusowner1

Nov 29, 2012 (10:22 pm)

Replying to: socal19 (Sep 30, 2012 3:10 pm)
I completely understand the issue you are talking about. I am not sure if you have since received a recall notice from Ford but the issues you are talking about have since been resolved. If you haven't done so yet, take your Focus back to the dealership and they will reprogram the Transmission, Engine, and ABS controls to make these problems disappear. I agree that it is odd that cars were delivered to customers with these problems, but at least Ford has come up with a resolution. Since the software updates my Focus does not roll back on hills, the shifting is smooth, and it is one of the best cars I have owned. Call your dealership because these issues are well documented.

Messages Page 57 of 68

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