What 3,789 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Ford Focus RS

I OWN A 2012 FORD FOCUS WHICH HAS HAD BEEN TO FAIRWAY FORD IN PLACENTIA FOR THE TRANSMISSION RECALLS. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS, DROPS AND LUNGES FORWARD EVEN AFTER NUMEROUS UPDATED PROGRAMS. I HAVE ALSO HAD THE FUEL PUMP REPLACED AND FUEL TANK AS BOTH WERE DEFECTIVE.

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DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSION IN MY CAR EXPERIENCES SHIFT HESITATION, SHAKING WHEN LAUNCHING FROM A STOPPED POSITION, AND MAJOR TRANSMISSION SHUDDERING. REVERSE GEAR ALSO FAILS TO ENGAGE RANDOMLY. SEEMS AS THOUGH TRANSMISSION TORQUE DISPERSION IS IMPROPERLY FUNCTIONING. DANGEROUS WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC LANES. EXCESSIVE TRANSMISSION VIBRATION WHILE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY. OTHER ISSUES OCCUR WHILE VEHICLE IS MOVING ON CITY AND HIGHWAY ROADS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!

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FORD HAS ALREADY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY, AS WELL AS REPLACING THE TCM. BUT I CONTINUE TO HAVE ISSUES. CAR SHUDDERS DRAMATICALLY UNDER INITIAL ACCELERATION, ESPECIALLY WHEN MAKING TURNS. TRANSMISSION SOMETIMES DOES NOT ENGAGE UNDER INITIAL ACCELERATION, CAUSING THE CAR TO SURGE FORWARD WHEN IT DOES ENGAGE. THE FORD FOCUS HAS SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL WHEN ACCELERATING, ESPECIALLY WHEN GOING THROUGH A WIDE TURN AT LOW SPEED AND THEN PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL. I HAVE NO FAITH IN THIS FORD FOCUS WHEN MAKING TURNS, AND WILL NOT CONDUCT A TURN THAT REQUIRES PULLING OUT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND RELYING ON THE CAR'S (IN)ABILITY TO ACCELERATE TO AVOID IMPEDING THAT ONCOMING TRAFFIC.

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SINCE ACQUIRING THE VEHICLE NEW, I HAVE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN SEVERAL TIMES WITH TRANSMISSION COMPLAINTS. EACH TIME I WAS TOLD "THAT IS HOW THE TRANSMISSION IS SUPPOSED TO WORK" OR "YOUR TRANSMISSION IS OFF BECAUSE YOU LET SOMEONE ELSE DRIVE THE CAR AND IT HAS TO READJUST" OR "YOU MUST HAVE MADE A QUICK ACCELERATION". THE TRANSMISSION OFTEN LOSES POWER WHEN SHIFTING AND GRINDS AFTER SWITCHING GEARS. I FEEL AS THOUGH FORD KNEW THERE WERE PROBLEMS BUT TRIED TO EASE MY WORRIES BY OFFERING AN EXTENDED POWERTRAIN WARRANTY, WHICH DOES NOTHING TO FIX THE ISSUES THAT I AM HAVING. THE DATE BELOW IS THE FIRST TIME OF MANY THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. WHENEVER THE CONTACT PLACED FUEL IN THE VEHICLE, THE TANK WOULD GO STRAIGHT TO EMPTY. IN ADDITION, FUEL WOULD LEAK FROM THE VEHICLE AND CAUSED IT TO RUN OUT OF FUEL. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, AFTER THE FUEL TANK WAS FILLED, THE CONTACT DROVE OFF AND THE VEHICLE DECELERATED ON ITS OWN. THE CONTACT CALLED HER BOYFRIEND TO HELP PUSH THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 152,300.

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I HAVE STALLED IN AN INTERSECTION BEFORE WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. WE ARE SCARED TO DRIVE IT AND IT IS MY ONLY CAR. MY CHILDREN WERE IN THE CAR WHEN WE STALLED IN AN INTERSECTION. IT CONTINUES TO STALL OR ALMOST STALL DAILY, IT SEEMS TO LOSE POWER AND THEN SPEED UP. IT ALSO JUST STALLED ENTIRELY ONE DAY WHILE DRIVING AND THEN WE HAVE OVER $1,000.00 IN BILLS FROM OUR MECHANIC. ALL OF THESE INCIDENTS OCCURRED WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. IT HAS HAPPENED ON LOCAL STREETS AND WHILE TURNING. ALSO I JUST 7/23 AS A DATE, BUT THIS HAPPENS DAILY

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WHEN I PUT MY GEAR IN REVERSE, SOMETIMES MY CAR JERKS AND REVERSE FASTER THAN IT SHOULD OR OTHER TIMES THE CAR WOULD IDLE, I WOULD SEE THE RPM GOING UP AND HEAR THE RPM BUT THE CAR DOESNT MOVE. I'D HAVE TO HIT BRAKE AND TRY TO REVERSE AGAIN. WHEN I COME TO A STOP AND TRY TO DRIVE, THE VEHICLE EITHER JERKS OR JUST TAKES OFF. THE PROBLEM ALMOST HAPPENS EVERY TIME. OR WHEN I AM SLOWING DOWN, THE CAR WOULD JERK OR SHUDDER. WHENEVER I TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY JUST TELL ME THE SHUDDER/JERKS ARE IN THEIR NORMAL RANGE READING AND BASICALLY TELLS ME THAT IS NORMAL FOR THE VEHICLE TO DO. ALL THE SHUDDERING, JERKING, AND BEING HESITANT HAPPENS MOSTLY STARTING FROM A STATIONARY POSITION, LIKE AT A RED LIGHT OR A STOP SIGN. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING EVERY SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2016 AUGUST, AS A USED CAR. I'VE HAD TO GET A NEW CLUTCH, AND REPLACE THE NEW ONE BECAUSE IT WASN'T WORKING PROPERLY.

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TRANSMISSION BOLTS FOWARD AND ALSO LUNGES AT LOW SPEED . WAS PARKING ON A STREET ALMOST HIT A CAR BECAUSE IT BOLTED FOWARD

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THE CAR JUTTERS UPON ACCELERATION WITH THE CHANGING OF GEARS. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PASS CARS, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS AND TAKES A SECOND TO GET INTO GEAR AND BEGIN ACCELERATING. PROBLEMS GAINING SPEED TO MERGE WITH HIGHWAY TRAFFIC. GETTING MUCH WORSE BY THE DAY.

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THE CAR VIBRATED VIGOROUSLY WHEN ACCELERATES FROM A COMPLETE STOP, FOLLOWED BY SUDDEN ACCELERATIONS WHEN SWITCHING GEARS. THE CAR HAD ONLY 28K MILES ON IT WHEN THIS HAPPENED.

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2012 FORD FOCUS TITANIUM DPS6 EQUIPPED CLUTCH SHUDDER INSTANCES AND TCM FAILURE -- 2018 ACCELERATION IS UNPREDICTABLE. BEFORE WARRANTY REPAIR, THE CAR WOULD HAVE NOTICEABLE LAG WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. THIS HAS LED TO SEVERAL DANGEROUS SITUATIONS WHERE THE CAR IS EXPECTED TO ACCELERATE, BUT INSTEAD SLOWLY CRAWLS AND SHUDDERS. ONE INSTANCE INCLUDED TURNING LEFT ONTO A HIGHWAY FROM A STOP. THE CAR BOGGED ALONG FOR ROUGHLY 3 SECONDS AND ALMOST CAUSED A COLLISION WITH AN ONCOMING SEMI. WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS PRESSED, THE CAR SHOULD ACCELERATE AS EXPECTED; IT SHOULD NOT SHUDDER OR REV AS IF IN NEUTRAL. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN RIGHT ONTO A FRONTAGE ROAD FROM A STOP, THE CAR SLAMMED INTO GEAR MID-TURN CAUSING A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WHEEL HOP, JERKING THE CAR TOWARDS THE CURB. ANOTHER INSTANCE WAS IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. ACCELERATING FROM A STOP SIGN AT A T-INTERSECTION (CROSS-TRAFFIC DOES NOT STOP), THE CAR CRAWLED FORWARD AND REVVED AS IF IN NEUTRAL; NO ACCELERATION OCCURED FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. THIS ALMOST CAUSED A COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE; THERE WAS PLENTY OF TIME FOR A FUNCTIONING VEHICLE TO PULL OUT ONTO THE ROAD SAFELY. THE LATEST OCCURENCE WAS IN A PARKING LOT. TURNING LEFT OUT OF A PARKING LOT LANE, THE TCM FAILED AND THE CAR LOST POWER IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE SERVICE POWER STEERING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 927,008.

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I HAVE A 2012 FORD FOCUS THAT HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE CLUTCH/TRANSMISSION. I'VE HAD THIS ISSUE REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES, AND I AM STILL EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. THE CAR CONSTANTLY SHUTTERS UPON ACCELERATING, HESITATES WHILE DRIVING AFTER STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT/STOP SIGN AND HAD A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION AS WELL. I HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE OCCUR ABOUT 9 TIMES WITH THIS CAR SINCE BUYING IT IN 2012. NEEDLESS TO SAY THAT I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR ANYMORE, AND IT MAKES ME SICK SEEING THAT FORD WON'T STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT.

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TAKATA RECALL : I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE AT ALMOST A COMPLETE STOP AND STARTED TO ACCELERATE AND THE CAR HAD A VIOLENT JERK AND ALMOST STALLED OUT. IT NEVER COMPLETELY STALLED OUT AND QUIT, BUT IT THREW THE CODE FOR THE CLUTCH ACTUATOR CIRCUIT LOW AND CONTINUES TO JERK IN THE LOWER GEARS FROM 1ST TO 2ND. AROUND 25-30 AND AGAIN SOME AROUND 40-45..HOWEVER, ONCE IT GETS TO 50+ THE CAR IS FINE.

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I HAVE A FORD FOCUS WITH THE FAULTY TRANSMISSION. THE DEALER ALREADY INSTALLED 2 CLUTCHES AND EVERY TIME I BRING IT BACK NOW THEY JUST REPROGRAM IT WHICH MAYBE LASTS ONE DAY. I SPOKE WITH CORPORATE A FEW YEARS AGO THAT IS WHEN THEY REPLACED THE 2ND CLUTCH. THE CAR WILL JUST DOWN SHIFT AS I'M DRIVING IT OUT OF THE BLUE, BUCKS, CHATTERS LIKE ITS GOING TO BLOW UP AND A DELAY IN STARTING. IT'S NOT A SAFE CAR TO BE DRIVING THEY WONT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THESE VEHICLES NOW YOU JUST GET THE BRUSH OFF FROM THE DEALER. WHEN THEY REPLACED THE FIRST CLUTCH THE DEALER ADMITTED THAT IS WAS THE WORST THAT THEY HAVE SEEN.

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RECALL NOTICE NUMBER18V735 HAS NOT BEEN PERFORMED. I RECEIVED A NOTICE DECEMBER 2018 AND NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. I'M CONCERNED MY VEHICLE HAS AN OPEN ISSUE THAT HASN'T BEEN REMEDIATED. APPARENTLY, FORD HASN'T IDENTIFIED A SOLUTION. WHY HASN'T THIS BEEN RESOLVED?

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I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FROM FORD OF KIRKLAND IN WASHINGTON STATE IN 2016, AND NOTICED DRIVING ISSUES THE DAY I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT. THIS VEHICLE HAS A DPS6 TRANSMISSION AND IT CONSTANTLY JERKS, SHUDDERS AND SLIPS OUT OF GEAR WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. IT OFTEN FAILS TO ACCELERATE OR ACCELERATES SUDDENLY AND OUT OF CONTROL, ESPECIALLY WHEN GOING UPHILL. IT ALSO FREQUENTLY OVERHEATS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IDLING, DESPITE HAVING WORK DONE ON IT SEVERAL TIMES THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SOLD TO ME, AND THE DPS6 IS NOT AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AT ALL. I ALSO FREQUENTLY HAVE ISSUES WITH THE ELECTRICAL AND RADIO SYSTEM. THE CLOCK CHANGES RANDOMLY AND THE AUDIO SWITCHES UNEXPECTEDLY TO RADIO STATIONS FROM BLUE TOOTH WHILE DRIVING AND THEN FAILS TO SWITCH BACK TO ANY BLUE TOOTH DEVICE, SOMETIMES FOR SEVERAL DAYS UNTIL IT RANDOMLY BEGINS WORKING AGAIN. THIS IS ESPECIALLY PROBLEMATIC WHEN I AM RELYING ON AUDIO DIRECTIONS FROM NAVIGATION APPS THAT ARE PAIRED FROM MY CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING. I WAS ALSO TOLD BY FORD OF KIRKLAND SERVICE CENTER THAT THERE IS "NOTHING WRONG" WITH MY TRANSMISSION OR MY VEHICLE AND THAT I'M JUST NOT DRIVING IT "CORRECTLY," WHICH MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE. THIS VEHICLE AND ITS FAULTY TRANSMISSION ARE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I DO NOT LET ANYONE ELSE DRIVE THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE I FEAR FOR THEIR SAFETY AND I ONLY DRIVE IT MYSELF IN TIMES WHERE IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, WHICH I CAN PROVE BY THE VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF MILES I HAVE PUT ON IT SINCE PURCHASE. I EXPERIENCE THE ABOVE STATED PROBLEMS EVERY SINGLE TIME I DRIVE IT THIS VEHICLE, WHICH IS A CLEARLY A LEMON BY DEFINITION. FORD BROKE THE LAW BY SELLING ME THIS DANGEROUS VEHICLE WITH A TRANSMISSION THAT THEY KNEW WAS UNSAFE AND BY FALSELY ADVERTISING THIS TRANSMISSION AS AN AUTOMATIC.

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CONTINUES TO SHUDDER, HESITATION AND ROUGH SHIFTING WHILE DRIVING ON SURFACE STREETS AND HIGHWAYS AFTER TWO REPAIRS AND THREE RECALLS.

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I'VE EXPERIENCED BOTH HESITATION AND LURCHING FORWARD WITH THIS VEHICLE WHEN ACCELERATING AND TRAVELING AT LOW SPEEDS (5-15 MILES PER HOUR) THIS IS SCARY WHEN MERGING ONTO FOUR LANE OR EVEN WHEN CAUGHT IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC. THIS HAS BEEN AN ON-GOING PROBLEM EVER SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW. THE CLUTCH HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE OR TWICE, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUES.

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STALL AND SHUDDER EVERY DAY. I BOUGHT USED FROM SERRA DEALER IN WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, MICHIGAN. MILEAGE WAS 80882 ON MAY 27, 2016.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, THE ENGINE FAILED. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE OF ANY WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED DURING THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO VIVA FORD (5550 N DESERT BLVD, EL PASO, TX 79912, (915) 834-2800) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,366. *BF *AS *TR*JB

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MY DAUGHTER HAS BEEN STRANDED TWICE BY THE VEHICLE EITHER GOING INTO NEUTRAL OR THE TRANSMISSION DISENGAGING. BOTH TIMES SHE WAS ON A HIGHWAY IN TRAFFIC. SHE WAS FORTUNATE TO NOT BE REAR ENDED. MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO FIX THE ISSUE & FINALLY BEING TOLD THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A VALUE OF WHAT THE CAR IS WORTH FUNCTIONING. IF THE NEW TRANSMISSION IS OF THE SAME DESIGN; FAILURE APPEARS TO BE A GUARANTEE. A FORD DEALERSHIP TOLD USE TO LET THE CAR REST IN PEACE.

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WE BOUGHT THE 2012 FORD FOCUS AS A CAR FOR OUR DAUGHTER. WHEN TEST DRIVING IT, FOR A SHORT PERIOD, WE DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING WITH THE TRANSMISSION. BUT NOW THAT WE ARE DRIVING IT MORE, THERE IS A SHUDDER WHEN WE ACCELERATE. LIKE DRIVING A STICK SHIFT WHEN YOU TAKE OFF AND DIDN'T DO IT SMOOTHLY. IT LACKS IN POWER AT TIMES WHEN TURNING ONTO THE ROAD, WHICH SCARES ME AT TIMES WHEN OTHER CARS ARE COMING AND WE CAN'T GET IT TO ACCELERATE. THE MORE I'M READING ABOUT THIS CAR, I AM SERIOUSLY SO SCARED FOR MY DAUGHTER TO DRIVE IT ALONE. EXTREMELY SCARED!!! AS SOMEONE WHO SAVED TO GET WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS A GOOD CAR FOR OUR DAUGHTER, I FEEL WE ARE STUCK WITH IT. I WOULDN'T FEEL RIGHT SELLING THIS TO SOMEONE ELSE, I WISH THE PREVIOUS SELLER HAD FELT THE SAME WAY!! PEOPLE ARE PUTTING THEIR FAMILIES IN THESE CARS, THEIR LOVED ONES. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES SO WE CAN HAVE A CHANCE TO GET SAFER CARS TO PROTECT US. I DID TAKE THE VEHICLE IN FOR IT'S OTHER RECALL REGARDING SOMETHING WITH THE FUEL TANK, WHERE WE HAD TO KEEP IT HALF FULL. THE MECHANIC TOOK THE CAR FOR A DRIVE AND NOTED THE SHUDDERING ON THE VEHICLE, BUT THEY WANTED $150 TO DIAGNOSE IT. AND COULDN'T TELL ME IF THAT WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. IF FORD KNOWS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, THEY WOULD KNOW IF IT'S COVERED. THEIR JUST TRYING TO GET MONEY OUT OF ME.

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THREADS ON THE OUTER TIE ROD END STRIPPED ON THE DRIVER SIDE. TIE ROD END CAME OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING! CALLED SEVERAL LOCAL PARTS DEPARTMENTS AND FUNNY THING IS THEY REPORT THAT'S THE USUAL SIDE THAT IS AFFECTED. EVERY STORE IN A 20 MILE RADIUS HAD RIGHT TIE RODS BUT NO LEFT.

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THE TRANSMISSION IS FAILING CAUSING MY CAR TO OVERHEAT, SLOW DOWN, SLIPPAGE ENGINE REVS BUT VEHICLE DOES NOT ACCELERATE....CAR VIBRATES AND SHAKES.

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