What 2,644 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Ford Focus RS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 TO 45 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 266. UPDATED 7/10/15*CN THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE PROBLEM WAS THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTER MODULE. HOWEVER. 100 MILES LATER, THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN. UPDATED 05/05/16.*JB

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THE CAR HAS BEEN TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS DUE TO JERKY SHIFTING OF THE TRANSMISSION AT TAKE OFF, STARTING AROUND 5,000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP EVEN SAID ON INVOICE, "OPERATORS SHOULD READ OWNERS MANUAL FOR CHARACTERISTICS OF OPERATION." THE CAR IS NOW AROUND 11,000 AND THE ISSUE CONTINUES TO PRESENT ITSELF. THE DEALERSHIP HAS DONE SEVERAL "SOFTWARE UPDATES," WITH NONE EVER WORKING. THEY ARE INCAPABLE OF HANDLING TRANSMISSION WORK AT THEIR SHOP, SO WE HAD IT TOWED 120 MILES TO MIAMI, WHERE THE "HARDWARE WAS UPGRADED." THE CAR HAS BEEN BACK LESS THAN TWO WEEKS, AND NOW THE TRANSMISSION IS ACTING UP AGAIN.

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I HAVE TAKEN THE FOCUS BACK TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES DUE TO THE TRANSMISSION SHUTTERING, SOMETIMES VERY VIOLENTLY, NO DOUBT A SAFETY HAZARD. IT STILL DOES THE SAME THING. I HAVE BEEN TOLD PARTS ARE ON ORDER, BUT NOT HEARD BACK FROM THEM IN MONTHS. THESE CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED.....

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I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 70MPH IN FIFTH GEAR AND SOMETHING IN THE ENGINE BLEW. I STARTED BLOWING OIL AND SMOKE OUT THE REAR, "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" CAME ON, AND THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON. I LOST ALL POWER AND POWER STEERING, SO I MADE MY WAY TO THE SHOULDER. I PULLED THE HOOD LATCH AND STEPPED OUT OF THE VEHICLE. UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE I WITNESSED FLAMES SHOOTING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD IN THE ENGINE BAY. I BACKED UP AND WATCHED THE FRONT OF THE CAR FULLY ENGULF INTO FLAMES.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING AT 62 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED INDEPENDENTLY AND VIBRATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000.

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WHEN THE VEHICLE COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP THEN WHEN YOU SPEED UP IT JERKS 5 TO 8 TIME FAILING TO SPEED UP. THE ONLY WAY IT CAN SPEED UP IS IF YOU PRESS THE PEDAL MORE AND TRY TO GO FASTER. ALSO TODAY 5/6/2015 WE WERE AT THE INTERSTATE AND WE WERE IN TRAFFIC AND THE CAR DIDN'T WANTED TO PICK UP, ONLY IF YOU PRESS THE PEDAL MORE THEN IS MAKING THE CAR GO FASTER THEN I WANT TO GO. IS LIKE IT DOESN'T WANT TO GO NO WHERE. THEN ON MY WAY BACK ON THE INTERSTATE I PRESS THE PEDAL AND AT 30 MPH GOING UP THE SLOPE I SLOWED DOWN IT DID A HARD JERK. OTHER THING I NOTICED IS THAT WHEN I USE THE ELECTRONIC MANUAL SHIFT IS DELAYED MAKING THE CAR GO ON A HIGH RPM. CAR PURCHASE DATE 5/1/2015 2014 FORD FOCUS. *TR

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CAR UNEXPECTEDLY HESITATES, DUE TO TRANSMISSION DESIGN, WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. THIS CAUSES VEHICLES BEHIND YOU TO RAPIDLY CATCH UP, MAKING A REAR IMPACT/ACCIDENT MORE LIKELY. ALSO, THIS SAME TRANSMISSION HESITATION CAUSES THE INABILITY TO ACCELERATE OUT OF HARMS WAY WHEN NECESSARY. *TR

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AUTO CLUTCH SURGES, JERKS, DRAGS. SHIFTS INTO REVERSE WHEN YOU ARE IN DRIVE. *TR

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO ACCELERATE, LUNGED FORWARD, AND STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE GEARS WERE DIFFICULT TO CHANGE OVER INTO SECOND AND THIRD GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY REPLACED A SEAL WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER, WHO REPLACED THE CLUTCH BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER, WHO REPLACED THE CLUTCH A SECOND TIME AND A FUEL VACUUM LINE BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. A FOURTH OCCASION, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLUTCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED A THIRD TIME, HOWEVER THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16.

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THE 2014 FORD FOCUS HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. IT LURCHES AS SLOW SPEED OF LESS THAN 20 MPG AND IT HUNTS FOR A GEAR WHEN PASSING OTHER CARS (50 TO 60 MPH). THE TRANSMISSION IS TWO THREE SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS SHIFTED ELECTRONICALLY AND IT DOES NOT WORK. I WOULD IMAGINE THERE HAVE BEEN ACCIDENTS BECAUSE IF YOU ARE NOT READY TO CATCH THE CAR WHEN IT LURCHES IT WILL RUN INTO OTHER VEHICLES. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS AND NEITHER ONE OF THEM CAN FIX THE PROBLEM. WHAT I THINK NEEDS TO HAPPEN IS FORD NEEDS TO GET AN ENGINEER THAT UNDERSTANDS HOW TO PROGRAM THE TRANSMISSION AND SPEND SOME TIME WORKING WITH THE SHIFT POINTS. *TR

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I HAVE OWNED MY FORD FOCUS FOR ABOUT 1 YEAR- IT'S A 2014 MODEL. I BOUGHT THE CAR AFTER I WAS TOLD IT WOULD NOT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS AS MY 2012 FORD FIESTA, WHICH I TRADED IN FOR A FOCUS AFTER HAVING THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY REBUILT BECAUSE OF TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THE DEALER WHO SOLD ME THE CAR HAD SUGGESTED I GO TO A FORD FOCUS AND TOLD ME THE TRANSMISSION WAS DIFFERENT FROM MY FIESTA. HE CLEARLY WAS NOT HONEST WITH ME ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND NOW, I HAVE STARTED EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS FORD FOCUS AS EARLY AS LAST MONTH; THE SAME ISSUES THAT LED THEM TO REBUILD MY FIESTA TRANSMISSION, WHICH DID NOT END UP FIXING THE ISSUE. IT HAS BEGUN SHAKING AND GRINDING WHEN ACCELERATING. IT GRINDS WHILE IN MOTION AT SPEEDS BELOW 40 MILES PER HOUR. I HAVE BEEN DOING RESEARCH AND HAVE BEEN FINDING THAT SEVERAL REPORTS AND LAW SUITS HAVE BEEN FILED WITH NO RESPONSE. I AM FILING A COMPLAINT IN HOPES THAT SOMETHING WILL BE DONE ABOUT THIS. IT IS NOT OK THAT THESE CARS ARE BEING SOLD. *TR

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WHILE DRIVING DOWN A MAJOR LOCAL ROAD, THE CAR COMPLETELY LOST DRIVING POWER (ACCESSORIES STILL WORKED) AND A WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD CAME ON SAYING "STOP SAFELY NOW!". MY WIFE WAS BARELY ABLE TO PULL OVER AND WE WERE UNABLE TO GET THE CAR MOVING AGAIN, EVENTUALLY TOWING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. WHEN WE PICKED THE CAR UP THEY STATED THAT A CONNECTION TO THE HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY CAME LOOSE AND THEY'VE FIXED IT. YESTERDAY, WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE CAR, THE SAME WARNING MESSAGE CAME ON AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. WE ONCE AGAIN HAVE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALER CALLED ME THIS MORNING SAYING THE CAR "WORKS FINE" WHICH MAKES ME MORE CONCERNED SINCE CLEARLY THIS ISSUE IS NOW TOTALLY UNPREDICTABLE. *TR

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,588. UPDATED 6/4/15*CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL, SHUDDER AND SLIP OUT OF GEARS. UPDATED 12/17/15.8JB UPDATED 10/11/2017*CN

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXCESSIVELY VIBRATED, JERKED, AND FAILED TO ACCELERATE AT ANY SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE SOFTWARE AND STATED THAT THE CLUTCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE CLUTCH WAS ON BACK ORDER AND COULD NOT PROVIDE A TURN AROUND TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.

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TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE, BUCKING, KICKING, JERKING, ROUGH ENGAGEMENT, SUDDEN ACCELERATION, DELAY IN DOWNSHIFTS, SHUDDERING AND DELAYED ACCELERATION. *TR

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VEHICLE SHAKES, HESITATES, SHUDDERS FROM STOP AND AT SLOW SPEEDS. VERY JERKY AND INCONSISTENT SHIFTING THROUGH THE FIRST 2 TO 3 GEARS. NOT AS APPARENT AT SPEEDS OVER 25MPH. *TR

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WITHIN THE FIRST FEW HUNDRED MILES I DROVE THE CAR I NOTICED THAT WHEN I WAS AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND TRIED TO ACCELERATE THE CAR ACTED LIKE IT COULDN'T GET IN GEAR AND GO. THE ACCELERATION WAS DELAYED DRAMATICALLY. THAT HAS CONTINUED EVER SINCE. MORE RECENTLY FROM A DEAD STOP WHEN I ACCELERATE THE CAR SHUDDERS, MAKES LOUD, ODD NOISES AND ACCELERATES WITH DIFFICULTY. THIS CAR IS A DANGER TO ME AND TO OTHERS. *TR

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TRANSMISSION FEELS LIKE IT IS SLIPPING UPON ACCELERATION. FEELS LIKE DRIVING IN HIGH GEAR, LOTS OF JUMPING & JERKING. *TR

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THE FORD FOCUS HAS HAD SHIFTING ISSUES SINCE FIRST PURCHASED. FORD PERFORMED A REPROGRAMMING OF THE COMPUTER MODULE, DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. FORD REPAIRED THE CLUTCH AND IT SEEMED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM FOR A FEW MONTHS. THE SLUGGISH SHIFTING REAPPEARED A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE REPAIR CONDUCTED ON BATTLEFIELD FORD (VA). TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TED BRITT, FORD CHANTILLY VA, ACCORDING TO THE TECHNICIAN THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. "FORD STATES THAT SOME SHIFTING LAG IS ACCEPTABLE" OF CONCERN IS THAT I'VE OWNED A FORD, RANGER/FUSION/EXPLORER/ FORD FUSION HYBRID, NONE OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE THIS ISSUES WITH SHIFTING. ITS FORD GOING TO WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT? *TR

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TRANSMISSION SHUDDERS UPON ACCELERATION. ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THE CAR HAS ALMOST STALLED OUT ALMOST CAUSING US TO BE REAR ENDED. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER, THE FIRST TIME THEY REPLACED THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. 2ND TIME THEY HAD TO REPROGRAM THE PART THAT WAS REPLACED. CAR IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP AWAITING OUTCOME THIS TIME. VERY UPSETTING CONSIDERING THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A REPUTABLE COMPANY THAT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR MANY YEARS. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED AND I HOPE THEY DO RECALL ON THESE TRANSMISSIONS. *TR

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VEHICLE ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS HAS SLIPPED/STALLED WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE. SOMETIMES IT IS FROM A DEAD STOP AND SOMETIMES IT IS AT SPEED. CAR WILL SHUDDER, HIGH REV AND NOT SHIFT, START TO GO AND STALL. I FEEL UNSAFE IN THIS VEHICLE AND FORD HAS NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. *TR

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THE CAR'S TRANSMISSION HAS ACTED UP ALMOST SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THIS WAS MY VERY FIRST BRAND NEW CAR AND WAS UNAWARE OF THE CAR SOUNDS AND HOW IT FEELS WHEN DRIVING IT. HOWEVER, A PROBLEM IN THE TRANSMISSION STARTED GETTING MORE NOTICEABLE AS TIME PASSED BY, SUDDENLY IT WOULD SLIP AND HESITATE AT LOW SPEEDS. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT SINCE I'VE HAD THE CAR FOR ONLY A FEW MONTHS. I RECENTLY TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND ALL THEY DID WAS REPROGRAM THE COMPUTER AND GATHER INFORMATION FOR THE FORD MANUFACTURER. NOW THE CAR IS EVEN WORSE THAN BEFORE AND DOING THINGS IT DID NOT DO BEFORE I TOOK IT IN. I WANT THE FORD MANUFACTURER TO BUY BACK THIS VEHICLE; I DON'T FEEL SECURE IN IT ANYMORE AND I DON'T CONSIDER IT A RELIABLE WAY OF TRANSPORTATION ANYMORE. I'M STRONGLY CONSIDERING NOT TO GO FOR ANOTHER FORD VEHICLE EVER AGAIN, I'D RATHER GO WITH OTHER MAKES AND MODELS. MY EXPERIENCE WITH FORD HAD BEEN BAD, I HAD THIS CAR FOR ONLY A YEAR AND ONLY 11,000 MILES AND I'M ALREADY DEALING WITH THE TRANSMISSION. *TR

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ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS (WHILE PULLING INTO TRAFFIC). FROM A STOP THE TRANSMISSION REVS BUT CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW FOR MY DAUGHTER SO SHE WOULD HAVE A SAFE RELIABLE VEHICLE TO DRIVE TO SCHOOL. A TRANSMISSION CAUSING A LOSS OF ACCELERATION WHILE IN NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS IS NOT SAFE OR RELIABLE. *TR

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WHEN PULLING FORWARD OUT OF A GAS STATION, I HIT THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR STARTED SHUTTERING AND JUMPING, THEN REED UP TO 3,000 RPM AFTER I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS, I WAS ONLY TRYING TO GO FORWARD ABOUT 20 FEET. IT THEN KEPT GOING WITHOUT ANY INPUT FROM ME AS THE DRIVER. I HAD TO HIT THE BRAKE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO STOP IT AND PREVENT THE CAR FROM GOING INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CAR THEN SHIFTED REALLY HARD AND ALMOST LURKED MY PASSENGER INTO THE DASHBOARD. THIS TRANSMISSION IS NOT SAFE AND THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME IT HAS HAPPENED. *TR

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THE VEHICLES TRANSMISSION WAS MAKING NOISES, SHUTTERING AND HESITATING WHEN TAKING OFF. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES AND FINALLY ON THE THIRD TIME (AFTER GETTING THE REGIONAL FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE INVOLVED) THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE AUTOMATIC CLUTCH. THEY KEPT THE CAR FOR A WEEK AND WHEN I GOT IT BACK I HAVE TO ADMIT IT DROVE BETTER. HOWEVER NOW 9 MONTHS AND 15K MILES LATER THE TRANSMISSION IS MAKING THE SAME NOISES AGAIN AND IT IS NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE IS DOING EXACTLY WHAT IT DID WHEN IT ONLY HAD 400 MILES ON IT. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THE FORD FOCUS. *TR

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