What 1,022 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Ford Focus RS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD FOCUS. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AT 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE JERKED BEFORE MOVING FORWARD. WHILE AT A STOP ON AN INCLINE AND ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE, THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15.

NHTSA ODI 10789203

TL* THE CONTACT RENTED A 2015 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN PARK WITH THE ENGINE OFF AND THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND TWO PASSENGERS REMAINED IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ROLLED BACKWARDS AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,650.

NHTSA ODI 10785928

2015 FORD FOCUS HAS THE OPTIONAL POWERSHIFT SIX SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. WHEN SLOWLY STARTING FROM LOW SPEED 20 MPH WITH LIGHT THROTTLE, THE ENGINE REVS TO 6000 RPM AND THE VEHICLE BARELY MOVES.THIS CREATES A HAZARDOUS CONDITION AND HAS RESULTED IN NEAR MISSES. I HAVE ALSO OBSERVED THIS AT FREEWAY SPEEDS WHERE THE SUDDENLY LOSES SPEED, BUT THE ENGINE IS STILL AT HIGH RPM (AGAINST THE REV LIMITER). ONLY BY MANUALLY SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL AND THEN BACK TO DRIVE, CAN VEHICLE SPEED BE RETURNED.THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES AND THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTER HAS BEEN RE-FLASHED TWICE. FORD ENGINEERING HAS BEEN CONTACTED BY DEALER AND THEY HAVE NO SOLUTION. A DATA LOGGER FROM THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN USED TO RECORD THREE INSTANTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CONDITION AND MAKES THE THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO BE DRIVEN. IT WILL ONLY BE A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OCCURS. BECAUSE OF THIS CONDITION, WE ARE USING ANOTHER VEHICLE FOR TRANSPORTATION UNTIL THIS CONDITION CAN BE CORRECTED.

NHTSA ODI 10766288

I WAS ATTEMPTING TO CROSS A BUSY HIGHWAY. WHEN I ACCELERATED THE GAS PEDAL HAD TO BE PUSHED TO THE FLOOR IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO RESPOND ALMOST CAUSING ME TO BE HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THIS SLUGGISHNESS CONTINUED AS WELL AS HARD JOLTING FORWARD SHIFTS AFTER INITIAL ACCELERATION AND EVENTUALLY A FORWARD JERKING LOUD DOWNSHIFT NOISE WHEN STOPPING. THESE PROBLEMS CONTINUED, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP. THEY ACKNOWLEDGE IT IS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM BUT REFUSE TO COVER IT.

NHTSA ODI 10749865

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD FOCUS. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000. MA 10/19/15 *CN

NHTSA ODI 10746070

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN I WAS SLOWING DOWN TO A STOP BEFORE A RED TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE CAR JERKED FORWARD LIKE I WAS BEING REAR-ENDED. SEVERAL TIMES I WAS GOING OVER A MAN-HOLE COVER; THE LAST TIME I WAS GOING OVER THE RAIL TRACKS. IT SHOCKED ME AS I THOUGHT THE CAR WAS HIT FROM BEHIND, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN I WAS TRYING TO STOP AND THE WHEELS JUST SPUN FASTER. LUCKILY I HAD ENOUGH DISTANCE IN FRONT AND DIDN'T HIT ANY CAR IN FRONT OF MINE.

NHTSA ODI 10745386

I TRADED THIS VEHICLE IN FROM A 2012 FORD FIESTA, WHICH AFTER THREE YEARS HAD BECOME A ROLLING DISASTER, FROM THE FAULTY TRANSMISSION TO THE ALWAYS-DYING BATTERY AND TWO RECALLS. THE DEALER ASSURED ME THE 2015 FOCUS WAS REDESIGNED AND MUCH BETTER. I'LL ADMIT IT DRIVES MUCH BETTER, IS ROOMIER, AND NO JERKING IN THE TRANSMISSION LIKE THE FIESTA'S "AUTOMATED MANUAL" TRANSMISSION DID. BUT NOW WHEN THE VEHICLE GETS HOT, I SMELL AN OVERWHELMING SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING, ALMOST LIKE A GASKET, RUBBERY TYPE SMELL. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BRAKES, ENGINE OIL, WHAT. I TOLD THE SERVICE DEPT. ABOUT IT, BUT THEY SAID WITH JULY THEY WERE SHORT OF HELP WITH VACATIONS, AND SINCE THE CAR ONLY HAD 500 MILES ON IT, I HAD "PLENTY OF TIME" ON THE WARRANTY, NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT. THEY SAID TO LET IT BREAK IN AT LEAST ANOTHER 500 MILES. SO FAR I'VE NOT HAD SMOKE, STARTING OR STALLING PROBLEMS LIKE OTHERS HAVE REPORTED. I HAVE BROKEN IN LOTS OF BRAND NEW CARS IN MY LIFETIME, AND NEVER, EVER HAD A BURNING SMELL. I CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND GOT THE USUAL NONSENSE OF "WE'LL ESCALATE THIS ISSUE WITH YOUR LOCAL DEALER," AND LIKE THE FIESTA, NOTHING. ....UPDATED 11/13/15 *BF THE COMPLAINT HAS SINCE BEEN RESOLVED. THE LOCAL FOR DEALER PERFORMED A THOROUGH CHECK OF THE VEHICLE AND ADJUSTED THE CLIMATE CONTROL. UPDATED 11/17/15. *JB

NHTSA ODI 10730934

MY FATHER BOUGHT A FORD FOCUS, AFTER DRIVING MINE AND LIKING IT SO WELL, IN FEB/MARCH OF THIS YEAR. HE TOOK IT BACK FOR TRANSMISSION WHINING. HE WAS A MECHANIC IN THE ARMED FORCES AND KNOWS THE SOUND, AND CHUCK ANDERSON FORD SAID THAT IT WAS A BEARING PROBLEM AND THEY "FIXED" IT. HE PICKED UP THE CAR AND THE TRANSMISSION STILL MADE THE SAME WHINING SOUND. A FEW WEEKS WENT BY AND THE NOISE WAS LOUDER SO DAD CALLED AGAIN. AT THIS POINT I GOT INVOLVED AND MADE A CLAIM TO FORD, ON 3/11/2015. I EXPLAINED TO JAMES THAT I WAS CONCERNED FOR MY 79 YEAR OLD FATHERS SAFETY IF THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED. HE TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS "DRIVEABILITY CONCERNS" WITH THE TRANSMISSION. DAD, AGAIN, HAD PROBLEMS WITH IT AND THE DEALER REPLACED SOME OF THE PARTS IN THE TRANSMISSION. STILL, THE CAR WHINED AND DAD TOOK IT BACK. THE DEALER THEN TOLD HIM THAT HE SHOULD DRIVE IT 2500 MILES TO LET THE PARTS GET WORN IN. 2500 MILES LATER DAD TOOK IT BACK, NOISE GOT WORSE. THE FORD REP CAME OUT AND TOLD DAD THAT THEY KNEW THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR TRANSMISSIONS BUT THEY COULDN'T FIX ALL OF THEM. REALLY??? THEY FIXED THE F-150, WHY NOT THE PASSENGER CARS? I AM APAULLED AT THEWAY FORD HANDLES THIS SITUATION. MY FATHERS LIFE MAY NOT MEAN ANYTHING TO FORD, BUT IT MEANS THE WORD TO ME. FORD HAS PROVEN TO ME THAT THEY SEE A LIFE AS DISPOSABLE IN LIGHT OF THE THINGS THEY HAVE NOT DONE. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION IN ALL OF THE CARS, FORD OWNERS HAVE TOLD ME ABOUT, GO OUT, THEN WHAT? WE AS CONSUMERS ARE STUCK WITH A HEFTY BILL FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RIGHT IN THE FIRST PLACE. FORD NEEDS TO BE ACCOUNTABLY FOR THE PRODUCTS THEY PUT OUT AND THE SAFETY OF ALL OF US FORD OWNERS. THEY NEDD TO FIX THE PROBLEM BEFORE PEOPLE ARE STRANDED, CRASHED OR KILLED AND AN INVESTIGATION IS WARRENTED IN THIS SITUATION. ALL FORD OWNERS ARE DUE THIS.

NHTSA ODI 10730403

WHILE PULLING OUT FROM STOP SIGN ON TWO OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE LOST DRIVE POWER. A WRENCH APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD THAT SAID SERVICE. HAD I HAD TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF AN APPROACHING VEHICLE I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AND THIS ISSUE COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A CRASH RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO DEALER AND THEY AGREED THE ISSUE WAS A SERIOUS ISSUE HOWEVER SAID THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING SINCE AND ERROR CODE WAS NOT GENERATED. WE ARE STILL TRYING TO GET THIS ISSUE ADDRESSED.

NHTSA ODI 10724651