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

TRANSMISSION SLIPS/SHUTTERS/JERKS. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS HAD PROBLEMS SINCE NEW. THEY HAVE REPAIRED IT SEVERAL TIMES AND THE PROBLEM JUST COMES BACK. IT CAUSES HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AND IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE WHEN IT HAPPENS. FORD WILL NOT REPAIR IT UNTIL THE SLIPPAGE IS OUTSIDE THEIR THRESHOLD, BUT BY THAT TIME IT IS A HAZARD. THESE CARS NEED TO BE REPLACED.

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RECALL NHTSA # 15V436 (FORD RECALL #15C06) IS ON THE C-MAX BODY CONTROL MODULE. THIS HAS CAUSED THE ENTIRE CAR TO NOT START. IT WAS BROUGHT IN FOR SERVICE 7/3/17 AND I HAVE NO UPDATES. THE RECALL WAS ISSUED 7/1/15 AND THE CAR, ITSELF, WAS PURCHASED THE NEXT 8/2015 SO IT WAS SOLD WITH A KNOWN RECALL AND NOW, 2 YEARS LATER, IT'S VERY CONCERNING THAT A FIX IS STILL NOT READILY AVAILABLE WHEN BROUGHT IT FOR SERVICE.

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A/C NOT HEATING PROPERLY, DEALER SAYS CAN'T FIND PROBLEM, I EXPECT AS MUCH FOR WARRANTY WORK. SOUNDS LIKE STRANGE NOISES UNDER DASH.

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ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS, I HAVE LOST POWER IN DIFFERENT CONDITIONS. I HAVE NOTIFIED THE DEALERS AND THEY HAVE TRIED TO REPAIR MY PROBLEM EACH TIME. THEY SAID THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF TRANSMISSION AND HAVE DECIDED TO INCREASE THE POWER-TRAIN WARRANTY. I THINK IT IS NOW UP TO 10 YEARS AND 150,000 MILES. UNFORTUNATELY, THEY JUST WANT TO KEEP FIXING THOSE TRANSMISSIONS AND CONTROL MODULES BUT THE SITUATION IS VERY DANGEROUS. THE LOSS OF POWER HAS HAPPENED TO ME IN SOME DIFFERENT CONDITIONS; FROM GOING UP A HILL IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED, TO JUST DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. ON A FEW OCCASIONS, WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAYS, MY CAR WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO PASSING GEAR AND EVEN SEEMED TO LOSE POWER AT SPEEDS OF 55-65 MPH WHEN TRYING TO PASS OTHER VEHICLES. ON TWO SPECIFIC OCCASIONS, MY CAR WAS UNABLE TO GO INTO PASSING GEAR AS I TRIED TO PASS ANOTHER CAR. HOWEVER, LAST WEEK AND ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO I LOST POWER WHILE I WENT TO PASS A VEHICLE ON A TWO LANE ROAD AND HAD TO DROP BACK BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT RESPOND AND ACTUALLY LOST POWER AT A MOMENT THAT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION IF THE CAR I WAS PASSING WOULD HAVE SLOWED DOWN AT THE SAME TIME I LOST POWER AND THE ON COMING CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN. THIS HAS BEEN SCARY AND SURPRISES ME BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO BE AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. THEY SAID IT IS HAPPENING TO MANY OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES AS WELL. I WOULD HAVE REPORTED THIS SOONER IF I HAD KNOWN THIS NHTSA SITE WAS AVAILABLE. I DO NOT BELIEVE THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO JUST KEEP PUTTING OUT UNSAFE VEHICLES AND CONTINUE REPAIRING THEM WHEN SUCH A DANGEROUS CONDITION RISKS THE LIVES OF ANYONE WHO PASSES ANOTHER VEHICLE ON A TWO-LANE HIGHWAY. I HOPE IT DOESN'T TAKE A SCHOOL BUS WITH KIDS GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT AS A RESULT OF THIS DEFECT TO GET CORRECTIVE ACTION TAKEN TO REMEDY THIS UNSAFE CONDITION.

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I PURCHASED MY FIRST FORD FOCUS IN 2012 AND WAS FORCED TO TRADE IT AFTER NEEDING 3 CLUTCH REPLACEMENTS IN ONLY 20K MILES OF DRIVING. AFTER REASSURANCE FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY OF A NEW REDESIGNED TRANSMISSION AND CLUTCH IN THE 2015 MODELS WITH NO KNOWN ISSUES AFTER CONSIDERABLE TESTING, I TRADED MY FIRST FOCUS FOR MY SECOND. TO MY OUTRAGE, NOT ONLY WAS I SOLD A CAR WITH A KNOWN FAULTY CLUTCH BUT I JUST RECEIVED MY SECOND CLUTCH REPLACEMENT.. THIS TIME IN ONLY 13K MILES OF DRIVING. IN A REQUEST TO FORD TO BUY MY CAR BACK, I WAS TOLD MY TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE WITH MY FIRST FOCUS WOULD NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE CURRENT REQUEST FOR BUYBACK. NEXT, I WAS TOLD BY A REGIONAL MANAGER REVIEWING MY CASE, THAT THE CLUTCHES CONTINUED TO FAIL BECAUSE I DID NOT "DRIVE MY CAR AGGRESSIVELY ENOUGH" DESPITE FORD ACKNOWLEDGING THOUSANDS BEING AFFECTED BY THEIR FAULTY CLUTCHES AND CURRENT CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST FORD. FINALLY, IN SOLIDARITY FOR DENYING MY REQUEST FOR BUYBACK, I WAS OFFERED 6-FREE OIL CHANGES (VALUED ~$180), A SLAP IN FACE FOR THE NEARLY $50,000 I HAVE PAID FORD OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS FOR TWO FORD FOCUSES. IN TOTAL, I HAVE HAD 5 CLUTCH REPLACEMENTS IN 5 YEARS IN TWO CARS; UNACCEPTABLE.

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THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR BUT DECELERATION WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DELAYED. THE STEERING SHUDDERED AND THE CAR JERKED FROM SIDE TO SIDE. FRONT END SHUDDERED REPEATEDLY.

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TRANSMISSION SHUTTERS WHEN TAKING OFF AND WHEN SHIFTING GEARS. A POOR EXCUSE FOR A TRANSMISSION WHEN THE REST OF THE CAR IS GREAT. IM SORRY FORD BUT THIS IS NOT NORMAL! THE NHTSA NEEDS TO QUIT STALLING AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.

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I JUST BOUGHT A USED 2015 FORD FOCUS, RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING THERE WAS JUMPING AND SPUTTERING AS I START DRIVING. I SEE THIS AS A SAFETY PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE NOT JUST FOR ME BUT OTHERS WITH THIS PROBLEM. AS YOU CAN SEE IF YOUR READING THIS I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM, OVER 50 PEOPLE WITH IT, JUST CALLED DIFFERENT NAMES. I READ ALL OVER THE INTERNET ABOUT IT, LAWSUITS IN TWO STATES, ...JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO COMPLAIN BEFORE THIS GETS RECALLED !!!!!!

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TRANSMISSION SKIPS, SURGES, STALLS AT LOW SPEED OR ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. I AM SEEING LOTS OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE FROM OWNERS AND NO REMEDIES FROM FORD!!! A RECALL MUST BE STARTED!!! VERY DANGERIOUS.

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TAKATA RECALL. WHEN DRIVING COMPUTER OR TRANSMISSION DOES NOT CHANGE GEARS ON TIME. SOMETIMES STAYS IN FIRST GEAR PAST 20MPH. PROBLEM WHEN DRIVING ON FREEWAY AND NEED TO SPEED UP. TAKATA RECALL. ALSO SEATBELTS WILL NOT RELEASE SOMETIMES WHEN I NEED TO GET OUT OF CAR. IT WILL PARTIALLY UNLOCK BUT SEATBELT WILL STILL BE LOCKED IN PLACE. I MUST PUSH SEATBELT BACK IN PLACE TO TOTALLY LOCK IT AGAIN THE PRESS RED BUTTON TO RELEASE. VERY DANGEROUS

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MY CAR STALLS SHAKES AND STUDDERS WHEN I ACCELERATE, EVEN AFTER I TURN THE TRACTION CONTROL OFF IT CONTINUES ,I'VE NEARLY BEEN REAR ENDED PLENTY OF TIMES. I DON'T FEEL SAFE AND EITHER DOES MY PASSENGERS AS AND I'M SURE THIS JERKING AS AND TIRE SPINNING WILL CAUSE OTHER PROBLEMS.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED AND CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. DURING THE INCIDENT, THE "STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTION" MESSAGE DISPLAYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE EPAS ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED AND PROGRAMMED. THE FAILURE WAS REMEDIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,039.

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TAKATA RECALL WHEN TAKING OFF SEATBELT IT DOES NOT FULLY RELEASE FROM LOCK. CLICK THE UNLOCK/RELEASE BUTTON TO SEATBELT AND IT CLICKS UNLOCK BUT DOES NOT RELEASE SEATBELT FROM LOCK. MUST PUSH SEATBELT BACK INTO LOCK AND CLICK BUTTON AGAIN, SOMETIMES MULTIPLE TIMES IN ORDER FOR SEAT TO RELEASE FROM LATCH/LOCK. ONLY KNOWN TO HAPPEN TO CAR WHEN PARKED. CAR ON OR OFF SEATBELT DOESN'T RELEASE.

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WE BOUGHT THE CAR NEW IN 2015. LAST YEAR THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SKIP OR JUMP, JERK AT LOW SPEED AND ALSO WHEN YOU EXCELLERATED. TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND THEY FIXED, WE THOUGHT. THE CAR IS IN THE SHOP NOW FOR THE SAME ISSUE. IT'S ONLY BEEN 6 MONTHS, AND THE CAR HAS ONLY 21,000 MILES ON IT. CITY STREET AND HIGHWAY DRIVING.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ENGINE SERVICE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE PURGE VALVE, FUEL PUMP, AND FUEL TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,650. UPDATED 06/21/17*LJ *CN

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V643000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD FOCUS. WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN OUT OF A PARKING LOT THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY AND FAILED TO SHIFT INTO FIRST GEAR. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE JERKED AND FAILED TO SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED, BUT THE TECHNICIAN COULD NOT FIND A FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000. UPDATED 05/10/17*LJ UPDATED 05/18/2017 *JS

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MY FOCUS HAS ISSUES SHIFTING (JERKS AND REVS HIGH RPMS WHEN TAKING OFF) AND ROLLING BACK AT INTERSECTIONS ON AN INCLINE. I HAVE HAD THE CAR INTO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER THREE TIMES, ONCE THEY "REPROGRAMMED" THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CONTROLLER AND ONE OF THE OTHER TIMES THEY REPLACED THE CLUTCH PACK. THE THIRD TIME THEY TOLD ME THIS WAS NORMAL OPERATION. BEFORE THE CLUTCH PACK WAS REPLACED THE VEHICLE MADE SEVERE GRINDING NOSES LIKE METAL ON METAL. THIS WAS WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS IN A PARKING LOT.

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THE CAR SPEAKERS HAVE BEEN MAKING POPPING AND CRACKLING SOUNDS SO LOUD THAT I HAVE JUMPED WHILE DRIVING, INCLUDING ONCE JERKING THE STEERING WHEEL. THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY PATTERN (NO TIES TO TURNING, ACCELERATING, BRAKING, BUMPS IN THE ROAD, ETC.) TO THE SOUNDS. THIS HAPPENS WHETHER THE STEREO IS ON OR OFF, INCLUDING AFTER THE CAR IS TURNED OFF UNTIL THE DOOR IS OPENED. I HAVE RESULTED TO WEARING EAR PLUGS WHILE DRIVING SO THAT I DON'T JUMP AND/OR JERK THE STEERING WHEEL - SOMETHING THAT IS NOT SAFE, BUT SAFER THAN THE ALTERNATIVE. I TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP AND PROVIDED THEM WITH A VIDEO OF THE SOUNDS, BUT THEY COULD NOT GET THE SOUND TO OCCUR WHILE WORKING ON ANOTHER ISSUE. THEY ASKED ME TO BRING IT BACK WHEN IT STARTS MAKING THE SOUNDS AGAIN, WHICH IT BEGAN DOING VERY RECENTLY. HAVING GOOGLED THE PROBLEM, I'VE FOUND AT LEAST A DOZEN OTHER PEOPLE REPORTING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH 2012 AND 2013 FORD FOCUSES, BUT HAVE NOT FOUND ANY INDIVIDUALS WHO REPORTED THE ISSUE BEING RESOLVED. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS IS AN URGENT SAFETY MANNER AND SHOULD BE HANDLED VERY SERIOUSLY AT THE COST OF FORD MOTORS. *TR

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THE TRANSMISSION IS HORRIBLE. I SHAKES IT SPUTTERS AND IT MAKES A GRINDING SOUND. AT TIMES IT SEEMS TO TAKE OFF WHEN ALL I DO IS PRESS SO LIGHTLY ON THE GAS. I HAVE HAD THE AUTOMATIC CLUTCH REPLACED. I TOOK THEM 3 TIMES TO FIX IT, FINALLY WHEN THE NOISE GOT SO BAD THE DEALERSHIP DECIDED TO FIX IT. I FEEL UNSAFE IN THIS CAR. I AM SURE IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE AS THE CAR AGES. IT HAD A PROBLEM SINCE DAY 1. THE DEALERSHIP KEPT TELLING ME IT WAS NORMAL.

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CAR KEPT BUMPING AND MOVING UNEVENLY WHEN STARTING FROM A STANDING STOP OR WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS BELOW 10 OR 15 MPH. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CLUTCH, ACTUATORS, & SEALS AND UP DATED THE PCM/TCM UNDER WARRANTY. THE WORK ORDER DATE WAS 9/28/2016 THE CAR HAD 14757 MILES ON IT. *TR

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THERE IS EXTREME DISTORTION OF THE IMAGE ON THE INSIDE MANUAL (NON-ELECTRONIC) REAR-VIEW MIRROR WHEN THE MIRROR IS SET TO THE "NIGHT" POSITION. THE MIRRORS ARE OK WHEN SET TO THE "DAY" POSITION. I HAVE OBSERVED THIS DEFECT IN THE MIRROR OF MY PERSONAL FORD FOCUS 2015, AND IN OTHER FORD VEHICLES I HAVE EXAMINED ON FORD DEALER LOTS. WHEN SET TO THE NIGHT POSITION, ANY MOVEMENT OF THE DRIVER'S HEAD RELATIVE TO THE MIRROR CAUSES SEVERE DISTORTION OF THE IMAGE WHETHER THE MOVEMENT IS IN THE VERTICAL OR HORIZONTAL PLANE (HOWEVER, MOVEMENT IN THE HORIZONTAL PLANE APPEARS TO CAUSE WORSE DISTORTION THAN IN THE VERTICAL). THIS DISTORTION IS MOST DISCONCERTING TO FOLKS WHO DRIVE AT NIGHT, AND COULD CAUSE THE DRIVER TO PERCEIVE THAT ANOTHER VEHICLE IS CLOSER/FARTHER BEHIND THAN IT ACTUALLY IS, OR TO PERCEIVE THAT IT IS IN A LANE OTHER THAN WHERE IT ACTUALLY IS. WHEN I DEMONSTRATED THIS TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER SERVICE MANAGER AND TRIED TO MAKE A WARRANTY CLAIM, HE PERMITTED ME TO OBSERVE THE MIRROR IN OTHER VEHICLES ON THE LOT, ALL OF WHICH DEMONSTRATED THE SAME DEFECT. HE CLAIMS THAT IF A "DEFECT" APPEARS ON OTHER COMPARABLE VEHICLES, IT IS NOT REALLY A DEFECT AND IS "NORMAL." ANYONE WHO SUBSCRIBES TO SUCH NONSENSICAL LOGIC MUST SURELY BE LIVING IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE!

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS AND ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND JERKED INTO GEAR. ALSO, THE ENGINE REVVED AND THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE RUBBER ON THE INSIDE OF THE WHEELS WAS MISSING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

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I RENTED A VEHICLE FROM ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR. I DID NOT RECEIVE THE VEHICLE I RESERVED AND PAID FOR. THREE OUT OF THE FOUR VEHICLES SET ASIDE FOR UBER DRIVERS WERE BADLY STAINED ON THE INSIDE AND NOT WASHED ON THE OUTSIDE. THE ONLY VEHICLE OPTION LEFT FOR ME TO DRIVE FOR UBER WAS A 2015 FORD FOCUS, WHICH WAS STAINED ON THE INSIDE AND NOT WASHED ON THE OUTSIDE. I TRIED TO ASK FOR A REFUND AND WAS TOLD I HAD ALREADY PAID FOR THE RENTAL AND WAS LOCKED INTO THE AGREEMENT AS AN UBER DRIVER. I ASKED FOR A BETTER VEHICLE AND WAS TOLD THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY AT THE TIME FOR ME TO TRADE THE LAST VEHICLE OUT FOR. BASICALLY, I WAS STUCK WITH THE VEHICLE. THE CAR BEGINS TO JERK AS I ACCELERATE OR DRIVE. I INFORMED THE RENTAL CAR BRANCH, RENTAL CAR CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND THE RENTAL CAR CORPORATE OFFICE. NONE OF THESE DEPARTMENTS/DIVISIONS OF ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR SEEM TO BE CONCERNED REGARDING THE CONDITION OF THE CAR NOR HOW IT FUNCTIONS. MY UBER PASSENGERS (ESP. MALE PASSENGERS) HAVE BROUGHT IT TO MY ATTENTION THAT IT FEELS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING AND THAT I NEED TO GET IT FIXED. I HAVE ESCALATED THE MATTER TO UBER SO THEY ARE AWARE THAT ENTERPRISE IS NOT MAINTAINING THE CARS DESIGNATED FOR UBER DRIVERS NOR MEETING THEIR STANDARDS. I HAVE CONTACTED ENTERPRISE ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS TO BE PUT IN ANOTHER CAR OR GET MY MONEY BACK AND THEY WILL NOT TAKE OWNERSHIP FOR THEIR WRONGDOING NOR RECTIFY THE SITUATION. THE CONDITION OF THE CAR AND HOW IT RUNS HAS AFFECTED MY UBER DRIVER RATINGS, INTERFERED WITH ME GETTING RIDE REQUEST, AND PROHIBITED ME FROM MEETING MY UBER DRIVER RIDE QUOTA FOR THE WEEK. I TOOK THE CAR TO AN UBER VEHICLE INSPECTION LOCATION WHERE THE CAR FAILED INSPECTION. UBER WAS NOT HAPPY WITH ENTERPRISE PROVIDING ME WITH AN UNSAFE VEHICLE.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SHOOK AND RATTLED WHEN SWITCHING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY AND NO FAILURE WAS PRESENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000. UPDATED 02/07/2017*CT CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION IS PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. IT IS NOW SLIPPING AS IT SHIFTS INTO 2ND GEAR. UPDATED 7/12/18*JB

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