What 743 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Ford Focus RS

MANUAL TRANSMISSION. WHILE IN MOTION, GOING THROUGH GEARS DURING ACCELERATION, CLUTCH PUSHED IN, FOOT OFF GAS, RPMS GO UP ANYWHERE BETWEEN 500 AND 1500 FOR SEVERAL SECONDS BEFORE DROPPING. IF YOU DON'T CLUTCH IN, CAR CONTINUES TO PULL AS THOUGH THE GAS PEDAL IS STUCK AND THE "SHIFT UP" LIGHT STAYS ON.

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TRANSMISSION/CLUTCHES STARTED SLIPPING OR JERKING WHEN THE CAR HAD LESS THAN 7000 MILES. THE SLIPPING IS WORSE WHEN STARTING OUT ON A HILL, OR WHEN MAKING TURNS. IT HAS ALSO SLIPPED WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC. THE TRANSMISSION ALSO FAILS TO HOLD THE CAR STATIONARY WHEN STOPPED FACING UPHILL. WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP LIGHT OR SIGN ON A HILL, THE CAR WILL SLIP BACK. IT WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP, BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX IT FOR OVER TWO MONTHS DUE TO "PARTS BEING ON BACKORDER"

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THIS IS THE 2ND TIME I AM HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. THEY REPLACED THE CLUTCHES. I DROVE THE CAR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND AM HAVING THE SAME ISSUES WITH SURGING/LUGGING. NOW, IT IS HAPPENING IN LOWER GEARS AND WHEN I ACCELERATE TO HIGHER GEARS. IT IS NOW HAPPENING WHEN I AM IN REVERSE, TOO.

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AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SURGES WHILE DRIVING LIKE IT IS SEARCHING FOR PROPER GEAR. PUT IN PARK ON HILL SOMETIMES CAR WILL START TO ROLL THEN TRANSMISSION CATCHES AND HOLDS IN PLACE. WHEN GO TO BACK IN TO PARK TAKE STOP TAKE OUT OF DRIVE TO NEUTRAL THEN TO REVERSE LIKE IT IS STILL IN NEUTRAL GIVE A LITTLE ACCELERATOR AND IT WILL CATCH IN REVERSE. THESE PROBLEMS ARE INTERMITTENT AND NOT ALL THE TIME WHILE DRIVING. THE DRIVING AND PARKING ON HILL ISSUE IS A COUPLE MONTHS. THE REVERSE ISSUE IS A YEAR OR MORE.

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VEHICLE BEGAN LOSING POWER WHILE ACCELERATING AND THEN WHEN SUDDENLY JERK FORWARD. THIS HAPPENED ON A CITY STREET, TRYING TO GO JUST 25 MPH. TRANSMISSION LIGHT CAME ON. UPON TAKING VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY DETERMINED THAT THE CLUTCH WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. CAR CURRENTLY ONLY HAS 6,200 MILES ON IT. NOT FEELING GREAT ABOUT THIS PURCHASE.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 FORD FOCUS. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE, THE VEHICLE SHUDDERED, SHOOK, AND VIBRATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, BUT WAS MORE PRONOUNCED WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STANDSTILL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SANES FORD (4721 AYERS ST, CORPUS CHRISTI, TX) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION CLUTCH WAS FAULTY. THE TRANSMISSION CLUTCH WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURES RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.

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1)WHEN ACCELERATOR IS PUSHED ENGINE SURGES BUT CAR DOESN'T MOVE THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, BANG, TRANSMISSION ENGAGES WITH SUDDEN ACCELERATION. 2)PUSHING ACCELERATOR CAR BOGS DOWN INSTEAD OF ACCELERATING, SLOWLY ACCELERATING UP TO SPEED. 3)OCCASIONALLY TURNING A CORNER YOU PUSH ON ACCELERATOR NOTHINGS THERE, YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR TRANSMISSION TO FINALLY ENGAGE. 4)TRANSMISSION HAS OVERHEATED TWICE, THE DISPLAY SAYS TO SHUT OFF CAR FOR FIVE MINUTES BUT ONCE I COULD NOT GET OVER IN TRAFFIC AND IT JUST SHUT DOWN IN LANE TWO OF THE FREEWAY WHERE I HAD TO SIT UNTIL THE HEAT IN TRANSMISSION WENT DOWN FAR ENOUGH SO IT WOULD ENGAGE AGAIN. 5)PUSHING PEDAL LIGHTLY WILL CAUSE CAR TO MOVE BUT IT SHUDDERS, THEN IT WILL CLANK, THEN SHUDDER, CLANK THEN SHUDDER SEVERAL TIMES AS IT MOVES SLOWLY, IT WILL DO THIS UNTIL YOU USE THE BRAKE TO STOP. 6)VERY LOUD CLANK WHEN ACCELERATING DOWN TO A STOP LIGHT. 7)YESTERDAY IN THE MORNING, 12/11, I BACKED OUT OF DRIVEWAY THEN WHEN I SHIFTED INTO DRIVE NOTHING, CAR DID NOT MOVE. SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL AND BACK INTO DRIVE AND LOW A NUMBER OF TIMES THE TRANSMISSION FINALLY ENGAGED, YOU COULD HEAR IT CONNECTING. 8)TRANSMISSION IS VERY LOUD, CLANKING WHEN DOWNSHIFTING OR COMING TO STOP. 9)THESE PROBLEMS ARE NOT CONSTANT BUT HAPPEN THROUGHOUT THE DAY, EVERY DAY. 10)THERE HAVE BEEN VARIOUS OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION THAT ARE HARD TO DESCRIBE. 11)DRIVING ON THE STREET OR HIGHWAY THE TRANSMISSION WILL ALL OF A SUDDEN DISENGAGE AS THE ENGINE WILL SURGE SINCE THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT IN GEAR THAN BANG IT WILL ENGAGE AGAIN.

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AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE CONTINUALLY FOR APPROX. 30 MINUTES, THERE IS A LULL IN GEAR SWITCHING FROM STATIONARY TO ACCELERATED MOTION. UPON CONTINUED DRIVING, THE PROBLEM INCREASES AND CAR SHAKES, JERKS AND FEELS LIKE IT'S GOING TO EXPLODE. CAR WAS PURCHASED LESS THAN 1 MONTH AGO WITH APPROX. 37,500 MI. IT NOW HAS APPROX. 37,600 MILES. CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP TODAY AND AFTER DIAGNOSTICS SCREENING, I WAS TOLD TO BRING CAR BACK NEXT MONDAY AND THEY WOULD REPLACE BOTH TRANSMISSION CLUTCHES. I WENT ONLINE THIS EVENING TO RESEARCH THE FORD FOCUS TRANSMISSION AND FOUND ARTICLES TELLING ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH THE 2018 MODELS. ARTICLES TELL OF SUDDEN ACCELERATIONS THAT LEAD TO ACCIDENTS. I AM TERRIFIED TO GET BEHIND THE WHEEL OF MY CAR NOW.

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I APPROACHED A STOP SIGN, AND LOST COMPLETE POWER, COULDN'T EVEN MOVE IT OUT OF GEAR, TRIED TO JUMP IT AND NOTHING. I COULD'VE WRECKED BECAUSE OF THIS

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THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PROVIDED WITH MY VEHICLE IS NOT AS DESCRIBED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL. MY TRANSMISSION IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE ABILITY FOR THE DRIVER TO "MANUALLY" SHIFT THROUGH THE 6 SPEEDS!? SHIFTING IS NOT AUTOMATIC AS DESCRIBED BECAUSE IT REQUIRES YOU TO LET UP ON THE ACCELERATOR TO SHIFT FROM A LOWER GEAR. WHEN IT TOOK MY VEHICLE TO MULTIPLE FORD DEALERS WITH THIS CONCERN, I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY COULD NOT PERFORM ANY WORK ON THE TRANSMISSION UNTIL THE VEHICLE REACHED 10,000 MILES (4900 MILES TO GO!). THEREFORE I AM STUCK WITH A DANGEROUS CAR THAT SHIFTS WHEN IT WANTS TO AND LEAVES ME VULNERABLE TO CRASHES IN EVERYDAY TRAFFIC AS I CANNOT DEPEND ON ACCELERATION THAT I MAY NEED TO AVOID A DANGEROUS SITUATION. WHEN REPORTED TO FORD CUSTOMER CARE, MULTIPLE TIMES, I WAS TOLD TO TAKE IT TO A FORD DEALER AND I AM STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH NO ONE LISTENING OR ADDRESSING MY CONCERNS!?

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART AFTER 25 MINUTES. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED, BUT COOLED DOWN ONCE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS RELEASED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GILLIE HYDE AUTO GROUP (610A HAPPY VALLEY RD, GLASGOW, KY 42141, (888) 621-5047) AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V735000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55,000.

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THE TRANSMISSION LUGS OR SLIPS WHEN GOING FROM A STOPPED POSITION. IT WILL EVENTUALLY GO AND SEEMS TO BE FINE ONCE I AM OVER 25 MILES PER HOUR. IT STARTED ABOUT 4 WEEKS AGO AND SEEMS TO BE MORE FREQUENT. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS ABOUT 30,000 MILES ON IT. IT GETS REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND IS NOT DRIVEN ROUGHLY.

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BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE AUGUST 2018 FROM PRINCE FREDERICK FORD EVER SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT ISSUES WITH THE CAR MAKING A VIBRATION GRINDING NOISE ALONG WITH A SHUDDER WHEN I LET OFF THE GAS THE CAR INCREASE SPEED CAUSING A SLAM ON THE BREAKS VEHICLE HESITATES AT TIMES WHEN INCREASING SPEED THIS VEHICLE SCARES ME SO MUCH HAVE BEEN TO DEALER 3 TIMES JUST TO SAY CAN'T DUPLICATE ISSUE WHICH IS A LIE I WOULD LOVE TO GO TO A NEW CAR BUT THE ROLLOVER AMOUNT IS INSANE AND DON'T WANNA DO THAT FOR A POS CAR I HAVE WRITTEN FORD BUT THEY SAY GO TO A DEALER WE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT WHEN THEY DO THEY MAKE THE CRAPPY UNSAFE CAR NOT TO MENTION THE CAR DASH MAKES NOISES AND IT'S OVERALL A CHEAP VEHICLE THAT SHOULD NOT BE ON ROAD HIGHLY UNSAFE

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WHILE SITTING AND MOVING SLOWING IN TRAFFIC, AT TIMES, THE VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY SURGE OR LURCH FORWARD , VERY JERKY ACELERATION FROM A STOP, THE CLUTCH WAS ALREADY REPLACED ONCE AND THIS VEHICLE HAS ONLY 61000 MILES! I HAD TO PURCHASE ANOTHER EXTENDED WARRANTY TO 100,000, WHEN THIS IS UP THEN WHAT DO I DO?

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WE BOUGHT THE CAR ON JULY 13 2019WITH ONLY 7 MILE ON THE ODOMETER. WITHIN 2 WEEKS OF HAVING THE CAR IT BREAKS DOWN WHILE DRIVING IT AND HAD TO GET A FORD TO TOW IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY HAD IT 2 DAYS AND REPLACED THE SOMETHING IN THE TRANSMISSION AT THE TIME OF IT BREAKING CAR WOULD ONLY OPERATE IN REVERSE. DEALER SHIP FIXES THE CAR GIVE IT BACK LESS THAN TWO WEEKS LATER WHILE DRIVING TO PICK UP MY HUSBAY FROM WORK WAS STOPPED FOR TRAFFIC AND WHEN I STARTED TO ROLLED AHEAD AGAIN THE TRANSMISSION LIGHT CAME ON WITH TRANSMISSON FAILURE AND AGAIN CAR WOULD ONLY DRIVE IN REVERSE. BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THIS TIM THEY HAD IT A WEEK AND REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION CLUTCH MOTOR AND GIVE IT BACK. THEY SAID IT SHOULD BE FINE NOW. WHILE DRIVING YESTERDAY TO PICK UP MY HUSBAND FROM WORK, THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN THE ENGINE JUST REVS WHEN GIVEN CAR LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INFRONT OF ME WHEN IT JERKED FORWARD AND IT WAS STILL MOVING ENOUGH TO PULL IT OFF THE ROAD AND OUT OF TRAFFIC HOWEVER THE DRIVER BEHIND ME CURSED AT ME FOR DRIVING THAT LAST PART OF THE TIME ONLY AT 15 MILES PER HOUR. NOW WITHOUT A CAR ALL WEEKEND CAUSE THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT IS CLOSED AND THEY CANT ISSUE A LOANER CAR UNTIL THEY REOPEN ON MONDAY MORNING.

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VEHICLE PURCHASED NEW FEB 2018, IN NOV 2018 WITH APPROX. 11K MILES, VEHICLE BEGAN SKIPPING ON ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION WITH GRINDING NOISES, DETERMINED THAT THE CLUTCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, VEHICLE BEGAN HAVING THE SAME ISSUES IN APRIL 2019 WITH 18K MILES, CLUTCH REPLACEMENT NEEDED AGAIN, HAD TO WAIT 6 WEEKS, PART BACK ORDERED, FOR REPLACEMENT CLUTCH, REPLACED JUNE 2019, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN IN AUG 9, 2019 WITH 21K MILES, DETERMINED THE CLUTCH NEEDS REPLACED AGAIN. NEXT AVAILABLE APPT WITH DEALERSHIP, LAST WEEK OF AUGUST, FIRST WEEK OF SEPT.

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THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN SKIPPING WHICH CAUSED A BELT TO BREAK INSIDE THE ENGINE AND THEN THE OIL PUMP WENT OUT. HAD AN OIL CHANGE AROUND JULY 1ST AND NOTHING WAS WRONG. FORD CLAIMS IT WAS MY FAULT BECAUSE I WAS OVER 2,000 MILES ON AN OIL CHANGE.

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TAKATA RECALL. MY CAR IS ONLY 8 MONTHS OLD AND ALREADY HAS HAD THE CLUTCH REPLACED. IT IS SHOWING SIGNS THAT MY 2014 DID FOR IT'S RECALL. IT IS ACTING LIKE IT IS GOING TO STALL AND ACTUALLY STALLED ON ME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY 17 JUST SOUTH OF MAYSVILLE NC WHILE I WAS DRIVING. MY 2014, CELLA FORD IN NEW BERN, NC KEPT SAYING IT WAS NOT UNDER RECALL UNTIL IT STALLED OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF A BRIDGE, ALMOST CAUSING HER TO GET REAR ENDED WITH MY DAUGHTER AND GRANDDAUGHTERS ON THE CAR.

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MY CAR STARTED HAVING A CLUTCH SHUDDER BEFORE IT WAS A YEAR OLD. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THE FIRST TIME AND THEY THOUGHT IT WAS THE ADAPTIVE LEARN FEATURE, AND RESET THE COMPUTER. IT WAS STILL DOINF IT AND I TOOK IT BACK WITHIN A WEEK. I WAS TOLD ITS A FORD CLUTCH PROBLEM, BUT UNTIL IT GETS BAD ENOUGH TO REGISTER IN THE COMPUTER I HAD TO KEEP DRIVING IT. THEN THE GEAR SHIFT CABLE BROKE, IT CAME OUT OF THE TRANSMITION AND HAD TO BE FIXED, AT THE SAME TIME I HAD THE CLUTCH RE-CHECKED AND IT FINALLY REGISTERED BAD IN THE COMPUTER AND WAS REPLACED. 1 WEEK AFTER GETTING THE CAR BACK IT STRTED OVERHEATING AND HAD TO GO BACK TO THE SHOP (8/7/19), I ALSO REALIZED WHILE DRIVING TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE CAR HAD BURNT THROUGH AROUND 1/2 TANK OF FUELS IN A LITTLE OVER 60 MILES. I WAS TOLD THE COOLING FAN JUST STOPPED WORKING AND WAS REPLACED.

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CAR'S TRANSMISSION SHUTTERS OR JERKS AT VARIOUS TIMES LIKE ACCELERATING FROM A STOPPED POSITION. FRIGHTENED AND IRRITATED.

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TRANSMISSION WOULD SHUDDER AND NOT ENGAGE 2ND GEAR. ACCELERATION WOLD BE BOGGED DOWN MAKING IT HARD TO PASS OTHER VEHICLES OR MERGE ON THE HIGHWAY. CLUTCH PACK REPLACED AT 39,991 MILES UNDER POWERTRAIN WARRANTY.

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TRANSMISSION CLUNKS AND SHUDDERS AT TIMES WHEN DRIVING. WHILE ENGINE RUNNING IN THE STOP POSITION, BRAKE PEDDLE GOES TO THE FLOOR.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 68 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION WENT INTO NEUTRAL WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THERE WAS NO ACCELERATION. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, WAITED A FEW MINUTES, AND THE VEHICLE STARTED NORMALLY. WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE DID NOT ACCELERATE. AFTER A FEW SECONDS, THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FOWLER FORD (3400 S SHERIDAN AVE, TULSA, OK, 74145) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT BOTH CLUTCHES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH TRANSMISSION SEALS THAT WERE INSTALLED INCORRECTLY FROM THE FACTORY. THE VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER FOR THE THIRD TIME AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,200.

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CAR FEELS LIKE TRANSMISSION IS GOING TO GIVE OUT. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER A WEEK OR TWO AFTER AND MECHANIC SAID THAT'S JUST WHAT FOCUS ARE.

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2018 FORD FOCUS SEL . VEHICLE HESITATES OR SHUDDERS WHEN TAKING OFF.

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