What 743 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Ford Focus RS

MY LOW BEAM NOTIFICATION CAME ON MY DASH WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE MY LIGHT I NOTICED THAT THE WIRING IS TINGED AND EXPOSED AND THE LIGHT IS BROWN AND BURNT I'M NOT SURE IF THERE WAS AN ELECTRIC FIRE OR WHAT HAPPENED. I WAS PARKED AND TURNED MY CAR ON WHEN THE NOTIFICATION CAME UP.

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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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THE ISSUE HAPPENS OFF AND ON WHEN YOU USE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THE THROTTLE KEEPS ACCELERATING UP TO SEVERAL MINUTES AFTER YOU COMPLETELY TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF IT. I FIRST NOTICED THE ISSUE A MONTH AFT BUYING THE CAR BRAND NEW AND IT'S BEEN CONSISTENTLY HAPPENING FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO FORD TWICE ALREADY AND THEY TELL ME THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. I NOTICED THE PROBLEM THE FIRST TIME ON A HIGHWAY OFF RAMP WHEN THE BREAKS SEEMED TO NOT BE HARDLY WORKING. WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL THE BREAKS STARTED WORKING JUST FINE AND THE CAR INSTANTLY STARTED RED LINING. THE ISSUE SINCE THEN HAS HAPPENED IN TOWN ON THE HIGHWAY EVEN WHEN PARKED. SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE OFTEN WHEN ITS COLDER OUT BUT STILL HAPPENS WHEN 90 OUT. I HAVE TAKEN TWO VIDEOS OF IT SO FAR.

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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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I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR A OBD READING AND IT CAME BACK A FAULTY PURGE VALVE OR UNABLE TO BLEED UP FUEL TANK VACUUM. TAKE IT TO FORD AND THEY SAID THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THERE IS NO RECALL FOR MY CAR. WHEN LOOKING UP MY VIN THERE IS NON RIGHT NOW, I CLEARLY HAVE STALLING ISSUES AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. I WOULD LIKE GET A RECALL ON IT BECAUSE 1.6 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUES.

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THE 2018 FORD FOCUS HAS BEEN IN THE REPAIR SHOP FOUR TIMES FOR A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT RELATING TO THE VAPER/VACUUM HOSE, SENSOR OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. IN ADDITION, THE FOCUS NOW HAS A BROKEN STEERING GEAR. I WAS DRIVING ON THE CITY STREET WHEN IT WENT OUT, AND THANKFULLY NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE NEAR.

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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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WHEN CHANGING GEARS THE CLUTCH IS SHAKING THE CAR AND MAKING A GRINDING NOISE. IT APPEARS TO CREATING PROBLEM ON THE LOWER GEARS SUCH AS GEAR 1 AND 2

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE SPUTTERED WHILE ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MAXWELL FORD (5000 S IH 35 FRONTAGE RD, AUSTIN, TX 78745, (512) 443-5000) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE PURGE VALVE FAILED. THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED AT THE COST OF $425. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED AS TO WHY HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE UNKNOWN RECALL. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED TO KEEP THE REPAIR PAPERWORK IN CASE OF A FUTURE RECALL. THE CONTACT WAS TRANSFERRED TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,839.

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MY VEHICLE IS A 2018 FORD FOCUS ST AND HAS A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THAT INDICATES THE EVAPORATIVE EMISSIONS CANISTER PURGE VALVE TO BE STUCK OPEN WHICH COULD CAUSE THE FUEL TANK TO DEFORM. I EXPERIENCE ENGINE HESITATION AND ALMOST STALLING IMMEDIATELY UPON START-UP AFTER REFILLING FUEL. THIS ISSUE IS ADDRESSED IN AN EXISTING RECALL (18S32) FOR CERTAIN 2012-2018 FORD FOCUS. HOWEVER, MY VIN NUMBER IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE LIST OF CARS THAT ARE AFFECTED AND AS A RESULT, FORD REFUSES TO COVER THE REPAIR EXPENSE.

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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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WHILE SITTING AT A LIGHT OR CORNER AFTER A STOP THE CAR SHAKES & BOUNCES UNTIL I MOVE AGAIN, ONLY 15000 MILES ON IT. I AM THE ONLY DRIVER.

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I HAVE TESTED THIS MANY TIMES, AND YIELDED THE SAME RESULT. WHEN THE DRIVERS SEATBELT IS UNBUCKLED WHILST IN MOTION, THERE IS NO LIGHT OR AUDIBLE ALARM UNTIL YOU COME TO A FULL AND COMPLETE STOP.

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THE ENGINE STALLED ONCE ON AUGUST 20TH, 2019 WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. EACH TIME THAT I FILL THE TANK WITH FUEL I HAVE TO TRY 2-3 TIMES TO START ENGINE AS IT MAKES A NOISE AS IF I'M COMPLETELY OUT OF FUEL THOUGH IT'S A FULL TANK AND I'M STILL AT THE PUMP. FORD DEALERSHIP STATED TO ME THIS IS "NORMAL" FOR ALL CARS THOUGH I'VE NEVER DEALT WITH THIS AND AT 39 I'VE HAD SEVERAL CARS.

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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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CAR STALLS

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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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SEE ATTACHED LETTER. I HAVE COPIES OF ALL RECEIPTS, IF YOU NEED TO SEE THEM

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