Issues with new 2012 Ford Focus

[FordCustomerService]

Originally Posted by Cornhusker

I bought my 2012 Focus SE August '11 and noticed the same transmission issues early on. They were subtle at first, so I wasn't overly concerned. However, at about 5,000 miles it started getting much worse. Fast forward to 23,000 miles. Transmission has not "adapted" to my driving style like my case manager at Ford customer service advised. Significant shuddering and stuttering of transmission from a stopped position, and quick speed changes required for changing lanes for turning in traffic will often produce similar hiccups with the shifting...

Originally Posted by magnolia

I originally posted not long after I bought a 2012 Ti hatchback. I bought the focus hatchback because I needed a four door car with room to carry a wheelchair for my 92 year old mother. Unfortunately I bought the car during a time my husband was having serious health issues and I was kinda in a hurry and wasn't as dilligent as I should have been. When I asked about the shudder they said it would clear up. Other issues beside the shudder were rolling backwards on an incline while in drive when I took my foot off the brake (forget the 2 second rule). Sometimes it would try to stall on take off and sometimes I could hear a kind of "rocks in a tin can" sound coming from the transmission...

Hi there Cornhusker and magnolia,

I want to extend the same offer to you two that I have other folks - I'm happy to get your cases escalated to your regional customer service managers. Send me a PM with your VIN, dealer, mileage, full name, and daytime phone number; I'll do the rest.

Have a great day,
Crystal

[ElGatto]

Originally Posted by FordCustomerService

Hi there Cornhusker and magnolia,

I want to extend the same offer to you two that I have other folks - I'm happy to get your cases escalated to your regional customer service managers. Send me a PM with your VIN, dealer, mileage, full name, and daytime phone number; I'll do the rest.

Have a great day,
Crystal

What's your take on the leaky seal problem?

[mr_cassandra]

http://news.yahoo.com/ford-tumbles-a...--finance.html

Do your own diligence on the hundreds of posts here about this problem but I would ask you to consider a few questions.

1. Ford says the hesitation/stumbling problem is normal, why then does Consumer reports include it as a bad thing in its reviews?
2. Many other brands have this transmission, do they all have a similar problem? (my
3. when cold weather hit new england, 2/3 of my problem went away. If it is normal, why did it go away ?

If you like everything else about the car, like I do, you need to be tactfully persistent about this issue. Don't just take the party line from the dealer and go home. be willing to contact the Ford home office customer service.

And do your homework, once you have read the hundreds of other posts and if you have ever owned another brand like the VW GTI-same type transmission, then you are better equipped to continue seeking a resolution.

[raywal]

Ford went from being in the top 10 in reliability to almost last. What does that tell you?

[mr_cassandra]

Originally Posted by raywal

Ford went from being in the top 10 in reliability to almost last. What does that tell you?

My opinion goes as follows:
1. I guess I'm different than many but my opinion of a car is not remotely dependent on its touchscreen radio controls. I care about power, handling, transmission and mileage.
2. I think Ford is a large world player and didn't take a bailout from Washington and Ford is in this for the long haul.
3. Focus owners need to be persistent if they want their transmission problems resolved, like any other area of life. There are literally hundreds of posts at this forum you can read and study until you will likely know more than your dealer about this.
4. armed with the above, be prepared to go over the dealers head to ford customer service, have your facts and don't accept the party line of this is normal.
5. read the reviews in consumer reports of all the OTHER brands which have and use this transmission and are NOT fielding all these complaints.

[smurdza]

Where do I begin I bought this Beautiful White Trillium Hatchback SEL- fully loaded to the tee- except not push start or the coded handles- everthing else is there- my touch- sony system, leather- you name it I got it! However, the car is a wreck waiting to happen. Door creeks, grinding noise from clutch, is what started it off. Take it in- oh its the struts- we wont have parts until november- thats what Varsity told me- where I bought it. Did not like there answer- went to the next dealer- they find five pages worth of issues with the car, it so long I wanted to cry- but they had to replace the clutch, creek in door- not aligned properly, bearing sheilds, shocks and whaterver else. Said it was fixed- wrong a week later I'm back in with the same problems- except now there is more added to the list- car still make grinding noise- except louder and doing it in reverse now, door still creeks, shutters at stops, vibration felt throughout the car. back in it goes for another four days- problems are suppose to be fixed- wrong- got it back on thursday- its now saturday and this POS it not shifting properly- literally jerks me, the steering wheel is vibrating, shuttering it still going on- then whamo- my windows stop working no lights or power- then another whamo- my car starts dinging- instrument panel lights up- engine failure- put transmission in P- Im in drive in the middle of the express way- bam the instrument panel goes black- heat is kicking on and off- when I powered it off . Bam I lose all power to the damn car- in the middle of the expressway at 70 mph- there is a big issue here! I nearly almost got killed- oh by the way did I mention the fact after losing all the power while driving i couldnt even put my hazards on- because they didn't work either. FORD has a big problem right now- this car is not safe- four times now and thats it- I have always drove Ford- just traded in my escape for this mess of a car- what a mistake- Buyer beware- now I have to go in a different direction- my life is worth more than this car. I'm done- this is a major safety issue- to think I was gonna give this to my daughter next yr when she turned 16- never- I would live with guilt for the rest of my life- with this utterly unsafe car. Sorry, but no one cant seem to fix the issues- serious issues.

[VectorZ]

Originally Posted by smurdza

Where do I begin I bought this Beautiful White Trillium Hatchback SEL- fully loaded to the tee- except not push start or the coded handles- everthing else is there- my touch- sony system, leather- you name it I got it! However, the car is a wreck waiting to happen. Door creeks, grinding noise from clutch, is what started it off. Take it in- oh its the struts- we wont have parts until november- thats what Varsity told me- where I bought it. Did not like there answer- went to the next dealer- they find five pages worth of issues with the car, it so long I wanted to cry- but they had to replace the clutch, creek in door- not aligned properly, bearing sheilds, shocks and whaterver else. Said it was fixed- wrong a week later I'm back in with the same problems- except now there is more added to the list- car still make grinding noise- except louder and doing it in reverse now, door still creeks, shutters at stops, vibration felt throughout the car. back in it goes for another four days- problems are suppose to be fixed- wrong- got it back on thursday- its now saturday and this POS it not shifting properly- literally jerks me, the steering wheel is vibrating, shuttering it still going on- then whamo- my windows stop working no lights or power- then another whamo- my car starts dinging- instrument panel lights up- engine failure- put transmission in P- Im in drive in the middle of the express way- bam the instrument panel goes black- heat is kicking on and off- when I powered it off . Bam I lose all power to the damn car- in the middle of the expressway at 70 mph- there is a big issue here! I nearly almost got killed- oh by the way did I mention the fact after losing all the power while driving i couldnt even put my hazards on- because they didn't work either. FORD has a big problem right now- this car is not safe- four times now and thats it- I have always drove Ford- just traded in my escape for this mess of a car- what a mistake- Buyer beware- now I have to go in a different direction- my life is worth more than this car. I'm done- this is a major safety issue- to think I was gonna give this to my daughter next yr when she turned 16- never- I would live with guilt for the rest of my life- with this utterly unsafe car. Sorry, but no one cant seem to fix the issues- serious issues.

Did you know paragraphs are free? They make it much more enjoyable for the reader! That said please file a NHTSA report, or did you already?

[ElGatto]

Alas, I shall post no more. Hurricane Sandy has sent my Focus swimming with the fishes!

[6769MOPARS]

Originally Posted by ElGatto

Alas, I shall post no more. Hurricane Sandy has sent my Focus swimming with the fishes!

Sorry to hear that. I hope nothing else was damaged. Maybe you can upgrade to an ST.

[mr_cassandra]

Originally Posted by VectorZ

Did you know paragraphs are free? They make it much more enjoyable for the reader! That said please file a NHTSA report, or did you already?

contact Crystal here at this forum and/or Natasha at facebooks ford focus page. Be persistent, give them all dates, symptioms and dealer invoices.

It is up to us focus owners to push these issues, don't just take some canned response from a dealer and go home frustrated,

Be willing to call their home office

be willing to ask the dealer to get the regional manager involved,