DCT over revving, car not accelerating. Dangerous

[PratoN]

Originally Posted by Kabigon

A good data recorder will buffer the data so if you press a button, it will store (for example) the previous 30 seconds of data (i.e. before you pressed the button) and the next 30 seconds of data (i.e. after the button was pressed). Hopefully that is the case with this recorder.

That's the same thing I was thinking.

[Coltm4]

I just had it happen to me this morning as well. I was in lane 2 of 3 going approximately 60-65mph trying to get to 70 when the transmission shifted into neutral. I doubt clutch was slipping as no shudder and no CEL type warnings. Car coasted down to about 15 mph before tranny re-engaged a gear. I tried to shift into L and N back to D, with no effect. This is very scary in morning traffic passing on both sides. I have an appointment on Weds with the dealer.

The car is less than a week old for me and had 550 miles on the odometer. Not Happy.

2013 SFE, built 7-17-12.

[pjbasid]

This happened to me yesterday! I had my '12 Focus SE in a week ago Friday complaining about the shuddering and sputtering when accelerating from stop to first gear... They said Oh Yeah, we know what that is, did a few resets, and said it may take a few days to retrain itself. It never got better. I contacted them Monday to say it was worse than ever. Now they tell me they've had a lot of issues with this model year, and they had one torn apart in the shop as we spoke trying to sort out the problem with Ford. They told me to bring it in after the hurricane and we agreed I'd be there Wednesday - said they would provide a loaner for me.
Tuesday morning I got in the car to go to work - backed out of my driveway and put the car in drive - stepped on the accelerator -- NOTHING! Then it suddenly engaged, and jumped ahead, then seemingly shifted into neutral again, then jumped into gear. I decided to drive straight to the dealer a day early - not even sure I'd make it! It was a harrowing trip. Kept shifting indiscriminately up, down, in and out of neutral, it was so bizarre! So I got to the service dept and they wanted me to take the technician for a test drive. Guess what? It drove as smooth as silk - better than it ever had done since I bought it a month ago. So frustrating.
I just copied the clutch replacement service bills from another post and emailed it to the service manager and my salesman. We'll see what happens....
Not a happy Focus owner.

[PratoN]

Originally Posted by pjbasid

So I got to the service dept and they wanted me to take the technician for a test drive. Guess what? It drove as smooth as silk - better than it ever had done since I bought it a month ago.

Did you turn the car off and on before the drive? I find that doing so seems to reset its erratic (well, "normal" if you're Ford) behavior. Next time it does this (and there will be a next time) see if you can pull into the service department and flag someone down without turning the car off - or shifting it out of drive - if that's even possible...

[FordCustomerService]

Hey gang,

If you're experiencing this issue, I want to help by getting your case escalated to your regional customer service managers. Your CSM will team up with your dealerships and collaborate on a resolution. Please reach out to me via PM with your VIN, dealer, mileage, daytime phone number, and full name. I'll get to work!

Thanks,
Crystal

[pjbasid]

Unfortunately, I did turn it off. I wish I had read this thread before!!! If they don't fix it, then next time it happens I will call the service manager and have him meet me outside without shifting out of drive and then he can see for himself how dangerous this is.

[jellybean]

Originally Posted by pjbasid

Unfortunately, I did turn it off. I wish I had read this thread before!!! If they don't fix it, then next time it happens I will call the service manager and have him meet me outside without shifting out of drive and then he can see for himself how dangerous this is.

This is exactly what is so infuriating. After having to go through a potentially dangerous situation of the car going to neutral, you then have to somehow limp it to the dealer. How is this even possible.

Ford should simply take these cars, put us in new ones, while they figure out what is going on. "Swap my Ride"...It is the right thing to do here. There is a problem that some of us are having that is DANGEROUS and nothing is being done.

[pjbasid]

Originally Posted by jellybean

Ford should simply take these cars, put us in new ones, while they figure out what is going on. "Swap my Ride"...It is the right thing to do here. There is a problem that some of us are having that is DANGEROUS and nothing is being done.

I concur 1000%!!! I bought this car because I was tired of driving a vehicle with 150K miles, worrying about the safety of my children. This is what I get???

[pozi240]

Originally Posted by PratoN

Did you turn the car off and on before the drive? I find that doing so seems to reset its erratic (well, "normal" if you're Ford) behavior. Next time it does this (and there will be a next time) see if you can pull into the service department and flag someone down without turning the car off - or shifting it out of drive - if that's even possible...

^^ This is the ONLY way you can get your service department to even "believe" you most of the time. I was fortunate (I use that term "tongue in cheek" here, LOL) enough that it actually happened when the tech was moving my car from one lot up the street to the another "holding lot" after a regular service check. His exact words after getting out of the car were "holy crap.... I thought that car was going to get me killed...." (apparently he pulled out quickly turning left onto a very busy street in traffic and it gave him a false neutral, then jolted forward and then stalled).... . I just grinned when the service manager relayed that to me... Now, if we could get some of Ford's engineer's in our cars when that happens....
I now have new clutches in the car because of that incident.. so far, so good (knocks on wood, LOL)

[jellybean]

I would like to know how this "black box" that the dealer wants to install in my car is going to capture info when the transmission slips into neutral again.
1. Both times it has happened to me, there have been no codes etc. from the car.
2. I may be wrong on this, but I thought that I read somewhere that the tranmission will not throw any codes in this condition.
3. Am i supposed to drive with this thing indefinately. It has only happened twice in 18000 miles.

To me this just sounds like a huge stall tactic.