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Issues with new 2012 Ford Focus

888K views 2K replies 468 participants last post by  PrDawg 
#1 ·
Well purchased my brand new 2012 Ford Focus on May 21, 2011. My vehicle had to be ordered and was delivered to me on May 24th. Upon driving it, I found that when I would come to a stop and push the gas to go, it would sputter and hesitate. I have been dealing with it for over 2 weeks and decided to contact my dealership.

I took the vehicle to the shop on June 3rd. The tech drove with me and felt exactly what I was talking about. He stated that he had to put it on the computer. Within 30 minutes, he came out with a piece of paper stating 2012 Focus automatic transmission shudder. Some 2012 focus vehicles equipped with the powershift/DPS6 transmission may experience a shudder/shake on start up or when slowing to a stop. This condition does not cause durability or reliably concerns and will deminish as the clutch breaks in. "IF CUSTOMERS COMPLAIN OF THIS ISSUE, PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AND SHARE THIS SERVICE MESSAGE WITH THE CUSTOMER.

My question was, how long does this go on and when will it stop? No on could answer. Has anyone else felt this issue? I could not find any post on this prior to me putting this up. I stated I do not feel safe in the vehicle. The car at times when I pull out on the road feels just like it will stall out. After sending an email to the VP of the dealership, I was contacted by the service manager. He stated that he is working on getting an answer from Ford.. At the time of service there were 781 miles on my car. Today there are 1291 and still nothing has changed. I am awaiting a reply and will move forward if I don't like the answer.[bigcry]

Also, yesterday while driving, my shoe lace got caught on brake peddle. Has anyone else ever gotten stuck on the brake peddle? Just curious. It freaked me out.
 
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#1,018 ·
Transmission and AC Compressor noise

Hey...

I bought a Focus when they were just released last April. I have been struggling with the transmission issues every day. I have had it in twice to the dealership and was told that it is working as designed and is simply the way the dual clutch shifts.

In particular, I notice the shuddering when I accelerate slowly and right after it shifts to 3rd gear. It almost seems that it shifts too early and the rpm's drop causing the shudder. I can avoid the shudder if I accelerate faster when the car is in 2nd gear.

Anyway, I have had all the software updates installed and that didn't fix the issue. I am tempted to take it in and force them to replace the clutch or rebuild the tranny.

The other noise that is distracting is coming from the AC. It seems that when I have the AC engaged, there is a wheezing / subtle whistling noise. This noise goes away when I turn off the AC (and just have the fan running). So it is something with the AC compressor I suppose. This might just be 'Normal' for these cars too... Does anyone else hear this noise while running the AC?
 
#1,020 ·
Hey...

I bought a Focus when they were just released last April. I have been struggling with the transmission issues every day. I have had it in twice to the dealership and was told that it is working as designed and is simply the way the dual clutch shifts.

In particular, I notice the shuddering when I accelerate slowly and right after it shifts to 3rd gear. It almost seems that it shifts too early and the rpm's drop causing the shudder. I can avoid the shudder if I accelerate faster when the car is in 2nd gear.

Anyway, I have had all the software updates installed and that didn't fix the issue. I am tempted to take it in and force them to replace the clutch or rebuild the tranny.

The other noise that is distracting is coming from the AC. It seems that when I have the AC engaged, there is a wheezing / subtle whistling noise. This noise goes away when I turn off the AC (and just have the fan running). So it is something with the AC compressor I suppose. This might just be 'Normal' for these cars too... Does anyone else hear this noise while running the AC?
Try accelerating hard several times through the gears, if you have passed your break-in mileage. If the clutch for gears 1, 3, and 5 isn't broken-in, this may be the issue, although you would feel the shudder to a lesser degree (or more?) in 5th gear as well, if the clutch is damaged.

Again, if your mileage exceeds the break-in, accelerate it hard through the gears (4 to 5 times, should do it) to see if the clutch is just not broken-in. If the car is never driven briskly, this may have happened.

Good luck!
 
#1,019 ·
Transmission shudder

We test drove a 2012 Ford Focus SE two days ago and felt no hesitation, but when we went back to drive it again, we definitely noticed the transmission shudder that this forum describes! They said that it was "normal" for that kind of transmission, and after they test drove the car again themselves and said that they "didn't notice anything unusual", we immediately left the dealership and said NO THANKS! What a terrible thing to have to deal with in a new car!!
 
#1,021 ·
I'll be taking my 2012 Focus SE back to the dealer for the second time since the 12B37 recall. About 1 1/2 weeks after the recall my car was making a loud grinding sound shifting into 2nd and 4th. Shifting felt erratic and not much power. They hooked the car up to the computer and found nothing wrong. Said the trans was still learning my driving habits. I don't buy it, I told them. My habits haven't changed in 1800 miles. But the car did feel better...for one week. Then the grinding started again.

I explained to the service manager that I've read about this problem, and that they must be aware of it. He said he is aware, but doesn't know if Ford has a fix yet. That was good to hear...NOT! Instead of re-programimg, this time it may go out to a trans guy. I'll let you know how that works.
 
#1,022 ·
6spd Tranny SUCKS!!!

I would return my car if I could because of the transmission and poor mpg. Just like the very first post and the pages and pages of other people, the transmission slips, stalls, delays and is head jerking. I have 3500 miles on mine, mostly HWY and really it feels like it’s getting worse. So many times I hit the gas and can count easily a second before the car moves. I have nearly been hit numerous times because of it. My first service at the dealer I plan on discussing with them.

Another surprise is how poor the mpg on the 2012. I’m getting 32 to 34 mpg. I had a 08 Focus SE 5spd manual and it was impossible to get less than 34MPG in that car and typically I avg 38mpg even at 112K miles. Same driving habits.

Love the look and most of the features of the 2012 car, but the jerky, nonresponsive transmission is really not making me happy.
 
#1,025 ·
Grinding noise and less power/delayed downshifts

Hi there. My first post here. I bought a new SE Hatchback with sport package and sync in January. I was very happy with my car except for some quirks in the transmission like a slight throttle delay and car almost stalling in reverse gear a few times initially. But, I had learnt to live with that and I was ok with it until I hit 2000 miles. I started to hear a slight grinding/rattling noise coming from under the car during 1st-2nd gear change. It increased in frequency whenever I drove on the freeway in stop and go traffic. I went to the dealer and dropped the car off for a couple of of days. After driving for two days, the service advisor told me that they could not recreate the issue. Immediately the next morning while driving to work, I was trying to change lanes on the freeway and a most peculiar thing happened that scared the s#*t out of me. The car acted as if it was in neutral and would not accelerate at all. The RPM jumped to like 5000 or something. I was driving in S mode, I immediately shifted to D and the car gained speed again. This happened while I was changing lanes on freeway. The car behind me almost hit me. (This has happened a few time after that as well.) Then after a couple of days while backing out of the parking lot, it stalled. Check engine light came on. I went to the dealer, they kept the car for two weeks, performed some PCM update and the car ran fine for a couple of weeks. But it always felt underpowered like it wouldnt downshift even when I pushed the throttle very hard. The grinding noise was also there all the time. I got the 12B37 letter from ford. Dealer did it but I kept having the same issues. I went to the dealership again. The trans tech handed me a printout from ford that the grinding noise is normal and the service manager drove the car only to tell me that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the car and it drove like a charm. That is not what I feel. The main issues with car are the grinding noise and delayed downshift/erratic shifts. This is not how a new car should drive. I am really angry with the way this is being handled by Ford. I want to get rid of this car because I know ford doesnt want to fix it. Heck, they dont even acknowledge the issue. I regret I spent my hard earned money on this piece of junk. I would have been better of buying a Toyota.
 
#1,026 ·
Auto tranny is an accident going to happen.

I bought my 2012 Ford Focus SE April 16 2012. I was told it had an "automatic" transmission. At 500 miles I had to take it in for the following:
1) Seat frame cutting into hip.
2) Spasdic transmission shifting.
3) Rough idle
4) Rough accelerating
5) Rolls backward at stop

The next day the dealer called me up and said "everythings fine now" so I went to pick the car up.

They told me the following at the service desk:
On #1, they don't care
On #'s 2-3-4-5, they did an "update" that fixed it all.

Off I went in my $20,000 car.

At 700 miles I took it in again for the following:
1) AC will not blow below 55 degrees
2) Acceleration and idle is unpredictable and rough.

Next day they called me and said "everythings fine now" so I went to pick up the car.

They told me the following at the service desk:
1) They evacuated the AC system and refilled. Now it blows 50 degrees....
2) I was told this was NOT an automatic transmission, but a manual transmission that was shifted by a computor that had to "learn and adapt" to my driving habits, so it would eventually work out the "kinks".

I told the head tech "there are three people that drive this car". He told me "that will only confuse the computer then" but it all should work itself out within a few thousand miles anyway.

Off I went in my $20,000 car.

Pulled out into traffic June 5th from my house to a traffic flow of 35 MPH. My $20,000 new car went through 3 gears within 10 feet and then refused to accelerate. I was almost hit by at least three cars, which had to slam on their brakes and swerve to avoid a colloision.

That sorta upset me.

I took my $20,000 car back to Ford service in Coeur d'Alene and told them it had just almost got me killed. I gave him the keys and told them to keep the death-trap.

Lake City Ford has had the car sine June 5. Yesterday, the head tech in service there called me and said "I just drove your car and it runs beautifully and we can't duplicate any of your problems."

As if he'd say anything else.

I asked him if he'd ever been in an accident. Yes, he said. I asked him how many seconds did it take to happen. He said a split second.

I told him my, and my family's lives are worth a hell of a lot more than that $20,000 car that had almost got us killed in a split second.

Lake City Ford has been ignoring me since June 5. The salesman that sold me the Focus has quit over many similar complaints from his past customers. The owner of Lake City Ford is trying to pretend I'm just "another complainer" and I'll soon just go away.

This exact transmission problem is well known by Ford and is all over the internet. So far, Ford is doing exactly what Lake City Ford is doing: ignoring it and maybe it'll just go away.

I've offered to trade the car for a manual transmission version, but to no avail. I refuse to pick up the worthless $20,000 car from them, as it is a death trap.

I'm being more than resoanable. I've asked Lake City Ford to handle this in-house and make me happy. Apparently, they don't care.

If this isn't handled to my satisfaction, not only will they be keeping my $20,000 worthless 700 miles-on-it car (which I'll just write of my taxes as "business loss"), but I will file a Lemon Law claim here in Idaho.
 
#1,028 ·
@ACSKURT - Exactly what I feel. But, I cannot keep the car with the dealer. I do not have another car or money to buy another one. I am wondering how much will I get if I try to trade it in. Any suggestions anyone? Has anybody traded in a 2012 focus recently? I have almost 5K miles on mine. I am worried that dealers know the issues with the car and will give a ridiculously low trade in value for this car. I feel like a fool.
 
#1,029 ·
They don't fix it

The TSB's and FSA updates do nothing but cause more and more problems, as has been proven in this forum and many others.

This (so called) "automatic transmission" is nothing more than Ford deciding we aren't smart enough to shift for ourselves, hence the computer does it.

I've had all the updates available, and it still nearly killed me and my family.

It has 700 miles on it - now would be the best time for Ford to take it back.
 
#1,032 ·
I've had my 2012 Focus since December 2011. I thought the transmission issues were just normal, but they're still annoying. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has these problems. I want them to fix it or give me a different car. Step up, Ford.
Go to this site.

https://owner.ford.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Owner/Page/HomePage&ord=61836939

Click on "contact us" and send them your complaint. If more Focus owners would do this Ford would be compelled to solve the problem which I believe is a glitch in the software.
 
#1,034 ·
I had a similar issue to what ACSKURT experienced. I pulled out from my side street onto a larger street (35 mph) and the car was just stuck in the middle of the road. The engine would rev but the car wouldn't go more than 5-10 mph. While it was moving, it was bucking like crazy. I pulled off the road, put it in park then in drive to see if it would go away and it did the same thing as soon as I tried to accelerate. Luckily at slow speeds it was ok so I got it back home.

I brought it to the dealer, explained what had happened (I probably had about 1000 miles at the time). They first told me the story about how this is an "automated manual" and that the shifting is not what you'd expect from an automatic transmission. I told them this was definitely a problem. They looked at it, told me they updated it and that they couldn't duplicate the problem. Since then, it hasn't happened again.

However, I still have issues with this transmission. If I'm rolling along at say 40 mph in traffic and want to change lanes, you basically have to floor it to get it to accelerate. Meanwhile, you're stuck in the middle of the two lanes trying to get the car to move. I also feel like it struggles to accelerate from a stop. Many times (I'd say about 70% of the time), it won't shift out of 1st until it basically redlines. Other days, I have no problems with it. I have more than 5000 miles now and it has not improved.

I'm hesitant to bring it back to the dealer to perform this new "update" though.
 
#1,053 ·
I had the same problem with my 2012, letter came last week for a recall, also one came for a wiper motor issue. My dealership took care of both recalls today, took about 2 hours, my transmission seems to be fine now.
It's been about 1000 miles since the latest upgrade and I am happy to report my trans is functioning normally. I hope this is a good sign. I'll report back after another 1000 miles or so.
Atomicthunk and ElGatto -

Are you all going to take your Focus out for a night on the town? [:)]

...My proublem was that In cruse control when we went down hill it would down shift and rev at about 4000 rpm, took it out of cruse and couldn't get the car to upshift to just roll down the hill,This happened allmost all the time we started on a downhill grade so I just shut the cruse off everytime I went downhill...Going to take it in for service and 12b37 upgrade, hope it helps, Third time for a trany upgrade and they still don't have it right...
murfmoble -

Did you take it in for service already? This 12B37 program addresses hill-start assist quality as well. The dealer will take a look at your cruise control. I'd like to send this to your region's Customer Service Manager for review. Please PM your VIN, mileage, phone #, and servicing dealer to me.

Put the beast in the shop today for 12b37. Hopefully, mpg will improve slightly (never gotten better than 33mpg, even on a 600 mile, all highway round trip last weekend), no more rolling backwards at stop lights, and no more hesitation/retarded lag time for downshifts! Fingers crossed... these problems have been here for all 10,000 miles!
DurdySE -

The beast went it for a well needed Frankenstein type of service! [:)] Have you tried resetting the Average Fuel Economy screen in the information cluster? This will recalculate the numbers for you.

Keep us updated on how the service went. If you'd like, please shoot me a PM with your VIN, mileage, phone #, and servicing dealer; I'll send the information to our Customer Service Manager in your region.

Just a quick note: Since the upgrade I notice the trans shifts from 1st to 3rd before i hit 20 MPH. It doesn't bother me, but, is this considered normal?
ElGatto -

This update focuses on making these changes as seamless as possible. Have you visited your dealer about the normal range of shifts since the update?

...I have not had any issues with the transmission until a few months ago. Car now has 16,000miles on it. I took it to the dealer and both times...they re=programmed the transmission control module twice to correct the condition...Btw, my tranyy shakes so bad even after repairs mind you, it shook the center console lid loose...
...There are alot of complaints from people on this website and Ford is well aware of the situation, but nothing is being done about it...They cant expect people to be ok with spending $25,000 on a FOCUS, and deal with a transmission that acts the way it does...
meesterlike24 -

We're never okay with people experiencing transmission issues on any vehicle. All relevant information concerning this is being compiled. I'll be more than happy to assist you by sending your regional Customer Service Manager any details. Please forward me your VIN, phone #, and dealer info.

...Lake City Ford in Coeur d'Alene, after hearing all my concerns about this Focus almost getting me killed, told me to contact Ford and they would help me.

Steve (from Ford), told me to get hold of my dealer and they would help me...
ACSKURT -

Is Steve your region's Customer Service Manager? If this hasn't been escalated, I'd like to do so. Shoot me a PM with your VIN, mileage, phone #, and dealer info, if you haven't already.

Well..this is my first post...

I had been all excited about purchasing a new Ford Focus Titanium. However, that is not going to happen unless I read about a complete fix for the serious issues discussed in this thread. I am now waiting for the new VW Golf's to arrive, and will either purchase one of those, or see if Ford has fixed this major issue. Knowing what I do now, I can not risk spending $25,000+ on something that is already broken.

I hope you all get the fix from Ford, and the respect from Ford that is deserved for being such patient customers.
Becks -

Welcome to the forum! [:)] We never like to lose a potential customer. In addition, we have respect for all of our owners. A program has been created which addresses transmission and hill-start quality. We're currently evaluating the experience customers have had with this service program. Please stay in touch and monitor the incentives in your area: http://www.ford.com/cars/focus/incentives/.

If anyone is still experiencing transmission quality issues since 12B37 has been completed, please PM me your VIN with a brief description. I'm currently compiling all facts and will forward this to our engineering contact.

Type to you later,

Thomas
 
#1,038 ·
Wife and I took the 2012 on a rood trip out west,My proublem was that In cruse control when we went down hill it would down shift and rev at about 4000 rpm, took it out of cruse and couldn't get the car to upshift to just roll down the hill,This happened allmost all the time we started on a downhill grade so I just shut the cruse off everytime I went downhill,This sucks! I did get around 38mpg going at the posted 75mph and put on about 4500 miles, Going to take it in for service and 12b37 upgrade, hope it helps, Third time for a trany upgrade and they still don't have it right, almost 12000 miles on it now.
 
#1,041 ·
Are the Feds looking into the steering problem. Just saw this article: "Feds probe Ford Explorer power steering problems" + "Federal safety regulators investigate power steering failure complaints in 2011 Ford Explorers".

The article mention that there have been "15" complaints. Maybe when they find this problem the fix will flow over to other models too.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/feds-probe-ford-explorer-power-133132446.html

----------------------------------------------------------------------

If the above link goes bad - the rest of the story:

DETROIT (AP) -- Federal safety regulators are investigating complaints that the power steering can fail on 2011 Ford Explorer SUVs.

Fifteen drivers have complained that the popular Explorer can suddenly lose its power steering assist, making it harder to steer the SUVs.

The problem could affect 83,000 Explorers. No crashes or injuries have been reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which announced the probe on its website Friday.

In some cases, drivers reported that a warning message appeared on the instrument panel before the power steering quit. At times, restarting the SUVs corrected the problem, several drivers reported.

An investigation could lead to a recall. NHTSA said it is looking into how often the problem happens and what's causing it.

Ford is cooperating with NHTSA in the probe. Anyone who has a concern about their vehicle should contact their dealer, company spokeswoman Marcey Zwiebel said.

The Explorer, once a hulking family-hauler that helped launch the truck-based SUV boom in the early 1990s, was redesigned for the 2011 model year. The new version is based on car rather than truck underpinnings and is more efficient and maneuverable than the old one.

The new vehicle started arriving at dealers late in 2010. The company sold more than 135,000 Explorers in 2011.

Ford shares edged up 3 cents to $10.30 in morning trading Friday. They are down 20 percent from $12.90 in mid-March.
 
#1,043 ·
Put the beast in the shop today for 12b37. Hopefully, mpg will improve slightly (never gotten better than 33mpg, even on a 600 mile, all highway round trip last weekend), no more rolling backwards at stop lights, and no more hesitation/retarded lag time for downshifts! Fingers crossed... these problems have been here for all 10,000 miles!
 
#1,045 ·
Focus transmission=junk!

I purchased my 2012 focus last september. I bought it as a demo with 4000 miles on it. I have not had any issues with the transmission until a few months ago. Car now has 16,000miles on it. I took it to the dealer and both times, they said it operates as design but.........they re=programmed the transmission control module twice to correct the condition. Does that make sense?? How do you fix a problem you say is not even there ford? Btw, my tranyy shakes so bad even after repairs mind you, it shook the center console lid loose. Junk!!!!
 
#1,050 ·
Whatever the case may be, the bottom line is there are alot of complaints from people on this website and Ford is well aware of the situation, but nothing is being done about it, from the dealers to the manufacturer. I think everyone here is experiencing the same or has experienced the same conditions from the transmission. There is an obvious problem with the transmission and Ford needs to step up and make it right. They cant expect people to be ok with spending $25,000 on a FOCUS, and deal with a transmission that acts the way it does. What is gonna take? Having someones Transmission act up and it causes a deadly accident? Cause mine almost did. Step up!!!!!
 
#1,074 ·
Problems with new 2012 focus



I too bought my 2012 Focus in April 2012. I drove it for two weeks, then it wouldn't start. It ended up being a faulty body control module. I had a loaner car for two days from the dealer. I got my car back, and I thought it was running pretty good. But, I do notice some hesitation as described by several focus owners on this forum. Also, I received a letter from Ford about a recall on the 2012 Focus for roll-back. I've had that fixed now for about two months. Although, when I park on an incline, it acts like it wants to roll but it doesn't. I really like this car. It's sporty looking with a smooth ride. My sister likes the smooth ride and the look. My hubby notices the "weird shifting" and says I should take it in. I have about 1600 miles on it. Do I still need to drive out the kinks, so to speak?[woot]
 
#1,049 ·
Just got a phone call from "Steve" at Ford Customer Service. Her'e's how it all went.

Lake City Ford in Coeur d'Alene, after hearing all my concerns about this Focus almost getting me killed, told me to contact Ford and they would help me.

Steve (from Ford), told me to get hold of my dealer and they would help me.

Can you hear that can getting kicked down the road? I hear it clearly.

Idaho Lemon Law, YouTube and my radio show will soon have all this data.
 
#1,051 ·
Not meaning to ask a stupid question, but I've been down this road before with a Nissan and a Mazda dealership being COMPLETELY unaware of a TSB until I printed it out and put it in their faces.

Is your dealership aware of the TSB Ford issued to fix out-of-balance clutch assemblies? That sounds to me like it's the problem you have if your transmission is shaking the car.


Bulletin Number: CSP-11B31
Sequence Number: 10043326
Date: 20120113
Component Name: 101000 POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
Make: FORD
Model: FOCUS
Year: 2012
Summary:
FORD: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. CERTAIN MODEL YEAR VEHICLES HAVE AN IMPROPERLY BALANCED CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. THIS WILL CAUSE A VIBRATION FELT THROUGH THE SEAT AND/OR STEERING WILL WHILE IN PARK, FIRST GEAR AND NEUTRAL
 
#1,052 ·
Well..this is my first post, and I thank all of you for the wealth of information in these forums. Fantastic Site.

I had been all excited about purchasing a new Ford Focus Titanium. However, that is not going to happen unless I read about a complete fix for the serious issues discussed in this thread. I am now waiting for the new VW Golf's to arrive, and will either purchase one of those, or see if Ford has fixed this major issue. Knowing what I do now, I can not risk spending $25,000+ on something that is already broken.

I hope you all get the fix from Ford, and the respect from Ford that is deserved for being such patient customers.
 
#1,054 ·
Their are no issues with the new Ford Focus! I found my Ti to be perfect from the beginning May 2011, and having the TSBs and FSA performed by the dealer has only made the car that much better. The shifts are so smooth I do not feel them! I know saying this only annoys some people, but it is the truth! I believe that if we had better dealers, the updates would actually be done (or done properly), and no one would have any issue. Ford sold 900,000 Foci in 2011, and this forum only represents a handful.
 
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