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Is this really normal?

25K views 237 replies 30 participants last post by  FordService 
#1 · (Edited)
So my 2012 Focus has been making weird noises from the transmission recently as well as shifting weird. I have taken it to two separate dealers and they have both said "Ford states that is normal operational sounds". Now I have attached some videos for you to watch and more importantly listen to. The sounds the car is making sound absolutely horrible like metal against metal or gravel being ground into something. It really upsets me that Ford doesn't seem to care because this car cost so much; after all I am a college student and don't make a lot of money right now :( Is this a normal sound? Should I contact the BBB or something? because Ford seems to not care about the issue!

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5693999/121.mov

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5693999/1.mov

Any help is appreciated!
 
#136 ·
Well I tried calling the CSM three times on two different days and every time she was away from her desk...great

Anyway as an update they have offered me and extended warranty...which I already have and then countered with a service plan...which does not good because the focus only "requires" most services every 10k.

The transmission has gotten progressively worse since I have had the car back...I sometimes wonder what people in traffic think about me [hihi] "Damn he cant drive a stick" LOL.

This is honestly getting so stupid as I have seen others on the forum who have the same issues and their dealers at least check the clutches and most times find them messed up from leaks.

Both my dealers however don't seem to give a [:)][:)][:)][:)][:)] [facepalm]

I can't believe that Ford won't even fix a car that is still under warranty when something is obviously wrong.

A quick story just because...my first vehicle(hand me down from parents),a 2002 Nissan Maxima that was one of the first vehicles to have the infamous VQ35 engine. Well the early models had a problem with the piston rings that caused oil burning problems, but only later on in life when the vehicles were out of warranty. Nissan still good willed the fix (an expensive one) for the affected vehicles even though they didn't have to, it was just the right thing to do. I wish Ford would just do the right thing and at least listen to me...I don't drive an hour to the dealership for nothing /rant

I just want this to be over, I should not be upset driving a car that was supposed to be a great upgrade.
 
#139 ·
I just want this to be over, I should not be upset driving a car that was supposed to be a great upgrade.
I'm with ya. Part of the reason all my posts are so pissy and sour is because I'm always in an extremely bad mood after driving my dealership-ruined piece of junk home from work.

Driving my car should not be an emotionally upsetting experience... but it is. With every hiccup, every crappy shift, every clunk, every vibration, I'm filled with rage and frustration.

I used to imagine myself and the wife driving this car on a nice road trip vacation.

That's completely out of the question, now. I no longer enjoy driving the car. It rides terribly, makes awful noises, and the DCT still doesn't operate correctly. There's no way in Hell I would willingly spend a week or two driving around in it for 8-10 hours a day.
 
#137 ·
I came from a 2000 maxima and the two biggest problems Nissan wanted no part in owning up to. Those nasty coil packs and the rust prone radiator support.
 
#138 ·
The fixed the coil packs on the VQ35, sucks they left the VQ30 guys out though [eek] and the radiator support...gah I almost forgot about that NASTY thing.

Do you find you miss the power? This car feels downright slow compared! But of course there is a lot more to love about the focus. Like the fact it has independent rear suspension.
 
#144 ·
I'm really shocked that some Focus owners with grinding transmissions are not able to get a complete clutch replacement as I did with few questions asked from my dealer as I suspect they knew this issue well. I'm also surprised that Ford customer service is not able to guide customers toward a fix (clutch assembly replacement) that seems to be being done by many dealers under warranty and that seems to be working for many of us.
 
#157 ·
Update time! Just because [8D]

The CSM has not returned my calls or answered emails that I have sent. The car is still making the noise so that has not changed however I am noticing that when I am going up a parking structure or really any grade it seems to be "slipping". Kind of like its not locked into gear or something? I could wrong though [???:)]
 
#160 ·
Good points ^^

It is disturbing to read that some are getting their Powershift issues fixes while others are repeatedly being denied.

I wish the customer service reps monitoring this form could comment on why this is happening.
Is it the regional reps causing this to happen?
Is it Ford N.A. worried about their yearly warranty ratings?
Is it something to do with the relationship ratings between the dealership and Ford HQ?
Is it how the dealership service department reports the problems or their findings?

Something is very, very askew in this game, and I feel for the owners who just want a pleasant Focus ownership experience, but it is obvious some are not being treated equally, and sadly we will never really know what that reason is.
 
#162 ·
+1 - I had a great experience with my dealer on the clutch grinding issue. They recognized my problem with little evidence (it did not grind as much as usual during the test drive with the tech), they seemed to recognize that there is an overall problem, they replaced my clutches quickly and professionally under warrant and, the work has held up well for several months so far.

Given the number of times this issue is occurring, and that the clutch replacements getting done by many dealers are clearly working, it's very sad and disturbing to hear that many dealers are refusing to address it and try to give the lame excuse that it is normal.

It's even more disturbing to have an actual Ford CS rep interacting on this forum who is not given the authority to properly respond to this issue and guide customer to proper resolution. It must be very frustrating for that person to be relegated to the position of having to tell people over and over again to get in touch with other reps knowing full well that this advice is not helping in many cases.

This is the kind of thing that drives customers away from a potentially good product for no good reason.

So sad.
 
#161 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by snow12 View Post
"Well Ford has no control over it as dealerships are independent"...I call bullshit! Ford can take away their ability to preform warranty services and can also remove the ability for them to use Ford Credit, they have control. Hell they could probably even stop selling cars to them.
The only theories I can come up with is that:
1) Non-warranty work is more lucrative
2) Warranty claims are actively denied by Ford making repairs risky
3) Ford is actually hearing customer concerns on the helpline and then denying repairs

Has anyone had success with a CSR/CSM pressuring a dealership to do more to repair their cars?

NO
 
#167 ·
My mother in law bought a 12' titanium sportpackage during christmas after she saw mine.

I got to see it the first time this weekend and it drives Horrible! Severe chatter and grinding noise in between gears. I had her drive mine to see that it is not normal.

Good news is she took it to the dealer today and they gave her a loaner and are repairing the transmission. I have not seen the paperwork but I will find out what they found and what they did and give you all the outcome....

Cross your fingers for her and stay tuned.
 
#169 ·
My car is still in the shop. They are going to replace one upper strut mount after having an obvious noise demonstrated. Of course both strut mounts were incorrectly installed by Hines Park Ford, but they are only going to replace one. This is the very definition of HALF-ASSED... but completely in line with what I've come to expect.

They also reprogrammed my transmission and ECU. Because that will fix a mechanical vibration, right? LOL

BTW, my Ford CSR left me with the distinct impression that she was doing to schedule an appointment with the new dealership last week, and of course she did not... when I dropped the car off on Friday, they had no record of any appointment being made. This keeps their perfect record intact: Ford's 'customer service' has never done a single thing to assist me, ever.
 
#170 ·
My CSM hasn't called me back in over a week so I feel ya on that.

I just can't believe the amount of problems you are having...and they way they are treating you...its ridiculous.

ECU reprograming fixes everything Strix! Gosh don't you know this [giddy]
 
#173 ·
As an update; I got mine back on Friday after having taken it in on Tuesday. They said "everything is normal" and refused to do any more work on it. I clearly told them that it doesn't make the sound until after the adaptive learning process completes, and as such to make sure they DO NOT reset the TCM. I watched the service manager write it on the paper. When I got it back, the TCM had been reset.

When on my way to work the next day (Saturday) I was sitting at a red light after having been driving the car for roughly ten minutes. I turned right and gave it a normal amount of gas. It stuck in first gear. When it got to about 25 mph or so and high revs, I let off the gas as I noticed it wasn't shifting. As soon as I let off the gas, it shifted into second. The same thing happened as I continued my acceleration in second gear until I let off the gas again and it shifted into third. The car is unsafe to drive, and this isn't the first time it's done something like this. I've turned the car on several times and shifted it into Drive, and it just sits there and revs. It doesn't move until I shift it back into park and back into drive again.

My Ford CSM (Wendy) called me today to see how everything went since they never got the engineer that they were supposed to involved or anything, and I told her the story. She informed me that I could authorize a "tear-down" of the car, which the dealership will not do without my permission because if they do it and they don't find anything wrong, the engineers will not authorize them to get paid for the work. She said aside from that there's not much else she can do (Really? Ford Corporate has their hands tied?) so I informed her I had an attorney lined up and would be declaring the car a lemon.

It's sad because I really love the car and everything about it (except the shoddy DCT). Had I gotten a manual, I think I would be a much happier person right now. I'm definitely not buying another Ford after the way I've been treated.
 
#175 ·
I've had mine do a similar thing when making a left hand turn as well. It has only ever done it twice but that is definitely something that is scary. Imagine if you are turing in front of oncoming traffic and there power is just not there, not good.

Do you think you have a good case for the lemon law? It requires a lot of steps from what i've read.
 
#176 ·
In my state, the car has to be brought in 4 times for the same repair, and the problem must either cause a safety issue while driving, or devalue the resale price of the car. The problem i have does both. Anyone who test drove it to buy it from me would immediately notice the noise. I've read your posts so far Snow so I know you know what I'm talking about.
 
#177 ·
Yup! I know exactly what you are talking about. My state its 3 attempts but otherwise the same specifications about devaluing etc.

I am trying not to have to lemon law mine but I guess there comes a point where I have to just say "im done"

What do you plan on getting if you do LL it?
 
#178 ·
I have no idea to be honest. I'd be back at square one doing research to see what kind of car would fit my lifestyle. Has to be decent on gas and able to reliably get me from point A to point B. My college is almost an hour away and I deliver pizza for a living so I spend a lot of time in my car.
 
#179 ·
Same here with the college commute. 30 Minute drive that is an hour with traffic [confused]. I would be in the same situation because I really am not sure if I like a lot of the other cars in this class [mecry] I like you just can't keep with this going back and forth from the dealer BS
 
#183 · (Edited)
Update on my car: After leaving it for three business days at another dealership, very little has been fixed.

They replaced one of the upper strut mounts... the clunking seems to be greatly reduced on that side, but the other side is still messed up. And the clicking noises when turning the steering wheel have actually increased. It does seem to ride slightly better... but only on one side.

The transmission was reprogrammed again, and it still vibrates when it shifts into 4th gear. I knew changing the software wasn't going to correct that problem. It's slightly improved, shift-wise, for now... but I bet it will be driving like usual (i.e., like a piece of shit) by the end of next week, as the 'adaptive learning' remaps the throttle and shift points and turns the car into a gutless slug.

And it still moves after being parked because 'hill start assist' is still active with the shifter in 'park'.

I'm ready to give up. I should just get used to the fact that I [:)][:)][:)][:)][:)][:)] up when I bought this car, and I [:)][:)][:)][:)][:)][:)] up when I took it to Hines Park Ford and let them ruin it.

It's going to clunk and vibrate for as long as I own it, so I might as well get used to it, or get rid of it (I would if I could). I suppose I should just be glad it hasn't left me stranded on the side of the road yet.

I'm thinking that the money I am spending on rental car liability waivers every other month would probably be better spent on a therapist to teach me how to cope with this bullshit. LOL
 
#184 ·
You shouldn't have to cope with it though! [scream] Granted I guess you are right about the leaving stranded part but with the overheating and such I really don't trust mine right now. I'm hoping the dealer at least will check for a leak.

Have you looked into the lemon law?
 
#209 ·
A little update to the people who are following [burnout]

My car has been at the dealer since Monday! I have been driving a Jetta loaner since (so glad they offer them). My service technician said he has never seen the overheating messages before and had to do research on the matter. He is supposed to call me tomorrow to tell me what they are going to do "going forward". He didn't really specify what he was waiting for which has got me wondering [dunno]

I really am hoping they actually come back with something wrong with the vehicle instead of what I have always been told..."its normal"

Keeping my fingers crosses...or putting up my middle one...depends on the outcome lol [^]
 
#229 ·
I'm interested in an update on his car as well.

I'd bet that it's still messed up.

I know mine still is.
Sorry guys I've been slammed with school and work! Ive had the car back for almost two weeks and it is significantly better than before. Its almost like a whole different car to be honest! I'm really hoping this fix holds up because they found no leaks that could have caused the clutch damage; that alone kind of makes me wonder still [dunno]

Anyway Ill be more active on the forums now since im on break [^]
 
#225 ·
Hi everyone,

If you're currently experiencing this concern, I want to get your case escalated to your regional customer service manager. All I need is a PM from you with your VIN, dealer, mileage, daytime phone number, and full name. I'll take it from there.

Crystal
 
#231 · (Edited)
I've been lurking these forums since July 2012, which is when my girlfriend and I bought a used (Red Candy) Focus SEL, manufactured in May 2011. Long story short, we soon experienced clutch slipping when taking off from standstill, and going up the slopes in parking garages was downright embarrassing with the loss of power and shuddering, and at times almost felt like the car was going to stall.

We took it in to Golf Mill Ford here in Chicago (am I allowed to mention dealer names?), who proceeded to tell my gf (who drives the car for her work) that it's normal. Four. Different. Times. The last time back in February, I even called them up to talk to the head tech, and liaised with FordCustomerCare here in the forums - we were given conflicting info on whether or not the mechanics had taken a look at the bell housing or the clutch. At the advice on area CS rep, we took it to Arlington Heights Ford, who immediately asked a mechanic to raise the car. He took one look at the bell housing, and beckoned me over. The moment of truth: https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=6FD7D6B0B44FC9E2!4201&authkey=!ADrkt6dOMhlVsLM

Finally, we had the clutch pack replaced, and they told my gf that the clutches were pretty badly contaminated, and that "there's no reason why the previous dealer wouldn't have caught this". The car now drives like new, feels really responsive, and doesn't slip its way out of first gear.

Also, Golf Mill replaced our wiper blades with 22 and 19" blades, instead of 28" ones, because they had mistaken our car for a 2011 MY. In other words, try taking your cars to other dealers, and ask your area CS rep if they have one they could recommend in the area.
 
#232 ·
I've been lurking these forums since July 2012, which is when my girlfriend and I bought a used (Red Candy) Focus SEL, manufactured in May 2011. Long story short, we soon experienced clutch slipping when taking off from standstill, and going up the slopes in parking garages was downright embarrassing with the loss of power and shuddering, and at times almost felt like the car was going to stall.

We took it in to Golf Mill Ford here in Chicago (am I allowed to mention dealer names?), who proceeded to tell my gf (who drives the car for her work) that it's normal. Four. Different. Times. The last time back in February, I even called them up to talk to the head tech, and liaised with FordCustomerCare here in the forums - we were given conflicting info on whether or not the mechanics had taken a look at the bell housing or the clutch. At the advice on area CS rep, we took it to Arlington Heights Ford, who immediately asked a mechanic to raise the car. He took one look at the bell housing, and beckoned me over. The moment of truth: https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=6FD7D6B0B44FC9E2!4201&authkey=!ADrkt6dOMhlVsLM

Finally, we had the clutch pack replaced, and they told my gf that the clutches were pretty badly contaminated, and that "there's no reason why the previous dealer wouldn't have caught this". The car now drives like new, feels really responsive, and doesn't slip it's way out of first gear.

Also, Golf Mill replaced our wiper blades with 22 and 19" blades, instead of 28" ones, because they had mistaken our car for a 2011 MY. In other words, try taking your cars to other dealers, and ask your area CS rep if they have one they could recommend in the area.
Another successful clutch replacement story (mine is similar). For all those still getting the "it's normal" lame response from their dealer, here's more evidence to the contrary. Any dealer still balking on this warranty repair is really pushing the envelope.
 
#236 ·
UPDATE:

Hello all! I know i've been away for a while but here is a quick update.

The transmission is working much better as I stated earlier. I have also noticed the mileage has went up dramatically. From 24 to 31! The car definitely has that "click" into gear now rather than the "slide" feeling it used to. So much better on that front.

Other things have started to happen though. The first and most annoying one is the MyFord Touch system skipping songs randomly, right in the middle of me jamming and shiz!!! Not cool [:p] That thing is always wonky so I guess I will just have to deal with that.

There is also this weird noise coming from the front when I go over bumps; which is apparently a common issue according to the thread on FF [loveff]

I have some things planned for her now [;)]

OEM rear wing, FSWorks Exhaust, Intake and a tune if its ever available. Definitely some new wheels too!
 
#238 ·
UPDATE:

Hello all! I know i've been away for a while but here is a quick update.

The transmission is working much better as I stated earlier. I have also noticed the mileage has went up dramatically. From 24 to 31! The car definitely has that "click" into gear now rather than the "slide" feeling it used to. So much better on that front...

There is also this weird noise coming from the front when I go over bumps...
Great news about your transmission, snow12! I recommend mentioning the noise to your dealer the next time you drop by; they can get it diagnosed and repaired for you.

Regarding MyFord Touch concerns, I suggest contacting my colleague, Jaclyn, who is on these forums under the name FordIVTTeam. She assists with all in-vehicle technology concerns.

Crystal
 
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