Issues with new 2012 Ford Focus

[tiny_lutch]

So this evening I put my WEEK old 2012 Focus Titanium into reverse, at least it said it was in reverse, and got to where I was going to put it into drive, and NOTHING. Moved to S, nothing, moved to R, nothing, rev'd engine & wouldn't go above 3,000 rpm. So I put it in park and worked through it again, and noticed the display showed the gears correctly until it got to D & S which showed up with nothing highlighted. Turned the car off, tried again, same thing, couldn't get it into N to push back into spot, and it acted like it was in park, even though it showed it was in N. Was about to call Ford Roadside assistance, and decided to give it another off and on, and noticed the SYNC kinda acting like it rebooted or something, and found that the car finally worked. Made it home fine. Not the "peace-of-mind" I expect out of a BRAND new car, very disappointing.

Hence why I am here.

[whynotthinkwhynot]

When you can replicate the problem, take it back to your dealer. Be sure to check in the back of your owner's manual- there is a phone number for a Ford towing service that is free to people whose car is under warranty. I used to have the number memorized, but now I'm not certain. I think it was 1888TOWFORD, but I'm not sure. This service will tow your vehicle to the dealership it was purchased from, or the nearest Ford dealer of your choice.

[engine]

Posted via FF MobileYes chum567 i also noticed poorer fuel economy with the update, maybe we should take ford to small claims ct. like the honda lady. hav'ent driven on hw yet but city driving is down.

[FordCustomerService]

Originally Posted by engine

[i] I have had 2 software updates, 1 just a week ago, have they helped? sure, but it still shudders and i still get that rattling noise. i just hope ford gets it right one day with a fix, i have 9700 mi on the car. Customer serv. will help u all they can but they can't help a bad product.

Hey Engine,

Lets send your info up to the regional Customer Service Manager. PM your VIN, mileage, personal contact and dealer info so that we can have a personal touch added to the issue from the CSM.

Originally Posted by chum567

After getting the transmission update my MPGs went from being 28 to now only 23....drive the exact same route.

Originally Posted by lifocus

I was averaging around 29 mpg, and now after transmission update, i am only averaging 22 mpg. "Took from Peter to give to Paul"

Originally Posted by engine

Posted via FF MobileYes chum567 i also noticed poorer fuel economy with the update, maybe we should take ford to small claims ct. like the honda lady. hav'ent driven on hw yet but city driving is down.

There are several aspects that can affect the Focus mpgs. For those living in colder climates, the winter fuel blends and colder ambient weather can lower the MPG.

Also, after each update, the vehicle will need to relearn the owner's driving habits due to the reprogramming of the transmission. It typically takes anywhere between 500 to 1000 miles, before you begin to see a better mpg from the Focus.

Originally Posted by tiny_lutch

So this evening I put my WEEK old 2012 Focus Titanium into reverse, at least it said it was in reverse, and got to where I was going to put it into drive, and NOTHING. Moved to S, nothing, moved to R, nothing, rev'd engine & wouldn't go above 3,000 rpm. So I put it in park and worked through it again, and noticed the display showed the gears correctly until it got to D & S which showed up with nothing highlighted. Turned the car off, tried again, same thing, couldn't get it into N to push back into spot, and it acted like it was in park, even though it showed it was in N. Was about to call Ford Roadside assistance, and decided to give it another off and on, and noticed the SYNC kinda acting like it rebooted or something, and found that the car finally worked. Made it home fine. Not the "peace-of-mind" I expect out of a BRAND new car, very disappointing.

Hence why I am here.

Hey Tiny-lutch,

Let's work on getting you to I LOVE MY FOCUS!

PM your VIN, mileage, contact and dealer info, so that I can present your case to the regional Customer Service Manager. In the meantime, if you have not visited your dealer, please do so. They will be able to document, diagnose and repair the issue. Also, the CSM will be in contact with the dealer to assure this concern is taken care of.

Thanks all!

Noemi

[ZenFocus]

I just brought the focus SE hatch base last week and was quite happy and impressed with the ride, handling, style, interior, and mpg thus far. After reading all the posts on this topic, I have to admit to feeling very uneasy about the transmission shudder that a lot of owners have reported and worst is that the dealers are not receptive to their concerns and get into the habit of brushing off these poor customers who have suffered a lot of anxieties, many sleepness nights, and a worrying car resale value that is plummeting. I have already gone to the dealer to ask them a simple question on air vent operation where I discovered that they are not very knowledgeable on the product they're supposed to service. I will not take a chance on having them service any future problems I may encounter. It's very pathetic that it requires Ford customer service intervention to get these dealers to take the customers seriously. I think will bypass dealer maintenance services and go find someone who knows more.

Fortunately for me, my car has the built date Nov 2011 and I have not encounter this drivability problem. I suspect that my tranny has all the latest software flashed. I am keeping my fingers crossed and just like all of you with this issue will have to live with future anxieties. Now on to the transmission. One of the reason I choose the Focus is due to its DCT. I have lusted after VW GTI for its handling and refinent for years but shied away because of the issues with DCT. Also, they were pricey around ($27K). Yes,VW had serious problems with them too that left customers stranded. Those transmission had to have its mechatronic module that costs $4K to replace. Fortunately for most of the customers, that problem occurred early before the factory warranty expires where they did not incur costs. There are lots of used GTIs with about 50K for sale now, probably because the owners don't want to deal with costly repairs beyond the factory powertrain warranty. I will not touch them.

Now that I own the focus, the ride, handling, refinemet, quietness is almost on par w/VW GTI and for almost $9K cheaper. I took advantage of Ford $3000K incentive (cash back, finance bonus, trade) and got the dealer to sell the car at cost to bring the total to $16,400 + tax/license. An added bonus is the DCT that allows the car to manually change gears automatically with the added benefit of getting good mpg. I believe so far I have put 250 mi with M2E being at 140 mi. I am hoping that would put me at 35mpg w/80% hwy & 20% city. After reading the horrible stories here, I drive like granny currently out of fear that I will experience the shudder and future tranny problems. Yeah, I know that it's going to take the tranny fuzzy logic a long time to learn my driving habit.

One characteristic I observed about the tranny is going slow up hill (30+ degree) like when I was creeping along searching for someone's house. I did notice the transmission starting to shudder and also I can hear a metallic noise to my horror. Later that day, I read the owner manual where I found a setting on the pp 275 under Overdrive cancel/Grade assist. It says that if you live in hilly areas where you're going up/down, it's better to employ this setting. Sure enough, hitting that transmission control button on the side of the gearshift did improve creeping uphill. Here's my theory. When I use the normal (default) setting, the transmission would shift too early to the next gear that would cause the powertrain to operate in the low RPM that is outside the torque range of the engine. If you're on flat surface, this would not be a problem. However if you're going up hill, it's putting stress on the powertrain in the sense that you're actually lugging the engine. If you ever drive a manual stick shift you know what I mean, and you would hold the gear longer while climbing. Well unfortunately, this DCT in the normal mode setting is trying to optimize fuel consumption and it is programmed to shift as early as possible. Now if you engaged the overdrive cancel/grade assist button, presto problem solved as this setting programs the DCT to hold the
gear longer before shifting to the next one. If you're in the default mode, you can trick the tranny to not up shift too early by gradually pressing down the gas pedal. Any slight pressure on easing off the gas will cause it to up shift. Both of these methods appears to work for me thus far. I hope it can help you too.

[ZenFocus]

For all of you that had the latest software upgraded and are getting worse mpg, I suspect the tranny have been reprogrammed to upshift later than sooner to smooth out the shudder which means it will hold its gear a little longer before shifting to the next one. This I think will results in poorer mpg due to the engine having to rev somewhat higher to put it in the torque RPM range to eliminate the shudder. I believe the shudder you experienced earlier is due to the DCT upshifting very early to optomize mpg. Unfortunately, your engine will run in each gear in the lower RPM which is outside the engine torque range. I know so due to my experience driving a stick in my younger days. Whenever the shudder happens, I have to downshift. You're lugging the engine when the RPM is lower than the torque range of this 4 cylinder which I think is around 4400 RPM. The tranny upshift around 2500-3000 RPM. I for sure will not have them reflash my tranny as I don't yet have the shudder issue and am getting pretty good mpg. The old saying goes: If it ain't broke, don't FIX it. Would it be interesting if Ford resubmit their focus with the reprogrammed transmission to the EPA for revised mpg rating? I have a feeling they will not as they already know the outcome which will not look pretty.

[6769MOPARS]

Originally Posted by ZenFocus

For all of you that had the latest software upgraded and are getting worse mpg, I suspect the tranny have been reprogrammed to upshift later than sooner to smooth out the shudder which means it will hold its gear a little longer before shifting to the next one. This I think will results in poorer mpg due to the engine having to rev somewhat higher to put it in the torque RPM range to eliminate the shudder. I believe the shudder you experienced earlier is due to the DCT upshifting very early to optomize mpg. Unfortunately, your engine will run in each gear in the lower RPM which is outside the engine torque range. I know so due to my experience driving a stick in my younger days. Whenever the shudder happens, I have to downshift. You're lugging the engine when the RPM is lower than the torque range of this 4 cylinder which I think is around 4400 RPM. The tranny upshift around 2500-3000 RPM. I for sure will not have them reflash my tranny as I don't yet have the shudder issue and am getting pretty good mpg. The old saying goes: If it ain't broke, don't FIX it. Would it be interesting if Ford resubmit their focus with the reprogrammed transmission to the EPA for revised mpg rating? I have a feeling they will not as they already know the outcome which will not look pretty.

To improve your mileage and to make the trans shift earlier, lighten up on your right foot. That's the ticket right there.

[rm16e01]

I just wanted to let Focus owner know to beware of front end collisions, I bought a 2012 ford focus back in the beginning of May, I really did love the drive and feel of the car, however a week ago I ran into a median that was the size of a curb, I was going no more then 10mph as a result the engine mounts broke and the engine came off the car. My insurance company is now going to total the car and I have to worry about trying to buy a new one and possibly having to pay more money, for a different car. If I had known that hitting a curb would cause the engine to pop out of a basically brand new car, I would have never bought it. I also contacted Ford customer service and they basically told me thank you for the information, but sense it was an accident there is nothing they could do. I probably should have listen to my wife about getting a Ford, but I thought they had improved their cars

[rm16e01]

As I said, I really did love the Focus and I really did love driving it, which makes me all the more mad because I am going to now have to get a car that I might not like as much as I did my ford focus. I am sorry that I have not taken pictures of it, but in truth I was not even going to worry about it because I was hoping that it would be able to be fixed, and just pay my deductible and get my car back. However when they said that they are going to total it all of that changed. When I get all of the information from the insurance company about the level of damage done to the car I will let you know.

[Obiwang]

I desperately want to love my new 2012 Focus, but I'm having the same problems as other posters in this forum.

The car now has ~1100mi on it, and it's having the strange shifting timing issues, lack of acceleration at times, and the grinding/rattling noise immediately after shifting at low gears.

Sometimes on quicker accelerations, it feels like it revs well beyond the point where it should have shifted, with an accompanying lack of power. Then, it lurches after finding the next gear, and sometimes even seems to switch the next higher gear almost immediately (double lurch).

The rattling/grinding noise around the front left was not noticeable for the first 800 or so miles on the car, but now I hear it when shifting out of 1st into 2nd, and maybe from 2nd into 3rd. It only lasts briefly, but it's not a sound I want a new car making.

It's not all complaints - at higher gears the car is a smooth ride, has good handling, and buttery smooth shifting.

I will PM the info to Natasha/Noemi to see if they can proactively get me some help at my dealership before I go there. I'm worried that this terrible dealership will waste as much of my time on the repair as they did on their shamefully botched attempt at swindling me into buying a car that I did not want (another story for another time - I ended up purchasing from another dealership), but they are the nearest to me and hopefully their service is more respectable than their sales. I don't want to go there only to have them tell me that it's normal or that I just need to wait.