[designerinbloom]

I bought a 2014 Focus SE back in February with 40 miles on it. It's now up to 5500 and has been doing the dreaded low-gear shudder for about 500 miles. I was trying my best to just ignore it. One day last week the shudder going from a stop (at a stop sign) to moving was actually so bad as to throw me forward and strain my neck. The car lurched into the other lane and I was just lucky no one was over there. That was when I decided to take it in for service. So now my car is at the dealership and they told me that they needed to take out my transmission and replace the clutches. Please someone tell me that it's all going to be OK! Lol.

I wish I had done more research before I bought this car. If I'd known about the hybrid transmission, I might have shied away. I happily drove a Mazda3 for 9 years before trading it in for this car. I hope I can get 9 good years out of the Focus!

ETA: Oddly enough, I have never, ever, heard a strange noise coming from under the hood. I wonder what that means for my transmission, lol.

 

[FordService]

I bought a 2014 Focus SE back in February with 40 miles on it. It's now up to 5500 and has been doing the dreaded low-gear shudder for about 500 miles. I was trying my best to just ignore it. One day last week the shudder going from a stop (at a stop sign) to moving was actually so bad as to throw me forward and strain my neck. The car lurched into the other lane and I was just lucky no one was over there. That was when I decided to take it in for service. So now my car is at the dealership and they told me that they needed to take out my transmission and replace the clutches. Please someone tell me that it's all going to be OK! Lol.

I wish I had done more research before I bought this car. If I'd known about the hybrid transmission, I might have shied away. I happily drove a Mazda3 for 9 years before trading it in for this car. I hope I can get 9 good years out of the Focus!

ETA: Oddly enough, I have never, ever, heard a strange noise coming from under the hood. I wonder what that means for my transmission, lol.

Welcome to the forum!

I'm glad to hear your dealer's working on this with you. I can look into some additional assistance, if you'd like. Do you have an ETA on when the repair will be?

Meagan

 

[cj15917]

well look on the bright side......................yea i got nothing. I guess the fact that theyre fixing it is kind of a plus..ya got that goin for ya. When i take mine in for shuddering and grinding they just plug it into their 100 dollar laptop and tell me its fine. I try to avoid accelerating on inclines because the grinding gets me crazy looks like I drive a piece o'[][][][][]. In retrospect....i guess i do

 

[designerinbloom]

Welcome to the forum!

I'm glad to hear your dealer's working on this with you. I can look into some additional assistance, if you'd like. Do you have an ETA on when the repair will be?

Meagan

My ETA is tomorrow afternoon or Thursday morning at the latest. I know that my car was manufactured in the Michigan plant in February of 2013.

Edit: I have REALLY bad roll-back when I stop on hills. I have actually started changing my route home from work so that I don't have to stop at this one traffic light that sits at the top of a steep hill. Is it possible that clutch replacement could correct the issue?

 

[PratoN]

I have REALLY bad roll-back when I stop on hills. I have actually started changing my route home from work so that I don't have to stop at this one traffic light that sits at the top of a steep hill. Is it possible that clutch replacement could correct the issue?

Are you pressing the brakes hard enough and holding them? If you do a California (roll) stop and then let go, the car can roll backwards. If you let off the brake for over a couple seconds and expect the car to creep forward like an automatic transmission, it won't do that; it holds the brakes for a bit and then it will roll backwards.

Your car is new enough (only 2012 Focus model year built at the Michigan plant before March 28, 2012) that it should have the software improvements to the programming that it enables the brakes for a couple of seconds. When I purchased my car, it did not do this on slight inclines, nor did it "creep" forward in traffic without pressing the accelerator.

 

[designerinbloom]

Are you pressing the brakes hard enough and holding them? If you do a California (roll) stop and then let go, the car can roll backwards. If you let off the brake for over a couple seconds and expect the car to creep forward like an automatic transmission, it won't do that; it holds the brakes for a bit and then it will roll backwards.

Your car is new enough (only 2012 Focus model year built at the Michigan plant before March 28, 2012) that it should have the software improvements to the programming that it enables the brakes for a couple of seconds. When I purchased my car, it did not do this on slight inclines, nor did it "creep" forward in traffic without pressing the accelerator.

I hold the brakes while stopped so that I don't roll back. But if I'm stopped facing uphill and then the light turns green, in the time it takes me to go from brake pedal to gas pedal I start rolling back.

 

[PratoN]

But if I'm stopped facing uphill and then the light turns green, in the time it takes me to go from brake pedal to gas pedal I start rolling back.

Hmm, yeah - I don't think that's normal. I'd have to experiment on the hill by my house to get a comparison.

 

[designerinbloom]

Hmm, yeah - I don't think that's normal. I'd have to experiment on the hill by my house to get a comparison.

On the bright side, if it's not normal, maybe it's correctable. []

 

[FordService]

My ETA is tomorrow afternoon or Thursday morning at the latest. I know that my car was manufactured in the Michigan plant in February of 2013.

Edit: I have REALLY bad roll-back when I stop on hills. I have actually started changing my route home from work so that I don't have to stop at this one traffic light that sits at the top of a steep hill. Is it possible that clutch replacement could correct the issue?

Thanks!

Go ahead and send me a private message with your VIN, updated mileage, best daytime phone number, full name, and dealer name/location.

Meagan

 

[PratoN]

I wonder if it has something to do with the brake switch.

If it doesn't detect you pressing the pedal far enough, it may not engage the hill-start assist - even if your brakes work fine otherwise. Try pressing the pedal and see when you brake lights turn on? [dunno]

 

[Tubeway Army]

I had mine done last week at around 20K Miles and after 200 miles the noises are coming back, slowly but they are there as is faint shuddering. I suspect it will be back in the shop in a few weeks, 1 out of 3 repair attempts left, well actually I took it to the shop prior but they didn't attempt any repair. Lemon Law is still valid in my case, I will be pursuing it for sure.

 

[papaacer]

I don't know if that would be considered an "attempt" especially since the issue is "Faint shuddering." Lemon law may not be in affect actually.
"What is considered a reasonable number of repair attempts will depend on the circumstances including the seriousness of the defect. For example, one or two repair attempts may be considered reasonable for serious safety defects such as brake failure, depending on the exact situation." http://oag.ca.gov/consumers/general/lemon
I have seen people who have gotten things repaired that were way worse that a faint shudder. You do realize that they sometimes shudder at low speeds right?

 

[papaacer]

Also, Lemon Law says
"The "Lemon Law" applies to these problems if they arise during the first 18 months after the consumer received delivery of the vehicle or within the first 18,000 miles on the odometer, whichever occurs first."

 

[BeastMD]

Also, Lemon Law says
"The "Lemon Law" applies to these problems if they arise during the first 18 months after the consumer received delivery of the vehicle or within the first 18,000 miles on the odometer, whichever occurs first."

Lemon laws vary greatly from state to state. I'm not sure about other countries, I am sure some of them have statutes equal to lemon laws.

 

[papaacer]

Lemon laws vary greatly from state to state. I'm not sure about other countries, I am sure some of them have statutes equal to lemon laws.

I guess so, but I'm sure there has to be a universal Lemon Law.

 

[BeastMD]

You do realize that they sometimes shudder at low speeds right?

You really gotta wonder if some of these complaints are just people so used to the 3 speed automatics that their daddy had that they immediately assume the worst when the trans bounces a little.

I looked at a ton of videos on youtube supposedly from people with severe shudder and it was non-detectable in most of them. Of course there were some with obvious issues but in most of those the trans was grinding terrible.

You can find videos about issues on every make and model too. I was looking at a Dart during my search for a car and they have issues with the DDCT on some as well.

 

[papaacer]

You really gotta wonder if some of these complaints are just people so used to the 3 speed automatics that their daddy had that they immediately assume the worst when the trans bounces a little.

I looked at a ton of videos on youtube supposedly from people with severe shudder and it was non-detectable in most of them. Of course there were some with obvious issues but in most of those the trans was grinding terrible.

You can find videos about issues on every make and model too. I was looking at a Dart during my search for a car and they have issues with the DDCT on some as well.

Heck I experienced the "shutter" plenty of times. But i knew it was me and the transmission butting heads. I give it gas now when I pull away from a stop. Not too much of course, but I don't pull away like a grandma either. These transmissions love to be driven hard. And heck, here I am at 90k miles and my trans is doing great!

 

[BeastMD]

I guess so, but I'm sure there has to be a universal Lemon Law.

Do a search, the specifications for lemon laws might be similar but every state is different. Dont think there are any standardized. Mileage, time spent in repair, and time to file are all over the place.

 

[Tubeway Army]

I don't know if that would be considered an "attempt" especially since the issue is "Faint shuddering." Lemon law may not be in affect actually.
"What is considered a reasonable number of repair attempts will depend on the circumstances including the seriousness of the defect. For example, one or two repair attempts may be considered reasonable for serious safety defects such as brake failure, depending on the exact situation." http://oag.ca.gov/consumers/general/lemon
I have seen people who have gotten things repaired that were way worse that a faint shudder. You do realize that they sometimes shudder at low speeds right?

In Florida the rules are different, but I'm nearing 24 months as of March 2013 so that's the cut off point.

http://myfloridalegal.com/pages.nsf/Main/a510d1364b15502a85256cc9005da68a

In reality I could have pursued this within the first year of ownership since my car was in the shop for he same problem on 3 occurrences but I gave it more time since I believed Ford's clutch break in time (doh!) which was a complete line of BS, then just reached a point of not caring because I more important issues at the time, now though since the TSB was applied I am keeping the door open.

In my case it was a safety issue, total loss of throttle/acceleration and stalling in traffic or during launch.

 

[Tubeway Army]

You really gotta wonder if some of these complaints are just people so used to the 3 speed automatics that their daddy had that they immediately assume the worst when the trans bounces a little.

I looked at a ton of videos on youtube supposedly from people with severe shudder and it was non-detectable in most of them. Of course there were some with obvious issues but in most of those the trans was grinding terrible.

You can find videos about issues on every make and model too. I was looking at a Dart during my search for a car and they have issues with the DDCT on some as well.

I do not have to "wonder" anything, the problems are real in my case and others and just because you cannot see it in a video doesn't mean it's not there. I tried to document my issues with a video, even going as far as taping microphones at different places on my car wired to a laptop and driving it around in a half attempt to get the noise documented. Shuddering, stalling and total loss of acceleration is hard to document without proper data acquisition equipment.

I test drove a DDCT equipped Dart as well, it was fine and I put it through the paces, but so was my car the first 50 miles or so.