[Gone in 60]

Hi all, first post. Doing my research. My wife needs a new car. We're loyal to Fords. I'm steering her to a Fusion, but she likes the driving position of the Focus. I don't mind that she wants a less expensive car! However, I've head nothing but problems about the transmissions. And, two of my friends have current gen Focuses, both of which have trashed transmissions, bearing out my fear.

Local lots are awash in new 2014 models. I've seen one or two 2015s on local lots. Heard about a trans recall. What's the story? Is the 2015 better? As expected, can't get a salesman to say anything bad anout the car...

No manual trans cars in my area...

 

[tnygigles66]

Best thing to do is take it for an extended test drive.

The previous gen foci and the mk3 trans have nothing in common. If you're concerned, but still need the car you can always get fords esp. I bought one bumper to bumper for 100000 miles so I wouldn't need to worry about. I'm at 30k miles and haven't had any issues with the trans, but it's not as smooth as a traditional torque converter trans. I like the sporty jerkiness of it, but if you're expecting a luxury smooth Buick ride you probably won't like it.

 

[Gone in 60]

I had an 03 and loved it. Have rented a few newer ones on business trips, and like it. Big difference...

 

[tnygigles66]

I agree. I went from a lightly modded 2009 to a 2014 and there is a huge difference.

 

[Dpepe]

I test drove a lot of cars recently. I was a sure bet on the 2014 Ford Focus ST, but after driving it I was shocked that I went for a VW Gti. I've been a loyal Ford owner for years but I felt the ST's interior was not to my liking. I've also heard horror stories of transmission problems, sun roofs exploding and engine issues. Granted, you hear these stories about every car.

My advice, if you like it...get it...It's always best to enjoy what you are driving especially since you are making payments on it.

 

[Dorzok]

How many thousands of mk3 Focuses have been bought with the DCT compared to the complaints you've read? Ppl just don't complain when they have good experiences. I would bet that for every complaint about a bad DCT there's a thousand non-complaints. And of those complaints I would bet MOST are from ppl who are just picky. The mk3 Focus is a nice car. The DCT has some quirks compared to traditional automatics but we're human and have this uncanny ability to adapt. Quit your worrying and get your Focus.

 

[wavsine]

How many thousands of mk3 Focuses have been bought with the DCT compared to the complaints you've read? Ppl just don't complain when they have good experiences. I would bet that for every complaint about a bad DCT there's a thousand non-complaints. And of those complaints I would bet MOST are from ppl who are just picky. The mk3 Focus is a nice car. The DCT has some quirks compared to traditional automatics but we're human and have this uncanny ability to adapt. Quit your worrying and get your Focus.

Service writers at major Ford dealerships might disagree with you (off the record of course)

 

[1948 panhead]

I have a 2013 Focus SE 5 speed. I went online and found a dealer that had one. Had to drive two hours to drive it. I wrote the stock # down came back to my dealer gave him the # and said that's what I want. It too him less then a day to find one to trade for. Got the car I wanted.

 

[dan50]

The Focus DCT has a poor reputation because 1) Ford released it with less-than-developed software (since fixed) 2) the Ford service network was woefully I'll-prepared to deal with the thing, leading to botched repairs and frustrated consumers (maybe fixed) 3) a real problem with leaking seals between the clutch, gearbox and engine resulting in a les-than-dry clutch (fixed, we think) and 4) a poor choice of clutch materials (on revision "F", so may be fixed).

So, the 2014/2015 DCTs should be lots less troublesome than the 2012/2013 versions. Even the early versions benefit a lot from new software, seals, etc. That said, it is a quirlky beast, even when working properly and long-term durability is still unknown. Personally, I wouldn't buy another and if I had to stick with Ford I'd go with a Fusion. But I'd likely go to a different manufacturer.

 

[dakota1820]

I work at a Ford dealer we have one guy who does the dual clutch ttransmissios. And that's almost all he does all day every day. I wouldn't even consider the dual clutch automatic. They are terrible piles of junk. Get a stick or get a fusion.

 

[ibwats]

i bought a 14 3 weeks ago. trans was strange at first, have 1500 miles on it now and is fine. car is a blast to drive and you can get great deals on the 14's

The ford service dept did tell me our trans warranty is 100k miles

 

[dan50]

i bought a 14 3 weeks ago. trans was strange at first, have 1500 miles on it now and is fine. car is a blast to drive and you can get great deals on the 14's

The ford service dept did tell me our trans warranty is 100k miles

If you have a DCT built within certain dates you do have a 7 year/100k extended warranty on the clutch and seals only (not the internal gearbox bits). If you are buying a relatively recent production example, it's the typical Ford 5 year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty.

 

[Kabigon]

Hi all, first post. Doing my research. My wife needs a new car. We're loyal to Fords. I'm steering her to a Fusion, but she likes the driving position of the Focus. I don't mind that she wants a less expensive car! However, I've head nothing but problems about the transmissions. And, two of my friends have current gen Focuses, both of which have trashed transmissions, bearing out my fear.

Local lots are awash in new 2014 models. I've seen one or two 2015s on local lots. Heard about a trans recall. What's the story? Is the 2015 better? As expected, can't get a salesman to say anything bad about the car...

No manual trans cars in my area...

The primary issue was directly related to the clutch assembly and not the "gear box".

Ford redesigned the oil seals (the primary culprit) and the clutch assembly itself. They have also made major improvements to the transmission firmware.

There was never a recall.

 

[TooOld]

I work at a Ford dealer we have one guy who does the dual clutch ttransmissios. And that's almost all he does all day every day. I wouldn't even consider the dual clutch automatic. They are terrible piles of junk. Get a stick or get a fusion.

Says the guy driving a Saturn! Hilarious.

 

[Frosted Glass]

If you are looking at a VW my advice to you is to go on some of their discussion forums, price out some of their common but not obscure parts - like an oil pan or shocks, oil change prices, and whatever repair shop you would use, independent or dealer, try to get a feel for how satisfied the customers are. Best of all talk to some longer term VW owners of the car you are considering. After you do all that you might find yourself reconsidering the Focus

 

[henryd1981]

Says the guy driving a Saturn! Hilarious.

Nothing wrong with Saturn. I used to have a 2002 Saturn SC1 coupe. It was a great car. One of my biggest mistakes was trading it in. I was sweet-talked into trading it in for a Saturn ION in 2004. All I went there for was a new front license plate bracket after some idiot backed into me and it broke off.

Last week, I got to take a crack at driving stick for the first time in a 97 Saturn SL1 with around 90k miles. It needs a little work, but it wasn't running bad for an 18 year old car. I hope I get another crack at driving it again. I might wanna search for a Focus with the manual.

 

[TooOld]

Luckily you didn't get this particular 2004 Saturn ION: http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/general-motors/2014/11/24/saturn-ion-recall/19486867/

 

[dakota1820]

Says the guy driving a Saturn! Hilarious.

I am a Ford tech and own a 2014 focus with a stick which other than being a noisy gear box is a good car. I haven't owned a Saturn in a while. And honestly even the Saturn slush box was better than the dual clutch it's a terrible transmission. Like I said we always have a line of them in the parking lot every day every week all the time they are absolutely as bad as what you read online. I see them coming in with the shutter problem before their first oil change sometimes. Avg is probably 20-30,000 miles though.

 

[TooOld]

I am a Ford tech and own a 2014 focus with a stick which other than being a noisy gear box is a good car. I haven't owned a Saturn in a while. And honestly even the Saturn slush box was better than the dual clutch it's a terrible transmission. Like I said we always have a line of them in the parking lot every day every week all the time they are absolutely as bad as what you read online. I see them coming in with the shutter problem before their first oil change sometimes. Avg is probably 20-30,000 miles though.

Ok, thanks. All DCTs are bad. Luckily I'm too ignorant of motor vehicle operation to notice mine being bad.

 

[Tigeo]

Be patient and order/locate a manual.