Thank you for your honest description of these issues. I have for 30+ years repaired cars for my church to help people out. What I learned from you is, they would best be served by taking there car to a Ford dealer. to get the job done right.
Your video was very helpful. Best plan of action is too see if your car still has a warranty. Then get the build date and talk to the my Ford owner's hotline. See if your car applies for adit'l coverage on the clutches and seal. Then go to the smallest Ford dealer you can find. I dropped my 2013 off, it had 450 rpm of shutter. They ordered the parts at $0 cost. Took 13 days for parts. On the 14th day I dropped the car off at 0730 am and it was done by lunch time. Couldn't be happier.
Excellent video. Folks listen carefully to what he says here in how you tackle the issue with your dealer. As a senior service provider for brand H, I can tell you that the dealer is under heavy restrictions when it comes to diagnosing and repairing issues such as this. Believe it or not, the technician does not even get paid for his time spent diagnosing your car - don't expect them to spend an hour driving about to reproduce the symptoms. Try to arrange a test drive with the service manager ahead of time. Get the car up to temperature on route to the dealer so that you can demonstrate the issue. Dealers don't write their own paycheck for these repairs - the manufacturer dictates the pay rate ! A guy like Brian here goes home with 7 hours of pay for a job that took over 2 days to do right. Its a bad system but our harsh reality.
+Kent Schroeder i also have a 2014 focus with only 12k miles that has this issue. ford tells me it has to get bad enough before they can do anything. i am very dissapointed with this car. good luck
+David Hunt On the third trip to the dealership they replaced our clutch and that seems to have fixed the problem at least for now. After watching the excellent videos here on youtube, it looks to me that the OEM tried to save a few pennies on some rather critical seals and shot themselves in the foot on warranty costs. The pressure for cost saving at the OEM is incredible and relentless. When poor choices are made, we all suffer, including the dealerships.
Very informative Thank you! I just purchased my first Ford (and probably last Ford) and it has this "shudder" problem. Fortunately I found a great Ford dealer who I believe will take care of me.
I have a 2012 focus and I've been taking it to a dealer in a big town every 2-3 months and they've been putting me off on the back burner, just doing reflash and saying there was no problem so I took your advice and took it to a different dealer out of town by 30 miles and so behold they change the clutch and the modem which is great I appreciate your tip its just everybody else try the same if you are having problems from a big dealer
Yes, I appreciate this so much I got my 2011 fiesta transmission replaced because of the shudder and it kept coming back untill my warranty expired now I’m stuck with it and I love this car so much
I've got this issue in my 2012 Fiesta SE. It's rather intermittent; it doesn't seem to happen under any specific conditions. My one concern is what are the risks in NOT having it fixed. Thanks for the videos, by the way!
Awesome info. I have this problem in my 2014 Fiesta which I bought in September (2016) with 28K miles. My dealer is going to replace my clutch... they did what you described in this video. This is a smaller Ford dealer and they are treating me well, and I am still under the factory warranty.
Ellice Kilic - I have a 2014 Fiesta as well and I had to take it to a different dealership from where I bought it from and they fixed mine. So far I haven't had any trouble since.
I have a 2014 with 4200 miles. Have been having harsh stuttering at when starting and going from 1st to 2nd. Also starting to hear clanging today. Took it to the dealer a month ago and was told this is 'normal'. It has now been getting progressively worse. I think we all need to start a Facebook page to get together to take some action.
Our 2011 Fiesta is going back to the dealer for the 3rd time tomorrow. 18 months ago we had all these problems, and it caused the timing belt to skip and damage the head and other parts were replaced. A $6,000 bill that Ford Corporate had to get involved with to get taken care of. A few months later it was very cold out and the car had more problems and had all the leaks inside the clutch and was fixed and returned. Here we are a year after that and have the same problems (again, VERY cold outside). Fingers crossed that they'll warranty their last repairs. I think we're at 90K miles or so and the last warranty work was done at 83K even though the powertrain is warranted to 80K. Both cold days with the problems it was in the single digit temps and trouble came after about 10 minutes of driving both times. OK car otherwise, but I do have my complaints about other "engineering" items.
Thank you for sharing this. I bought my 13 2 years ago and they keep telling me xxv there is nothing wrong or they have to wait for it to happen again before they can check it again. I will not ever buy another Ford!!
We bought a 2012 ford focus back in October 2013 when it was at 46,000 miles. Shifting problems began after we moved to Arizona July '14 at 54,000 miles. It's always shifted funny and hesitated when accelerating but I was told it's normal. Then it got exponentially worse. When accelerating from a stop, it'll suddenly throw itself forward and I have to hit the brakes to avoid rear-ending the car in front of me. It's stalled three times at stop lights and idles poorly, and has begun shaking when driving 65mph or faster. Took it into Ford to get the clutch replaced and they said they're on back order, and the minimum wait time is about 2 months. Just hoping my car lasts that long. :/
Sell it or trade it in. Best decision we ever made. We were prepared to sue Ford for refusing to fix our car and saying it was functioning properly. It had to be towed to the dealership twice because it got stuck in 2nd gear while driving on the highway. Both almost resulted in accidents. Both times it was in the shop, the dealership did NOT give us a free loaner, instead they demanded we pay for one or walk home. I'd had enough and contacted the California Lemon Law group. We could settle for 6k cash because the dealership wouldn't perform a 2nd transmission replacement, otherwise we could have gotten a free replacement vehicle. Instead we chose to trade it in because a Mazda dealership graciously offered us 7k trade in, well above what anyone else would give for that heap of trash. We now have a 2015 Mazda CX-5 Touring and it's the best vehicle purchase we've ever made. Not sure what the Ford Focus Lawsuit is currently at (Ford is probably still pushing back the court date 2 years later), but you should get rid of this vehicle before it gets you into a serious accident.
Mine had this problem at less than 17,000 miles. Thankfully Ford replaced the entire transmission and clutch and I haven't had a problem since. I was also informed by Ford about the extended warranty, so I'm fairly happy. Not so happy about losing my car for over a month, though.
Thanks for the vid. Yes, and like others, unfortunately, my next car will NOT be a Ford. BTW we just received Ford's notice that the warranty has been extended and that this issue will be covered by the dealer. Still, we've taken our 2012 Fiesta in multiple times (quite a hassle) and the issue was never resolved. Unacceptable. Never again.
My 2013 Focus has shutter/slippage at take off, so what I've been doing is shifting it to low (with the shifter) than when it gets up around 2000 rpm, I shift it to drive, Have no problem when I do it this way, but I've only had car less than a week.
We bought a 2012 used in 2013 from Ford. In the first month the car had to be towed in because it wouldn't even turn on. They replaced the "Transmission Module" Less than a year later it was making the shuddering sound badly. We took the car to the dealer and they had the car for over a month and replaced the module, and clutch. Now not even 9 months later we have returned to the dealer because it was shuddering again. We're told that because their transmission dept is so backed up with these problems, we have to schedule an appointment to have the Transmission taken out and more repairs because when they hooked the car up to the computer it was over 500 in slippage. I feel like the reason we bought the car was so my wife had reliable transportation and yet it looks like we are stuck having to take the car to FORD once a year. God forbid this fall under the Lemon Law.
Took my 2013 Fiesta in after 8500 miles and they found a leaky seal when tearing down the DCT. Shuddered a lot when stuck in traffic. The seal was replaced the clutch disks cleaned and trans reprogrammed. I have 15500 on it now and still experience some shudder in slow moving traffic. I also experience some stalling when I try to accelerate quickly from standstill. It is like having a newbee driving a stick, not knowing what gear to start or shift into. My concern is the added wear and tear this creates in the long run. This transmission should have been tested more thoroughly before production so we wouldn't be having this conversation. People riding with me notice as well. This wouldn't bode well for future sales. I have purchased Fords from 1961 to current and never experienced problems such as this when new. Thanks for addressing this issue. I hope Ford starts seriously addressing it too.
Great explanation. My 2012 has been into the dealership on average once per year since 2012, and this friday is the second one this year. The main seal was replaced the after the first year, and the clutch replaced in the second. The TCM has been checked and programmed 3 times already. Great to see this line of videos, so I get a better understanding of what it is they are doing, and hopefully they can sort it out this time round. Cheers (subscription earned)
FordTechMakuloco Great information! Thanks! I had the shudder issue in my 1yr old focus and got loads of rubbish from dealer until I told them the issue occurs when the engine is hot! They are finally going to change my clutch but I am concern will it solve the problem completely? Or is it just going to buy Ford some time until my warranty runs out?
I just bought a '14 Focus SE a couple of weeks ago. At take-off (from a stop), the car feels like it is stuttering or jumping around when you take off. It doesn't do it that often, just out of the blue. Only happens when the transmission is warmed up. Other than that, it is smooth to shift. Do you think I should take it to my local dealer to have them look at it?
I just bought the 2015 fiesta se and it has 45k and as he says only sometimes has a slight shutter upon takeoff just like a manual also i belive the 2015s have a newer clutch with revised friction material, and have learned that once off the line and 1st has locked all gears throughout stay locked through shifts so even if you are up say, 10mph over speed and want to take foot off gas to coast to proper speed even as it downshifts with foot off accelerator the rpms will not be going slow enough to disengage therefore no slipping should occur til you are just about to stop which these clutches automatically disengage for the stop anyway, not sure exactly what rpm but basically very low rpm so you can stop smoothly without the whiplash effect
The Ford Focus 2014 Version is also having quite the same issues as he says in his video. You can hear it after a 10-20min driving from one place to another. The sound is quite loud when the first two gears switches.
First off....thank you so much for your video. Very informative. Sadly, I just bought a used 2012 Ford Focus Hatchback. When I took it for a test drive, we were in a residential area, so never went over 40km. I ended up purchasing the car from a used car dealer and it seemed ok, till i took it on the highway and got off. When I went to leave the stop light, it studdered till it almost stalled. Called the dealer, and he was not aware of any of the ford focus issues, but agreed to have it checked. Turns out all the recall updates were done, but they said that possibly the clutch is shot. I have only had the car for a week and a half and it has been in the shop more then I have driven it. The last mechanic said...."this is the way the car shifts" My concern is what damage will this cause. Is this car only good for 6 months? My concern is being on a limited budget, I can not afford all the costly repairs it seems this might lead to. Should I consider unloading this before it gets worse?
Yes, yes, yes. I hope you've already gotten rid of it, but if not, go to your nearest dealership and seek out a trade-in offer. Last year we were able to get 7k for our 2012 Ford Focus and got a Mazda CX-5. The Ford Focus is a lemon car. It will never drive or function properly. Ford knows they manufactured a defective transmission but the Focus was such a popular model that they aren't willing to help their customers, because it means money out of their pocket. Ford told us over and over that our car was performing as intended. So, getting stuck in 2nd gear on the highway, having to be towed to the dealership, grinding and slipping when shifting? Funny, because the day after we traded in our Focus, the Mazda dealership had to replace the entire transmission. I wonder why :)
Courtney F - Mazda's are junk. As funny as it sounds, I traded in my 2013 Fiesta for a certified pre-owned 2011 Mazda 3 and that was my first (and last) Mazda. I wanted a nicer car (the Mazda was loaded) but missed the Fiesta really bad and the Mazda was very loud, rode rough (had Hancock touring tires on it too) and started having problems with the transmission and engine both right before the warranty went out... So after having the Mazda for about 3 years, I went back to buying a used 2014 Fiesta. I'm problem free. Both Fiesta's has the automatic transmission.
ChillerKane sorry my friend it gets worse it's a piece of crap car really don't want to concern you but I have a 2012 Ford focus and it's been a nightmare since day one. Most Transmission issues now it's grinding I've taken very good care of it but it's falling apart. In the other hand around the same time my wife purchased a 2012 Chevy Cruze around the same price and has not had problems with it yet. I was a Ford guy but after this I think my next car won't be a Ford. So sad cars look nice tho.
DeadofWinter321 good luck lol thats not a better choice you'll see Ford new car besides the Mustang. Like the Fiesta and focus are garbage!!! Found out the hard way but hopefully yours is good I want to say about 90%of Ford focus and fiestas 2010 and 2017 were a piece of crap. Transmission issues mostly
my focus 16 shudder and twerk like crazy...very noticeable going up hill. It only passed 20k miles recently. Makes you rattle in car lol when its doing it.
bought my 2012 focus new in Oct 2012. Had the clutch assembly replaced in Oct 2013 @ 40000 miles. The past few weeks I've felt the shifting getting worse, and the dealership 'reprogrammed the computer'. Yesterday my car went nuts. It fell completely out of gear when I tried to accelerate after being stopped. I turned the car off then back on, and I could accelerate up but it was felt really bad. Also it wouldn't shift into the reverse gear, even after turning the car off then on. I took it to the dealership & all they did was 'reprogram the computer' to 'fix the problem'. Thanks Ford! I have zero faith in this car.
Thanks for your videos, they really shed a lot of light on the problem. These should be made standard education for all the techs. I've taken my 2012 Focus in to 2 different dealers and they just run the test and say that it's within the expected limits. My car slips REALLY bad on 1st and 2nd, but not always, so thanks to this video I'm thinking that it's when it heats up after driving for a while. If I tell them that will they actually keep it on and drive it till it heats up?
Bought a 2012 Ford Focus SE (Candy Red) last week and it has 60k miles on it! Test drove the car no problems. After about 7 days or so the car started acting weird. It wouldn't start for one, but I found a small work around so I thought. Anyway...my lady was driving home from work and she said she nearly lost power on the way home. So I got in the little thing and test drove it on a highway road. Got up to about 65 no issues. So I turned in to someones yard and got ready to put the puppy in reverse and all she did was rev up! All I could think was oh crap! Luckily the persons yard I pulled into had a field I could do a u turn in! Called my dealer this morning and they are sending a Ford company to pick it up and look at it. My question is..should I go ahead and ditch this car while I can or let them fix it and roll with it?
I have a 2013 Focus, it has shifting shudder and have found a solution. Take it out on a back road and do hard starts to 70 mph wide open about 5 times and your shudder will be gone for a couple thousand miles. Works for me.
I have a 2012 ford focus with just over 46,000 miles. My clutch have out. Wouldn't move in drive or reverse and when it did it sounded horrible. Got it towed to dealership. Thought I was in the clear since it was a transmission problem. I have warranty still for that. Turns out the transmission solenoid is not part of the "transmission warranty" had to pay over 200 to get it back for it to give out on me 2 days later. Got it towed again and after a week they decided to just install a new clutch since they couldn't replicate the problem I had. I really hate ford now for the experience.
My husband and I vowed to never ever buy a Ford again. Not after the way they treated us when we had a 2012 Ford Focus. Twice it had to be towed to the shop for the defective transmission, and twice they told us we either had to pay for a loaner vehicle to get back home or walk. They laughed in my face and gave me a pamplet on "How to drive an Automatic vehicle" as if being a woman had anything to do with their defective lemon cars. We tell all our friends to stay away from Ford. One of my husband's coworkers bought a Ford SUV against our advice and 5 months later the transmission failed. Who would have guessed it.
Hey Brian, I have a completely off topic (vehicle and issue) problem. I have a 2015 Fusion that has VERY intermittent issues with warm no-crank no starts. When we have recorded any codes they have been that the car thinks that it is in gear. The issue has been happening since before my first drop-off at 700 miles in August, and is now at 5000 miles. The dealer has been great, however Engineering has no clue what it is. They have replaced the starter, TCM, cleaned and reseated all wire harnesses, and am on month two of having a dealer computer on the car, and well over 60 days off the road with the car at the dealer(not to mention them having put a good portion of the mileage on the car). (Had it most all of November, and now all of February through now. ) At this point I am very frustrated to not have a resolution, or any further options provided from Ford or the dealer. Personally I am shocked they haven't replaced the ECU or other computers. The whole experience is leaving a very negative taste in my mouth for FMC as a whole, as my previous 10 Fusion was a lemon as well (I bought it second hand after they fixed that... and well I got screwed on re-sale, and with a transmission issue 2 months out of my remaining warranty...) Not that we are going to have any chance to actually fix it at this point, as I am just days away from motioning for arbitration with a Lemon Law suit.. but any ideas on what it could be?
You are the real Ford GURU. We need you here in Puerto Rico. I love the Fiesta but the transmission is very rare. Every-time my Battery fail the TCM or the PCM has to be replaced by the Dealer. I end up putting an AGM Optima on it. Also how hard is to replace the Clutch once the warranty end ? It is going to be very expensive ?
My 2015 started to shudder around 2nd gear range after just 5000 miles. I bought it new. Now it shudders very hard sometimes dealer is waiting for new clutch they orderd to replace it. I wonder is new clutch is upgrade or same design?
My 2011 Fiesta just hit 222,222 miles. In 2016- 17 we got ours used. Had a shudder after a few monthes... but f/u with dealership qualified us for new clutch under warranty. The autoshop guys were honest... it is likely to wear out again.... but should get years of use out of the car before it starts going out again. Nearly 7 years and 222,222 miles... and shudder when in 40-50 mph acceleration when RPMs are around 2. Have a Ford check up aug 12... but know it maybe time to purchase back up car... Fear this is the death rattle R.I.P. lime green Fiesta😢
I test drove used 13 with 36k miles on it and it had major trans issues once it warmed up. The 14 Focus I bought back in Feb brand new now has 9k miles on it and not one hint of any sort of trans issue.
2014 Focus - Dealer warranty replaced the clutch @ 16,000 Miles, today @ 42,000 miles clutch is shuddering just like before no longer under warranty tomorrow I anticipate the dealer telling me repairs will be in $2,000 range to replace the defective clutch again.
I really wish you could drive my 2013 Focus w/ the DCT because at this point I don't know if the car has a problem or if it's driving normally, however it's sputtered & shuddered since the first day I bought it, back in 2014. I feel like it's holding 1st gear longer than normal over the last few weeks, but I'm no expert, so who knows. This car worries me long term, as I don't trust it. And yes the clutch was replaced one time at 12k miles & the car currently has 32k on it.
I have a 2012 Ford Focus SE that I had the shift module replaced in at the end of July. It shifted fine for about 1 month then when pulling away from a start when it went to shift it was like I put it in neutral I could let up and the gas and feel it slip into gear and it would shift like that until I hit 40 mph then it was fine but the engine light stayed on. I stopped at the local Oreilly's and they brought up the code and it was the same thing the they replaced the end of the July, the trans shift module. They said they could reset it if I wanted and I said yes. After the fault was reset it drove fine but now it it doing it every single day. They say a new clutch it $1800 at the dealer but if it's the clutch then why does it shift fine for a while when it's reset? If it were the clutch wouldn't do it all the time? Thanks for listening, this is a great car and this is my first issue with it. It has 147k on it and has oil changes at regular intervals.
Just a little suggestion... Clarify in your videos and titles that this is for the dual clutch automatic and does not affect the manual. I bought a 2014 Fiesta manual last year these videos almost gave me a heart attack, lol.
I'm in England and bought a 2013 ford focus powershift 6 months ago, having only 4000 miles on the clock I thought it would be trouble free, but last week I had pulled up at a traffic light, and when I drove off it did the shudder, and I had loss of power... I kept the accelerator pressed as traffic was heading towards me, and after a few seconds there was a load popping noise, and it dropped a gear and speeded off. I contacted ford near me, and he said it needs to be brought in to have the parameters checked and maybe an update. Do you think this is fixable, or is it looking like a replacement clutch. To be honest, I normally drive manual gearbox so I didn't ever really think powershift was jumpy.
i have a 2012 ford fiesta with a bad shudder..i bought it at 24000 miles on 03/09/15 and have had the transmission clutch replaced 2x since. It is currently in the shop for the 3rd transmission clutch repair..it may take up to 6 weeks for the clutch to come in. I recently found out that the same repair was done 3 months before I purchased the car. This was not on car fax or any other report when I bought it. It is under warranty and Ford has extended the transmission warranty to 100k miles but they keep doing the same thing. What should I ask them to do now?
Ford warranty numbers+powerstroke+my touch+ecoboost+dps6==NIGHTMAREs!!!!! I haven't had a chance to rip into a dps6 yet,I verify the concern and start the tsb reprogramming+recording.and then it gets handed off to the tech that has done a few before,not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.but looking forward to see your video.
There is another related electrical issue about the 2014 Ford fiesta not mentioned here. The shuddering and slipping of these DCT models is a bad issue by itself but ford will call this normal operation because they can't or won't fix this but also if for any reason you get a dead battery or need to replace the battery as soon as you disconnect one of the battery terminals this cuts power to the transmission control module and deletes the program that controls and tells the transmission when to shift and into witch gear. So every time your battery goes dead or you replace it with a new battery it wipes the computer program and you will have to take the car back to the dealership to have the TCM reprogramed. If you don't have it reprogramed after replacing the battery the car will start up and run but will not shift past first gear and will stay that way until you have it reprogramed. First off, I have been fixing cars and trucks both diesel and gasoline powered for over 30 years. My mother purchased one of these brand new 2014 Ford Fiesta's and from the very beginning it has had the shuddering and slipping trans problems. One night she left the dome light on inside the car and the next day the battery was dead. So I have a brand new fully charged battery that I use just for jump starting dead batteries. I removed the factory installed battery from this Fiesta and put in the new battery and attempt to start the motor, I turn on the ignition and right away I hear this crunching aluminum cans sound and also a noise like the sound of somebody pressing and depressing a manual trans clutch pedal and the interior and exterior lights start flashing off and on. I turn the key to activate the starter and nothing happens. then the center display screen says in big letters (Transmission malfunction) I try this a few more times and still nothing happens so I shut it off and take out the key. I wait a few mins and try to start is again this time it starts up and runs and sounds normal so I decide to drive it to the store less than a mile away to get a newspaper. The car goes into first gear and refuses to shift into any other gears. This morning the dealership towed the car back to the shop for the third time, ready to file a lemon law suite.
My 2014 Ford Focus SE has the transmission shudder real bad. I've taken it to the local Ford garage and they "recalibrated the car's computer" which only fixed the problem for a couple weeks.
I have a ford Focus 2013 with 77k, out of warranty , took it to a Ford Quicklane and it seems the only thing they did was re flash. My problem is with supposedly the bearings, car make a growling noise when its on drive and moving. Is this somehow covered buy the recall? I just don't trust the place where I took it, they told me to take my car this one day because they will have the parts and then they didn't do it because they did have the parts yet! and they asked me to wait a month! They also want to charge me labor to take a part the transmission but, aren't they suppose to do that anyways to change the seal witch are under extended warranty? Please I really appreciate your advice, I just saw your videos related to this problem and now I have a better understanding of whats going on.
I have a 2011 Ford Fiesta where the ac isn't working. I had a shop look at it said it had extremely high pressure in the AC system. They emptied the refrigerant and refilled it. Worked fine for 2 months then progressive it went out again(like it did before). Ever once in a while the car will shutter(which you can see in the belt system) and work for 30 seconds. Any ideas what could be wrong? Don't really want to spend a lot to fix it. Its got 120,000 on it and a dealer told me they would only give me 3000 trade in for it.
My car is currently getting the seals/clutch replaced. Thanks for the advice in being really specific about when everything happens. I would have been shocked if they hadn't found it with how bad it was, but I felt a lot better giving them tons of information.
Had a 2012 ford focus with this issue fixed 3 times. Came back in just a few 1000 miles each time along with many other issues. Only fix is to sell it for a sweet Honda. Vtec yo
What you are describing is a automatic transmission, (if the gears are shifted by a computer even if the transmission and clutch are manual, if the computer is controlling it rather than the driver then it is automatic) also on a true manual, I have found that mine randomly resists shifting into first
Hi Brian I have a 2010 Ford focus with the manual transmission. The problem I am having is it is currently stuck in reverse. All linkages are in tact and are moving I am suspecting that a shift mechanism inside has come apart.Any thoughts or suggestions is appreciated. Thanks
This is incredibly helpful. I have 76k miles on my 2012 Fiesta and I just got a letter in the mail saying they're now covering the Transmission Control Module through 10 year/150k miles now. Would I be able to use that warranty to get the shudder fixed? Thank you for your videos!!
I have a 2012 ford focus but it seems as soon as it hit 30,000 miles it started shuddering. Only sometimes when I stop and start again. It was the first off the lot back in '11 but never had any issues. How much would it cost to fix if it gets worse?
Could you please make a video about what you think about Ford cars (specifically) reliability? I’m sure you can flesh out the idea that Ford is not a bad automaker.
Mine shifts ok and will sometimes shudder. The problem is intermittent but ive noticed it more when i drive from a cold start and have the headlights on automatic setting. However, in the absence of a shudder at times, i hear a muffled popping sound somewhere which is weird. Any advice? Thanks for the informative videos.
According to Customer Satisfaction 14MO1 with the extended 7 yr/100,000 mi warranty is Ford required to replace a clutch free of charge if they diagnose a clutch and make an invoice for it?
2018 models of Ford Fiesta and Focus will get a redesigned power shift gearbox, hopefully with a proper leak free clutch pack and other things. Hope that this will cure the issues, 2016 and 2017 models are better but will give trouble sooner or later. What troubles me is why Ford didn't redesign the box much sooner knowing that it was flawed. To many people have suffered and possibly won't comeback to buying another Ford. Ford need to get its head out its ass!
I have a 2014 fiesta 1.6 automatic petrol. The shudder problem got much much worse over the last few months and I took it to ford. they did a computer reprogramming thing ( I don't know about cars) and it seems.....better but not fixed. I feel like in 6 months it will be worse again. would a clutch replacement fix it in your opinion? if it's not under warrantee how much would it cost?
2014 Ford Focus SE is also having these problems. We must report this Issue to the makers of Ford. Question to the Great Country of the World, What's going on to American Engineering? We need to Advance!
I'm thinking of purchasing a Titanium Focus (used 13 or 14). Is this a known issue with the Titanium too? Is there ANYTHING I can do during a test drive to determine if the tested vehicle has this problem? Should I just look at manual transmissions if I'm truly interested (hard to find in a Titanium)? Thanks
I was driving my 2012 Ford Focus on a busy interstate yesterday & it was like my transmission slipped & got stock in neutral. Thank God I was able to pull off the highway safely. Since day one though I noticed the jerking & grinding & I have an automatic transmission. Just cannot believe Ford isn't going after fixing this defect they are going to get sued big time...
I'm having the same issues on my 2012 Focus..got the "Warranty" letter and took it in to my Ford dealership. Yes...they said.... there is a (for lack of a better term) recall. BUT....we're going to charge you $189 "diagnostic" fee! Thats never mentioned in the letter, when you call dealership to make an appt. they agree that the new extended warranty indicates these issues, but never mentions that "oh..by the way, it'll cost you nearly $200 for us to determine if you REALLY have this issue. If it does...then no charge but it it doesn't...Pay up! Just thought people should know that. Called Ford Mother Ship and they said..."oh yes, those symptoms could be a transmission issue other then the one we told you about, so the dealer can charge you a fee. Isn't that called "bait and switch?
I just purchased a 2014 ford focus SE and I haven't driven it for more than a month and a half and I've just encountered the scraping/ grinding noise under the hood. It happens mainly when I accelerate from a complete stop. The car shudders and makes that loud grinding noise.
I have a 2012 ford fiesta and when im stopped and go to go it shutters its similar to when its raining out and its wet and the tires skid.... my boyfriend hooked up a computer to see if there are any faults with the tranny and its not showing any.... can it still be a transmission issue? how can that be fixed
Should I talk to my dealer if i feel the shutter occasionally ( they just updated the tcm for me yesterday) and I can hear the shifting when slowing to a stop and some lag. I have a 2014 Ford Fiesta with about 38 thousand miles on it. Also why does the ford brakes stink so easily
Neighbor has a 2014 Focus, once they learned how to drive it , no problem, was shuddery at that aprox 23mph up shift at first but now at 30,000 miles they say its fine other than as you say its has tha man trany ocassional lag thing.
And you'll get clutch slippage when making a left had turn and the engine whines but it acts as if it is neutral. Then you have issues with the rear seals that leak and contaminate the clutch packs. This is still an issue on the 2013 models. And don't forget the noise that sounds like crumpling paper.My local Ford dealer service shop is loaded with these with faulty transmissions. Ford knows there is an issue with this. My solution was to trade the car in on something more reliable.
Thanks for the videos about the Powershift problem, they're really interesting. I've been recently thinking about buying a Focus Titanium estate with Powershift but after reading about all the problems with the gearbox I'm now very wary. Is the problem on all model year cars from 2011 onwards or are the later models free from the problem. If they are then I could well be tempted to continue my search for a Focus but if not then I'll look elsewhere.
+FordTechMakuloco Thanks for replying. Much appreciated. I think that's a pretty definitive answer you've given me so it looks like I'll be looking elsewhere for a new car. Out of interest though. Are all the Powershift boxes affected or do some work perfectly okay?
My 2012 Focus just had the clutches, seals and TCM replaced at 39k miles. After this repair does the transmission have to relearn my driving habits again? I only ask because the first few days after the repair were great but getting some of the same issues back again. Just heard a loud metal on metal noise when I put it in park and turned it off at home.
Hi mate, I have 2011 focus 2.0L GDI 6sp powershift. I need to change the transmission fluid but as u know there is no dipstick. how can I refill the fluid? is it impossible to do DIY? should go dealer? From AUS.
I live in Australia and have been having this issue for years. They have replaced the seal and just keep updated the software. Head office and dealer just tell me it's 'normal' and said they can't do anything more for me. 2011 model (first release of the new model)
My 2014 Foord Fiesta is giving a problem to start, have to start it in neutral at times for it to start when it driving it won't leave 1st gear and moving from gear one to two the car shake (slip up). if i try to accelerate too fast then the engine will rev and not more. once the car reaches 60kmp that i can drive normal. if i put the car in S-mode it will not let me manual change gears. also at times a warning message comes up and say "transmission hot wait 5 minutes" and "use brake stop safely" Please to advise me what is the problem and also if the "TCP" and "Clutch fork" need to change.
another great video thank you! I love my 2013 ford focus but I started having trans issues in traffic.... would you safely say this trans will last or should I trade the car in for say an ST?
looks like either the service advisor or tech didnt feel like asking for an auth number to replace... they definitely only did seals ... stupid to take the whole trans out of the car when they knew it was smoking and clutch was slipping big time
My advice is dump it. I had a 2013 that was great until about 8K miles. Had all kinds of issues and Ford said they were "normal" for the DCT tranny. My last straw was when stuck in rush hour traffic. A message stating the tranny was overheating. Dump it now while you can get a decent trade in.
I have two cars a 2010 Chrysler 300 touring 2.7 v6 and a 98 Ford mustang sn95. My 300 been at the shop cause the motor went out me so my mechanic is gonna replace it so i been driving my mustang which its been a good reliable car then my 300 . It's a terrible lemon car but im lucky that i only have 3k left on the car and i was looking to see what vehicle should i get. I had alot of choices to see which one i like cause i want something reliable . Kia, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, and Chevrolet but i put the fiesta and focus on my save list but until what i heard that the fiesta and the focus have transmissions issues so this is a big no for me i don't wanna go through that experience
I keep hearing a rattle noise when my car idles down past 1000 rpm. It also does this when I go to a stop and when I take off but goes away after 2000 rpm. Just had the transmission rebuilt but dont know what’s going on. It sounds like thin pieces of metal rattling around. Maybe a loose heat shield somewhere? I don’t know. Please help
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Thank you for your honest description of these issues. I have for 30+ years repaired cars for my church to help people out. What I learned from you is, they would best be served by taking there car to a Ford dealer. to get the job done right.
Your video was very helpful. Best plan of action is too see if your car still has a warranty. Then get the build date and talk to the my Ford owner's hotline. See if your car applies for adit'l coverage on the clutches and seal. Then go to the smallest Ford dealer you can find. I dropped my 2013 off, it had 450 rpm of shutter. They ordered the parts at $0 cost. Took 13 days for parts. On the 14th day I dropped the car off at 0730 am and it was done by lunch time. Couldn't be happier.
Excellent video. Folks listen carefully to what he says here in how you tackle the issue with your dealer. As a senior service provider for brand H, I can tell you that the dealer is under heavy restrictions when it comes to diagnosing and repairing issues such as this. Believe it or not, the technician does not even get paid for his time spent diagnosing your car - don't expect them to spend an hour driving about to reproduce the symptoms. Try to arrange a test drive with the service manager ahead of time. Get the car up to temperature on route to the dealer so that you can demonstrate the issue. Dealers don't write their own paycheck for these repairs - the manufacturer dictates the pay rate ! A guy like Brian here goes home with 7 hours of pay for a job that took over 2 days to do right. Its a bad system but our harsh reality.
You give me hope that there are still good people working in these service centers. Bravo, and keep up the great attitude!!
I recently bought a Ford Focus and have been having this problem, this video has been a big help. Thanks.
My 2014 Focus has the same problem. Third trip to the dealership for this problem is next week. Now I wish I had found your video sooner.
+Kent Schroeder i also have a 2014 focus with only 12k miles that has this issue. ford tells me it has to get bad enough before they can do anything. i am very dissapointed with this car. good luck
+David Hunt On the third trip to the dealership they replaced our clutch and that seems to have fixed the problem at least for now. After watching the excellent videos here on youtube, it looks to me that the OEM tried to save a few pennies on some rather critical seals and shot themselves in the foot on warranty costs. The pressure for cost saving at the OEM is incredible and relentless. When poor choices are made, we all suffer, including the dealerships.
+Kent Schroeder I would say your right on Ford trying to save money. hopefully yours is fixed... I'm thinking of gettin rid of ours. good luck
2014 ford fiesta recalls
Very informative Thank you! I just purchased my first Ford (and probably last Ford) and it has this "shudder" problem. Fortunately I found a great Ford dealer who I believe will take care of me.
I have a 2012 focus and I've been taking it to a dealer in a big town every 2-3 months and they've been putting me off on the back burner, just doing reflash and saying there was no problem so I took your advice and took it to a different dealer out of town by 30 miles and so behold they change the clutch and the modem which is great I appreciate your tip its just everybody else try the same if you are having problems from a big dealer
Yes, I appreciate this so much I got my 2011 fiesta transmission replaced because of the shudder and it kept coming back untill my warranty expired now I’m stuck with it and I love this car so much
I subscribed because you have alot of great knowledge most people dont talk about
I've got this issue in my 2012 Fiesta SE. It's rather intermittent; it doesn't seem to happen under any specific conditions. My one concern is what are the risks in NOT having it fixed.
Thanks for the videos, by the way!
Awesome info. I have this problem in my 2014 Fiesta which I bought in September (2016) with 28K miles. My dealer is going to replace my clutch... they did what you described in this video. This is a smaller Ford dealer and they are treating me well, and I am still under the factory warranty.
Daniel Bruski did the clutch replacement fix the problem?
Ellice Kilic - I have a 2014 Fiesta as well and I had to take it to a different dealership from where I bought it from and they fixed mine. So far I haven't had any trouble since.
I have a 2014 with 4200 miles. Have been having harsh stuttering at when starting and going from 1st to 2nd. Also starting to hear clanging today. Took it to the dealer a month ago and was told this is 'normal'. It has now been getting progressively worse. I think we all need to start a Facebook page to get together to take some action.
Colette Pizzarella Not normal the 1-2 is the common telltale the clutch is failing. There is the new F clutch out to fix this demand a fix!
Our 2011 Fiesta is going back to the dealer for the 3rd time tomorrow. 18 months ago we had all these problems, and it caused the timing belt to skip and damage the head and other parts were replaced. A $6,000 bill that Ford Corporate had to get involved with to get taken care of. A few months later it was very cold out and the car had more problems and had all the leaks inside the clutch and was fixed and returned. Here we are a year after that and have the same problems (again, VERY cold outside). Fingers crossed that they'll warranty their last repairs. I think we're at 90K miles or so and the last warranty work was done at 83K even though the powertrain is warranted to 80K. Both cold days with the problems it was in the single digit temps and trouble came after about 10 minutes of driving both times. OK car otherwise, but I do have my complaints about other "engineering" items.
I have a 2015 Focus and I just replaced the clutch again, for free! 72,000 miles. My dealer never gave me a problem either time.
Karen O how’d you do it for free? Under warranty I assume? Was it the dealer you purchased from?
Thank you for sharing this. I bought my 13 2 years ago and they keep telling me xxv there is nothing wrong or they have to wait for it to happen again before they can check it again. I will not ever buy another Ford!!
We bought a 2012 ford focus back in October 2013 when it was at 46,000 miles. Shifting problems began after we moved to Arizona July '14 at 54,000 miles. It's always shifted funny and hesitated when accelerating but I was told it's normal. Then it got exponentially worse. When accelerating from a stop, it'll suddenly throw itself forward and I have to hit the brakes to avoid rear-ending the car in front of me. It's stalled three times at stop lights and idles poorly, and has begun shaking when driving 65mph or faster. Took it into Ford to get the clutch replaced and they said they're on back order, and the minimum wait time is about 2 months. Just hoping my car lasts that long. :/
Courtney F my focus is doing the same thing
Sell it or trade it in. Best decision we ever made. We were prepared to sue Ford for refusing to fix our car and saying it was functioning properly. It had to be towed to the dealership twice because it got stuck in 2nd gear while driving on the highway. Both almost resulted in accidents. Both times it was in the shop, the dealership did NOT give us a free loaner, instead they demanded we pay for one or walk home. I'd had enough and contacted the California Lemon Law group. We could settle for 6k cash because the dealership wouldn't perform a 2nd transmission replacement, otherwise we could have gotten a free replacement vehicle. Instead we chose to trade it in because a Mazda dealership graciously offered us 7k trade in, well above what anyone else would give for that heap of trash. We now have a 2015 Mazda CX-5 Touring and it's the best vehicle purchase we've ever made. Not sure what the Ford Focus Lawsuit is currently at (Ford is probably still pushing back the court date 2 years later), but you should get rid of this vehicle before it gets you into a serious accident.
Mine had this problem at less than 17,000 miles. Thankfully Ford replaced the entire transmission and clutch and I haven't had a problem since. I was also informed by Ford about the extended warranty, so I'm fairly happy. Not so happy about losing my car for over a month, though.
Fix Or Repair Daily!!
Thanks for the vid. Yes, and like others, unfortunately, my next car will NOT be a Ford. BTW we just received Ford's notice that the warranty has been extended and that this issue will be covered by the dealer. Still, we've taken our 2012 Fiesta in multiple times (quite a hassle) and the issue was never resolved. Unacceptable. Never again.
My 2013 Focus has shutter/slippage at take off, so what I've been doing is shifting it to low (with the shifter) than when it gets up around 2000 rpm, I shift it to drive, Have no problem when I do it this way, but I've only had car less than a week.
We bought a 2012 used in 2013 from Ford. In the first month the car had to be towed in because it wouldn't even turn on. They replaced the "Transmission Module" Less than a year later it was making the shuddering sound badly. We took the car to the dealer and they had the car for over a month and replaced the module, and clutch. Now not even 9 months later we have returned to the dealer because it was shuddering again. We're told that because their transmission dept is so backed up with these problems, we have to schedule an appointment to have the Transmission taken out and more repairs because when they hooked the car up to the computer it was over 500 in slippage. I feel like the reason we bought the car was so my wife had reliable transportation and yet it looks like we are stuck having to take the car to FORD once a year. God forbid this fall under the Lemon Law.
Took my 2013 Fiesta in after 8500 miles and they found a leaky seal when tearing down the DCT. Shuddered a lot when stuck in traffic. The seal was replaced the clutch disks cleaned and trans reprogrammed. I have 15500 on it now and still experience some shudder in slow moving traffic. I also experience some stalling when I try to accelerate quickly from standstill. It is like having a newbee driving a stick, not knowing what gear to start or shift into. My concern is the added wear and tear this creates in the long run. This transmission should have been tested more thoroughly before production so we wouldn't be having this conversation. People riding with me notice as well. This wouldn't bode well for future sales. I have purchased Fords from 1961 to current and never experienced problems such as this when new. Thanks for addressing this issue. I hope Ford starts seriously addressing it too.
Great explanation. My 2012 has been into the dealership on average once per year since 2012, and this friday is the second one this year. The main seal was replaced the after the first year, and the clutch replaced in the second. The TCM has been checked and programmed 3 times already. Great to see this line of videos, so I get a better understanding of what it is they are doing, and hopefully they can sort it out this time round.
Cheers (subscription earned)
FordTechMakuloco Great information! Thanks! I had the shudder issue in my 1yr old focus and got loads of rubbish from dealer until I told them the issue occurs when the engine is hot! They are finally going to change my clutch but I am concern will it solve the problem completely? Or is it just going to buy Ford some time until my warranty runs out?
I just bought a '14 Focus SE a couple of weeks ago. At take-off (from a stop), the car feels like it is stuttering or jumping around when you take off. It doesn't do it that often, just out of the blue. Only happens when the transmission is warmed up. Other than that, it is smooth to shift. Do you think I should take it to my local dealer to have them look at it?
I just bought the 2015 fiesta se and it has 45k and as he says only sometimes has a slight shutter upon takeoff just like a manual also i belive the 2015s have a newer clutch with revised friction material, and have learned that once off the line and 1st has locked all gears throughout stay locked through shifts so even if you are up say, 10mph over speed and want to take foot off gas to coast to proper speed even as it downshifts with foot off accelerator the rpms will not be going slow enough to disengage therefore no slipping should occur til you are just about to stop which these clutches automatically disengage for the stop anyway, not sure exactly what rpm but basically very low rpm so you can stop smoothly without the whiplash effect
The Ford Focus 2014 Version is also having quite the same issues as he says in his video. You can hear it after a 10-20min driving from one place to another. The sound is quite loud when the first two gears switches.
First off....thank you so much for your video. Very informative. Sadly, I just bought a used 2012 Ford Focus Hatchback. When I took it for a test drive, we were in a residential area, so never went over 40km. I ended up purchasing the car from a used car dealer and it seemed ok, till i took it on the highway and got off. When I went to leave the stop light, it studdered till it almost stalled. Called the dealer, and he was not aware of any of the ford focus issues, but agreed to have it checked. Turns out all the recall updates were done, but they said that possibly the clutch is shot. I have only had the car for a week and a half and it has been in the shop more then I have driven it. The last mechanic said...."this is the way the car shifts" My concern is what damage will this cause. Is this car only good for 6 months? My concern is being on a limited budget, I can not afford all the costly repairs it seems this might lead to. Should I consider unloading this before it gets worse?
Yes, yes, yes. I hope you've already gotten rid of it, but if not, go to your nearest dealership and seek out a trade-in offer. Last year we were able to get 7k for our 2012 Ford Focus and got a Mazda CX-5. The Ford Focus is a lemon car. It will never drive or function properly. Ford knows they manufactured a defective transmission but the Focus was such a popular model that they aren't willing to help their customers, because it means money out of their pocket. Ford told us over and over that our car was performing as intended. So, getting stuck in 2nd gear on the highway, having to be towed to the dealership, grinding and slipping when shifting? Funny, because the day after we traded in our Focus, the Mazda dealership had to replace the entire transmission. I wonder why :)
Courtney F - Mazda's are junk. As funny as it sounds, I traded in my 2013 Fiesta for a certified pre-owned 2011 Mazda 3 and that was my first (and last) Mazda. I wanted a nicer car (the Mazda was loaded) but missed the Fiesta really bad and the Mazda was very loud, rode rough (had Hancock touring tires on it too) and started having problems with the transmission and engine both right before the warranty went out... So after having the Mazda for about 3 years, I went back to buying a used 2014 Fiesta. I'm problem free. Both Fiesta's has the automatic transmission.
ChillerKane sorry my friend it gets worse it's a piece of crap car really don't want to concern you but I have a 2012 Ford focus and it's been a nightmare since day one. Most Transmission issues now it's grinding I've taken very good care of it but it's falling apart. In the other hand around the same time my wife purchased a 2012 Chevy Cruze around the same price and has not had problems with it yet. I was a Ford guy but after this I think my next car won't be a Ford. So sad cars look nice tho.
DeadofWinter321 good luck lol thats not a better choice you'll see Ford new car besides the Mustang. Like the Fiesta and focus are garbage!!! Found out the hard way but hopefully yours is good I want to say about 90%of Ford focus and fiestas 2010 and 2017 were a piece of crap. Transmission issues mostly
my focus 16 shudder and twerk like crazy...very noticeable going up hill. It only passed 20k miles recently. Makes you rattle in car lol when its doing it.
bought my 2012 focus new in Oct 2012. Had the clutch assembly replaced in Oct 2013 @ 40000 miles. The past few weeks I've felt the shifting getting worse, and the dealership 'reprogrammed the computer'. Yesterday my car went nuts. It fell completely out of gear when I tried to accelerate after being stopped. I turned the car off then back on, and I could accelerate up but it was felt really bad. Also it wouldn't shift into the reverse gear, even after turning the car off then on. I took it to the dealership & all they did was 'reprogram the computer' to 'fix the problem'. Thanks Ford! I have zero faith in this car.
Thanks for your videos, they really shed a lot of light on the problem. These should be made standard education for all the techs. I've taken my 2012 Focus in to 2 different dealers and they just run the test and say that it's within the expected limits. My car slips REALLY bad on 1st and 2nd, but not always, so thanks to this video I'm thinking that it's when it heats up after driving for a while. If I tell them that will they actually keep it on and drive it till it heats up?
We do and they should as long as they have detailed info like that.
Thank you so much for making this video!! I really hope it will help me at the dealership I'm dealing with!
Bought a 2012 Ford Focus SE (Candy Red) last week and it has 60k miles on it! Test drove the car no problems. After about 7 days or so the car started acting weird. It wouldn't start for one, but I found a small work around so I thought. Anyway...my lady was driving home from work and she said she nearly lost power on the way home. So I got in the little thing and test drove it on a highway road. Got up to about 65 no issues. So I turned in to someones yard and got ready to put the puppy in reverse and all she did was rev up! All I could think was oh crap! Luckily the persons yard I pulled into had a field I could do a u turn in! Called my dealer this morning and they are sending a Ford company to pick it up and look at it. My question is..should I go ahead and ditch this car while I can or let them fix it and roll with it?
I have a 2013 Focus, it has shifting shudder and have found a solution. Take it out on a back road and do hard starts to 70 mph wide open about 5 times and your shudder will be gone for a couple thousand miles. Works for me.
+Brent Hastings Are you serious? or is that a joke, I have a 2014 focus with this issue and considering trying this.
+Brad Cook looks to be true. This guy has another video, where he actually did it.
I have a 2012 ford focus with just over 46,000 miles. My clutch have out. Wouldn't move in drive or reverse and when it did it sounded horrible. Got it towed to dealership. Thought I was in the clear since it was a transmission problem. I have warranty still for that. Turns out the transmission solenoid is not part of the "transmission warranty" had to pay over 200 to get it back for it to give out on me 2 days later. Got it towed again and after a week they decided to just install a new clutch since they couldn't replicate the problem I had. I really hate ford now for the experience.
I have a 2012 ford focus with 54000 and my car is doing the exact same thing
My husband and I vowed to never ever buy a Ford again. Not after the way they treated us when we had a 2012 Ford Focus. Twice it had to be towed to the shop for the defective transmission, and twice they told us we either had to pay for a loaner vehicle to get back home or walk. They laughed in my face and gave me a pamplet on "How to drive an Automatic vehicle" as if being a woman had anything to do with their defective lemon cars. We tell all our friends to stay away from Ford. One of my husband's coworkers bought a Ford SUV against our advice and 5 months later the transmission failed. Who would have guessed it.
Hey Brian, I have a completely off topic (vehicle and issue) problem. I have a 2015 Fusion that has VERY intermittent issues with warm no-crank no starts. When we have recorded any codes they have been that the car thinks that it is in gear. The issue has been happening since before my first drop-off at 700 miles in August, and is now at 5000 miles. The dealer has been great, however Engineering has no clue what it is. They have replaced the starter, TCM, cleaned and reseated all wire harnesses, and am on month two of having a dealer computer on the car, and well over 60 days off the road with the car at the dealer(not to mention them having put a good portion of the mileage on the car). (Had it most all of November, and now all of February through now. ) At this point I am very frustrated to not have a resolution, or any further options provided from Ford or the dealer. Personally I am shocked they haven't replaced the ECU or other computers. The whole experience is leaving a very negative taste in my mouth for FMC as a whole, as my previous 10 Fusion was a lemon as well (I bought it second hand after they fixed that... and well I got screwed on re-sale, and with a transmission issue 2 months out of my remaining warranty...) Not that we are going to have any chance to actually fix it at this point, as I am just days away from motioning for arbitration with a Lemon Law suit.. but any ideas on what it could be?
My 2014 fiesta with 8500 miles was shuttering badly. It has the current brown seals which are not leaking, but the clutch failed and was replaced.
You are the real Ford GURU. We need you here in Puerto Rico. I love the Fiesta but the transmission is very rare. Every-time my Battery fail the TCM or the PCM has to be replaced by the Dealer. I end up putting an AGM Optima on it. Also how hard is to replace the Clutch once the warranty end ? It is going to be very expensive ?
Your videos are great by the way. Im a tech for Ford and im commonly replacing clutches and seals for the focus and fiestas.
My 2015 started to shudder around 2nd gear range after just 5000 miles. I bought it new. Now it shudders very hard sometimes dealer is waiting for new clutch they orderd to replace it. I wonder is new clutch is upgrade or same design?
My 2011 Fiesta just hit 222,222 miles. In 2016- 17 we got ours used. Had a shudder after a few monthes... but f/u with dealership qualified us for new clutch under warranty. The autoshop guys were honest... it is likely to wear out again.... but should get years of use out of the car before it starts going out again.
Nearly 7 years and 222,222 miles... and shudder when in 40-50 mph acceleration when RPMs are around 2.
Have a Ford check up aug 12... but know it maybe time to purchase back up car...
Fear this is the death rattle R.I.P. lime green Fiesta😢
I test drove used 13 with 36k miles on it and it had major trans issues once it warmed up. The 14 Focus I bought back in Feb brand new now has 9k miles on it and not one hint of any sort of trans issue.
I am so glad I ditched my 2012 focus. The trips to the dealer got to be somewhat ridiculous.
2014 Focus - Dealer warranty replaced the clutch @ 16,000 Miles, today @ 42,000 miles clutch is shuddering just like before no longer under warranty tomorrow I anticipate the dealer telling me repairs will be in $2,000 range to replace the defective clutch again.
It is warranted to 100,000 mi. If you paid get your money back!
I really wish you could drive my 2013 Focus w/ the DCT because at this point I don't know if the car has a problem or if it's driving normally, however it's sputtered & shuddered since the first day I bought it, back in 2014. I feel like it's holding 1st gear longer than normal over the last few weeks, but I'm no expert, so who knows. This car worries me long term, as I don't trust it. And yes the clutch was replaced one time at 12k miles & the car currently has 32k on it.
I have a 2012 Ford Focus SE that I had the shift module replaced in at the end of July. It shifted fine for about 1 month then when pulling away from a start when it went to shift it was like I put it in neutral I could let up and the gas and feel it slip into gear and it would shift like that until I hit 40 mph then it was fine but the engine light stayed on. I stopped at the local Oreilly's and they brought up the code and it was the same thing the they replaced the end of the July, the trans shift module. They said they could reset it if I wanted and I said yes. After the fault was reset it drove fine but now it it doing it every single day. They say a new clutch it $1800 at the dealer but if it's the clutch then why does it shift fine for a while when it's reset? If it were the clutch wouldn't do it all the time?
Thanks for listening, this is a great car and this is my first issue with it. It has 147k on it and has oil changes at regular intervals.
Just a little suggestion... Clarify in your videos and titles that this is for the dual clutch automatic and does not affect the manual. I bought a 2014 Fiesta manual last year these videos almost gave me a heart attack, lol.
mines a manual and i have this problem of stuttering
I'm in England and bought a 2013 ford focus powershift 6 months ago, having only 4000 miles on the clock I thought it would be trouble free, but last week I had pulled up at a traffic light, and when I drove off it did the shudder, and I had loss of power... I kept the accelerator pressed as traffic was heading towards me, and after a few seconds there was a load popping noise, and it dropped a gear and speeded off. I contacted ford near me, and he said it needs to be brought in to have the parameters checked and maybe an update. Do you think this is fixable, or is it looking like a replacement clutch. To be honest, I normally drive manual gearbox so I didn't ever really think powershift was jumpy.
i have a 2012 ford fiesta with a bad shudder..i bought it at 24000 miles on 03/09/15 and have had the transmission clutch replaced 2x since. It is currently in the shop for the 3rd transmission clutch repair..it may take up to 6 weeks for the clutch to come in. I recently found out that the same repair was done 3 months before I purchased the car. This was not on car fax or any other report when I bought it. It is under warranty and Ford has extended the transmission warranty to 100k miles but they keep doing the same thing. What should I ask them to do now?
Ford warranty numbers+powerstroke+my touch+ecoboost+dps6==NIGHTMAREs!!!!!
I haven't had a chance to rip into a dps6 yet,I verify the concern and start the tsb reprogramming+recording.and then it gets handed off to the tech that has done a few before,not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.but looking forward to see your video.
There is another related electrical issue about the 2014 Ford fiesta not mentioned here. The shuddering and slipping of these DCT models is a bad issue by itself but ford will call this normal operation because they can't or won't fix this but also if for any reason you get a dead battery or need to replace the battery as soon as you disconnect one of the battery terminals this cuts power to the transmission control module and deletes the program that controls and tells the transmission when to shift and into witch gear. So every time your battery goes dead or you replace it with a new battery it wipes the computer program and you will have to take the car back to the dealership to have the TCM reprogramed. If you don't have it reprogramed after replacing the battery the car will start up and run but will not shift past first gear and will stay that way until you have it reprogramed. First off, I have been fixing cars and trucks both diesel and gasoline powered for over 30 years. My mother purchased one of these brand new 2014 Ford Fiesta's and from the very beginning it has had the shuddering and slipping trans problems. One night she left the dome light on inside the car and the next day the battery was dead. So I have a brand new fully charged battery that I use just for jump starting dead batteries. I removed the factory installed battery from this Fiesta and put in the new battery and attempt to start the motor, I turn on the ignition and right away I hear this crunching aluminum cans sound and also a noise like the sound of somebody pressing and depressing a manual trans clutch pedal and the interior and exterior lights start flashing off and on. I turn the key to activate the starter and nothing happens. then the center display screen says in big letters (Transmission malfunction) I try this a few more times and still nothing happens so I shut it off and take out the key. I wait a few mins and try to start is again this time it starts up and runs and sounds normal so I decide to drive it to the store less than a mile away to get a newspaper. The car goes into first gear and refuses to shift into any other gears. This morning the dealership towed the car back to the shop for the third time, ready to file a lemon law suite.
My 2014 Ford Focus SE has the transmission shudder real bad. I've taken it to the local Ford garage and they "recalibrated the car's computer" which only fixed the problem for a couple weeks.
I have a ford Focus 2013 with 77k, out of warranty , took it to a Ford Quicklane and it seems the only thing they did was re flash. My problem is with supposedly the bearings, car make a growling noise when its on drive and moving. Is this somehow covered buy the recall? I just don't trust the place where I took it, they told me to take my car this one day because they will have the parts and then they didn't do it because they did have the parts yet! and they asked me to wait a month! They also want to charge me labor to take a part the transmission but, aren't they suppose to do that anyways to change the seal witch are under extended warranty? Please I really appreciate your advice, I just saw your videos related to this problem and now I have a better understanding of whats going on.
I have a 2011 Ford Fiesta where the ac isn't working. I had a shop look at it said it had extremely high pressure in the AC system. They emptied the refrigerant and refilled it. Worked fine for 2 months then progressive it went out again(like it did before). Ever once in a while the car will shutter(which you can see in the belt system) and work for 30 seconds. Any ideas what could be wrong? Don't really want to spend a lot to fix it. Its got 120,000 on it and a dealer told me they would only give me 3000 trade in for it.
Steven Johnson I would be replacing the txv for an intermittent high pressure concern.
My car is currently getting the seals/clutch replaced. Thanks for the advice in being really specific about when everything happens. I would have been shocked if they hadn't found it with how bad it was, but I felt a lot better giving them tons of information.
Had a 2012 ford focus with this issue fixed 3 times. Came back in just a few 1000 miles each time along with many other issues. Only fix is to sell it for a sweet Honda. Vtec yo
Question. I have a 2012 Focus with the same issue. The car has 105,000 miles. Am I out of luck with the warranty? What are my options?
What you are describing is a automatic transmission, (if the gears are shifted by a computer even if the transmission and clutch are manual, if the computer is controlling it rather than the driver then it is automatic) also on a true manual, I have found that mine randomly resists shifting into first
What he is describing is a standard transmission. If you had a passenger do the shifting on a standard would that make it an automatic?
Dealer says it's the control module that's the problem so I'm guessing the calibration on the module wears out a clutch component.
Does anybody have the link to the video he is talking about?
I've looked all over the channel and can't find it.
Hi Brian I have a 2010 Ford focus with the manual transmission. The problem I am having is it is currently stuck in reverse. All linkages are in tact and are moving I am suspecting that a shift mechanism inside has come apart.Any thoughts or suggestions is appreciated.
Thanks
I have a 2015, 3,500 miles. About how many miles will I get before shudder starts.
I've come up with the best solution.. Never Buy Ford Again!
This is incredibly helpful. I have 76k miles on my 2012 Fiesta and I just got a letter in the mail saying they're now covering the Transmission Control Module through 10 year/150k miles now. Would I be able to use that warranty to get the shudder fixed? Thank you for your videos!!
Maura Davenport No use the 14m01 warranty letter for the shudder
In my case I'm screwed
I have a 2012 ford focus but it seems as soon as it hit 30,000 miles it started shuddering. Only sometimes when I stop and start again. It was the first off the lot back in '11 but never had any issues. How much would it cost to fix if it gets worse?
Could you please make a video about what you think about Ford cars (specifically) reliability? I’m sure you can flesh out the idea that Ford is not a bad automaker.
Mine shifts ok and will sometimes shudder. The problem is intermittent but ive noticed it more when i drive from a cold start and have the headlights on automatic setting. However, in the absence of a shudder at times, i hear a muffled popping sound somewhere which is weird. Any advice? Thanks for the informative videos.
According to Customer Satisfaction 14MO1 with the extended 7 yr/100,000 mi warranty is Ford required to replace a clutch free of charge if they diagnose a clutch and make an invoice for it?
Boy, these DCT automatics are garbage. I’m so happy I got mine with a manual (MTX-75)!
2014's got the same issue. Had mine replaced twice in less than 20k And I am 2nd owner.
2018 models of Ford Fiesta and Focus will get a redesigned power shift gearbox, hopefully with a proper leak free clutch pack and other things. Hope that this will cure the issues, 2016 and 2017 models are better but will give trouble sooner or later. What troubles me is why Ford didn't redesign the box much sooner knowing that it was flawed. To many people have suffered and possibly won't comeback to buying another Ford. Ford need to get its head out its ass!
I have a 2014 fiesta 1.6 automatic petrol. The shudder problem got much much worse over the last few months and I took it to ford. they did a computer reprogramming thing ( I don't know about cars) and it seems.....better but not fixed. I feel like in 6 months it will be worse again. would a clutch replacement fix it in your opinion? if it's not under warrantee how much would it cost?
2014 Ford Focus SE is also having these problems. We must report this Issue to the makers of Ford. Question to the Great Country of the World,
What's going on to American Engineering?
We need to Advance!
I'm thinking of purchasing a Titanium Focus (used 13 or 14). Is this a known issue with the Titanium too? Is there ANYTHING I can do during a test drive to determine if the tested vehicle has this problem? Should I just look at manual transmissions if I'm truly interested (hard to find in a Titanium)?
Thanks
I wouldn't stick to a manual, if your stuck on the auto make sure you get it hot first that is when the shudders happen most
I was driving my 2012 Ford Focus on a busy interstate yesterday & it was like my transmission slipped & got stock in neutral. Thank God I was able to pull off the highway safely. Since day one though I noticed the jerking & grinding & I have an automatic transmission. Just cannot believe Ford isn't going after fixing this defect they are going to get sued big time...
That happened to mine. Took it in they replaced the TCM computer
Ivan Wolin Did they say that it could happen again?
So what is the difference between an automatic transmission and an electronic controlled manual?
I'm having the same issues on my 2012 Focus..got the "Warranty" letter and took it in to my Ford dealership. Yes...they said.... there is a (for lack of a better term) recall. BUT....we're going to charge you $189 "diagnostic" fee! Thats never mentioned in the letter, when you call dealership to make an appt. they agree that the new extended warranty indicates these issues, but never mentions that "oh..by the way, it'll cost you nearly $200 for us to determine if you REALLY have this issue. If it does...then no charge but it it doesn't...Pay up! Just thought people should know that. Called Ford Mother Ship and they said..."oh yes, those symptoms could be a transmission issue other then the one we told you about, so the dealer can charge you a fee. Isn't that called "bait and switch?
If you're in the States and paying a fee on warranty work you need to find a dealer who isn't trying to take advantage of you.
2015 focus se I had in Florida (from Texas) had the major stutter problem. Annoying for a new car with under 25,000 miles.
I just purchased a 2014 ford focus SE and I haven't driven it for more than a month and a half and I've just encountered the scraping/ grinding noise under the hood. It happens mainly when I accelerate from a complete stop. The car shudders and makes that loud grinding noise.
Yep have them look at it, probably just a reflash for now.
I have a 2012 ford fiesta and when im stopped and go to go it shutters its similar to when its raining out and its wet and the tires skid.... my boyfriend hooked up a computer to see if there are any faults with the tranny and its not showing any.... can it still be a transmission issue? how can that be fixed
Should I talk to my dealer if i feel the shutter occasionally ( they just updated the tcm for me yesterday) and I can hear the shifting when slowing to a stop and some lag. I have a 2014 Ford Fiesta with about 38 thousand miles on it. Also why does the ford brakes stink so easily
Neighbor has a 2014 Focus, once they learned how to drive it , no problem, was shuddery at that aprox 23mph up shift at first but now at 30,000 miles they say its fine other than as you say its has tha man trany ocassional lag thing.
And you'll get clutch slippage when making a left had turn and the engine whines but it acts as if it is neutral. Then you have issues with the rear seals that leak and contaminate the clutch packs. This is still an issue on the 2013 models. And don't forget the noise that sounds like crumpling paper.My local Ford dealer service shop is loaded with these with faulty transmissions. Ford knows there is an issue with this.
My solution was to trade the car in on something more reliable.
i heard about this a while ago, the warranty claims must have bin insane...
but they are right. its a different feal for sure
Can the clutch shudder turn on your wrench light? I have a ford fiesta 2012 sel with a shudder. When I turn my car back on the light goes off.
Thanks for the videos about the Powershift problem, they're really interesting.
I've been recently thinking about buying a Focus Titanium estate with Powershift but after reading about all the problems with the gearbox I'm now very wary.
Is the problem on all model year cars from 2011 onwards or are the later models free from the problem. If they are then I could well be tempted to continue my search for a Focus but if not then I'll look elsewhere.
+David Elam I would not get anything with a powershift any of the years.
+FordTechMakuloco Thanks for replying. Much appreciated. I think that's a pretty definitive answer you've given me so it looks like I'll be looking elsewhere for a new car.
Out of interest though. Are all the Powershift boxes affected or do some work perfectly okay?
all have the same common problems.
+FordTechMakuloco Okay. Thanks again. You could well have saved me a lot of money and hassle. Keep up the good work.
Does this problem only happen in the DCT cars? Or does it also happen in the 5-speed manuals as well?
Nicholas Thigpen DCT only
My Focus 2014 does it as well..
Great explanation! Subscriber earned!
Great! Welcome Aboard!
Really good explanation...I just subscribed.
Thanks for this info really helped a lot
My 2012 Focus just had the clutches, seals and TCM replaced at 39k miles. After this repair does the transmission have to relearn my driving habits again? I only ask because the first few days after the repair were great but getting some of the same issues back again. Just heard a loud metal on metal noise when I put it in park and turned it off at home.
Yes they do need to adapt and may take a few thousand miles to do so and if it is a new clutch it they need to break in for a few thousand miles.
Damn, I saw you in a car and hoped you would demonstrate clutch shudder instead of just parroting about it :(
If you are here then you already know what the clutch shudder is and feels like.
Is it possible to do a clutch successfully on a 2013 ford focus without this tool on your video?
Hi mate, I have 2011 focus 2.0L GDI 6sp powershift. I need to change the transmission fluid but as u know there is no dipstick. how can I refill the fluid? is it impossible to do DIY? should go dealer? From AUS.
+GERRARD9292 Powershifts you fill to the bottom of the fill hole on the drivers side of the trans just above the cv shaft.
So drain the bottom of hole , fill to the near cv hole. Thanks you so much. will try asap.
I live in Australia and have been having this issue for years. They have replaced the seal and just keep updated the software. Head office and dealer just tell me it's 'normal' and said they can't do anything more for me.
2011 model (first release of the new model)
lisacl85 Oh they can it just depends how severe yours is to a point allot of this is normal
My 2014 Foord Fiesta is giving a problem to start, have to start it in neutral at times for it to start when it driving it won't leave 1st gear and moving from gear one to two the car shake (slip up). if i try to accelerate too fast then the engine will rev and not more. once the car reaches 60kmp that i can drive normal. if i put the car in S-mode it will not let me manual change gears. also at times a warning message comes up and say "transmission hot wait 5 minutes" and "use brake stop safely"
Please to advise me what is the problem and also if the "TCP" and "Clutch fork" need to change.
Hello I have a 2012 Ford focus se what does it mean when your transmissions is overheating
another great video thank you! I love my 2013 ford focus but I started having trans issues in traffic.... would you safely say this trans will last or should I trade the car in for say an ST?
I think with the new calibrations and the new clutches they have they should last at least from what we are seeing. Only time will tell.
sucks my ro states the old clutch was reinstalled only
looks like either the service advisor or tech didnt feel like asking for an auth number to replace... they definitely only did seals ... stupid to take the whole trans out of the car when they knew it was smoking and clutch was slipping big time
but I love your videos and maybe any luck Ford tech will watch and be inspired
My advice is dump it. I had a 2013 that was great until about 8K miles. Had all kinds of issues and Ford said they were "normal" for the DCT tranny. My last straw was when stuck in rush hour traffic. A message stating the tranny was overheating. Dump it now while you can get a decent trade in.
I have two cars a 2010 Chrysler 300 touring 2.7 v6 and a 98 Ford mustang sn95. My 300 been at the shop cause the motor went out me so my mechanic is gonna replace it so i been driving my mustang which its been a good reliable car then my 300 . It's a terrible lemon car but im lucky that i only have 3k left on the car and i was looking to see what vehicle should i get. I had alot of choices to see which one i like cause i want something reliable . Kia, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, and Chevrolet but i put the fiesta and focus on my save list but until what i heard that the fiesta and the focus have transmissions issues so this is a big no for me i don't wanna go through that experience
I keep hearing a rattle noise when my car idles down past 1000 rpm. It also does this when I go to a stop and when I take off but goes away after 2000 rpm. Just had the transmission rebuilt but dont know what’s going on. It sounds like thin pieces of metal rattling around. Maybe a loose heat shield somewhere? I don’t know. Please help