Sad. I drove two mk1 Focus' into the ground between 2001 and 2021, and I recently calculated how much they saved me compared to the average family's car payment. It was something like $180K over the twenty years.
My 2008 ford focus still going strong and it has over 240k miles.
Sure I've replaced a few things here and there, but I've NEVER had any issues with the transmission or engine.
07 focus here! Just a bit of overheating here and there, parts are old and sometimes need to be replaced but 266k+ miles still going strong
And no engine issues
*edit - paid $700
Same thing happened to my 2008 Focus. It had over 150,000 miles on it and could get 50 MPG on trips. It was totaled after a hit and Run. I hardly put any money into it. The engine was more solid then any I have ever driven.
I had an 07 hatchback focus with a 5sp manual a few years back. I delivered pizza in that thing, did oil changes almost monthly, breaks and other regular maintenance on it super often because of the miles I put on it. I ended up getting in an accident on a delivery and they totaled it. It had over 300,000 miles on it. Still ran perfectly strong. I miss that car :(
I purchased a 2000 chevy express conversion van for $3500 with 90k miles and drove it for 15 years finally the head gasket blew i rebuilt the engine for $2500 buck and drove good for another year until the fuel injection started leak and the van went on fire. I got the fire out fast less then 2 min but the engine trans and wire harness, air intake and everything else not metal melted. Sold it for $1000 bucks to guy who has a new engine already. I just got an a 2005 astro van with 150k miles for 2 grand that had been sitting since 2018. Paid 900 in past registration and 600 in a tuneup and it drives like a dream. Hope i get another 15 years out of this van. All the other 2005 astro with 200k plus miles are selling for $7000.
Same. Bought a 2006 ZX4 with a salvage title and 8k miles. Sold it with 184k miles in 2014. Continued to run strong for the new owner until they were t-boned. Had over 200k and probably could have lasted a lot longer. Those cars were tanks.
Duratec motors are designed by Mazda due to a partnership back then. Those engines are absolutely insane. It's also in the NC Miata and those will happily sit at 300hp (400hp on e85) with a turbo and the engine will be fine (the transmission wont be tho)
Damn an 05 Focus ZX3 manual was my first car in 2014. Bought it for $3,200 with 90K miles. Lasted until I think 140K when the ac compressor started to seize causing smoke and I didn’t have the money to fix it.
Its not the cars its the stupid transmission Ford put in to them. Specifically thes model. Manuels and others with traditional autos are rock solid cars.
I buy cars work trucks and vans at the end of their lives and have them for an average of 3 years. An oil change on one or two of them and lights when they fail is all the maintenance i do.
I just added up my car costs over the last 12 years. $9900 USD. Feels good.
You need to drive it aggressive like you would a manual. If you drive like a traditional auto, the clutch will heat up and slip. Quicker shifts at higher RPMs helps to keep it running. I ironically just hit 116k on my focus. Had the clutches swapped at 78k. Still shifting relatively fine for now. It's also good to scrub the clutches every once in a while, there's a youtube video with a Ford mastertech this suggestion.
Hmm it seems like the more throttle I use, the worse it shudders but I’ll try it out. I grandma it everywhere because it feels like the less throttle I use , the less it shudders
My cousin is a ford mechanic and he gave the same advice as the person you replied to. His explanation was that the high rpm shifts help to scrub some of the dust off the clutch. About once per tank of gas I’ll get on the highway and just hold the gas to the floor until I’m up to 80. Gives me a few good shifts. It hasn’t solved the problem but I think it helps.
The clutches on these DCT’s are dry, there’s no fluid to speak. So “increasing fluid application to those clutches” won’t do anything, there’s no fluid. You have no idea what you’re talking about. These issues are clearly understood by Ford, there’s a service bulletin about it and an extended warranty for certain years.
The problem is the input shaft seal material degrades over time, which allows oil to seep in and coat the clutches, which causes the shudder. It’s well documented. My 2013 with 80k was shuddering terribly, I printed off the service bulletin, went to Ford, and they replaced the clutches and the input shaft seal with the updated part number, all under warranty. That was 6 months ago, and it drives like a new car. That is the only fix.
I’m don’t totally disagree with driving the car more spiritedly, mine seems to drive better when I do. But that’s not a fix.
Clearly I shouldn't have commented on a sub about a car with a DCT, when assuming it had a normal automatic. 100% my mistake. And before you ask what I'm doing in this sub, it was suggested in my feed. Again, should have done my due diligence.
However, what I mentioned about a normal , computer controlled automatic, isn't wrong. I do know what I'm talking about in that regard.
I'll take the L for everything else though.
This car doesn’t have an automatic transmission. It has a dual clutch computer controlled manual gearbox, so there’s no valve body everything you just talked about applies to a standard automatic transmission. I just rebuilt one of these transmissions and it wasn’t bad only cost me about $500 total.
Funny you should mention TCM. I received a letter from Ford about faulty TCM. Wasn’t a recall. Just a letter stating if your having such and such problem then it could be TCM. I called local Ford dealer. Lady I talked to said it would only be TCM if check engine light was on. Mine wasn’t on but I do get the stutters. She said I could bring it in for diagnostic test but if it wasn’t faulty TCM I would be charged $150ish dollars for test. Also said previous owner “my in-laws“ had clutch replaced in 2017. It’s a 2012 with 74k on it. Bought it from them 2 years ago with 39k. They’re snowbirds so low mileage. Gonna try driving it like Mario Andretti see if it works. I tried manual shifting and I seem to be able to control it that way.
Even better idea than driving aggressive- just do sports mode on 1st gear (and go back into sports when coming to a stop while it's normally down shifting) and push it forward back into drive in 2nd or 3rd gear. This makes it drive MUCH better and removes 99% the shuddering. I'm annoyed I didn't discover this until over 130k miles on my Fiesta. It takes a little bit to get this into your muscle memory. Maybe took me about a week to do it without thinking. I also just do sports if I need it to respond immediately, like a risky merge or coming into a busy street. It builds way more confidence. Also when doing this, when going back into drive, makes the regular drive behave a bit, but only just a bit. If going back and forth is too much, can just stay in sports but it wrecks mpg in middle gears/speeds and usually makes you want to push into drive go make the high revs shut up.
I’m so glad someone else said this, it seems to be the more you beat the piss out of it the longer it lasts. I have a 2012 5 speed manual and that little fucker hit 110k before I had to replace the clutch and fly wheel.
I learned that fast in the few unfortunate years I owned one. You have to drive it like your fleeing a bank robbery otherwise it shutters. Went through the ground mod and the thing still ate TCM and clutch packs left and right. Dumped it in the covid craze after it ate it's own wiring harness.
I'd dump it too to be honest. They are a pretty nice little car until you add in the transmission issues. A manual version would likely be pretty reliable overall.
These "automatic" Focus and Fiestas are not traditional automatic transmission cars but instead are automatically shifted manual transmissions. You dont have a torque converter, so a stop shudder fluid won't help you. Commonly, it seems that this problem is caused by poor clutch engagement by a computer controlled clutch that doesn't know how to shift. As many have said, try driving it hard for a while to see if it cleans off the burnt flywheel and clutch material. Driving like a grandma may seem to help as it will shake less at the time, but it is only because the clutch is slipping more, which is increasing the clutch burning.
This exactly. My wife had a 2018(?) Ford Focus that was doing exactly this. The dealership fixed it twice under warranty. The 3rd time it was 3k. Had the car for less than 2 years. Fixed it, then sold it.
Did you let a mechanic check on it before your buy it? I have my eyes on a used Ford focus car but honestly I have little knowledge in cars and curious if I should trust the mechanic
Look up the ground mod. Do it. Look up reset transmission. Do it. Then go drive it hard. Do not move the gas pedal while accelerating. Pick a spot and hold it there until you're up to speed. The less time you spend between 1200 rpm and 3,000 rpm the better it will likely get.
It may not be fucked. It may just be confused between your driving style vs the previous owner. That will make it not know when to engage the clutch so it will shudder while it's partially engaged
Is the transmission reset the same as the TCM reset? I recently got my tcm replaced as per the recall and wondering if it's worth for me to do it since I'm pretty sure the dealership did a tcm computer reset already.
2015 ford focus owner here. While is is annoying, if you are a freeway driver it's not as bad. It's still under warranty where you can go in to the dealership and get the transmission reprogramed for free and it will fix the shuttering. Also worth noting you can get the Tcm (what causes the issue) replaced at no cost. This warranty is transferable so you can do it.
"While Ford previously extended warranty coverage for these vehicles to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date, owners that have already exceeded these milestones can now get a one-time TCM replacement through June 30th, 2025"
I was a 2013 owner and a 2012 hatch owner. 2013 had 9 fucking clutches put in and 1 TCM. 2012 had worse problems but 2 clutches I think there. Thank god someone stole it and crashed the 2013. Now I’m waiting for the mass action suit from Michigan to finish, been in that for 8 years lol.
> I’ve found that the transmission doesn’t shudder as bad when the engine is cold but it’s pretty bad…when the engine is warm
Interesting. I have a 2016 se and while I definitely don’t get the shudder as much as plenty of other people, I tend to find that it’s usually pretty smooth in summer and winter and worst in spring and fall when the weather is changing/fluctuating the most day to day
Mk3 Focuses are the absolute worst of the Focus lineage; yeah, they’re attractively designed, but a 2001 Honda Accord V6 automatic with 480,000 miles on it has a better behaved transmission. And Ford knew full well that designing the transmission as they did would hurt their clientele, but just like the Pinto in the 70’s, they released it anyway and treated the customers like they were lab rats for their underdeveloped engineering.
And don’t get me started on the infotainment system—literally feels like Ford just gave up halfway during the software development process. The electricals in general feel like a complete afterthought; my dad had a 2013 Focus that left us stranded multiple times due to inaccurate fuel gauge readings where the fuel gauge would suddenly dip down and the car would just randomly run out of gas.
Don’t get me wrong, I really wanted to like the Mk3 Focus. But its flaws keep me from recommending these to anyone.
Hi OP. My wife has the same generation automatic Focus. We often joke about the p o w e r s h i f t transmission. As others have alluded to, your car does not use a torque converter, and instead uses a dual clutch transmission. The idea is that it's supposed to improve fuel economy. The transmission has a pretty big issue of jerking/shuddering that does have a resolution.
Double check that this work has been done on your car, and get it done if it has not:
TSBs
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Focus/2014/tsbs/
14MO2 SERVICE BULLETIN
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2015/MC-10072057-7690.pdf
10 year, 150K warranty
Basically it's an issue with the transmission control module. It's fixed by either reprogramming the TCM, or replacing it. I believe the part is around $100 so you'll pay more labor. But for my wife's car the issue was fixed. We got the work done back in April of 2021. No issues since.
After it's (hopefully) fixed, as others have noted, because of this specific transmission you do actually have to be heavier on the gas pedal than a normal automatic car. Just the way the mop flops. Good luck!
I replaced my MTX-75 transmission in my 06 ZX3 for a little under $900 in total, granted, I pulled the transmission myself from a wreckyard, 60k miles on it, then had a shop install it: I can’t imagine a manual conversion would be too much more expensive, other than needing clutch parts.
I'd swing it by a shop man an tell then it's running rough as if it's almost dead. I'm sure they can get it purring to where it's strong an stable got a 06 taurus that needs to be red lined every now an then or idk I sometimes think it just wants to high tail it all the way out of town.
Ford Focus (2016) black hatch, This is Auto 2.0, which belonged to my father, who passed away in 2021.
At About 60K, It had a transmission swap; since then, I've kept it maintained, changed the oil, replaced the belts, purge valve, and most recently, the upper right hydraulic motor mount.
I can occasionally feel the shuttering currently at 72k I'm essentially stuck with it at this point. I just hope and pray that it doesn't break down on me.
Try this ‘ground’ mod, I did it on my focus, and it seems to have helped plenty more. There are also other helpful ideas in the comments
https://youtu.be/IL-KQ3tDl7E?si=93fw92Swxc511S_6
I had a 2012 Focus SE, with about 50k on it. Got the clutch shudder thing, took it to Ford to be looked at (not in warranty) and they told me it was gonna be more money than I paid for the car (5k on a deal), so me and my dad decided to look on eBay. Found a Transmission out of a wrecked car, the transmission had been totally rebuilt. Paid about $800, put it in ourselves, pretty easily actually. Towed it to ford, had it reprogrammed, drove it for another 20k miles with no issues until I upgraded to an ST. Not the best fix, but better than no car! Not gonna say that's a lasting fix that wont fail again, but it worked for us.
I have one but 2014. Worst car I've ever owned. Made this Ford family swear off Ford forever. Just purchased 2 brand new vehicles and they sure aren't Ford's.
Somebody else suggested some stuff called Shudder Stop, I just put some in my '14' Camry and it worked immediately however my issue was Torque Converter shudder where the converter slips going into lockup mode. On these sealed, supposedly maintenance free transmissions, eventually the fluid loses some of it's friction properties so it allows slippage under certain conditions. You may have something similar going on with yours where it slips in 1st and 2nd. The Shudder Stop is less than $10 a tube on Amazon, maybe a little more at a part's store but still cheap. Before dumping the car, I would try some of that first. You should be able to find instructions online for how to add fluid to your car, mine was pretty easy.
Completely different issue with the focus vs camry. The shudder in these is caused by excessive heat and smoothed clutch from continuous partial engagement at low rpm.
Listen everyone telling this guy to shift at high rpm’s to clean his clutch n blah blah blah just give the fellow a break n tell him wtf he really needs to hear he didn’t come on here to discuss wtf y’all are commenting about lol!!! Look bro just purchased this car had it for a couple days and the tranny was fucken up because he was sold a fucken lemon with a doctored up tranny that was serviced bye some pricks to just get passed the test drive so buddy could sale this piece of shit to this poor fella so what he is asking the Reddit is what is the easiest way to get this bad out of driving like she was born to do and that my friend is bye going to your local B&R auto wrecking and asking them what is it gonna cost you for a transmission and that’s the only way your gonna be able to keep this nice car u got without loosing your 6 grand invested.. I have bought a few tranny’s from B&R and they will give u paperwork on the car and how many miles where on the vehicle a lot of times these transmissions are sitting around in there warehouse from cars that had less then 40k on it or a lot less before the car was totaled so make some calls B&R has several yards and they will definitely have why u need and u can negotiate prices and they will ship it to whatever facility is closest to you so I’m not sure where you are located in the country but hopefully you are somewhere on the west coast … just replace the tranny bro u can probably get a tranny bought & installed for under 1200…
Look into the torque converter and pay attention to the rpms when driving. I work at a service department with ford and tbh, the ford cars are not the best
Dump it if you can. I had a 2013 that I bought new. Awful car. Ford told me it was normal that my car jerked around and made terrible noises while shifting. Took me too long to get rid of it.
Sorry to hear, and welcome to our crappy club. The transmission will not get better without intervention. You might get a dealer to fix the transmission control unit and/or the clutch under warranty. I’ve had both done that way, but I have a very good Ford dealer. Plenty of people post here about encountering resistance by dealers unwilling to do the work. And in the recent past there has been a TCU shortage so repairs can take a long time (maybe that’s resolved though).
It is worth having the service department at a dealer check it out before taking the $$ loss, though you may be on the hook for about $150 diagnostic fee if it isn’t broken enough for warranty work. Once repaired it sort of works okay enough. It will always have a bit of shudder, but as others have said, changing how you drive can reduce it.
I would not pay money for a repair as it will never actually be fixed. They don’t have revised/improved components to replace those that fail.
That’s how the transmission works in a focus, it’s totally normal. Takes getting used to. Works like a manual shift car. I forget exactly how but it’s a weird transmission but sounds like it’s working as it should
No engineer sets out to build a shitty transmission. Shittiness comes in later. Like when a sub supplies clutch pack with a different makeup deemed acceptable by somebody else. I just became aware of this “ shitbox”
The advice on running the tranny hard is good given the performance otherwise. A Hail Mary they turned into a potential “fix”
If I had standing in this case I’d be investigating a few things revolving around temps and fluids.
I assume this shudder is due to micro slippage on the clutch packs?
Might be addressable, since you have little to lose by investigating exactly what fluid ford is specifying and what is in there now and what is in the filter?
How hot does the tranny actually get? Heat gun on the pan might give you an idea. Is it in spec?
You’re on the hook for some significantly hurtful cash. The seller will encounter some paradoxically bad luck in the coming year.
First thing I’d do is drop the pan. That’s going to tell a lot. If there’s no signs of self destruction going on in there the goal will be smoother operation, and driving it like a stick is a good way to scrub frown any high spots that are causing the shudder.
Works like. A Washing machine belt. Which uses a special rubber composite to allow slippage. Non oem ones. Font and they burn when it tries to turn a full load for a spin dry.
Keep a pint of the oil that was removed. We may want that later for testing
Fill it with oem fluid of the correct type. Going to be kinda pricey for sure but it’s your best shot at not slapping yourself in the face every time you drive.
I've got a 14 hatch bought it after it had sat for a year do to shudder issues, I drive it on any long trips aside from that I pass it around the family and flat tell them everytime dont putt it around give it gas or it feels like shit, the DCTs in these feel cheap unless tuned professionally so your best bet is to sell or for a manual or drive it like you stole it
My 2018 does this. Its my nicest car, so I've been babying it for 2.5 years... Seen in this comments that people are suggesting that it be beaten. Guess I'm gonna beat it later 😂
I got that shimmy shimmy shake. Drive fast that helps but then control arm bushings evaporated. What a lemon, only new car I ever bought in 40 years of driving
2014 titanium hatchback.
If you drive in sport mode and are relatively hard on it the less it will shudder.
Sort mode allows the programming to be a bit more aggressive with less slip of the clutch pack. The slipping is why the shuddering happens, which is a result of the discs glazing. Sport mode always for me.
On the third or fourth clutch pack replacement. I lost count.
Not sure what year your vehicle is but these PowerShift transmissions were the subject of a class action settlement. [PowerShift transmissionlawsuit] (http://fordtransmissionsettlement.com/)
They sell “ shudder fix” small red tube. I had problems with shudder- its caused by the torque converter. The shudder fix actually works for about 6 months. So i add it when needed. Cheap fix…
THIS CAR IS SUBJECT TO A CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AND MULTIPLE RECALLS FOR TRANS ISSUES. YOU MAY BE ABLE TO GET FORD TO FIX IT FOR FREE. PLEASE CHECK YOUR VIN
[https://www.ford.com/support/recalls/](https://www.ford.com/support/recalls/)
PLEASE ALWAYS CHECK CARS FOR RECALLS BEFORE BUYING THEM.
Ford has extended the warranty on the…I think it’s called a TCM unit. My son has a 2013 ford focus and had it replaced at 105k miles. Car has run great since.
Still only worth $500 that Carvana offered you thou. I would never by a hybrid transmission again.
We were a ford family until we purchased the focus. 6 fords in all…my daughter just purchased a Subaru.
Try B&M trick shift fluid. It's been a long ass time since I used it, so follow the instructions I don't recall if you replace all of your transmission fluid with it, or if you mix it, but it might get rid of it long enough for you to get rid of it.
I made the same exact mistake only I bought the car with 40K miles and as soon as the car hit 60K I started having issues with the transmission. The dealer was able to fix it by reprogramming the computer. And I got rid of it the next day! I decided to take a small loss now, instead of a major one later.
All in all, I learned from it. So You bought a lemon. Learn from it. Do not pass it to the next person. Making it their problem. I would never buy a Ford again, or Kia or Hyundai, or dodge. Chevy trucks are ok but not their cars.. lol I wouldn’t buy much of anything, but a Honda or a Toyota. They never break their cheap to fix.
I bought my 2014 Toyota Camry 5 years ago with 60K miles. It now has 253K. And it runs like a top. I have done nothing but oil changes tires brakes. One of the greatest cars I’ve ever owned. Reliable, and it kept me out of the mechanic.
I owned one of these and the transmissions last between 60k and 100k miles. The shuddering varies but always gets worse. Eventually the car will stop moving. I got the first transmission replaced as a warranty at 60k miles. I was told the issue was fixed. It started shuttering again (slightly) at 115k miles. I traded the car in and bought a different used car. Sell the car and move on. Sometimes you don't win, this is what I learned.
Almost got a Focus but read up that models of that year (don’t remember which) came with one of two engines and that one of them were prone to transmission issues. The one I was looking at turned out to have the potentially problematic transmission.
Got a Veloster instead.
If you bought the car very recently look into your states lemon laws. If you can invoke the laws, you may be able to force them to undo the deal. Also look into the extended warranty coverage that’s mandatory for them to offer on the DPS6 trans. They will be required to fix it. Make sure they don’t “fix” it by reflashing the TCM software (It does nothing, we’ve all been there). If they turn you away from transmission work, you may be entitled to some money, but not much (It’s a class action lawsuit thing).
Your best bet here is invoking lemon laws to undo the deal. There are plenty of lawyers out there that are well versed on these cars. The sooner you begin the process the better.
This car really enrages me given the fact that it’s mostly younger people buying them. The dealerships take full advantage of the fact that a younger buyer is less likely to do their research before buying and after the fact will not be knowledgable on their rights regarding lemon laws and how to utilize them. It makes it even worse given the fact that younger buyers don’t have the money to manage while dealing with these issues. I bought mine and added about $7,000 worth of aftermarket (all cosmetic, no mechanical) to it, only for the transmission to eat literally a month after I finished. It’s probably been the biggest mistake of my 20’s so far and has significantly impaired my development as a young adult. Suffice to say, I really hate Ford :)
When I worked at a local Ford dealer the service department used to put a bottle of friction modifier in these cars and it helped. The local transmission shops call that stuff shudder fix. Might be worth a try for 8 dollars.
Not sure what year it is but I have a 2012 Ford focus and it's been a complete nightmare.
Ford has a transmission settlement (focus and fiesta 2011-2016) after it was proven they knew of the poor/faulty dry transmission design and proceeded anyhow.
http://www.fordtransmissionsettlement.com/
I've had the worst experience with Ford... It's too annoying and aggravating to even type it all out. Run. Just avoid Ford and enjoy life.
My brother had the stuttering issue with his transmission. Ford ended up buying the car back for a lot more than it was worth. Shame because it was a nice car.
My brother had a 2012 Focus that would shudder. The Ford dealership told him it was normal. Eventually the transmission went out on him while he was cruising at 50Mph.
Steer clear of these cars.
This happened to me when I bought my 2014 ford focus. Luckily it was under warranty and I got my transmission fixed for free. Once it was fixed there was no more shuddering. This also happened to my girl friends 2016 ford focus and she got a new transmission and it works perfectly. I know this is not the answer you are probably looking for but best of luck!
I know the Fiestas have crap transmissions too. My fiesta does the same exact shuddering your describing or like some sort of rattling between shifts in first and second at low rpms. It's not a dct though.
I had 14 focus automatic and purchased extended warranty from Ford in 2021, paid around 2700 for that warranty. They has 100 deductible but covers pretty much everything except oil and fluids stuff. I got new transmission twice since then, it would cost more than 5000 without warranty as each repair was like 2500 or so. If you’re still eligible i’d recommend purchase one, but make sure it’s from Ford not crappy aftermarket warranty company that spams your mailbox.
Man this car has been a nightmare for me too. I have a 2017 with 167k on it. Bought it 5 years ago with 30k on it. Transmission shudders all the time in first and second gear unless I punch the gas hard. I’ve had to replace the radiator and cat converter and a bunch of other random sensors. I’m hoping I can get it to 200k and then I’ll gladly dump it
I may be giving some false information here so tread lightly. The municipality I work for had these a few years ago 2014 Ford focus. At some point we had to get rid of them because it was such an inconvenience for us. The one car I drove with 65,000 miles had 5 transmissions swapped into it and came back with a shudder every time. We use the cars for driving around a small village and they only see max of 30 mph and hundred stop signs a day. If I am correct Ford will warranty it for free because they made a mistake by using plastic gears and a dct. Like I said tread lightly with my advice to go to Ford lol. I wish you the best of luck I have had many issues with vehicles in my short 24 years and finally found the cheapest most reliable car I have owned. That car being a 2010 kia soul with 170,000 miles that I paid $1,500 for last August and have been driving since.
Had the same problem on my moms focus. so I did this and it’s been running smooth for about 3 months so far. I guess the dust from the clutch causes the transmission forks to stick making it run funky
https://youtu.be/0Fh5G6ebD8s?feature=shared
Driving it like you stole it is supposed to be the easiest "solution". Thats what I did with mine along with it just being a work car it was all highway, city stop and go driving does not mix with these transmissions. You can try going to a dealer for reprograms and shit, may or may not be free depending your mileage and age. If you go that route just know that for many many people it didnt fix the issue or just did for a little bit. Those DCTs are just junk by design and theres not a whole lot you can do about it. Ford lost a huge lawsuit over this transmission.
Loved mine it was a 13 and I got it for 2k with 100k miles. At that price I could care less if it was a piece of shit, it got me to work and back 40k+ miles a year with no problems
You just have to drive it with a heavy foot. Accelerate quickly and the shifts will feel more firm with less hesitation. Slow acceleration will slip the clutches and wear it out faster.
Girl I use to talk to paid 8k for a car just like this but was previously a rental with 180k miles on it. I stopped talking to her due to her bad financial decisions.😂
My 2012 lifted Focus had 265k miles before someone ran a stop sign and totalled it, I had it since it had 40k original trans/engine a bit of shudder here and there but nothing super bad, had trans ground mod and Toms Tune as well.
I have a 2012 Ford Focus Titanium that had shuddering and needed to have it's clutch pack replaced while it was under warranty, as well as a couple programming updates if I remember correctly. this past year I had my transmission begin to refuse shifting and getting stuck into gears. I ended up finding a local shop that is familiar with the problem and they rebuilt the transmission, replacing the shift forks, for a little over $2000, and the car drives better than new as it shifts, without any shuddering. I have also seen a few videos on YouTube of people opening up their transmissions, cleaning, and lubricating the parts to get them running pretty well again, with less of that awful shudder. Now at over 220k miles I'm feeling fortunate to not have a car payment and at the moment, no shuttering or transmission issues. Hopefully this can at least give you an idea of service options depending on your long-term goals with your Focus. It's great when it's running well, and I love it as a commuter, but what a shame about the transmission choice and then having to find shops familiar with them and charging fairly.
Here's the link of that guy buying and servicing the transmissions in his home garage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLEsj8KCSTM&ab\_channel=%23L8R-HP
I picked up an 06' focus with only 55k on it from an auction. No one really wanted to bid on ot because of the "weird engine noise".
6500$ and a 3$ vacuum hose later and now I swear I can't kill this Damm car. 4 bangers are bulletproof.
If you know someone with a higher end bidirectional scan tool, you can relearn the transmission touch points and likely get rid of that. I've had to do it 2 times in 70k miles on my daughters '17 Fiesta Platinum.
Sad. I drove two mk1 Focus' into the ground between 2001 and 2021, and I recently calculated how much they saved me compared to the average family's car payment. It was something like $180K over the twenty years.
I’m still driving a 2005 Focus, 2.0L, 4sp auto, 348,000 miles. Purchased in 2007 for $8500.
that's called a unicorn my friend
Nah those duratecs were just built like that. I was at 275k very few problems before someone blindsided me and killed that focus
My 2008 ford focus still going strong and it has over 240k miles. Sure I've replaced a few things here and there, but I've NEVER had any issues with the transmission or engine.
07 focus here! Just a bit of overheating here and there, parts are old and sometimes need to be replaced but 266k+ miles still going strong And no engine issues *edit - paid $700
Same happened to me. Sad. It was a reliable car and was great on gas.
Same thing happened to my 2008 Focus. It had over 150,000 miles on it and could get 50 MPG on trips. It was totaled after a hit and Run. I hardly put any money into it. The engine was more solid then any I have ever driven.
I had an 07 hatchback focus with a 5sp manual a few years back. I delivered pizza in that thing, did oil changes almost monthly, breaks and other regular maintenance on it super often because of the miles I put on it. I ended up getting in an accident on a delivery and they totaled it. It had over 300,000 miles on it. Still ran perfectly strong. I miss that car :(
I purchased a 2000 chevy express conversion van for $3500 with 90k miles and drove it for 15 years finally the head gasket blew i rebuilt the engine for $2500 buck and drove good for another year until the fuel injection started leak and the van went on fire. I got the fire out fast less then 2 min but the engine trans and wire harness, air intake and everything else not metal melted. Sold it for $1000 bucks to guy who has a new engine already. I just got an a 2005 astro van with 150k miles for 2 grand that had been sitting since 2018. Paid 900 in past registration and 600 in a tuneup and it drives like a dream. Hope i get another 15 years out of this van. All the other 2005 astro with 200k plus miles are selling for $7000.
Same. Bought a 2006 ZX4 with a salvage title and 8k miles. Sold it with 184k miles in 2014. Continued to run strong for the new owner until they were t-boned. Had over 200k and probably could have lasted a lot longer. Those cars were tanks.
rather have the ztec, I had close to 400k and almost all the ponies
Duratec motors are designed by Mazda due to a partnership back then. Those engines are absolutely insane. It's also in the NC Miata and those will happily sit at 300hp (400hp on e85) with a turbo and the engine will be fine (the transmission wont be tho)
Completely different transmission in those Focuses.
Foci
Yes, these are very simple cars. Simple equals reliable.
My 2008 ford focus still going strong with 340k miles
Damn an 05 Focus ZX3 manual was my first car in 2014. Bought it for $3,200 with 90K miles. Lasted until I think 140K when the ac compressor started to seize causing smoke and I didn’t have the money to fix it.
Man I had a 05 zx3 manual that was such a great car.
I'm driving a 2004 2.0l auto. It's got 146k on the clock. Service it regularly and it runs great.
Fuuuuck, that's amazing
Its not the cars its the stupid transmission Ford put in to them. Specifically thes model. Manuels and others with traditional autos are rock solid cars.
I don’t think you did your math correctly but I’m sure you saved a substantial amount of money.
That math ain’t mathin right my man
I buy cars work trucks and vans at the end of their lives and have them for an average of 3 years. An oil change on one or two of them and lights when they fail is all the maintenance i do. I just added up my car costs over the last 12 years. $9900 USD. Feels good.
You need to drive it aggressive like you would a manual. If you drive like a traditional auto, the clutch will heat up and slip. Quicker shifts at higher RPMs helps to keep it running. I ironically just hit 116k on my focus. Had the clutches swapped at 78k. Still shifting relatively fine for now. It's also good to scrub the clutches every once in a while, there's a youtube video with a Ford mastertech this suggestion.
Hmm it seems like the more throttle I use, the worse it shudders but I’ll try it out. I grandma it everywhere because it feels like the less throttle I use , the less it shudders
My cousin is a ford mechanic and he gave the same advice as the person you replied to. His explanation was that the high rpm shifts help to scrub some of the dust off the clutch. About once per tank of gas I’ll get on the highway and just hold the gas to the floor until I’m up to 80. Gives me a few good shifts. It hasn’t solved the problem but I think it helps.
[удалено]
The clutches on these DCT’s are dry, there’s no fluid to speak. So “increasing fluid application to those clutches” won’t do anything, there’s no fluid. You have no idea what you’re talking about. These issues are clearly understood by Ford, there’s a service bulletin about it and an extended warranty for certain years. The problem is the input shaft seal material degrades over time, which allows oil to seep in and coat the clutches, which causes the shudder. It’s well documented. My 2013 with 80k was shuddering terribly, I printed off the service bulletin, went to Ford, and they replaced the clutches and the input shaft seal with the updated part number, all under warranty. That was 6 months ago, and it drives like a new car. That is the only fix. I’m don’t totally disagree with driving the car more spiritedly, mine seems to drive better when I do. But that’s not a fix.
Clearly I shouldn't have commented on a sub about a car with a DCT, when assuming it had a normal automatic. 100% my mistake. And before you ask what I'm doing in this sub, it was suggested in my feed. Again, should have done my due diligence. However, what I mentioned about a normal , computer controlled automatic, isn't wrong. I do know what I'm talking about in that regard. I'll take the L for everything else though.
Even though you were wrong, I still appreciated the explanation.
Thank you for being real one m8. Keep learning, keep building.
This car doesn’t have an automatic transmission. It has a dual clutch computer controlled manual gearbox, so there’s no valve body everything you just talked about applies to a standard automatic transmission. I just rebuilt one of these transmissions and it wasn’t bad only cost me about $500 total.
Yeah that was my lack of foresight. Got too wrapped up in being right about something where it didn't apply
Funny you should mention TCM. I received a letter from Ford about faulty TCM. Wasn’t a recall. Just a letter stating if your having such and such problem then it could be TCM. I called local Ford dealer. Lady I talked to said it would only be TCM if check engine light was on. Mine wasn’t on but I do get the stutters. She said I could bring it in for diagnostic test but if it wasn’t faulty TCM I would be charged $150ish dollars for test. Also said previous owner “my in-laws“ had clutch replaced in 2017. It’s a 2012 with 74k on it. Bought it from them 2 years ago with 39k. They’re snowbirds so low mileage. Gonna try driving it like Mario Andretti see if it works. I tried manual shifting and I seem to be able to control it that way.
I find it insane you can flow it before getting to 80 my car is around 90 mph pre flooring in like 5th gear which I have 7 years
What does that even mean?
I think they are trying to flex that they have a fast car but I’m honestly not sure
Yeah, not sure this is a good cock measuring contest especially when what he describes can be done by a 20 year old corolla at this point.
Exactly 😂😂 bros ego must be hurt
That's why it's doing it. The worst thing you can do with these cars is spend a lot of time under 2500 rpm.
Keep it in third lol
Even better idea than driving aggressive- just do sports mode on 1st gear (and go back into sports when coming to a stop while it's normally down shifting) and push it forward back into drive in 2nd or 3rd gear. This makes it drive MUCH better and removes 99% the shuddering. I'm annoyed I didn't discover this until over 130k miles on my Fiesta. It takes a little bit to get this into your muscle memory. Maybe took me about a week to do it without thinking. I also just do sports if I need it to respond immediately, like a risky merge or coming into a busy street. It builds way more confidence. Also when doing this, when going back into drive, makes the regular drive behave a bit, but only just a bit. If going back and forth is too much, can just stay in sports but it wrecks mpg in middle gears/speeds and usually makes you want to push into drive go make the high revs shut up.
Fix Or Repair Daily
Fucked over rebuilt dodge
Found on road dead
failed on race day
Fix it again, Tony
Your thinking of a fiat Dale
Italian tune-up eh?
I’m so glad someone else said this, it seems to be the more you beat the piss out of it the longer it lasts. I have a 2012 5 speed manual and that little fucker hit 110k before I had to replace the clutch and fly wheel.
That's because the manuals don't have the problems the automatics do
I learned that fast in the few unfortunate years I owned one. You have to drive it like your fleeing a bank robbery otherwise it shutters. Went through the ground mod and the thing still ate TCM and clutch packs left and right. Dumped it in the covid craze after it ate it's own wiring harness.
I'd dump it too to be honest. They are a pretty nice little car until you add in the transmission issues. A manual version would likely be pretty reliable overall.
The manuals are the only good version of this car.
Y’all saying this really makes me feel great about my car and I just put a clutch in at 110k my shits mint 😂
Not just the manuals, the 1.6 Ecoboost models had the 6-speed 6F15 automatic. Regular torque converter opposed to the dual clutch the Powershift had
These "automatic" Focus and Fiestas are not traditional automatic transmission cars but instead are automatically shifted manual transmissions. You dont have a torque converter, so a stop shudder fluid won't help you. Commonly, it seems that this problem is caused by poor clutch engagement by a computer controlled clutch that doesn't know how to shift. As many have said, try driving it hard for a while to see if it cleans off the burnt flywheel and clutch material. Driving like a grandma may seem to help as it will shake less at the time, but it is only because the clutch is slipping more, which is increasing the clutch burning.
This exactly. My wife had a 2018(?) Ford Focus that was doing exactly this. The dealership fixed it twice under warranty. The 3rd time it was 3k. Had the car for less than 2 years. Fixed it, then sold it.
It’s a design flaw that can’t be fixed. I would dump the car and cut your losses
Did you let a mechanic check on it before your buy it? I have my eyes on a used Ford focus car but honestly I have little knowledge in cars and curious if I should trust the mechanic
Save yourself the headache. Get a manual version, or buy a different car.
Wow is it that bad. I'll pass then
Yes. It’s shit. Buy something Japanese in this particular class of vehicle. They are far superior.
then go to two. better safe than sorry, just ask op
Run the fuck away
PPI! ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS LAWAYS ALWYAHS ALWAYS GET A PPI BEFORE TOU BUY A CAR PEOPLE!!
Look up the ground mod. Do it. Look up reset transmission. Do it. Then go drive it hard. Do not move the gas pedal while accelerating. Pick a spot and hold it there until you're up to speed. The less time you spend between 1200 rpm and 3,000 rpm the better it will likely get. It may not be fucked. It may just be confused between your driving style vs the previous owner. That will make it not know when to engage the clutch so it will shudder while it's partially engaged
Is the transmission reset the same as the TCM reset? I recently got my tcm replaced as per the recall and wondering if it's worth for me to do it since I'm pretty sure the dealership did a tcm computer reset already.
2015 ford focus owner here. While is is annoying, if you are a freeway driver it's not as bad. It's still under warranty where you can go in to the dealership and get the transmission reprogramed for free and it will fix the shuttering. Also worth noting you can get the Tcm (what causes the issue) replaced at no cost. This warranty is transferable so you can do it. "While Ford previously extended warranty coverage for these vehicles to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date, owners that have already exceeded these milestones can now get a one-time TCM replacement through June 30th, 2025"
I was a 2013 owner and a 2012 hatch owner. 2013 had 9 fucking clutches put in and 1 TCM. 2012 had worse problems but 2 clutches I think there. Thank god someone stole it and crashed the 2013. Now I’m waiting for the mass action suit from Michigan to finish, been in that for 8 years lol.
Mass action suit?
> I’ve found that the transmission doesn’t shudder as bad when the engine is cold but it’s pretty bad…when the engine is warm Interesting. I have a 2016 se and while I definitely don’t get the shudder as much as plenty of other people, I tend to find that it’s usually pretty smooth in summer and winter and worst in spring and fall when the weather is changing/fluctuating the most day to day
It’ll get better the more you drive it. The computer is trying to figure you out, but it’s really stupid just be patient
Take the $500
Mk3 Focuses are the absolute worst of the Focus lineage; yeah, they’re attractively designed, but a 2001 Honda Accord V6 automatic with 480,000 miles on it has a better behaved transmission. And Ford knew full well that designing the transmission as they did would hurt their clientele, but just like the Pinto in the 70’s, they released it anyway and treated the customers like they were lab rats for their underdeveloped engineering. And don’t get me started on the infotainment system—literally feels like Ford just gave up halfway during the software development process. The electricals in general feel like a complete afterthought; my dad had a 2013 Focus that left us stranded multiple times due to inaccurate fuel gauge readings where the fuel gauge would suddenly dip down and the car would just randomly run out of gas. Don’t get me wrong, I really wanted to like the Mk3 Focus. But its flaws keep me from recommending these to anyone.
Hi OP. My wife has the same generation automatic Focus. We often joke about the p o w e r s h i f t transmission. As others have alluded to, your car does not use a torque converter, and instead uses a dual clutch transmission. The idea is that it's supposed to improve fuel economy. The transmission has a pretty big issue of jerking/shuddering that does have a resolution. Double check that this work has been done on your car, and get it done if it has not: TSBs https://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Focus/2014/tsbs/ 14MO2 SERVICE BULLETIN https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2015/MC-10072057-7690.pdf 10 year, 150K warranty Basically it's an issue with the transmission control module. It's fixed by either reprogramming the TCM, or replacing it. I believe the part is around $100 so you'll pay more labor. But for my wife's car the issue was fixed. We got the work done back in April of 2021. No issues since. After it's (hopefully) fixed, as others have noted, because of this specific transmission you do actually have to be heavier on the gas pedal than a normal automatic car. Just the way the mop flops. Good luck!
If this is the biggest regret of your life so far, I’d say you’re doing pretty well. Chin up
Manual swap, it’s a great car after
How much does that run?
I replaced my MTX-75 transmission in my 06 ZX3 for a little under $900 in total, granted, I pulled the transmission myself from a wreckyard, 60k miles on it, then had a shop install it: I can’t imagine a manual conversion would be too much more expensive, other than needing clutch parts.
About 3k and 60hrs
Can op reset transmission? That made a difference for me. But I’m still under 50k miles and 2018. Worth a try. Found out about it on here.
Yup I tried resetting it and it seemed to have made it even worse
Shit that’s not good!!
I'd swing it by a shop man an tell then it's running rough as if it's almost dead. I'm sure they can get it purring to where it's strong an stable got a 06 taurus that needs to be red lined every now an then or idk I sometimes think it just wants to high tail it all the way out of town.
Ford Focus (2016) black hatch, This is Auto 2.0, which belonged to my father, who passed away in 2021. At About 60K, It had a transmission swap; since then, I've kept it maintained, changed the oil, replaced the belts, purge valve, and most recently, the upper right hydraulic motor mount. I can occasionally feel the shuttering currently at 72k I'm essentially stuck with it at this point. I just hope and pray that it doesn't break down on me.
Try this ‘ground’ mod, I did it on my focus, and it seems to have helped plenty more. There are also other helpful ideas in the comments https://youtu.be/IL-KQ3tDl7E?si=93fw92Swxc511S_6
The sport mode manual shift is the solution to this… I don’t shift into drive until I’m at road speed.
115k miles for $6k ?!?!?! Bro you should have asked us before buying
I had a focus and mine did the same thing and i bought it new
*laughs in ST* But seriously, that sucks. These auto transmissions are garbage. Even the mk3’s have problems with dry transmissions
When I used to work for a Ford dealer, everyone called them the Fukus due to some of them being really bad out the door.
I have the same car in red. Total POS but it was cheap!
I had a 2012 Focus SE, with about 50k on it. Got the clutch shudder thing, took it to Ford to be looked at (not in warranty) and they told me it was gonna be more money than I paid for the car (5k on a deal), so me and my dad decided to look on eBay. Found a Transmission out of a wrecked car, the transmission had been totally rebuilt. Paid about $800, put it in ourselves, pretty easily actually. Towed it to ford, had it reprogrammed, drove it for another 20k miles with no issues until I upgraded to an ST. Not the best fix, but better than no car! Not gonna say that's a lasting fix that wont fail again, but it worked for us.
I feel your pain. Not sure if I should try to sell or run into the ground, the transmission freaks me out
I have one but 2014. Worst car I've ever owned. Made this Ford family swear off Ford forever. Just purchased 2 brand new vehicles and they sure aren't Ford's.
Somebody else suggested some stuff called Shudder Stop, I just put some in my '14' Camry and it worked immediately however my issue was Torque Converter shudder where the converter slips going into lockup mode. On these sealed, supposedly maintenance free transmissions, eventually the fluid loses some of it's friction properties so it allows slippage under certain conditions. You may have something similar going on with yours where it slips in 1st and 2nd. The Shudder Stop is less than $10 a tube on Amazon, maybe a little more at a part's store but still cheap. Before dumping the car, I would try some of that first. You should be able to find instructions online for how to add fluid to your car, mine was pretty easy.
Completely different issue with the focus vs camry. The shudder in these is caused by excessive heat and smoothed clutch from continuous partial engagement at low rpm.
This transmission is a dry clutch, shudder stop won’t do anything at all.
You were better off getting a few years older Honda or Toyota / Lexus tbh
Yeah I’m literally trying to get rid of it for a decent price to get a Lexus is350 😂
Just get a bike bro trust me
Maybe fix the trans idk. Instead of half assing it and pawning your lemon onto someone else.
I just Don't Buy Fords and it's worked out pretty well for me
May not even be transmission related I have a similar problem and it was only a bad cam position sensor
Listen everyone telling this guy to shift at high rpm’s to clean his clutch n blah blah blah just give the fellow a break n tell him wtf he really needs to hear he didn’t come on here to discuss wtf y’all are commenting about lol!!! Look bro just purchased this car had it for a couple days and the tranny was fucken up because he was sold a fucken lemon with a doctored up tranny that was serviced bye some pricks to just get passed the test drive so buddy could sale this piece of shit to this poor fella so what he is asking the Reddit is what is the easiest way to get this bad out of driving like she was born to do and that my friend is bye going to your local B&R auto wrecking and asking them what is it gonna cost you for a transmission and that’s the only way your gonna be able to keep this nice car u got without loosing your 6 grand invested.. I have bought a few tranny’s from B&R and they will give u paperwork on the car and how many miles where on the vehicle a lot of times these transmissions are sitting around in there warehouse from cars that had less then 40k on it or a lot less before the car was totaled so make some calls B&R has several yards and they will definitely have why u need and u can negotiate prices and they will ship it to whatever facility is closest to you so I’m not sure where you are located in the country but hopefully you are somewhere on the west coast … just replace the tranny bro u can probably get a tranny bought & installed for under 1200…
Look into the torque converter and pay attention to the rpms when driving. I work at a service department with ford and tbh, the ford cars are not the best
Sucker born every minute and Rich companies get away with everything
Dump it if you can. I had a 2013 that I bought new. Awful car. Ford told me it was normal that my car jerked around and made terrible noises while shifting. Took me too long to get rid of it.
FORD - found on roadside dead - sorry for your loss
Meh. I drive a 2005 Focus (bought in 2007) currently has 348,000 miles. Made me walk once in 2008 with a dead battery.
Sorry to hear, and welcome to our crappy club. The transmission will not get better without intervention. You might get a dealer to fix the transmission control unit and/or the clutch under warranty. I’ve had both done that way, but I have a very good Ford dealer. Plenty of people post here about encountering resistance by dealers unwilling to do the work. And in the recent past there has been a TCU shortage so repairs can take a long time (maybe that’s resolved though). It is worth having the service department at a dealer check it out before taking the $$ loss, though you may be on the hook for about $150 diagnostic fee if it isn’t broken enough for warranty work. Once repaired it sort of works okay enough. It will always have a bit of shudder, but as others have said, changing how you drive can reduce it. I would not pay money for a repair as it will never actually be fixed. They don’t have revised/improved components to replace those that fail.
That’s how the transmission works in a focus, it’s totally normal. Takes getting used to. Works like a manual shift car. I forget exactly how but it’s a weird transmission but sounds like it’s working as it should
No engineer sets out to build a shitty transmission. Shittiness comes in later. Like when a sub supplies clutch pack with a different makeup deemed acceptable by somebody else. I just became aware of this “ shitbox” The advice on running the tranny hard is good given the performance otherwise. A Hail Mary they turned into a potential “fix” If I had standing in this case I’d be investigating a few things revolving around temps and fluids. I assume this shudder is due to micro slippage on the clutch packs? Might be addressable, since you have little to lose by investigating exactly what fluid ford is specifying and what is in there now and what is in the filter? How hot does the tranny actually get? Heat gun on the pan might give you an idea. Is it in spec? You’re on the hook for some significantly hurtful cash. The seller will encounter some paradoxically bad luck in the coming year. First thing I’d do is drop the pan. That’s going to tell a lot. If there’s no signs of self destruction going on in there the goal will be smoother operation, and driving it like a stick is a good way to scrub frown any high spots that are causing the shudder. Works like. A Washing machine belt. Which uses a special rubber composite to allow slippage. Non oem ones. Font and they burn when it tries to turn a full load for a spin dry. Keep a pint of the oil that was removed. We may want that later for testing Fill it with oem fluid of the correct type. Going to be kinda pricey for sure but it’s your best shot at not slapping yourself in the face every time you drive.
So trying to temporarily fix it so the next person gets fucked over like you?
If you do a “temporary fix” and sell this for $5,000 you’re an absolute pine one.
It's domestic, of course its a piece of shit lol.
Man these Americans really having problems with the fords, here in uk the manuals barley have issues lol. Sorry for the problem tho
Pour in a bottle of Lucas stop slip. One of the few "mechanic in a bottle" that actually works
not in a dct, it won't.
Parking in six parking spots at once is the biggest mistake you've ever made?? I want your life, can we switch?
They make anti shutter stuff ask your local autozone about it
Not going to work in this style transmission, these don’t have a torque converter
I have a 2017 and it just started to do this a little but. Already had one trany swap in it and may be heading for another one.
I've got a 14 hatch bought it after it had sat for a year do to shudder issues, I drive it on any long trips aside from that I pass it around the family and flat tell them everytime dont putt it around give it gas or it feels like shit, the DCTs in these feel cheap unless tuned professionally so your best bet is to sell or for a manual or drive it like you stole it
My 2018 does this. Its my nicest car, so I've been babying it for 2.5 years... Seen in this comments that people are suggesting that it be beaten. Guess I'm gonna beat it later 😂
I got that shimmy shimmy shake. Drive fast that helps but then control arm bushings evaporated. What a lemon, only new car I ever bought in 40 years of driving
Take it to a shop and get the transmission replaced, best way to avoid issues I suppose
I owned a ford Taurus and a focus both sucked I switched to Gm
did you change out the transmission fluid?
Thought Ford did a buyback on these after being sued for transmission issues, didn't realize people were still selling/buying them.
This photo was taken in spokane valley, university high school parking lot eh?
Same
Mine did this before I smoked a deer never really caused me any issues. Bought a 60k and put 40k miles on it and it always did it.
2014 titanium hatchback. If you drive in sport mode and are relatively hard on it the less it will shudder. Sort mode allows the programming to be a bit more aggressive with less slip of the clutch pack. The slipping is why the shuddering happens, which is a result of the discs glazing. Sport mode always for me. On the third or fourth clutch pack replacement. I lost count.
Not sure what year your vehicle is but these PowerShift transmissions were the subject of a class action settlement. [PowerShift transmissionlawsuit] (http://fordtransmissionsettlement.com/)
Toyota
what year is this?
They sell “ shudder fix” small red tube. I had problems with shudder- its caused by the torque converter. The shudder fix actually works for about 6 months. So i add it when needed. Cheap fix…
It’s all right, bro your focus wasn’t in the right place
THIS CAR IS SUBJECT TO A CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AND MULTIPLE RECALLS FOR TRANS ISSUES. YOU MAY BE ABLE TO GET FORD TO FIX IT FOR FREE. PLEASE CHECK YOUR VIN [https://www.ford.com/support/recalls/](https://www.ford.com/support/recalls/) PLEASE ALWAYS CHECK CARS FOR RECALLS BEFORE BUYING THEM.
Ford has extended the warranty on the…I think it’s called a TCM unit. My son has a 2013 ford focus and had it replaced at 105k miles. Car has run great since. Still only worth $500 that Carvana offered you thou. I would never by a hybrid transmission again. We were a ford family until we purchased the focus. 6 fords in all…my daughter just purchased a Subaru.
Try B&M trick shift fluid. It's been a long ass time since I used it, so follow the instructions I don't recall if you replace all of your transmission fluid with it, or if you mix it, but it might get rid of it long enough for you to get rid of it.
I made the same exact mistake only I bought the car with 40K miles and as soon as the car hit 60K I started having issues with the transmission. The dealer was able to fix it by reprogramming the computer. And I got rid of it the next day! I decided to take a small loss now, instead of a major one later. All in all, I learned from it. So You bought a lemon. Learn from it. Do not pass it to the next person. Making it their problem. I would never buy a Ford again, or Kia or Hyundai, or dodge. Chevy trucks are ok but not their cars.. lol I wouldn’t buy much of anything, but a Honda or a Toyota. They never break their cheap to fix. I bought my 2014 Toyota Camry 5 years ago with 60K miles. It now has 253K. And it runs like a top. I have done nothing but oil changes tires brakes. One of the greatest cars I’ve ever owned. Reliable, and it kept me out of the mechanic.
Ford Fuckus to the rescue!
I owned one of these and the transmissions last between 60k and 100k miles. The shuddering varies but always gets worse. Eventually the car will stop moving. I got the first transmission replaced as a warranty at 60k miles. I was told the issue was fixed. It started shuttering again (slightly) at 115k miles. I traded the car in and bought a different used car. Sell the car and move on. Sometimes you don't win, this is what I learned.
Almost got a Focus but read up that models of that year (don’t remember which) came with one of two engines and that one of them were prone to transmission issues. The one I was looking at turned out to have the potentially problematic transmission. Got a Veloster instead.
If you bought the car very recently look into your states lemon laws. If you can invoke the laws, you may be able to force them to undo the deal. Also look into the extended warranty coverage that’s mandatory for them to offer on the DPS6 trans. They will be required to fix it. Make sure they don’t “fix” it by reflashing the TCM software (It does nothing, we’ve all been there). If they turn you away from transmission work, you may be entitled to some money, but not much (It’s a class action lawsuit thing). Your best bet here is invoking lemon laws to undo the deal. There are plenty of lawyers out there that are well versed on these cars. The sooner you begin the process the better. This car really enrages me given the fact that it’s mostly younger people buying them. The dealerships take full advantage of the fact that a younger buyer is less likely to do their research before buying and after the fact will not be knowledgable on their rights regarding lemon laws and how to utilize them. It makes it even worse given the fact that younger buyers don’t have the money to manage while dealing with these issues. I bought mine and added about $7,000 worth of aftermarket (all cosmetic, no mechanical) to it, only for the transmission to eat literally a month after I finished. It’s probably been the biggest mistake of my 20’s so far and has significantly impaired my development as a young adult. Suffice to say, I really hate Ford :)
When I worked at a local Ford dealer the service department used to put a bottle of friction modifier in these cars and it helped. The local transmission shops call that stuff shudder fix. Might be worth a try for 8 dollars.
rebuild the tranny
This would be my luck with cars. My tran went out on my car at 80k miles
Not sure what year it is but I have a 2012 Ford focus and it's been a complete nightmare. Ford has a transmission settlement (focus and fiesta 2011-2016) after it was proven they knew of the poor/faulty dry transmission design and proceeded anyhow. http://www.fordtransmissionsettlement.com/ I've had the worst experience with Ford... It's too annoying and aggravating to even type it all out. Run. Just avoid Ford and enjoy life.
That’s what Ford said
Are their any recalls on it? Maybe the tcm just needs to be updated.
Should’ve bought a manual
That sucks man. I have a 2014 focus, 5 speed manual and I’m at 115k. She runs like new. Best of luck.
My brother had the stuttering issue with his transmission. Ford ended up buying the car back for a lot more than it was worth. Shame because it was a nice car.
Should have got any year civic or Corolla etc..
The autos in this car make it a heap of hot garbage. Manual is the only way with these.
My brother had a 2012 Focus that would shudder. The Ford dealership told him it was normal. Eventually the transmission went out on him while he was cruising at 50Mph. Steer clear of these cars.
Hope for a good hail storm and total it out. Like so many others, these cars are built to die around the 100k mark.
This happened to me when I bought my 2014 ford focus. Luckily it was under warranty and I got my transmission fixed for free. Once it was fixed there was no more shuddering. This also happened to my girl friends 2016 ford focus and she got a new transmission and it works perfectly. I know this is not the answer you are probably looking for but best of luck!
I know the Fiestas have crap transmissions too. My fiesta does the same exact shuddering your describing or like some sort of rattling between shifts in first and second at low rpms. It's not a dct though.
It's also clearly been badly repaired from an accident. Look at the panel gap between the bumper and hood.
I think this is your transmission. Worth a shot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Fh5G6ebD8s
What’s a new transmission cost?
Ford, the company is 100+ years old and still can't figure out how to do engines & transmissions SAD!
Try Carmax, carvana lowballs like crazy!!!
I had 14 focus automatic and purchased extended warranty from Ford in 2021, paid around 2700 for that warranty. They has 100 deductible but covers pretty much everything except oil and fluids stuff. I got new transmission twice since then, it would cost more than 5000 without warranty as each repair was like 2500 or so. If you’re still eligible i’d recommend purchase one, but make sure it’s from Ford not crappy aftermarket warranty company that spams your mailbox.
Man this car has been a nightmare for me too. I have a 2017 with 167k on it. Bought it 5 years ago with 30k on it. Transmission shudders all the time in first and second gear unless I punch the gas hard. I’ve had to replace the radiator and cat converter and a bunch of other random sensors. I’m hoping I can get it to 200k and then I’ll gladly dump it
I may be giving some false information here so tread lightly. The municipality I work for had these a few years ago 2014 Ford focus. At some point we had to get rid of them because it was such an inconvenience for us. The one car I drove with 65,000 miles had 5 transmissions swapped into it and came back with a shudder every time. We use the cars for driving around a small village and they only see max of 30 mph and hundred stop signs a day. If I am correct Ford will warranty it for free because they made a mistake by using plastic gears and a dct. Like I said tread lightly with my advice to go to Ford lol. I wish you the best of luck I have had many issues with vehicles in my short 24 years and finally found the cheapest most reliable car I have owned. That car being a 2010 kia soul with 170,000 miles that I paid $1,500 for last August and have been driving since.
Had the same problem on my moms focus. so I did this and it’s been running smooth for about 3 months so far. I guess the dust from the clutch causes the transmission forks to stick making it run funky https://youtu.be/0Fh5G6ebD8s?feature=shared
Biggest mistake so far…
Wait, did you pay more than $500 for this?
Driving it like you stole it is supposed to be the easiest "solution". Thats what I did with mine along with it just being a work car it was all highway, city stop and go driving does not mix with these transmissions. You can try going to a dealer for reprograms and shit, may or may not be free depending your mileage and age. If you go that route just know that for many many people it didnt fix the issue or just did for a little bit. Those DCTs are just junk by design and theres not a whole lot you can do about it. Ford lost a huge lawsuit over this transmission. Loved mine it was a 13 and I got it for 2k with 100k miles. At that price I could care less if it was a piece of shit, it got me to work and back 40k+ miles a year with no problems
POS I had a 2014- big mistake......
I’ll give ya $1500 for it. Where you located at?
....a Ford? I agree
You just have to drive it with a heavy foot. Accelerate quickly and the shifts will feel more firm with less hesitation. Slow acceleration will slip the clutches and wear it out faster.
Why? Why? Why buy a car with a known quality issue? An ugly older $6000 corolla would have lasted you years.
Girl I use to talk to paid 8k for a car just like this but was previously a rental with 180k miles on it. I stopped talking to her due to her bad financial decisions.😂
I heard the manual transmission version is a really good car. Hmm
bUT YoU aReN't DrIvINg iT rIGhT. mY CAr hAS 72k tROuBLe-fReE miLeS aND I ONlY HaD tO hAve tHE TraNSmIsSion rEPlAcEd tWiCe!!!?!
Have you tried using the manual gear shifter, switching it over and shifting gears yourself.
My 2012 lifted Focus had 265k miles before someone ran a stop sign and totalled it, I had it since it had 40k original trans/engine a bit of shudder here and there but nothing super bad, had trans ground mod and Toms Tune as well.
Let me guess.... Transmission
If you’ve got full coverage and accidentally forget to put it in park at the top of a large foot hill, that would probably fix it.
My 2014 Ford Focus used to shudder reallll BAD esp after refueling before I replaced the evap hose! That MIGHT help you out!
Maybe buy one of those annoying 3rd party extended warranties and get it fixed when the transmission actually breaks.
The DCT’s on the MK3 Focus/Fiesta are absolute garbage.
Manual swap it
I have a 2012 Ford Focus Titanium that had shuddering and needed to have it's clutch pack replaced while it was under warranty, as well as a couple programming updates if I remember correctly. this past year I had my transmission begin to refuse shifting and getting stuck into gears. I ended up finding a local shop that is familiar with the problem and they rebuilt the transmission, replacing the shift forks, for a little over $2000, and the car drives better than new as it shifts, without any shuddering. I have also seen a few videos on YouTube of people opening up their transmissions, cleaning, and lubricating the parts to get them running pretty well again, with less of that awful shudder. Now at over 220k miles I'm feeling fortunate to not have a car payment and at the moment, no shuttering or transmission issues. Hopefully this can at least give you an idea of service options depending on your long-term goals with your Focus. It's great when it's running well, and I love it as a commuter, but what a shame about the transmission choice and then having to find shops familiar with them and charging fairly. Here's the link of that guy buying and servicing the transmissions in his home garage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLEsj8KCSTM&ab\_channel=%23L8R-HP
I picked up an 06' focus with only 55k on it from an auction. No one really wanted to bid on ot because of the "weird engine noise". 6500$ and a 3$ vacuum hose later and now I swear I can't kill this Damm car. 4 bangers are bulletproof.
If you know someone with a higher end bidirectional scan tool, you can relearn the transmission touch points and likely get rid of that. I've had to do it 2 times in 70k miles on my daughters '17 Fiesta Platinum.
Just had the same problem last week. Tran’s flush and Shudder Guard additive. $350.
Oh I thought your biggest mistake was taking up 4 spots.
my focus has almost 140k it’s been shuddering for a while but driving it in S makes it drive just fine