Why does nobody talk about the Ford Focus transmission shudder?

I had a 2014 Focus for 3 years and thought I was just bad at driving stick. Then a mechanic friend rode with me and said "your clutch is slipping because the transmission can't decide what gear to be in." I changed nothing because Ford said it was "normal" - until the whole thing grenaded at 48,000 miles. The TCM module failed and left me stranded on Route 22 in Pennsylvania for 2 hours. Has anyone else had their dealer actually fix one of these under warranty?

2 comments

2 Comments

kelly.keith2d ago

OH MAN don't even get me STARTED on the Focus transmission. That thing is a COMPLETE disaster. I had a 2012 and the dealer kept telling me the shudder was "normal wear and tear" until my TCM died at 45,000 miles on a highway onramp. Ford's "extended warranty" for the TCM is a joke because they'll cover the module but then hit you with labor costs that are MORE than the part. The real kicker is they KNEW these transmissions were garbage and still sold them for years. Your TCM failure on Route 22 is like a rite of passage for Focus owners, we should get a membership card.

the_faith2d ago

Look at the class action lawsuits Ford lost over these transmissions. They paid out millions in settlements but never actually fixed the root problem, they just kept putting bandaids on it. The real shame is that the rest of the car was pretty solid, but that transmission made the whole thing worthless.