Lemon Defect Alert: Ford Fiestas and Focus — Dangerours Powershift Transmissions

2011 to 2015 Ford Fiesta models and 2012 to 2015 Ford Focus models equipped with the dual clutch transmission are showing up with defective transmissions. Ford marketed these transmissions as a “best of both worlds” alternative, offering a manual transmission’s fuel economy with an automatic transmission’s ease of operation and shift quality. But Ford found out as early as 2010 that there were major issues with the new transmissions. The company learned of the problems in a number of ways, including internal testing data, consumer complaints to Ford and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, dealership repair orders, and the existence of the defect in “substantially similar” models sold in Australia and Europe.Ford is now canceling the PowerShift program “many years prior to its estimated end date.”
In a letter sent to Fiesta and Focus drivers, Ford indicated that vehicles equipped with the PowerShift transmission “may … exhibit excessive transmission shudder during light acceleration. This condition may be caused by fluid contamination of the clutch due to leaking transmission seals,” Ford states. But Ford has not issued a recall on vehicles that contain the transmission and has not warned customers of safety risks posed by the problems.