Originally Posted By: Nick R
The issues with the DCT in the focus aren't really catastophic failure, they are just shuddering and stuff. I haven't really heard of any catastophic failure stories.
Well, there are quite a few common failure modes. The clutch can shudder, of course, but it can also become virtually undriveable pending clutch replacement. Then there's the transmission control module (a really expensive bit that changes gears) that is also prone to premature failure and can easily strand the car.
These aren't uncommon problems as Ford has extended warranties on both components. Depends on your definition of "catastrophic", I guess, but being on my third clutch pack in 40,000 miles, the car will be gone when the extended warranties expire.