2014 Focus DCT Issues

[Mr Nice]

Originally Posted By: sopususer
My family recently was looking at the Focus for a car for my oldest son. The discounts off MSRP for a new Focus are huge........I wonder why; even with that we steered clear and I'm glad we stayed away from it. As much negative feeling as there is toward CVT's, I don't think anyone builds a more questionable tranny than the Ford DCT.


Get one with manual transmission.

 

[Danh]

You should be covered under the extended warranty program. To qualify the dealer will drive the car with a monitor that graphs the amount of clutch slippage under certain driving conditions. If it exceeds the allowable amount you'll get a new clutch, if it doesn't you'll be turned away.

From my experience, these thing tend to be worse when hot so make sure that car is really warmed up before you take it in.

The clutches have been improved over time and a replacement may have a decent lifespan, especially if there's a lot of highway driving involved. But as other have said, this is a problem that seems to have no permanent solution. A DCT is fine, but a dry clutch DCT is problematic unless mated to a very small car.

I dumped my 2012 Focus after 45,000 miles, 2 clutch replacements and lots of reprograms. Except for the transmission it was a great car that we drove all over the country. And as one other thing to worry about, the DCT also has a transmission control module (TCM) that is subject to early failure. There's also an extended warranty for 10 years/150k on this component. Ford's "solution" was a reprogram to alert the driver a TCM failure was imminent. Seemed just a matter of time before we were stranded or faced with a pretty large repair bill.

I've been a good Ford customer, but after this experience and Ford's pitiful response I'm off the brand.

 

[ram_man]

When I worked at the local Ford dealership it was nothing to see 10-15 waiting for the tech to fix the transmissions.

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Take the car back to the dealer.

They're not going to want the bad publicity that this could generate for them and they may have honestly not checked it out thoroughly enough to know that the issue exists.


+1, take it back. The dealer probably won't mind so much esp if you buy something else there. Just make sure they give you an excellent deal.

 

[HonorAndHonesty]

I agree it should be under warranty, ford extended the warranty on the transmission to 7 years or 100k miles. The warranty follows the car.

Kudos to Ford for extending the warranty.

Shame on Ford for putting such a problematic transmission out there. What were they thinking putting this type of transmission in a car frequently used as a stop and go commuter car. It sounds like there is 10 percent fuel economy gain using this transmission, but it sounds like the average lifespan of the clutches is around 100k.

Like any manual this depends on driving style and conditions.

 

[bigjl]

In London there is a Private Hire and Courier Company called Addison Lee.

They have around 3500 Ford Galaxy’s, a 2.0 tdci 7 seater with a Powershift Transmission.

They have had Powershift equipped Galaxy’s since 2011.

On average they are replacing gearboxes every 80/90k

The shudder when pulling away was initially “fixed” with a software update.

They are inspected every 5k and serviced every 10k and they work closely with Ford using the data gained by doing millions of miles a year in harsh City driving conditions.

At 65k I would probably not buy a Powershift equipped vehicle of any kind.

In similar usage the VW DSG boxes failed in as little as 40k. That was 2007/8 Passat diesels. They have likely improved the gearbox since then

 

[Danh]

Originally Posted By: bigjl
In London there is a Private Hire and Courier Company called Addison Lee.

They have around 3500 Ford Galaxy’s, a 2.0 tdci 7 seater with a Powershift Transmission.

They have had Powershift equipped Galaxy’s since 2011.

On average they are replacing gearboxes every 80/90k

The shudder when pulling away was initially “fixed” with a software update.

They are inspected every 5k and serviced every 10k and they work closely with Ford using the data gained by doing millions of miles a year in harsh City driving conditions.

At 65k I would probably not buy a Powershift equipped vehicle of any kind.

In similar usage the VW DSG boxes failed in as little as 40k. That was 2007/8 Passat diesels. They have likely improved the gearbox since then


Are you sure this is the same gearbox? The DCT used with the Focus in the US is a dry-clutch with a limited torque capacity. I would expect a turbo-diesel would be far beyond its limit.

When I bought my Focus that was my mistake: I assumed that, because Ford had used DCTs in Europe for some time I was safe. Wrong: the European version was a wet- clutch suitable for diesels and a completely different animal from what is sold for gasoline engines in NA.

 

[bigjl]

Originally Posted By: Danh
Originally Posted By: bigjl
In London there is a Private Hire and Courier Company called Addison Lee.

They have around 3500 Ford Galaxy’s, a 2.0 tdci 7 seater with a Powershift Transmission.

They have had Powershift equipped Galaxy’s since 2011.

On average they are replacing gearboxes every 80/90k

The shudder when pulling away was initially “fixed” with a software update.

They are inspected every 5k and serviced every 10k and they work closely with Ford using the data gained by doing millions of miles a year in harsh City driving conditions.

At 65k I would probably not buy a Powershift equipped vehicle of any kind.

In similar usage the VW DSG boxes failed in as little as 40k. That was 2007/8 Passat diesels. They have likely improved the gearbox since then


Are you sure this is the same gearbox? The DCT used with the Focus in the US is a dry-clutch with a limited torque capacity. I would expect a turbo-diesel would be far beyond its limit.

When I bought my Focus that was my mistake: I assumed that, because Ford had used DCTs in Europe for some time I was safe. Wrong: the European version was a wet- clutch suitable for diesels and a completely different animal from what is sold for gasoline engines in NA.


I don’t know the specifics of the gearboxes personally.

But I was told that the Powershift box they fit in the Fiesta and later Focus is different to that fitted to larger vehicles. And that all the others have the same gearbox.

I assumed the dry clutch Box replaced the old torque converter transmission in the Fiesta? Which was a few years after the wet clutch box in the Galaxy.

The boxes I am talking about failing regularly at 80/90k are wet clutch as far as Inknow.

Same Box also fitted to Volvos.

Not sure which Focus have the dry and wet clutch gearboxes. The 2.0 tdci is not a common engine in the Focus so it’s likely that they used the dry clutch box for that reason.

Don’t VAG also have wet and dry clutch versions?

I wonder how close all these boxes are technically. As the Ford Box is a joint development with Getrag. And maybe LuK. Though I am not sure about LuK being involved.

 

[bdcardinal]

Luk makes the clutches.

 

[KrisZ]

I had a 17 focus for about two weeks as a rental. You don't notice the tyranny shifting pattern at first because they programmed it to act like a tyranny with a TQ, but after a short while I noticed than it will slip the clutch excessively between gear changes. During slow speed driving, stop and go or slight inclines, the slipping is ferocious.

Honestly, normally my suggestion would be to stick with it, but not in this case, not after experiencing this FUBAR of a transmission first hand. I would trade it in and take a loss now because down the road that loss will only increase.

 

[pbm]

The problem isn't that Ford designed a bad transmission....many manufacturers design bad parts....the problem is that 5 years later it hasn't been corrected....

 

[Danh]

Originally Posted By: bigjl
Originally Posted By: Danh
Originally Posted By: bigjl
In London there is a Private Hire and Courier Company called Addison Lee.

They have around 3500 Ford Galaxy’s, a 2.0 tdci 7 seater with a Powershift Transmission.

They have had Powershift equipped Galaxy’s since 2011.

On average they are replacing gearboxes every 80/90k

The shudder when pulling away was initially “fixed” with a software update.

They are inspected every 5k and serviced every 10k and they work closely with Ford using the data gained by doing millions of miles a year in harsh City driving conditions.

At 65k I would probably not buy a Powershift equipped vehicle of any kind.

In similar usage the VW DSG boxes failed in as little as 40k. That was 2007/8 Passat diesels. They have likely improved the gearbox since then


Are you sure this is the same gearbox? The DCT used with the Focus in the US is a dry-clutch with a limited torque capacity. I would expect a turbo-diesel would be far beyond its limit.

When I bought my Focus that was my mistake: I assumed that, because Ford had used DCTs in Europe for some time I was safe. Wrong: the European version was a wet- clutch suitable for diesels and a completely different animal from what is sold for gasoline engines in NA.


I don’t know the specifics of the gearboxes personally.

But I was told that the Powershift box they fit in the Fiesta and later Focus is different to that fitted to larger vehicles. And that all the others have the same gearbox.

I assumed the dry clutch Box replaced the old torque converter transmission in the Fiesta? Which was a few years after the wet clutch box in the Galaxy.

The boxes I am talking about failing regularly at 80/90k are wet clutch as far as Inknow.

Same Box also fitted to Volvos.

Not sure which Focus have the dry and wet clutch gearboxes. The 2.0 tdci is not a common engine in the Focus so it’s likely that they used the dry clutch box for that reason.

Don’t VAG also have wet and dry clutch versions?

I wonder how close all these boxes are technically. As the Ford Box is a joint development with Getrag. And maybe LuK. Though I am not sure about LuK being involved.


While both are designed by Getrag, the Focus/Fiesta mated to gasoline engines uses the 6DCT250 gearbox, which is a dry clutch with a torque capacity is 280 Nm. Diesel versions use the 6DCT450, which is a 450 Nm capacity unit with a wet clutch. Discouraging to hear both have issues, though.

 

[hpb]

Originally Posted By: slacktide_bitog
Ford should've replaced those awful DCT's with a regular automatic.


They have. Foci in other parts of the world use a regular torque convertor 6 speed auto these days.

OP, I'm sorry you bought a lemon, but really, there's enough info out there about the Ford DCT woes that most people know to avoid them. I'm a Ford man to the core, but I have talked numerous people into buying something other than those heaps.

 

[antonmnster]

Wow, I'm a bit taken aback by the responses! Coming from BMW world I'm pretty used to expensive, chronic problems. From that standpoint I'm pretty patient. And having watched some videos of the clutches replacement I'm not immediately intimidated by doing it myself once the warranty goes.

I've been reading about the extended warranty on the affected parts. At only 65K this car should have a lot of protection under it. But a couple of sites I read advised that the extended warranty applies only to cars with the original bad design shaft oil seals, up through June of 2013. Our car was built Jan of 14, so it has the "revised" seals.

The dealer the car came from is a very small mom-and-pop shop on the WI border that I'm sure will not offer much, if any, protection. Caveat Emptor and all that.

 

[Michael_P]

The transmission is solid, its the clutch system that's wonky. One way to make the clutch last way longer is to wait a second after releasing the brake before hitting the accelerator. You will feel that kick after the brake pedal is released. If you are an impatient driver, just take your foot off the brake a second before the light turns green. If you own a DCT Focus, you have to try this. My father in law has a DCT Focus and always comments on how smooth the car is when I drive it this way. For some reason, it smooths out the 1-2 shift point as well.

If you drive 15MPH uphill, they are smoother if you push the downhill button on the gear shift selector. There is a light with an illustration of a car going downhill when it is engaged.

 

[antonmnster]

In the spirit of Halloween figured I'd bring this thread back form the dead.

So we've been driving the car for a couple of years now just dealing with the trans issue. Bought it at around 60k, now it's at 87k. The shudder was very real and getting worse, and finally I got serious about dealing with it.

I called around to various dealers, and most wouldn't even look at the car for 4-6 weeks, which seems absurd itself. Even after Ford lengthened the warranty for the Powershift, some dealerships still told me this would be a "customer pay" job. Actually, I was ok with that. Think of it this way: if the clutch in your nearly 90,000 mile car needs to be replaced, wouldn't that be considered normal? Why would it be the manufacturer's fault for normal wear and tear? I think there's a lot of room for improvement in how the powershift works (why in the heck does it slip the clutch for 3-4 seconds from 1st to 2nd??) but I didn't blame Ford when I needed to replace the wheel bearings last year.

Anyway, I ended up not going to a Ford dealership but a Lincoln dealership. Waaaaay different experience. They got the car in within a week. They fixed it. THEY told ME is was covered under the same extended warranty that the Ford dealership told me I'd need to pay $2500.

Car is back and no longer shakes the dash going into 2nd! I'd really like to see a software solution that tightens up those gear changes.

Overall it's great to have the car operating properly. It's more nimble than my 335 even though it hangs all its weight over the front end. Now, I just need to deal with the very rusty trunk lid...

 

[AC1DD]

Originally Posted by antonmnster
In the spirit of Halloween figured I'd bring this thread back form the dead.

So we've been driving the car for a couple of years now just dealing with the trans issue. Bought it at around 60k, now it's at 87k. The shudder was very real and getting worse, and finally I got serious about dealing with it.

I called around to various dealers, and most wouldn't even look at the car for 4-6 weeks, which seems absurd itself. Even after Ford lengthened the warranty for the Powershift, some dealerships still told me this would be a "customer pay" job. Actually, I was ok with that. Think of it this way: if the clutch in your nearly 90,000 mile car needs to be replaced, wouldn't that be considered normal? Why would it be the manufacturer's fault for normal wear and tear? I think there's a lot of room for improvement in how the powershift works (why in the heck does it slip the clutch for 3-4 seconds from 1st to 2nd??) but I didn't blame Ford when I needed to replace the wheel bearings last year.

Anyway, I ended up not going to a Ford dealership but a Lincoln dealership. Waaaaay different experience. They got the car in within a week. They fixed it. THEY told ME is was covered under the same extended warranty that the Ford dealership told me I'd need to pay $2500.

Car is back and no longer shakes the dash going into 2nd! I'd really like to see a software solution that tightens up those gear changes.

Overall it's great to have the car operating properly. It's more nimble than my 335 even though it hangs all its weight over the front end. Now, I just need to deal with the very rusty trunk lid...



You are way too forgiving and that just encourages the dealers ESPECIALLY Ford stores to blow you off, which is what they did.

Glad to hear the Lincoln dealer helped you out, my guess is they are sort of desperate for customers and figure if you are recommending to friends you;ll send them there.

So what exactly did the shop do to fix the car, do you have the repair order, why not post a picture of it here so we can see what they did exactly (make sure to omit or blur out any personal information BEFORE you post the pic here) I'd love to see what the current process is for the remedy of the Powersheiss transmission is.

 

[badtlc]

Originally Posted by AC1DD

So what exactly did the shop do to fix the car, do you have the repair order, why not post a picture of it here so we can see what they did exactly (make sure to omit or blur out any personal information BEFORE you post the pic here) I'd love to see what the current process is for the remedy of the Powersheiss transmission is.


I think the only approved resolution these days is a transmission replacement.

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted by badtlc
Originally Posted by AC1DD

So what exactly did the shop do to fix the car, do you have the repair order, why not post a picture of it here so we can see what they did exactly (make sure to omit or blur out any personal information BEFORE you post the pic here) I'd love to see what the current process is for the remedy of the Powersheiss transmission is.


I think the only approved resolution these days is a transmission replacement.


We very rarely do transmission replacements on the Powershift assemblies. It is usually either the clutch assy, or the TCM, or both. Sometimes we do the actuators and shift forks. The physical internals of the transmission are a manual transmission, the issues are with the dry clutch pack and the actuation units.

 

[WylieCoyote]

I bought a 2012 Titanium auto, and quickly traded it in after news of this fiasco started rolling in. Great car, Titanium w/handling package. Drove and handled great. Then one day I slowed for turning traffic, and upon re-acceleration, it wouldn't shift up past 3rd gear on its own. After waiting a while, driving on level ground with a steady throttle, I finally put it in sport mode and forced it to upshift. Never happened again.

Didn't really fit with the typical DCT list of issues, but I didn't want to hang around to experience any more of them.

So, actuators were added to the list of problem children in this transmission? Last I read, it was a combination of poor programming and bad shaft seals contaminating the dry clutches. Lots and lots of very unhappy consumers.