Ford knew Focus, Fiesta models had flawed transmission, sold them anyway

[BISCUT]

Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl

There are now 10's of thousands of customers more former customers that will never own another Ford. Goodwill is VERY expensive to regain once lost. Even more expensive when lost this way. Executive decisions made a Ford by some wealthy guy who gets his cars out of the company motor pool for free, He never pays for a repair. Heck he never has to wash and wax one. Oh the flaws he would see if he took the time and pride to hand wash and wax.


Ironically history as shown that these companies keep on chugging along.

Most recently is VW/Audi with dieselgate. They're still selling a ton of vehicles and many owners didn't care the VW was caught. In fact many owners saw it as a badge of honor.


I've ha very good luck with Ford trucks over the last 25 years. That said, I have little faith in their cars. No defense of Ford but each and every manufacturer produce some stinkers and NOT a one of them will stop a line to fix a known problem. I'm literally driving myself nuts over spending 95kish on a 2021 BMW X5. Wont buy 2020. Read some of the horror stories about BMW NA. Frankly they all really only like us (buyers) when we have no issues of minor problems that are easily fixed. Once you leave the lot they know they have you!

 

[AC1DD]

Originally Posted by Danh

I made the same, wrong assumption. The European DCT was of the wet-clutch variety as it was sold with high-torque Diesel engines. The North American version was dry-clutch which made all the difference.
.


This factor is VERY important to the whole mess....the reason why Ford Dearborn spec'd the dry clutch DCT for the US market was simply to cut a few dollars off the cost...
FoE refused to do this because they KNEW that the dry clutch system was very weak and prone to failure....Seems Ford US is always shaving pennies and letting it bite them in the butt in the long run, but that is why you get from hiring MBAs with no life experience and only being concerned with shareholders last red cent of profit for the dividend.
Greed kills, it might even take some time...but indeed it kills all eventually.

 

[Rand]

Originally Posted by MParr
Ford should have dropped the Getrag DCT early on. They could have found a good fluid drive replacement. My dad had a 2012 Focus and traded it, after a year, for a KIA Forte. He didn't have confidence that Ford could fix the DCT. That did stop me from buying a 2017 Escape. I did have sense enough to avoid the 1.5 Ecoboost engine in the Escape. My Escape is nearing 35,000 miles and it has been trouble free.
Would I buy another Ford? Sure would. In fact, I'm looking at a 2019 F-150 with the 2.7 Ecoboost as my next ride.



What problems does the 1.5L have? I thought the 1.6 had the majority of issues and most were resolved when they moved to the 1.5L

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Who wants to bet 5 or 10yrs down the road we're going to hear something like this in re GDI engines? 🤔

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by Mad_Hatter
Who wants to bet 5 or 10yrs down the road we're going to hear something like this in re GDI engines? 🤔





They have been around for quite some time already. Only on Bitog do you hear the doom and gloom.

 

[wemay]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by Mad_Hatter
Who wants to bet 5 or 10yrs down the road we're going to hear something like this in re GDI engines? 🤔





They have been around for quite some time already. Only on Bitog do you hear the doom and gloom.


Yeah, like 20 years, give or take a model year. The jury has long been out.

 

[NO2]

We bought a '13 Fiesta for my son, with an MT. I insisted after hearing the stories about the dual-clutch transmission, and I wanted him to be able to drive in Europe where many cars are still equipped with manuals (Rentals are a lot cheaper that way). It had the added bonus of being completely uninteresting to thieves. It averaged close to 40 mpg and cost < $13K new. No issues at all with the car.

 

[MParr]

Rand
The 1.5 Ecoboost 4 cylinder is just as bad as the 1.6 Ecoboost. Problems with cracked heads and/or engine blocks. Symptoms are misfire and losing coolant. The 1.5 Ecoboost 4 cylinder is going away and will be replaced by the new 1.5 Ecoboost 3 cylinder Dragon engine. Does that answer your question?

 

[Tomioka]

Originally Posted by Fawteen
Originally Posted by CJWinWA
After thirty years of buying new Ford trucks, last year I bought a Toyota.


Is that the same Toyota that had decades of frames that rotted through in a few short years? The same Toyota that has multiple class action lawsuits because of rotting frames as recently as the 2011 model year? Frames that have literally fallen apart when driving down the road? That Toyota?


Lol and GM is telling Silverado truck owners to pound sand for rotting brake lines. For something that plays a huge safety factor they can't even issue a recall or goodwill service to owners that live in areas where they salt the roads.

My tundra frame may rot but at least I have brakes.

 

[daves87rs]

Going to be a rough time for Ford...

The DCT is going to make the GM recall for their ignition issues look like a walk in the park! I almost got a Focus hatch a few years back, but the trans was jerky and it soured what a great drive it was, Almost get the feeling many of these end up junked soon.....

The Escape thing worries me as well. Seen 3-4 Escapes (newer) smoking...cannot be good.....

 

[Omahaug]

I'm not surprised, this kind of BS is in their DNA and will never change until they're out of business. This is just another in a long line along with the Pinto and Ford/Firestone debacles.

Detroit cranks out junk, then they wonder why they have such a hard time and have to exit the sedan market while the Japanese and Koreans don't. GM and Ford craps on their customers, GM even craps on their workers. This is how they repay brand loyalty. Cars and parts made with crappy parts from Mexico and China, plastic oil pans, EZ fill fuel nozzles that clog up and require you to replace the whole fuel filler pipe, self-destructing timing chain guides, defective death trap ignition switch cover ups, crappy junk two piece swollen lug nuts, crappy junk two piece spark plugs, defective turbos with housings that crack, leaking oil supply lines and exploding shafts, you name it, they've messed it up.

 

[edyvw]

Originally Posted by CJWinWA
Toyota fixed their rusted frames after a settlement with Dana the company that produced the frames. Ford also received a settlement from Dana for rusted frames, but pocketed the money rather than fixing customer vehicles.

That same Toyota does not want to acknowledge issues on Aisin 8 speed transmission?
They send letters to customers that literally says: throughout lifetime of an vehicle owner might experience rough shifting and whining sound.
My friend has 2018 Highlander and I think he was in dealership 30+ times, and still drives POS transmission.
Sometimes not acknowledging issue is part of strategy. FORD probably thought that by not acknowledging issue they would in the long run come out better. Toyota thought same, not acknowledging problem would in long run be better as there would not be damaging articles etc.

 

[D45678]

Originally Posted by edyvw
Originally Posted by CJWinWA
Toyota fixed their rusted frames after a settlement with Dana the company that produced the frames. Ford also received a settlement from Dana for rusted frames, but pocketed the money rather than fixing customer vehicles.

That same Toyota does not want to acknowledge issues on Aisin 8 speed transmission?
They send letters to customers that literally says: throughout lifetime of an vehicle owner might experience rough shifting and whining sound.
My friend has 2018 Highlander and I think he was in dealership 30+ times, and still drives POS transmission.
Sometimes not acknowledging issue is part of strategy. FORD probably thought that by not acknowledging issue they would in the long run come out better. Toyota thought same, not acknowledging problem would in long run be better as there would not be damaging articles etc.


The transmission is fine, people don't like the programming of it that tries to keep engine RPM low for better MPG. It is very different than the transmissions of the past, but it works.

 

[bbhero]

^^^^^^^^

Good, good point... The programming from the factory is a big part of the issues with certain types of transmissions.

 

[wag123]

Originally Posted by edyvw
Originally Posted by CJWinWA
Toyota fixed their rusted frames after a settlement with Dana the company that produced the frames. Ford also received a settlement from Dana for rusted frames, but pocketed the money rather than fixing customer vehicles.

That same Toyota does not want to acknowledge issues on Aisin 8 speed transmission?
They send letters to customers that literally says: throughout lifetime of an vehicle owner might experience rough shifting and whining sound.
My friend has 2018 Highlander and I think he was in dealership 30+ times, and still drives POS transmission.
Sometimes not acknowledging issue is part of strategy. FORD probably thought that by not acknowledging issue they would in the long run come out better. Toyota thought same, not acknowledging problem would in long run be better as there would not be damaging articles etc.
There you go again edy. This thread is about Ford's not taking responsibility for known defects. You don't even own a Toyota with the 8-speed. Stop with the Toyota bashing already.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Originally Posted by BISCUT
Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl

There are now 10's of thousands of customers more former customers that will never own another Ford. Goodwill is VERY expensive to regain once lost. Even more expensive when lost this way. Executive decisions made a Ford by some wealthy guy who gets his cars out of the company motor pool for free, He never pays for a repair. Heck he never has to wash and wax one. Oh the flaws he would see if he took the time and pride to hand wash and wax.


Ironically history as shown that these companies keep on chugging along.

Most recently is VW/Audi with dieselgate. They're still selling a ton of vehicles and many owners didn't care the VW was caught. In fact many owners saw it as a badge of honor.


I've ha very good luck with Ford trucks over the last 25 years. That said, I have little faith in their cars. No defense of Ford but each and every manufacturer produce some stinkers and NOT a one of them will stop a line to fix a known problem. I'm literally driving myself nuts over spending 95kish on a 2021 BMW X5. Wont buy 2020. Read some of the horror stories about BMW NA. Frankly they all really only like us (buyers) when we have no issues of minor problems that are easily fixed. Once you leave the lot they know they have you!


Indeed there have been some horror stories and they've dropped the ball numerous time however i will say that over the past decade or more BMW NA seems to be open to providing "goodwill" out-of-warranty repairs on major items such as transmissions if the vehicle isn't too old of has a ton of miles on it.

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl

Most recently is VW/Audi with dieselgate. They're still selling a ton of vehicles and many owners didn't care the VW was caught. In fact many owners saw it as a badge of honor.

Why would the owners care? They're were taken care from the beginning - getting better performance and economy than anyone else, to the end - where they were more than fairly "compensated" with buybacks and compensation checks.

Seems to me that VW had the consumer in mind from the beginning.

 

[quint]

Ford should have stuck with their aging but plenty adequate for the job FNR5 transmission they shared with Mazda instead of this DCT nonsense they went with in the Focus and Fiesta. In true Ford fashion they churned out an otherwise really nice car saddled with an absolute turd of a transmission. My friend has the worst luck with cars compared to anyone I know, and while he is quick to ask for buying advice, he never, ever uses it. A few years ago he decided he was going to break the cycle of doom and he was just going to bite the bullet and spend the money to buy a nice, new car and went out and bought a new Focus. I cringed and said "Please tell me you got the stick and not the automatic" and he said "no I went with the automatic" and all I could do is grit my teeth and scream inside my head I.SPECIFICALLY.TOLD.YOU.NOT.TO.GET.THE.AUTOMATIC.

I feel bad for anyone who has one of these. The word is out so good luck trying to sell it or getting anything for it as a trade in. I'm sure there are a good number of them out on the road not experiencing problems or owned by someone who doesnt mind whatever lack of smoothness these are known for, but how long will that last.

Anyone on here own one? Would love to hear some first hand input as to what its like to live with one.

 

[HemiHawk]

We had one of these Foci from 2012 to 2014. It was an SE hatchback, with the DCT. The amazing thing for us was that it was a lease. We just need some decent sized commuter at the time.

I liked alot about the car. Plenty of power, good looking, super practical, really nice handling. Returned amazing fuel economy commuting and highway. BUT MY GOD THAT TRANSMISSION. The thing is, I can't believe it hasn't been a safety recall. I don't know how may times I would try to pull into traffic and it would stutter or just about die on me. It was scary. When they asked about buying the car out of lease as I turned it in I laughed. I feel really bad for anyone who bought one of these.

 

[road_rascal]

Off topic but this was the exact opposite when I had to deal with Chrysler for the A604 in my '90 Spirit. I had to take them to small claims court because of that.

Originally Posted by CJWinWA
In the early 1990s I worked at a Chrysler dealer, my primary job was warranty administrator. The A604 transmission was an absolute nightmare, and we did not deny it, we tried our best to fix them, and did our best to make the customer as happy as possible at the dealership. We didn't deny there was a problem, or suggest that things were "normal" as Ford tries to do. We went out of our way to make the customer as happy as we could, free loaner or rental cars, going to their home to pick up repeat repair cars, we actually paid a towing company to always have at least one tow truck available to us, and two tow trucks when the weather got bitterly cold. Two tow trucks because the A604 had a habit of failing with spectacular effect when people got out on the Interstate and accelerated hard in extreme cold.