I have a 2016 Focus Titanium with 102,000 miles. I just got the car and don’t know if the transmission has been maintained. Can I change the transmission fluid and add an additive? If so, which ones do you recommend? There are no codes or engine lights on, but I’m wondering if there are any electrical parts I might need to replace.
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“Stuttering” i believe is the word you’re looking for. I’m assuming you can hear it clattering around down there. If so there isn’t any amount of fluid or additives to change that, but a harsher more quick driving style and trying to get more long form driving in there such as highway usually prevents issues like that. It hates stop and go and also hates city traffic. I’ve got 217k miles done with that philosophy and a new set of actuators and clutches at 189k miles.
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I can confirm that stop-and-go driving can be a problem. Just the other day, while practicing parallel parking with my son, we got a “Transmission is hot” warning and had to let it cool down for 5 minutes. Even after that, the warning came up again during parking. But after taking a long drive, the warning didn’t reappear. My car is about 200,000 miles old.
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Got it, actuators are likely the issue.
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I’ve found that if the transmission starts to shudder, taking your foot off the gas for a moment & then gently pressing it again can help reduce the grinding and shuddering. It might annoy drivers behind you, but changing my driving style has made the problem less frequent. This started happening around 130k miles for me, and I’m now at 180k miles.
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No way 
I also do exactly that, and it works every time! Changing your driving habits with this method really helps. Just take your foot off the gas and let the car catch itself. No need for a more aggressive driving style 
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hello there 
? If you’re experiencing shuddering or chattering without any codes, it’s usually due to the clutch. The only real fix is to replace it. Driving more aggressively might help a bit by cleaning up the clutches, but it’s likely best to just live with it. Replacing the clutch will cost between $2,500 and $4,500, depending on whether you go to an independent shop or a dealer.
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The clutches are likely worn out, which is probably why the car was sold. Typical DPS6 clutches last between 65k and 100k miles. The cost to replace them varies depending on where you are. When I had mine replaced under warranty, it would have been $1,500 without it. I’ve seen quotes ranging from $2,000 to $3,000. You can’t just change the fluid; the transmission is more like a manual than an automatic and requires a special fluid.
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I’ve a 2015 Titanium with a sport mode that lets you manually shift gears using buttons on the shifter. I drive in this mode exclusively and rarely experience shuddering or lurching. I stay in first gear until high RPMs and shift up, driving fast and avoiding traffic. I bought it at 65k miles and have added almost 20k miles with no transmission overheating warnings.
Even though it’s “manual,” there’s no clutch—just up and down buttons. It should be easy for your daughter to drive. Check if the 2016 model has this feature by looking at your shifter for up and down arrows or a sport mode. If it does, that’s it.
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It’s frustrating to see posts like this. Did you not do any research before buying? This issue is well-known with these cars. The manual version is much better, more fun, not forgetting hey are the most reliable.
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Unfortunately, I did look into this, but I took the chance because it’s for my daughter to learn and practice with. I don’t mind if she scrapes curbs or bumps into things while parking, as I’ll keep the car myself afterward until it’s no longer drivable. For the clutch, I think I can get a kit for $500-$600 and replace it myself in a weekend if needed. Do you think fixing the actuators would also help???
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Here’s are the key take aways…
- How many times are you going to replace parts?
- The broken system damages new parts.
- New parts won’t fix the broken system.
- There’s no way to fix it.
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Ok, yes you right on that I’ll see what I’ll do. Thank you all for the input and direction given.
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Good luck hope it does help yo out with the issue
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Sell the car and get your daughter a manual Honda Fit instead. They cost around $5,000 and won’t break the bank like that Ford’s automatic transmission will. The Ford’s transmission is likely to cause more problems. On a very serious note 