Ford Focus 2012 shuddering on acceleration… any ideas?

Seeking Help
1

Just got my Focus back from a full service at a trusted mechanic—fluids all replaced, new spark plugs, etc. But now, when accelerating in 3rd or 4th gear between 1.5-2K revs, there’s this weird shuddering, like it’s misfiring (no loud bangs or anything, though). 1st and 2nd gear feel fine, but I’m hesitant to push it in higher gears.

Could this be related to the new oil or spark plugs needing to settle, or did the mechanic potentially mess something up? No shops are open over the weekend, so I’m bringing it back on Monday, but any ideas on what this could be so I don’t get misled? Thanks!

Car drove perfectly before this service, and for a 12-year-old, it’s been solid.

2

Is it an automatic? I really hope it’s not a transmission issue.

3

Brennan said:
Is it an automatic? I really hope it’s not a transmission issue.

Nope, it’s a manual.

4

Val said:

Brennan said:
Is it an automatic? I really hope it’s not a transmission issue.

Nope, it’s a manual.

Thank goodness, autos have so many problems.

5

Mine did something similar, turned out to be the dual-clutch… cost me $3,500 to get fixed.

6

Brennan said:
Mine did something similar, turned out to be the dual-clutch… cost me $3,500 to get fixed.

Yikes… I’ll keep my fingers crossed it’s not that.

7

Shuddering like that can sometimes mean a broken motor mount, could be worth checking.

8

Do you have a check engine light on?

9

Oak said:
Do you have a check engine light on?

Nope, no warning lights at all.

10

Val said:

Oak said:
Do you have a check engine light on?

Nope, no warning lights at all.

If it were a misfire, the check engine light would probably be on, so maybe it’s something else.

11

Did they rotate the tires? Could be an issue with wheel balance.

12

Zeek said:
Did they rotate the tires? Could be an issue with wheel balance.

Actually, I did get 4 new tires, but wouldn’t tire balance issues show up across all speeds?

13

Update: Turns out it was the ignition coil… supposedly it broke right after I picked it up from the garage, so I had to pay extra for that. Drives fine now, but it’s a bit suspicious. Won’t be going back to that garage.