I’ve been using my parents’ 2014 Ford Focus from 2021 to 2023. This year, my sister took it on a longer drive and had a scary transmission issue. Since then, no one’s driven it. Now, my mom wants to sell it to me after getting a transmission ‘repair’ done. I could really use a cheap car for my commute between home and college, but I’m worried about how reliable it will be after this repair.
The family mechanic gave my mom a $3500 quote for a rebuild. I’m not very knowledgeable about cars, but my friends are telling me that rebuilding might not solve the issue long term. I’m hoping the car could last me another 6-8 years, but I’m unsure if that’s realistic. What do you guys think?
I’ve got a 2014 Focus, and it depends on the mileage. Do you know if the TCM (transmission control module) has been replaced yet? These transmissions have known issues, so even if you spend $3500, it might not be reliable. If you’re in a good financial spot, I’d recommend looking for another car instead.
@Tully
It’s got 60k miles on it, and no work has been done to it yet. Honestly, I’m not in the best financial situation, but I’ve found other cars in better shape for about the same price as the repair, so I’m considering selling it instead.
@Luca
Lol, yeah I know! But it’s not me—it’s the worn out 1st and 2nd gear synchros. Plus, the clutch pedal feels as soft as a noodle after a long night out.
Lyle said: @Luca
Lol, yeah I know! But it’s not me—it’s the worn out 1st and 2nd gear synchros. Plus, the clutch pedal feels as soft as a noodle after a long night out.
Worn synchros usually make the car grind gears. The soft clutch pedal might mean a leak in the slave or master cylinder.
Lyle said: @Beck
Can you fix those without dropping the transmission?
The clutch master cylinder can be fixed without dropping the trans. The slave cylinder depends on the model—some are inside the bellhousing, so you’d need to remove the transmission.
Lyle said: @Beck
Ugh, that’s why I’ve been driving with a floppy pedal. I’ve got a 2014 SE hatch.
Yep, slave cylinder is inside the bellhousing on that model. It’s rare for it to fail though, and it’s more likely the clutch master, which is on the pedal assembly. Sometimes a worn clutch can also make the pedal feel soft.
Lyle said: @Luca
Lol, yeah I know! But it’s not me—it’s the worn out 1st and 2nd gear synchros. Plus, the clutch pedal feels as soft as a noodle after a long night out.
That’s actually a solid idea. A friend scrapped his Focus because of the auto transmission failure, but we never thought of a manual swap. You’d just need a new gearbox, linkage, and maybe some coding to remove the auto settings.
Honestly, I wouldn’t spend $3500 on this transmission. The car itself might not even be worth that. My 2017 Focus was totaled after $5800 in body damage from a rear-end collision. You could try driving it a bit to see if the transmission will re-learn, but pouring money into this repair feels like a waste.
@Vega
Fair point. My brother-in-law drove it around a bit and didn’t have any issues. But my main need for the car would be for getting back and forth from school, which is about a 5-hour drive, and I don’t feel comfortable taking it in its current state.