I was in a rush to buy a car for work travel and didn’t do my homework until after I signed the papers. Ended up with a 2014 Ford Focus SE with 79k miles… and now I realize the mistake I made.
Selling or trading isn’t an option right now, so I just have to deal with it. From what I’ve read, Ford covers the faulty TCM up to 150k miles, but there’s a long waitlist.
I called my local dealer, and surprisingly, they have one in stock. Since I have the money, would it be a good idea to replace the TCM now before I start traveling? Lesson learned—ALWAYS research before buying.
If they have a new one and it’s guaranteed, absolutely replace it. These things are hard to come by. When I got rid of mine, I was #45,000 on the waitlist… heard it was up to 75,000 before I sold the car.
Sorry you’re dealing with this. It’s easily one of the worst cars Ford ever made. Tons of articles out there warning about it. Avoid if you can.
If you get the new TCM, start driving the car like it’s a manual—it’ll help a lot.
When you hit around 3,000-3,500 RPM, lift off the gas for a second to let it shift, then get back on the throttle. This helps keep the clutches from overheating, which is what causes most of the transmission problems in these cars.
A lot of people have managed to get their DPS6 transmissions past 150k miles by driving like this. Basically, don’t baby it too much, especially on the highway.
Just so you know, you’ll have to pay out of pocket unless the TCM has already failed and is throwing a code.
The extended coverage (FSA 14M02) lasts until 6/30/25 with unlimited miles, but Ford only replaces it if it has failed. It’s not a recall where you can just walk in and get a new one.
I’m a Ford transmission tech, and people come in all the time expecting a free TCM replacement, only to leave mad when they find out it doesn’t work that way.
My 2012 was fine for years… then last month, the TCM failed at a stoplight in the middle of a high-speed highway. Scared the hell out of me. Got it replaced and sold the car within a week.
Make sure they check the VIN to see if it’s already been done. If it hasn’t, go for it. One day these cars work fine, and the next, they leave you stranded. Better to get ahead of it while you can.
Marlow said:
The big question is: how is it driving right now, and what does the warranty history show?
So far, it’s driving perfectly. I stopped by Ford and got a warranty history—TCM was reprogrammed in 2016, and in 2020, the transmission was removed and the clutch was cleaned.
If the car isn’t showing any transmission warnings, I wouldn’t even worry about it yet.
I’ve had my 2014 for seven years. The only issue I had was needing a TCM replacement about four years in when I got a ‘Transmission Overheat’ warning. Ford replaced it for free (as they should). Other than that, the car has been pretty low-maintenance for me.
Yeah, the shifting can be annoying in traffic, but if you got a good deal on it, I wouldn’t stress too much. I drive 100 miles a day, five days a week. Would I buy another one? No. But I got a great deal, and it’s done its job.