I have a 2016 Ford Focus SE automatic that I bought for $4,846, but I didn’t know about the transmission issues these cars are notorious for. Now the transmission is shuddering, and a dealership only offered me $950 for it, saying it’s basically a total loss.
I’m planning to take it to a transmission shop for a free diagnostic, but I’m not sure what they can even do since these transmissions are bad by design. My question is, how can I sell this car to a private buyer? I know I have to disclose the transmission issue, but would anyone even buy it after hearing that? Looking for advice, please help!
You should join this Discord group: https://discord.gg/4espetAE. They specialize in these transmissions and have a lot of people looking for cars with trans issues to fix. The shudder usually means it needs a new clutch. Post the codes and symptoms there, and they’ll help. I bought a Fiesta with clutch issues for $1,200, and people have driven with the shudder for 25k miles without it fully breaking down. It might be worth waiting to see what the Discord folks say.
Drew said:
Why would you sell this to someone else knowing it’s a problem? It’s like saying, ‘Here, take my headache.’
I get that. I had my Focus up for $1,500 on Marketplace, but when a young mom showed up with her kids to buy it, I couldn’t go through with it. I decided to keep it and just see how long it lasts. I’m on my fourth clutch and third set of forks and actuators, and it’s got 360k miles now. It’s become a game to see how much further it’ll go before it dies for good.
@Denny
Yeah, I replaced the TCM on mine, and they told me it’s fine to drive until it dies completely. I plan to just drive it into the ground. Shame, though—I actually like the car otherwise.
Just list it on Marketplace for $2,000. Someone will buy it no matter the transmission issues. Check what similar cars are going for in your area to price it competitively.
Unfortunately, this is a hard lesson learned: always research a car before buying it. I’d recommend taking it to a Ford dealership. These aren’t normal automatics, and most independent shops don’t understand how to fix them properly. Ford might offer some warranty help depending on your mileage and the specific issue.
If you decide to sell, you’ll likely have to accept a big loss. $1,000 is probably fair. Or you could try listing it on Facebook, but that feels like passing the problem to someone else.
@Flann
Taking it to Ford is good advice. They extended the TCM warranty to 10 years/150,000 miles, but that only covers the TCM and not the clutches. If it’s the clutches, expect $2.5k from a local shop or $4.5k at Ford. Selling it might be the better option unless you want to sink more money into it.
Have you considered a manual conversion? If it’s not too expensive, it could be a better option than trying to sell it with these issues.
As for selling, you could list it as a mechanic’s special and be upfront about the issues. Some buyers might still take it if they can fix it cheaply. Not disclosing the problems would be unethical, even if you weren’t informed when you bought it.
@Fox
Thanks for the advice! A manual conversion sounds great, but I can’t afford it right now. The car still drives with a shudder, but I don’t want to screw someone over like what happened to me. That said, selling might be my only option.
@Blaze
You could try fixing the grounding points in the engine bay first. The factory grounds are terrible and can cause low voltage issues, which mess with the TCM. Clean the grounds and reconnect them properly with some dielectric grease, then reset the transmission. It helped smooth out the jerky starts on my 2013 Focus after a few hundred miles.