I’ve got a 2018 Ford Focus Titanium, and everything seemed fine until today. I was driving in stop-and-go traffic in Lubbock, Texas. When the light turned green, I hit the gas, but instead of accelerating, the engine revved, and then the transmission finally caught. This happened again at the next red light. I managed to limp it over to the Ford dealership, and they told me it would be five days before they could look at it.
They suggested I could drive it home and bring it back later, so I tried to restart the car. It wouldn’t start in park, but it did in neutral. When I tried to put it in reverse, nothing happened. It went forward a foot in drive before stalling completely. No warning lights, no codes, nothing on the dash. Even trying to switch to S mode didn’t work.
I’ve had the car for just over two years, and I still owe $10K on it. It’s perfect for me otherwise, and I really love it, but now I’m wondering how screwed I am. Should I brace for a huge repair bill?
Have you run a diagnostic for trouble codes (DTC)? Not every issue will trigger a check engine light (CEL). If the problem is with the TCM, Ford might cover it under the extended warranty program (14M02). Also, how’s your battery? A weak battery can cause TCM problems, especially in colder weather.
@Nile
Battery tested fine about four months ago. I know it’s the dreaded DCT automatic, but I’ve never had any issues with shuddering. I’ve read you shouldn’t baby these cars and need to accelerate firmly, which I’ve done. Hopefully, it’s just the TCM, and the warranty covers it.
@Nile
Oh, I get it now—CEL is check engine light. Ha! No, there’s been nothing wrong with the engine as far as I can tell. It was around 50°F when I was driving, so not really that cold here.
Did you buy it used? CEL stands for check engine light, and DTC means diagnostic trouble code. CEL doesn’t always mean the engine is the issue—it just means the powertrain control module (PCM) detected something off. Do you have any warranty left? If you’re just under 100k miles, there might still be coverage.
@Miller
I bought it used from Carmax about 2.5 years ago. I’m not sure about any current warranty, but I’ll find out next week when the dealership checks it out. I’m just hoping it’s not going to cost me $4k since I’m still upside down on the loan.
I had the same issue earlier this year—no start unless in neutral, no reverse, barely shifting. Ford fixed it for about $3,600. It turned out to be the clutch. Then, a few months later, another part failed, which cost less than $300. You might have to push them to cover it under warranty, though.
@Kaius
That’s what I’m afraid of. Did you get any warranty coverage on the repair? I love this car overall, but I can’t afford for it to become a money pit.
Zed said: @Kaius
That’s what I’m afraid of. Did you get any warranty coverage on the repair? I love this car overall, but I can’t afford for it to become a money pit.
Parts and labor cost me that much, but I’m not sure about the warranty on the repair. I’ve had my Focus for five years and dealt with coolant reservoir replacements, water pump issues, and multiple batteries. If you can, get a second opinion from a transmission specialist in your area.
@Kaius
I’ll see what the dealership says midweek and go from there. I haven’t had nearly as many issues as you, thankfully. If it comes to it, I’ll probably take it to Apache Transmission here in Lubbock—they have a good reputation. Fingers crossed!