Automatic Transmission Control Module problems of the 2012 Ford Focus - part 1

On Friday [xxx], I was at a stop sign waiting to turn right, when it was my turn to go my car would not move at all, forward or back, the regular lights on the dash board were still on. I put my blinkers on and had all cars go around me. I turned my car off and then back on, that's when the check engine light came on. After 8 minutes of turning the car off and on, I was able to move backwards and forwards I was able to drive. I stopped at autozone on the way to get my car scanned. I received a report with a bunch of p-codes. I made it home, I called Ford, they didn't have any immediate appointments. The closet Ford dealership to me says they don't work on cars over 10 years old. I made an appointment at firestone for Saturday morning, they got the same p-codes and said they were all transmission problems and recommended I go to a Ford dealership or a transmission specialists. On my way home from firestone, first my car speed felt like it was speeding up on it's on and then my car slowed down tremendously and I has to pull over, again I put my blinkers on. After 5 minutes I was able to move again, I was close to home. My car moved so slow feeling like it would stop any time, I drove with my blinkers on and made it home. On Monday my car wouldn't start up at all. A Ford that would take my car didn't have an appointment for 2 weeks. So I made an appointment with aamco for Tuesday and I had my car towed there because it wouldn't turn on. My safety was put at risk because I could have been driving at normal speed and could've slowed down out of know where and a car could have slammed into the back or side of me. Ammco says it my dual input clutch assembly, actuators, forks and tcm this is my first time ever seeing the check engine light on [xxx] Ford's tcm extended warranty expired [xxx]. I called Ford's corporate customer service for help with diagnosis and repair but they said there was nothing they could do. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I own a 2012 Ford Focus with approximately 51,000 miles. The transmission warning light came on, and I was informed by a repair shop that the transmission control module (tcm) and gears need repair. This vehicle uses the powershift dual-clutch transmission (dps6), which has been the subject of a class-action lawsuit and multiple extended warranties due to widespread failures. The car exhibits jerking, delayed acceleration, and loss of power, which create dangerous driving conditions, particularly when merging into traffic or crossing intersections. Ford informed me I am outside the warranty period and refused to assist, despite this being a well-documented, recurring safety issue for which they have admitted fault in other cases. I am reporting this issue because it poses a serious safety hazard, and I believe the tcm defect should be subject to a mandatory recall. Ford is shifting the burden of a known manufacturing defect onto consumers, and this needs to be addressed before someone is injured.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the tcm, purge valve, and clutch assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The tcm and purge valve were repaired under warranty. The clutch assembly was not repaired or replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for further assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 128,000.

The contact's mother owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his mother was driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was slipping, and the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact's mother pulled over and had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic and the dealer, who determined that the transmission control module (tcm) had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to customer satisfaction program: 14m02 (transmission control module extended warranty coverage); however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Transmission shudders and struggles to shift gears due to sticking clutch. This causes a dangerous delay in transmission engagement. (numerous occasions without specific dates. ) I have previously had the tcm reprogrammed multiple times. ( 8 or 9 times) the car still does not drive properly. I have brought it in to 2 Ford dealerships to have the Ford customer satisfaction program completed. Both dealerships refused to honor the Ford csp. (five star Ford of north richland texas and southwest Ford of weatherford texas).

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle was unable to properly shift gear. Additionally, the transmission began to lose motive power. The message that the transmission was overheating was displayed. The vehicle was able to restart after 30 minutes. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed as a failure with the transmission control module and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the dealer stated that the shift module also needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 112,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that upon depression of the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated and jerked with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and was diagnosed with a defective motor mount. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with a defective transmission. The contact was informed by the independent mechanic that they did not have the tools to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that the tcm (transmission control module) was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the message “transmission overheating – pullover and wait 5 minutes before continuing to drive” was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked while driving at various speeds, the transmission failed to shift properly. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from idling, the vehicle jerked abnormally before accelerating. The contact stated that occasionally the rpm became elevated; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the transmission control module (tcm) had failed and the dual-clutch system, a and b, was faulty and needed to be replaced. Additionally, the seals on the transmission had failed, causing transmission fluid to leak from the transmission. The contact was informed that the tcm, dual-clutch system, and seals need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and provided the contact with a reference number for the call. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Took vehicle to Ford dealership after being seen at transmission shop. Previous transmission shop said tcm was bad as well as clutch. Took car to Ford for tcm recall, they said it wasn't broken and refused to replace it. The did say clutch is broken and needs replacement which Ford is not willing to help with on cost.

Tcm and clutch system. I originally purchased this vehicle in 2014, and from the moment I purchased this vehicle until now, I have taken this vehicle to Ford dealership numerous times for the same two reasons, the tcm and clutch system. The vehicle is currently at 79k miles. When at a complete stop and I go to accelerate the whole system shutters and vibrates violently and now the most recent, the transmission stays stuck on 2nd gear and when trying to shift the next gear, it shifts violently hard to 3rd gear or just skips 3rd gear altogether, and there's moments where it just won't go past 2nd gear. I accelerate slowly and all of a sudden the car will just take off on me. I had a new clutch system installed in February of 2022 and I already need a new clutch system in August of 2023. In this time frame I have only put in 6,000 miles. The repairs in February of 2022 were not covered under warranty and so this work cost me $3,000. Here I am 1 year and 5 months later and I'm being told I need this whole new system again and it will be a $4,000 job with Ford dealership. How does Ford even allow this to happen? we have another vehicle in the household that is a 2007 Toyota corolla with 140,000 mi and runs brand new. The work with my Ford Focus is never ending! I also think it is unfair knowing that people still own these vehicles and they know these issues and how dangerous they are and they are doing nothing to help the consumer. The fact that I would have to dish out another $4,000 to keep this car for a repair I just did 1 year and 5 months ago is selfish and insane! I don't know who else to reach out to about this as I have already reached out to Ford and nothing can be done.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 5 mph the vehicle began to shake and the gear shift would not move into the reverse position. The service engine light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the tcm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

August 3, 2023, vehicle bucking from 1rpm to 2 rpm. No engine lights came on. At every stop and go vehicle hesitated. I was driving a relative to a post operation doctor visit. Went to dealer following day. They could not inspect the car. Gave appointment for 5 days later. Recall letter I received is for the tcm/pcm-transmission/power control module. Dealer says they have vehicles waiting 2 and 3 years for this part. If this is my issue they cannot provide me with a time frame for getting the issue corrected. When I drove to the dealer the engine light did come on and it continues to be on. Car can leave me stranded or vehicle may jerk forward even with the brake applied are some of the different issues that can happen.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle with the vehicle idling, the “transmission overheated – pull over” message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the clutch actuator inside the tcm had failed needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the vehicle remained. The contact was then informed that vehicle failed to start, and the battery was replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 169,654.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, the vehicle failed to shift gear as designed. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission control module (tcm), resulting in damage to the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 119,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle seemed to shift into neutral and failed to respond. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the service engine message was displayed. The contact pulled over to allow the engine to cool down. The vehicle was restarted and taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission control module needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the transmission failure caused the clutch to fail. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that she received notification of the NHTSA campaign number: 13v523000 (power train). The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair. The contact was then informed that the recall was completed and retained the vehicle however, the contact stated that while driving approximately 10 minutes away from the dealer at an undisclosed speed, she heard an abnormal sound while on an incline. The contact then stated that she allowed the vehicle to drift back into the street while shifted in the drive (d) position. The contact then stated that she depressed the brake pedal and shifted in the reverse (r) position when a message displayed on the instrument panel indicating to “pull over, the transmission overheating. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the tcm (transmission control module) failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was current at the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,511.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the clutch and transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered an extended warranty on the tcm but offered no assistance with repairing the transmission. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while at a stop light, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond. The message that the transmission had overheated was displayed. The contact was able to push the vehicle off the roadway. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the part was on backorder. The parts arrived and the transmission control module was replaced, but the failure recurred. The dealer informed the contact that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact about an extended warranty coverage. The failure mileage was approximately 146,000.

I was driving about 45mph when the car tried to downshift then upshift and it stalled in the middle of the road. The transmission light came on right as it stalled along with the traction control light. Which the traction control light it made me swerve into oncoming traffic almost causing an accident. So I got it to the opposite side of the road and went to put it in park and it lunged forward while crooked at the same time almost hitting a passing car. Over a year ago I had called a dealership about the tcm because every great while the car would shudder but nothing severe and was told the 10 yr 150000 mile recal didn't fit my car even though it was still within the 10 yr part but had 180000 on it. I ended up having the car towed to my mechanic since once I restarted it after a half hour wait before it would turn over tellingmy. No key was detected I turned the car around and went about a quarter of a mile down the road and it stalled on me and wouldn't go into park and I rolled down a hill towards kids getting dropped off by the bus after school let out. I ended up being able to turn it without power steering working into an abandoned house driveway. About 100 feet from a kid. Ford wants 400 to even diagnose it if I can get it towed there. The car should have been fixed under warranty last year but Ford always finds a way out of fixing their vehicles. I have a 2012 Ford Focus se.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact was able to exit the highway and stopped the vehicle. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and was able to regain vehicle functionality. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle. The contact stated that vehicle was repaired; however, the contact was not notified of the cause for the failure. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken back to the same dealer several times and the contact was advised that the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact received a post card from the manufacturer for two manufacturer recalls for the tcm: (14m02) and canister purge valve (24n07); however, after calling the dealer, the contact was informed that the vehicle was no longer covered under warranty for the manufacturer recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.

I was traveling in heavy traffic on an interstate through akron, ohio when my car, which I had in cruise, suddenly shifted in neutral causing the engine to redline since it was in cruise but also resulted in a sudden drop in speed which about caused the person behind me to run into the rear of my car. I had to coast thru traffic to the side of the road to shut the car off and restart it which allowed me to continue, but at a slow speed as the transmission would not shift gears properly. Isn’t it time to make Ford fix all these Focus cars once and for all? I’ve already put a new tcm in and now I’m looking at a second one in hope that it fixes it enough to trade it in, but it will at a loss because dealers know of the problem and won’t give you anything for them because they can’t sell them either.

Tcm transmission malfunction light came on. We just bought the car two months ago. Have had it in the shop more than it has been driven. We have and extended warranty but they said it would cost us out of pocket and we haven’t even driven this a long distance and has two year warranty or 24,000 miles.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. Additionally, the vehicle failed to reverse while the transmission was shifted into reverse(r). The check engine warning light and traction control warning light were illuminated. The contact related the failure to customer satisfaction program: 14m02 (automatic transmission control module). The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the vehicle warranty coverage period had been exceeded. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

The clutch was replaced on my 2012 bought new Ford Focus sel. That cost was $3000. After it was replaced within 5 miles of driving down the road the tcm module ae8z-7z369-f starting flashing warnings on the engine light, the transmission went to neutral and engine revved. I coul not drive and had to pull over for safety. The unit keeps shifting up and down or out of gear at any speed and is dangerous to drive. The tcm module is 6 months back ordered and Ford does not supply the part itself anymore. Has been confirmed issue by transmission repair shop. I am at risk of getting hit if the car does not work. Or hitting someone when it jerks forward when stopped and started.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 35 mph and shifting gear, the transmission delayed while shifting to the next gear with the "transmission failure" message displayed. The contact stopped on the side of the road and shut off and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle started operating normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the transmission control module (tcm) needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 13v523000 (power train). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. The contact was referred to NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was 77,000.

The car would not go out of first gear when driving it home and put my son in a dangerous position on the road. We had to have it towed to the dealership(hiller Ford) from our house. It was determined that it was the tcm (transmission control module) needed replacing and the car thinks it is in gear so it would then not even start. It is undrivable. This is a known problem by Ford and they did a customer satisfaction 10 year extended coverage if something happened which expired on our car 7/2/2022. The tcm is on back order with some stating they have been waiting 6 months and still not arrived. We bought the car used from a Ford dealership with a certified pre-owned warranty. We never received anything from Ford regarding this issue and it was never recalled. There was a class action lawsuit but we did not receive any information from Ford on this. I talked to Ford and they opened a case, but said there was no recourse. The dealership also told me that they have had cars with the tcm replaced that failed again and required further transmission work. There were no warning messages or problems prior to the failure.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that on several occasions, when the vehicle was shifted into gear, the engine revved and the rpm increased rapidly without acceleration then shifted into a different gear. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 mph, the transmission overheated. The transmission temperature and the check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic that the tcm malfunctioned and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced rough driving with the transmission fault message displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it lost motive power and the mechanic jumpstarted the vehicle. The mechanic related the failure to technical service bulletin: 14m02-s5 (transmission control module extended warranty coverage) however, the vehicle was not covered under the TSB. The mechanic advised the daughter to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the tcm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

Failure of the tcm.

The contact's son 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the rpm reeved up and the vehicle decelerated independently. Additionally, the vehicle started shuddering. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's son was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact's continued driving at lower speeds. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred increasingly. The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics where it was diagnosed that the powertrain control module (pcm) needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under Ford transmission control module extended warranty coverage campaign number: 14m02 as it had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while stopped in traffic the vehicle lost all power and the warning message " transmission failure" illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the tcm module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and a case was filed. The failure mileage was not available.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle previously had the tcm replaced; however, the failure recurred, causing the vehicle to hesitate during acceleration while the accelerator pedal was depressed and then stall. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the tcm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with NHTSA. The failure mileage was 132,155.

Was driving home came to 4 way stop when I tried to accelerate the car wouldn’t shift out 1 gear. Car was towed to steve rogers Ford 8/5/22. Where their vehicle still sits waiting from a tcm ( transmission control module). No one will provide a loaner or rental which the part is on infamous backorder.

My dad n me bought a used 2012 Ford Focus titanium from a local Ford dealer. Had some odd noises when we got it figured from sitting. Well it's been in the dealership for the noise n other problems. The one service guy said they were going to replace the clutch due to throw out bearing and clutch n other things going bad with in 45 days. We brought it back 2 more times never could figure it out,then finally the 3rd time which we pay for an extended warranty from Fords 3rd party company called gwc warranty company and said they would not replace anything with trans or clutch or assy due to it being external which they want $1700. But the guy who we spoke to (don't recall name) said they take care of it but now no one wants to fix it they already got money out of us for down time n rental and other fixes. It was a pre existing condition and we want someone to fix it and pay for it. They kept giving running around for a different car more money down and we are living day by day with money. Ford or this dealer doesn't seem to care about safety or people getting hurt if someone does or car breaks. So we're looking to see what can be done. Which it's been a big problem for years with these cars and the tcm has been flashed and replace two times the roof leaked, dash has mold. . Etc, we needed a car we already put new tires, brakes, many other parts into it and the one thing they won't do is fix what they said. And the clutch connect on other side of transmission it's the power shift transmission.

The vehicle needs pcm and tcm replacement. Stalls while braking or apply pressure to gas peddle while driving, faulty gear changing mechanism has issues switching to proper gear due to the underlying problems above. It has turned off while driving on the interstate without warning. May instantly stop while applying minor pressure to brakes. Has been inspected by mechanic and autozone employees confirming the issues. It is unsafe due to the instant stopping or applying to breaks behind another driver almost hitting them or causing someone to hit from behind. Furthermore, inaccurate gear changing causes an increase rapidly in speed or very slow in speed which could lead to accidents.