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Ford expert and experienced mechanic YouTuber John Ross from the channel WatchJRGo recently revealed what happened after repeated problems he had with a Ford dealership over his girlfriend's 2015 Ford Focus that suffered from a common problem numerous other Focus owners have experienced―a failing Dual Clutch Transmission.
We are here to talk about another unfortunate Ford story… it is of course that 2015 Ford Focus with the Powershift dual-clutch transmission…it could be probably the most failed transmission in history
Ford's Powershift Transmission
Although designed to provide better fuel economy and seamless gear changes, the Powershift Transmission used in the 2012-2016 Ford Focus model has proven to have reliability issues: Owners have complained of shuddering and rough shifting during acceleration.
Referred to as "Dual Clutch Transmission," it uses two separate clutches―one for odd-numbered gears and one for even-numbered gears. The design was intended to allow seamless gear changes by pre-selecting the next gear while disengaging the current one.
Ahh, the best laid plans of mice and men, and so forth, which led to recalls and class-action lawsuits.
Reportedly, much of the problem is due to its TCM (Transmission Control Module). Unfortunately, even if you can find a replacement TCM for the repair, it is prohibitively expensive for aging Ford Focus models.
Ford fixed a lot of them…but they did not fix mine
Hence, this is the root of Mr. Ross's and his girlfriend's problems.
A Denied Warranty Claim
The problem started in 2023 when his girlfriend's Ford Focus with a Powershift transmission developed problems after just under 70,000 miles.
Seeking help from a Ford dealership, her warranty was denied when the dealership ignored the possibility that the TCM was the problem, and instead blamed the failing transmission on worn clutches which would not be covered by the Focus's extended warranty program.
Reportedly, the codes the dealership garage scanned were not TCM-specific, despite the car showing the familiar signs and symptoms of TCM failure known to plague Ford models with a Dual Clutch Transmission.
…of course, I was like, well, the TCM's bad, and if the TCM's bad, Ford takes care of the problem, and the TCM is bad on all of them. I don't care what anybody says: the TCM has failed, will fail, or is in the process of failing on all the power shifts. And I don't think they've ever fixed it with revisions or anything like that. It seems like you put a new one in, and then eventually, it just dies as well.
After repeated attempts by Mr. Ross failed to convince Ford to own up to a repair that would be covered by an extended warranty based on the known TCM problem, he had no recourse but to remove, inspect, and replace the clutch plates.
I called Ford, and I was like if this car was 60,000 miles and has failed clutches in it, it was something else. Ford disagreed, and we went through the whole case process with Ford customer care, and eventually, they said, "Nope, it's your fault." Which it clearly was not. But I took the car back home, we threw it on the lift, and we pulled the transmission out, and we looked at the clutches
The Video: What Mr. Ross Found and Wants Others to Know
In his recent video about his problems with Ford, Mr. Ross reports that he disassembled the transmission and found that the clutches were damaged and that maybe Ford was right about everything after all.
However, after installing new clutches and the Ford Focus appeared to be driving once again without any problems, in only three months afterward, the same signs and symptoms of a failing TCM became evident―indicating that it was a TCM failure as the source of the problem from the very beginning of this saga.
It lasted 3 months and started doing it again with a brand new set of clutches in it. That means, less than 2,000 or 3,000 miles. So, it was TCM failure from the start. It was never the physical clutches. It was always, always, always exactly what Ford argued it wasn't
Because replacement TCMs are hard to find and expensive when found, the Ford Focus is dead, leaving him and his girlfriend, "Hung, left out to dry."
Sometimes Ford takes care of you, and sometimes they hang you out to dry like they did on that Focus
The message from the host of the video is a warning to anyone considering buying a used Ford Focus to be aware of its Powershift Transmision history and his story. In fact, used Ford Focus cars can be found advertised quite cheaply on Facebook Marketplace.
You can hop on Marketplace any day of the week and find a million power shift focuses across the country with bad transmissions for like 1,000 bucks.
Was This a Crank Video?
The video is hardly the voice of a single unhappy Ford couple. The evidence, from the number of online reports and comments, is very convincing that the Ford Focus with a Powershift Transmission is one best avoided.
Which has been distressing for Ford Fans.
The dealers, combined with Ford's unwillingness to work with folks on known issues, have led us away. I still have a Ford truck, but man, I am so disappointed with this track record over the last decade
As stated in the video comments by @KevinDouglas111 who shared that he and his wife, too, had transmission problems with their Ford Focus and difficulties with other Ford models and their dealership when it came to repairs.
For additional details about Mr. Ross and his girlfriend's Ford Odyssey (See what I did there?!), the video is provided below for your convenience.
FORD Hung Me Out To Dry On This Focus... Then It Broke Again (1 Year Update)
For more about problems car owners have had with dealerships, here is an unbelievable one about a Car Dealer Who Scams Customer with a $120,000 KIA and another about a Customer's Car Taken For A Joyride And Wrecked By A Car Dealership Employee.
If you have a Ford Focus story to share or one about your dissatisfaction with Ford, let us know about it in the comments section below.
Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati who currently researches and works on restoring older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. He also reports on modern cars (including EVs) with a focus on DIY mechanics, buying and using tools, and other related topical automotive repair news. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites as well as on Facebook and his automotive blog "Zen and the Art of DIY Car Repair" for useful daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.
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Image Source: Deposit Photos
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