Your gearbox may also be unable to make upshifts when accelerating or parking. At one point, separate emails show, a Ford teams frustration boiled over: Internal emails show growing distress and urgency in early 2013. Im tired of looking like the bad guy for repairing all these DPS6 transmissions, when truthfully Fords the bad guy here, said an email sent Feb. 22, 2013, from a Jacksonville, Florida, dealership. 
So its no surprise that Ford urged its team to cut costs associated with expensive warranty repairs. Ford has conducted customer service programs for updates and replacement parts and has extended the warranty on the transmissions. They decline to order a recall. However, you would reset your TCM in your old Chevy or Jeep, thats not going to work with a Ford. Yes. What's more, an extend warranty with no assurances of functional parts simply delays an inevitable cost to owners of these vehicles. Are Wheel Spacers Good or Bad? When engaged in accordance with the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy & Disclaimer, and once an attorney-client relationship has been established as explained below, legal services will be provided by the Stern Law, PLLC, and/or other law firms with which they may affiliate. Responding to lawyers concerns as the transmission was being developed, Ford quality supervisor Johann Kirchhoffer wrote in an email on June 27, 2008, that stalling alone is not hazardous., We have evidence that VW had a recall of a number of transmissions with a potential Unintended Neutral occurring with low volumes, he continued. None of the documents or lawsuits available to the Free Press indicates when the board of directors was briefed about the transmissions or whether board members were involved in decisions to move ahead despite concerns., Now, the ongoing issues are among the challenges facing CEO Jim Hackett, who took the helm in 2017 with Fields departure.. Don't need to have the ignition on to listen to the radio. He bought his 2015 Focus new and started seeing transmission symptoms immediately. If youre experiencing issues with your gearbox then there may be a problem with your transmission control module. The gearbox slips into a different gear when you are not attempting to shift gears. Many owners told the Free Press they have given up hope for a fix after multiple attempts. They knew they had the fuel economy up and they couldnt solve the root cause of the problem., He continued, Everybody working on this project knew it had issues and they were afraid to call the 1-800 snitch line. In this case, the engineer said, design and release engineers, calibration development engineers, manufacturing engineers, customer service engineers and transmission engineers all knew the transmissions were bad but kept it quiet., The quality office at Ford is a separate operation from product development. With this method, you wont have to pay a dime. Finally, as stated above, the transmission has been reset or successfully completed. We were an hour away from home. You can also change the transmission speed by resetting it. Shifted to Park, turned engine off, restarted and re-engaged. In June, she said her2013 Focus had been in the repair shop for six months. I bought it new and it started acting up on me two months after I bought it. (Oil Type & Capacity), Average Cost of Gas Prices by Year (Updated for 2022), Yearly Car Sales Report in the US: (Updated 2022). The closest repair shop is almost two hours south of me.
", To understand what happened, the Free Press reviewed hundreds of pages of internal documents, emails and court filings from the past decade in which Ford engineers and managers discussed concerns and sought to control damage from the dual-clutch transmission, which enabled the company to tout gas mileage near 40 mpg on the highway.. The memo refers to an online presentation also obtained by the Free Press whose participants from Ford included a senior research engineer, internal investigations manager, global automotive safety compliance assistant director, the transmission engineering manager and transportation quality supervisor. Not just a defect that manifested itself after sale, and the manufacturer had no reason to know and an obligation to just fix it. JavaScript is disabled. After a 2011 Fiesta was brought to a Hempstead, New York, service department for moving forward while in reverse, veteran Ford engineers David Lemke and Tom Hamm in Livonia exchanged emails, obtained by the Free Press, that were labeled High importance in early May 2011: Tom Make the call down there ASAP find out more details. 2016-2023, Stern Law, PLLC. 
No deaths are publicly known to have been linked to the defect. That will usually get your TCM to reset to factory conditions for a fresh start. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.Any information you provide will only be used in accordance with our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and Disclaimer. Whether you drive an automatic car or shift gears manually, your vehicle needs a functioning transmission system. The Free Press also analyzed consumer complaints to federal safety officials, finding accounts of 50 previously unreported injuries amid more than 4,300 entries about the unreliable transmissions. In April, lawyers for Fiesta and Focus owners in the Los Angeles-based litigation subpoenaed the deposition of former CEO Fields. Thirty-one exhibits in that set of lawsuits remain out of public view. Were trying to get to the point that we can save a little money, but since I had open heart surgery last year we have no savings and sink a little more down each month with medication costs.. But when the car finally goes, it's like a rocket taking off. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Specifically, Ford became aware that clutches in DPS6 transmissions that were green, or not yet broken in, were exhibiting rattle noises and first gear judder.. My mom passed away and I used the money she left me.. At first, his direct reports suggested more green lights than he thought plausible, and as time went on, yellow and red lights emerged. The car wouldnt start. I took a 45 mph T-bone on my drivers side door.. Fields, who was president of Fords Americas division when the Focus and Fiesta were developed, now is a senior adviser with the industrials team at TPG Capital, a global private equity firm. Its almost paid off. That led to late identification of noise, vibration, launch judder and shift quality issues that resulted in development of faulty hardware and software, the document said., The review is attributed to top engineering and development officers, including Raj Nair, who washead of global product development and chief technical officer. It takes only a matter of minutes to reset a transmission control module. Re-engaged after a minute or so. Team, we will need your help to improve our fourth-quarter performance everyone is getting rich off the dps6. Why Are Windshields Tinted Green or Blue at the Top? If you think your TCM is not working correctly, try to reset it or see a mechanic as driving with a damaged transmission can result in expensive repairs further down the line.
It works, but youll want to try the previous method first. He earned media attention for using the system as part of his weekly management meetings to illustrate the status of projects. And my 23-year-old daughter is on I-96. There are two kinds of dual-clutch transmissions: wet-clutch and dry-clutch. Ford has also taken action in replacing the TCM (Transmission Control Module) of some vehicles in hopes of resolving the issue. Patricia Smith, who lives in Tennessee, told the Free Press she had just that experience. Dealers sent tech feedback to Ford service engineer Jeremiah Cannon:, I follow Fords silly stupid rules and when it comes back its on Ford, wrote a tech. I dont have the money to go and have it looked at. The transmission control module is a key component in your cars transmission system. Ford knowingly put out a garbage inferior product. The Montclair, New Jersey, driver of a 2014 Focus with 1,145 miles on it reported to NHTSA: On June 23, 2014, while traveling on the highway, the subject vehicle stalled without warning, despite attempting to restart the vehicle, the driver was unable. It said use of a dry clutch rather than a wet clutch led to harsh shifting and other issues.. To be absolutely sure, have the entire transmission system thoroughly inspected by qualified experts. He is a longtime contributor to Vehicle History and a member of the site's original content team when it launched. Ford Transmission Problems | Presented by Stern Law, PLLC, Terms of Use, Privacy Policy & Disclaimer, Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and Disclaimer. In 2011, in the very early days of production of DPS6-equipped Focuses, Ford became aware of an issue pertaining to green clutches in DPS6 transmissions. Youre at a stop light and you push on the gas, sometimes it wont go. Fords PowerShift dual clutch transmission was used in 2010.
Following the steps in this article, the whole process of resetting the TCM should only take a few minutes. The DPS6 transmission was treated differently. How Long Can a Car Sit Before The Battery Dies? Like an idiot I left my lights on. Does any of these sound familiar? Because we will only be using our hands for this procedure, we will go through the various phases of the restoration process in detail. In addition, the gearbox is entirely the responsibility of the Ford manufacturer, not the customer. This DPS6 situation didnt impact anybodys career., As years wore on, Ford would make the case in emails, internal documents and an affidavit that if the steering, turn signals and other power worked in the car, then the situation couldnt be considered dangerous. Shewas borrowing a car to get to her job as a store clerk; her husband works ata foundry. Mercedes Blind Spot Assist Inoperative (Causes and Fixes), Mercedes SRS Light Comes On (What It Means and How to Reset), Where Is the ESP Reset Button on a Mercedes? Ford doesnt want to spend money on proper verification of concern and verify concern was resolved and well I damn sure wont spend my money or time to do it for them.
So its no surprise that Ford urged its team to cut costs associated with expensive warranty repairs. Ford has conducted customer service programs for updates and replacement parts and has extended the warranty on the transmissions. They decline to order a recall. However, you would reset your TCM in your old Chevy or Jeep, thats not going to work with a Ford. Yes. What's more, an extend warranty with no assurances of functional parts simply delays an inevitable cost to owners of these vehicles. Are Wheel Spacers Good or Bad? When engaged in accordance with the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy & Disclaimer, and once an attorney-client relationship has been established as explained below, legal services will be provided by the Stern Law, PLLC, and/or other law firms with which they may affiliate. Responding to lawyers concerns as the transmission was being developed, Ford quality supervisor Johann Kirchhoffer wrote in an email on June 27, 2008, that stalling alone is not hazardous., We have evidence that VW had a recall of a number of transmissions with a potential Unintended Neutral occurring with low volumes, he continued. None of the documents or lawsuits available to the Free Press indicates when the board of directors was briefed about the transmissions or whether board members were involved in decisions to move ahead despite concerns., Now, the ongoing issues are among the challenges facing CEO Jim Hackett, who took the helm in 2017 with Fields departure.. Don't need to have the ignition on to listen to the radio. He bought his 2015 Focus new and started seeing transmission symptoms immediately. If youre experiencing issues with your gearbox then there may be a problem with your transmission control module. The gearbox slips into a different gear when you are not attempting to shift gears. Many owners told the Free Press they have given up hope for a fix after multiple attempts. They knew they had the fuel economy up and they couldnt solve the root cause of the problem., He continued, Everybody working on this project knew it had issues and they were afraid to call the 1-800 snitch line. In this case, the engineer said, design and release engineers, calibration development engineers, manufacturing engineers, customer service engineers and transmission engineers all knew the transmissions were bad but kept it quiet., The quality office at Ford is a separate operation from product development. With this method, you wont have to pay a dime. Finally, as stated above, the transmission has been reset or successfully completed. We were an hour away from home. You can also change the transmission speed by resetting it. Shifted to Park, turned engine off, restarted and re-engaged. In June, she said her2013 Focus had been in the repair shop for six months. I bought it new and it started acting up on me two months after I bought it. (Oil Type & Capacity), Average Cost of Gas Prices by Year (Updated for 2022), Yearly Car Sales Report in the US: (Updated 2022). The closest repair shop is almost two hours south of me. ", To understand what happened, the Free Press reviewed hundreds of pages of internal documents, emails and court filings from the past decade in which Ford engineers and managers discussed concerns and sought to control damage from the dual-clutch transmission, which enabled the company to tout gas mileage near 40 mpg on the highway.. The memo refers to an online presentation also obtained by the Free Press whose participants from Ford included a senior research engineer, internal investigations manager, global automotive safety compliance assistant director, the transmission engineering manager and transportation quality supervisor. Not just a defect that manifested itself after sale, and the manufacturer had no reason to know and an obligation to just fix it. JavaScript is disabled. After a 2011 Fiesta was brought to a Hempstead, New York, service department for moving forward while in reverse, veteran Ford engineers David Lemke and Tom Hamm in Livonia exchanged emails, obtained by the Free Press, that were labeled High importance in early May 2011: Tom Make the call down there ASAP find out more details. 2016-2023, Stern Law, PLLC. No deaths are publicly known to have been linked to the defect. That will usually get your TCM to reset to factory conditions for a fresh start. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.Any information you provide will only be used in accordance with our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and Disclaimer. Whether you drive an automatic car or shift gears manually, your vehicle needs a functioning transmission system. The Free Press also analyzed consumer complaints to federal safety officials, finding accounts of 50 previously unreported injuries amid more than 4,300 entries about the unreliable transmissions. In April, lawyers for Fiesta and Focus owners in the Los Angeles-based litigation subpoenaed the deposition of former CEO Fields. Thirty-one exhibits in that set of lawsuits remain out of public view. Were trying to get to the point that we can save a little money, but since I had open heart surgery last year we have no savings and sink a little more down each month with medication costs.. But when the car finally goes, it's like a rocket taking off. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Specifically, Ford became aware that clutches in DPS6 transmissions that were green, or not yet broken in, were exhibiting rattle noises and first gear judder.. My mom passed away and I used the money she left me.. At first, his direct reports suggested more green lights than he thought plausible, and as time went on, yellow and red lights emerged. The car wouldnt start. I took a 45 mph T-bone on my drivers side door.. Fields, who was president of Fords Americas division when the Focus and Fiesta were developed, now is a senior adviser with the industrials team at TPG Capital, a global private equity firm. Its almost paid off. That led to late identification of noise, vibration, launch judder and shift quality issues that resulted in development of faulty hardware and software, the document said., The review is attributed to top engineering and development officers, including Raj Nair, who washead of global product development and chief technical officer. It takes only a matter of minutes to reset a transmission control module. Re-engaged after a minute or so. Team, we will need your help to improve our fourth-quarter performance everyone is getting rich off the dps6. Why Are Windshields Tinted Green or Blue at the Top? If you think your TCM is not working correctly, try to reset it or see a mechanic as driving with a damaged transmission can result in expensive repairs further down the line. It works, but youll want to try the previous method first. He earned media attention for using the system as part of his weekly management meetings to illustrate the status of projects. And my 23-year-old daughter is on I-96. There are two kinds of dual-clutch transmissions: wet-clutch and dry-clutch. Ford has also taken action in replacing the TCM (Transmission Control Module) of some vehicles in hopes of resolving the issue. Patricia Smith, who lives in Tennessee, told the Free Press she had just that experience. Dealers sent tech feedback to Ford service engineer Jeremiah Cannon:, I follow Fords silly stupid rules and when it comes back its on Ford, wrote a tech. I dont have the money to go and have it looked at. The transmission control module is a key component in your cars transmission system. Ford knowingly put out a garbage inferior product. The Montclair, New Jersey, driver of a 2014 Focus with 1,145 miles on it reported to NHTSA: On June 23, 2014, while traveling on the highway, the subject vehicle stalled without warning, despite attempting to restart the vehicle, the driver was unable. It said use of a dry clutch rather than a wet clutch led to harsh shifting and other issues.. To be absolutely sure, have the entire transmission system thoroughly inspected by qualified experts. He is a longtime contributor to Vehicle History and a member of the site's original content team when it launched. Ford Transmission Problems | Presented by Stern Law, PLLC, Terms of Use, Privacy Policy & Disclaimer, Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and Disclaimer. In 2011, in the very early days of production of DPS6-equipped Focuses, Ford became aware of an issue pertaining to green clutches in DPS6 transmissions. Youre at a stop light and you push on the gas, sometimes it wont go. Fords PowerShift dual clutch transmission was used in 2010.
Following the steps in this article, the whole process of resetting the TCM should only take a few minutes. The DPS6 transmission was treated differently. How Long Can a Car Sit Before The Battery Dies? Like an idiot I left my lights on. Does any of these sound familiar? Because we will only be using our hands for this procedure, we will go through the various phases of the restoration process in detail. In addition, the gearbox is entirely the responsibility of the Ford manufacturer, not the customer. This DPS6 situation didnt impact anybodys career., As years wore on, Ford would make the case in emails, internal documents and an affidavit that if the steering, turn signals and other power worked in the car, then the situation couldnt be considered dangerous. Shewas borrowing a car to get to her job as a store clerk; her husband works ata foundry. Mercedes Blind Spot Assist Inoperative (Causes and Fixes), Mercedes SRS Light Comes On (What It Means and How to Reset), Where Is the ESP Reset Button on a Mercedes? Ford doesnt want to spend money on proper verification of concern and verify concern was resolved and well I damn sure wont spend my money or time to do it for them.