UPDATE: So, we got the car fixed...for awhile anyways. The grinding issue ended up being the front main support bearing (which the tech seemed to imply was basically the throw out bearing?). Anyways, now about week after driving the vehicle and around 2500 total miles on the car, the sound is back and once again, they're giving us the go around that the noise for now is normal. I'm an engineer, been around plenty of transmissions, and once again I'm holding my ground this is not right.
Interestingly enough, the tech seemed to act like he knew something was wrong not just in our car, but in the Focus line up entirely with this transmission but that he really wasn't in a position to admit it yet. He just kept repeating, these things would make some weird noises and that it's not really an automatic transmission, because it's a double clutch manua that just doesn't require manual shifting...my Cobra and junker driver manual don't sound like this though.
He also noted that there was another car (just one of many) that he had in the shop with a burned up clutch and that it was a 2012 model. I inquired how that other Focus in the shop with only 17000 miles could already have a burned up clutch, especially since it was an auto transmission and should technically not allow itself to burn the clutch out. He answered it wasn't really an auto transmission, and that it's a manual transmission shifted by a computer. Again, I said, why would Ford allow the computer to shift it in such a way that burns up clutches. He thought for a moment then said, Ford is constantly reprogramming things and will probably have a program to correct the issue. End of story, we're supposed to wait until the noise gets worse...but this is how it started last time.
I'm at the point I think Ford has a serious issue with either the throw out bearings or their computer programming for shifting. I just don't see how it should be normal for Ford to have to constanly be updated their transmission shifting program so it doesn't burn up clutches. Shouldn't I technically be able to drive the car as hard or as normal as I want, but the computer never let the transmission get to a point it burns a clutch up.
ORIGINAL ISSUE: I know this is a ST area of the forum, but I'm really hoping you can help. Been a member here as an owner of a 01 Cobra and don't really want to join another forum just to get some opinions.
Anyways, a couple weeks ago my wife and I purchased a brand new 2013 Ford Focus Titanium. Gotta say, I'm pretty impressed - at least until we started having some transmission problems at 500 miles on the odometer.
When we bought the car, the transmission was super smooth and super quiet - at least I thought so. In fact, I was so used to having really, really firm shifts in the last several cars we owned this seemed almost weird how smooth it was. But the salesman said that was one of the great things about this 6spd transmission and double clutch yadda yadda.
But then today, my wife calls and says, "Hey, the transmission is making this God awful grinding noise into and throughout 2nd gear!"
Now I get online, and it seems like it's a fairly common issue and one a lot of people are complaining about. But unfortunately, it also looks like the vast majority of dealerships are giving the run around that this is normal. As an engineer myself and having been around a lot of cars, this simply isn't normal. I took it out for a drive and sure enough, it grinds in 2nd gear and doesn't seem to have the giddy up until the grinding stops. My beater car sounds healthier when shifting into second.
Just wanted to see if anyone had heard anything about this, had any ideas how I should approach this with Ford to avoid the runaround and get it resolved. Bought it from Charles Gabus Ford in Des Moines...
Here's video - noise occurs roughly 20 seconds and 50 seconds.
[youtube_browser]E3-bLbZp6kA[/youtube_browser]
Interestingly enough, the tech seemed to act like he knew something was wrong not just in our car, but in the Focus line up entirely with this transmission but that he really wasn't in a position to admit it yet. He just kept repeating, these things would make some weird noises and that it's not really an automatic transmission, because it's a double clutch manua that just doesn't require manual shifting...my Cobra and junker driver manual don't sound like this though.
He also noted that there was another car (just one of many) that he had in the shop with a burned up clutch and that it was a 2012 model. I inquired how that other Focus in the shop with only 17000 miles could already have a burned up clutch, especially since it was an auto transmission and should technically not allow itself to burn the clutch out. He answered it wasn't really an auto transmission, and that it's a manual transmission shifted by a computer. Again, I said, why would Ford allow the computer to shift it in such a way that burns up clutches. He thought for a moment then said, Ford is constantly reprogramming things and will probably have a program to correct the issue. End of story, we're supposed to wait until the noise gets worse...but this is how it started last time.
I'm at the point I think Ford has a serious issue with either the throw out bearings or their computer programming for shifting. I just don't see how it should be normal for Ford to have to constanly be updated their transmission shifting program so it doesn't burn up clutches. Shouldn't I technically be able to drive the car as hard or as normal as I want, but the computer never let the transmission get to a point it burns a clutch up.
ORIGINAL ISSUE: I know this is a ST area of the forum, but I'm really hoping you can help. Been a member here as an owner of a 01 Cobra and don't really want to join another forum just to get some opinions.
Anyways, a couple weeks ago my wife and I purchased a brand new 2013 Ford Focus Titanium. Gotta say, I'm pretty impressed - at least until we started having some transmission problems at 500 miles on the odometer.
When we bought the car, the transmission was super smooth and super quiet - at least I thought so. In fact, I was so used to having really, really firm shifts in the last several cars we owned this seemed almost weird how smooth it was. But the salesman said that was one of the great things about this 6spd transmission and double clutch yadda yadda.
But then today, my wife calls and says, "Hey, the transmission is making this God awful grinding noise into and throughout 2nd gear!"
Now I get online, and it seems like it's a fairly common issue and one a lot of people are complaining about. But unfortunately, it also looks like the vast majority of dealerships are giving the run around that this is normal. As an engineer myself and having been around a lot of cars, this simply isn't normal. I took it out for a drive and sure enough, it grinds in 2nd gear and doesn't seem to have the giddy up until the grinding stops. My beater car sounds healthier when shifting into second.
Just wanted to see if anyone had heard anything about this, had any ideas how I should approach this with Ford to avoid the runaround and get it resolved. Bought it from Charles Gabus Ford in Des Moines...
Here's video - noise occurs roughly 20 seconds and 50 seconds.
[youtube_browser]E3-bLbZp6kA[/youtube_browser]
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