2009 Ford Focus

DRIVING ON FREEWAY AT STEADY 70MPH, ENGINE DROPPED TO IDLE SPEED. NO PRIOR INDICATION OF TROUBLE. VEHICLE WAS SLOWING DOWN. WRENCH LIGHT WAS ON. ACCELERATOR PEDAL HAD NO EFFECT. I PUT IN THE CLUTCH PEDAL, AND COASTED UNTIL I REACHED AN AREA AREA WHERE I COULD PULL OFF TO THE SIDE. THIS WAS IN A TIGHT CONSTRUCTION AREA. FORTUNATELY, I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE AND NOT NEAR OTHER VEHICLES AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. OTHERWISE THE OUTCOME MIGHT HAVE BEEN VERY DIFFERENT. WHEN I WAS STOPPED, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN, BUT ACCELERATOR HAD NO EFFECT. WITH NO ALTERNATIVE, I SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. I THEN STARTED THE ENGINE. OPERATION APPEARED NORMAL WITH NO WRENCH LIGHT ON. I GOT OFF THE FREEWAY AND CHECKED CONNECTED MY CODE READER. NO DIAGNOSTIC CODES. DURING SOME SUBSEQUENT DRIVING, THERE HAVE BEEN NO FURTHER EVENTS OR INDICATION OF PROBLEMS. I AM GETTING A FORD OEM THROTTLE BODY TO REPLACE MY EXISTING. THIS IS APPARENTLY A KNOWN FORD PROBLEM THAT HAS AVOIDED A RECALL DESPITE THE POTENTIAL DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TYPE OF FAILURE.

I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY (IN THE FAR LEFT LANE) WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON WHEN MY CAR SUDDENLY APPEARED TO DIE AND THE WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON.THE CAR BEGAN TO DECELERATE AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE REGARDLESS OF HOW HARD I PRESSED DOWN ON THE GAS PEDAL. I THEN HAD TO DODGE TRAFFIC AS I ATTEMPTED TO PULL OFF TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD (ACROSS TWO LANES DURING TRAFFIC) WHILE MY CAR CONTINUED TO DECELERATE. THIS, AT FIRST, HAPPENED RARELY, BUT NOW OCCURS 2-3 TIMES EVERY TIME I DRIVE AS MUCH AS 15 MILES. I HAVE READ COUNTLESS FORUMS ABOUT OTHERS WITH THE SAME CAR HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS, AND YET FORD IS DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT IT. THIS CAN BE AN EXTREMELY TERRIFYING AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IN THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES. FAR TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THROTTLE BODY/ACTUATOR PROBLEMS FOR THIS NOT TO BE A DESIGN FLAW ON FORD'S PART, AND, FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD, THEY'RE REFUSING TO HONOR OTHERS' WARRANTIES. I JUST SO HAPPEN TO BE JUST OUTSIDE MY WARRANTY; WHAT A "COINCIDENCE." I'M NOW LOOKING AT A $600 OUT OF POCKET REPAIR I SIMPLY CAN'T AFFORD AT THIS TIME. SO INSTEAD I'M FORCED TO CONTINUALLY LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING MY CAR SUDDENLY DIE IN THE MIDDLE OF HIGHWAY TRAFFIC.

I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE IN 2010, AT THE TIME THE VEHICLE HAD 37,000 MILES. A LESS THAN A MONTH LATER THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. IT WOULD NOT MOVE IN ANY GEAR, WHEN I PLACED MY FOOT ON THE GAS IT WOULD NOT MOVE BUT THEN IT JOLTED WITH GREAT FORCE. IT ALSO GRINDS REALLY HARD WHEN YOU'RE SHIFTING GEARS. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY AGREED TO FIX THE VEHICLE. I WAS TOLD THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS PUT IN THE CAR. ABOUT A YEAR LATER THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION HAPPENED. THE CAR WAS STOPPED AND WOULD NOT MOVE IN ANY GEAR. I TOOK IT TO FORD AGAIN AND THEY SAID A BOLT WAS LOOSE AND THEY FIXED IT. A FEW DAYS LATER THE SAME PROBLEM I TOOK IT BACK TO FORD AND THEY FOUND THAT THERE WERE METAL SHAVINGS IN THE TRANSMISSION. YESTERDAY MY WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON AND MY TRANSMISSION IS DOING THE SAME THING IT DID THE FIRST TWO TIMES. SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE A LITTLE OVER 5 YEARS AGO I HAVE PUT LESS 35,000 MILES ON THIS CAR. IT SHOULD NOT BE HAVING TRANSMISSION ISSUES. THE TRANSMISSION IS THE ONLY PROBLEM I'VE HAD AND CONTINUE TO HAVE WITH THIS VEHICLE.I I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING MY VEHICLE. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THIS ISSUE KEEPS HAPPENING. *TR

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR. CAR WOULD BE RUNNING AT ABOUT 40 MPH AND THE RPM WOULD INCREASE AND WHIR. CAR WOULD LOSE SPEED AND SLOW DOWN THEN SPEED UP AGAIN. CAR WAS ONLY THREE YEARS OLD WITH 45+ MILES ON IT AND TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AT NO COST TO OWNER. (UNDER WARRANTY) NOW IN DECEMBER 2014, THE REPLACED TRANSMISSION WITH 35+ MILES AND TWO YEARS, FAILING AGAIN. GEARS SLIPPING AND CAR UNABLE TO DRIVE SAFELY. CAR PARKED IN OWNER'S DRIVEWAY. DEALER CONTACTED AND WILL NOT COVER REPLACEMENT OF NEW TRANSMISSION. WHY SHOULD A FIVE YEAR OLD CAR BE IN NEED OF IT'S THIRD TRANSMISSION? *TR

WHILE STARTING TO DRIVE OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND DOWN THE NEIGHBORHOOD STREET, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO STALL, THE "WRENCH" LIGHT CAME ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, AND THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE IMMEDIATELY RETURNED HOME. RESTARTING THE VEHICLE LATER IN THE DAY, THE ISSUE WAS GONE. THE ISSUE HAPPENED AGAIN IN THE DRIVEWAY AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE. A CALL WAS MADE TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP TO SCHEDULE A REPAIR. THE ISSUE HAPPENED AGAIN, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THREE SEPARATE TIMES THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE SHIFTED IN NEUTRAL TO RESTART THE CAR DURING A THREE MILE DRIVE. *TR

THE CAR WAS ON THE INTERSTATE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH ; THE ENGINE STALLED AND RESTARTED, WHEN EXISTING TO SEE WHETHER IT WOULD GAIN SPEED, THE CAR SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR . IT WENT INTO REVERSE, BACKING UP. AFTER TRYING TO CORRECT IT . THE CAR SPED UP ALMOST CAUSING A MAJOR ACCIDENT, THE CAR RESTARTED WITH THE SHIFT OUT OF DRIVE, I DROVE THE CAR THREE BLOCKS TO MY HOME. I LEFT THE CAR WHEREVER IT STOPPED, THE NEXT DAY, I TRIED TO DRIVE IT; THE CAR PLACED IN DRIVE WENT IN REVERSE BACKING UP. I LEFT IT THERE AND HAD WRECKER COMPANY TO TAKE IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP ON UNION AVENUE. THEY INSPECTED THE CAR AND SAID IT WOULD TAKE $2,0000 TO GET THE TRANSMISSION REPAIRED. SINCE, THE CAR WAS UNDER ENGINE WARRANTY FROM ACURA DEALERS OF MEMPHIS, I HAD THE WRECKING COMPANY TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY SOLD ME A 2013 TOYOTA COROLLA WHICH IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. NOW, I HAVE ANOTHER CAR FROM THE SANE DEALERSHIP WHICH APPARENTLY SELLS USED CARS WITH TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *TR

AT ANY RANDOM MOMENT, THE CAR'S WRENCH LIGHT COMES ON AND THE CAR EITHER DIES OR BEGINS TO RUN HORRIBLY. THIS CAN HAPPEN IN TOWN OR ON THE HIGHWAY - ACCELERATING OR ON CRUISE CONTROL - IT DOESN'T MATTER. TURNING THE CAR OFF (IF IT DIDN'T DIE) AND TURNING IT BACK ON, THE WRENCH LIGHT GOES OFF AND THE CAR RUNS AGAIN. CODE INDICATES A THROTTLE BODY ISSUE BUT AFTER TAKING IT TO A MECHANIC TWICE, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET A CODE OR FIGURE OUT THE ISSUE. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER A YEAR. THIS CAN REALLY BE A DANGEROUS ISSUE IF IT HAPPENS WHILE PASSING OR TURNING INTO AN INTERSECTION. ETC. *TR

CAR RANDOMLY GOES INTO "LIMP MODE" WHILE DRIVING, USUALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. WRENCH LIGHT GOES ON INDICATING A THROTTLE BODY ISSUE. THIS HAS OCCURRED ABOUT 10 TIMES NOW OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS. AFTER TURNING CAR OFF, THEN ON AGAIN, THERE IS NO LONGER A LIGHT AND CAR RUNS FINE. TWICE I'VE TAKEN THE CAR IN AFTER SUCH AN OCCURRENCE AND NEITHER THE DEALERSHIP OR LOCAL MECHANIC COULD FIND ANY INDICATION OF A ERROR LIGHT. *TR

MY CAR LOST POWER AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET. I WAS PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR, BUT THE CAR WAS NOT RECEIVING ANY POWER. I WAS TOLD MY THROTTLE BODY WAS DEFECTIVE. I HAVE SEEN WHERE OTHER FORD MODELS MANUFACTURED DURING THIS TIME HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, AND A WARRANTY EXTENSION HAS BEEN GRANTED. WHY NOT ON THIS VEHICLE AS WELL? *TR