Used 2012 Ford Focus Consumer Reviews
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More Dual Clutch Transmission Problems
thomasln, 11/20/2014
2012 Ford Focus SEL 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6AM)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
An update to my previous post. The TCM ground fault is clearly not the problem as the car continues to slip out of gear. I took it back to the dealer, they kept it for 6 days, then called to say that it "needs a new transmission" that will cost over $5200. Others have posted that they have paid for a new transmission only to have the same problem. Do not buy one of these cars for any reason. I am now stuck with a car that moves only when it wants to, that I can't allow my kids to drive, that my wife refuses to drive, and that I cannot sell because my conscience won't allow it.
Do not recommend
Lis, 08/12/2015
2012 Ford Focus SE 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
Bought this car brand new back in 2011, I have had issues ever since. Taken to the dealership several times to be fixed and they never get fixed. Mainly transmission and the my ford touch technology. Just terrible.
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Don't buy
CT, 01/19/2016
2012 Ford Focus S 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
11 of 12 people found this review helpful
I bought my car brand new. Within a month I had to have the trunk closure switch replaced. Shortly after the transmission and clutch went bust. Both my window switched for the front driver and passenger side stopped working. I've taken my car to be serviced die to these problems dozens of times since I bought it. It's in the shop again due to transmission problems that have made it dangerous to drive, as it continues to lose acceleration.
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Fun to Drive
skimike4, 07/21/2011
2012 Ford Focus SE 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
19 of 22 people found this review helpful
I've been driving the Focus long enough now where I can give an objective review. Overall, the car has a premium feel to it. I have the base model hatchback and it's still got a really upscale feel to it. This is not anything like the super cheap Focus Ford was making not so many years ago. Two big cons that I see: 1) The automatic transmission needs help. Personally, I don't shift my car into the next gear when it's below 2000 rpm, but my Focus thinks that's a good idea. You know that sound a car makes when you shift up too soon? My car makes that sound everytime I accelerate gently. I'm hoping Ford fixes this for 2013. 2) The inside door handles are super cheap feeling.
Constant Transmission Problems - replace the TCM
Thomas, 07/29/2016
updated 09/06/2016
2012 Ford Focus SE 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
10 of 11 people found this review helpful
I see a lot of complaints about the dual-clutch transmission and rightly so. In my experience it is garbage. When you take it to the dealership do not let them tell you that they don't know what it is because there has been at least one lawsuit filed in CA and there has been a recall on the Transmission Control Module. Make them replace it. Do not allow them to charge you for reprogramming a faulty TCM or Powertrain Module because they are simply reprogramming a bad component and bleeding your wallet dry. My local dealer was thoroughly inept and I eventually took my Focus out of State to Franklin Ford just south of Nashville where I found a woman in the service division that actually knew her job. Yes, I had to look in other States to find a dealer that didn't tell me the same lie the first dealer did. The other issue is that the dual clutches are dry rather than a wet system or the traditional torque converter. Anyone with any sense knows that slamming two clutch discs together over and over with no lubrication is just stupid. On a positive note the car is fun to drive...right up until the point that it leaves you sitting on the side of the interstate or the middle of an intersection with no way to move it...the mileage has been good, and the rest of the car has actually been reliable. Other negatives include an interior that won't even resist water stains so after a short time the seats look like the carpet in a daycare. If you are unfortunate enough to own one of these abominations, have Ford replace the TCM then sell it immediately to anyone willing to buy it. If I had known about this transmission I would have purchased a VW or Honda. An update: After replacing the TCM in 2015 my Focus is back at the dealer. They said the TCM is bad and that the clutches and slave cylinder need to be replaced. I have questioned the wisdom of replacing parts that we know to be bad in a transmission we know to be bad with identical parts. It makes to sense to me. At this point the only thing that would make me happy would be for Ford to abandon the apocalyptically horrible Dual Clutch Transmission and replace it with one that actually functions reliably. It is clear from the number of complaints on this board and others that there is something horribly wrong with these transmissions. Yet another update: The horn has stopped working and the transmission problems have made the car impossible to drive. The Used Car Manager at the local Ford dealership called me in response to a message I left about trading in "A car". After I told him that it was a 2012 Focus he never called me back. I went to the local GM dealership and a Sales Associate there told me that she refuses to sell the cars because they are unsafe and should not be allowed on the road. My Focus is sitting on a car hauler waiting to be towed to CarMax for an appraisal because I refuse to drive it. Because of this car and Ford's obstinance about correcting this issue I will never purchase another Ford product.
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