PowerShift Has Delayed Acceleration and Jerks Its Way Through Gears

Ford introduced their 6-speed dual-clutch PowerShift transmission in 2010. To get the best gas mileage, PowerShift is essentially a manual transmission. However, instead of the driver controlling the gears with a shifter and clutch pedal, the transmission is controlled electronically to offer the ease of an automatic.

Ford marketed this as a “best of both worlds” scenario. But that lofty expectation fell flat on its face almost immediately.

Common PowerShift Complaints ∞

The system’s dual-clutches are supposed to work in harmony to create an efficient, smooth ride. However poor design and manufacturing defects have created one of the most complained about problems on the road.

Jerking its way through gears ∞

The transmission is notorious for slipping, jerking, and shuddering its way through gears. Ford dealers have tried to convince owners that it’s just the way a manual transmission feels. Really? I guess if you’re driving with someone who’s never driven stick before that would make sense.

”I understand that it doesn't act like a normal automatic transmission, and that's fine. But when the performance affects whether the car is usable or not, it is not a ‘difference’ that can just be shrugged off as a byproduct of the difference in transmissions and that the customer is not ‘used to’ it.” – 2014 Fiesta owner in ID

Dangerous hesitations while accelerating ∞

Issues with the transmission control module create dangerous hesitations while accelerating. The delay between when the driver steps on the accelerator and the car actually responds can be the difference in avoiding accidents.

”Over the past 1 1/2 years, on three separate occasions, I really needed to accelerate to avoid peril. Guess what happened. Absolutely nothing when I stepped on the accelerator. I thought I was going to get in an accident each and every time.” – 2014 Focus owner in MD

Unable to downshift properly ∞

The transmission has trouble with downshifting and keeps the car in higher gear as it slows down. In addition to excess noise and heat, this can also lead to the vehicle lunging forward as the owners hit the brakes.

”The gears slip when upshifting and they jerk REALLY HARD when downshifting. It feels dangerous driving in the city, because I'll try to slow down behind someone and it jerks forward and revs really hard and forces me to apply the brakes very hard to stop it from slamming into them.” – 2011 Fiesta owner in NY

Resale value destroyed ∞

The once reliable car has taken a massive hit to its resale value. From Steven Lang on TheDrive.com:

”Despite Ford's willingness to extend the warranties on these transmissions to 7 years / 100,000 miles, this hasn't stopped the model from becoming a common site at the dealer auctions with transmission woes way out of whack with their historical average.”

Technical Service Bulletins and Customer Satisfaction Campaigns ∞

As complaints began to mount, Ford issued more than 20 Technical Service Bulletins (TSB) regarding transmission-related problems.

In August of 2014 they released customer satisfaction program 14M01 to address the transmission shuddering during light acceleration.

The automaker says the shuddering was the result of fluid contamination of the dry clutches due to leaking transmission seals. Ford went with two dry clutches and skipped the oil pumps and other components of more traditional wet automated manual transmissions when the designing the PowerShift. While you’d never want transmission fluid leaking onto the clutch, perhaps going with a dry system expedited the problem.

Warranty extensions were offered to Fiesta and Focus cars manufactured prior to June 5, 2013 for the transmission’s input shafts, clutch, and software calibration.

In February 2015, Ford issues "customer satisfaction program 14M02" to address complaints about a lack of power, trouble with engagement of the transmission, and issues with starting the vehicles.

Ford believed these problems were the result of problems in the transmission control module, and extended the module’s warranty to 10 years or 150,000 miles. This warranty extension only applied to the 2011-2015 Fiesta and 2012-2016 Focus.

PowerShift Settlement ∞

Ford settled a PowerShift class-action lawsuit in late March 2017.

Involving nearly 1.5 million model year 2011-2016 Fiesta and 2012-2016 Focus cars, the settlement offers owners options:

1. Take cash payments and reimbursements for repairs and future problems, up to $2,325.
2. Have Ford buyback the car through an arbitration process in exchange for credits towards the purchase of new vehicles^[1], worth $4,650.

Affected owners who have had at least three software flashes performed by Ford dealers will receive $50 starting with the third software flash, with an additional $50 for each subsequent software flash, up to $600.

Refund Arbitration ∞

Owners who believe they were either improperly charged for repairs or denied repairs under Ford’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty are offered a way to pursue these warranty claims in a more limited arbitration.

Ford says they will cover the cost of arbitration and the arbitrator is authorized to award an owner reimbursement for out-of-pocket costs and complimentary repairs or warranty extensions by Ford.