Major transmission issues are never a fun time, especially right after buying a car.
Some cars, like the 2012 to 2016 Ford Focus, have a history of transmission failure, making them well worth avoiding.
Does the 2018 Ford Focus still have transmission problems?
Somewhat. Ford redesigned their dual-clutch, Powershift automatic transmission for the 2017 model year and beyond. But it wasn’t an outright success. If you want to skip the shudder, their manual five-speed gearbox has always been reliable.
If you want to know more, you’re in just the right place. In this article, we aim to cover everything you need to know about prior Powershift issues and what to expect from the 2018 Ford Focus.
Major Problems with the Powershift Transmission Line
Since 2011, Focus and Fiesta owners have been telling Ford about issues with their Powershift automatic transmission. This dual-clutch gearbox apparently doesn’t shift as smoothly as anyone would like. It’s known to shudder as you hit the gas from a stop, and then shift hard into second once you finally get through first.
To resolve the issue, Ford techs have done everything from putting in new clutch plates to replacing the output shafts. In many cases, they’ve resorted to completely replacing the gearbox with a new one. Unfortunately, that fix doesn’t work for long since all their Powershift transmissions are affected by the same faults.
Despite knowing about these issues from the beginning, Ford continued putting this transmission in their vehicles through 2016. This resulted in a major class action lawsuit that triggered a $30 million dollar payout.
Even though they are paying big to make it right, it’s not clear if they learned their lesson. They simply tried to redesign the Powershift automatic to resolve its faults rather than build a new one from the ground up.
A Redesign of the 2018 Ford Focus’s Automatic Gearbox
To restore everyone’s faith in the quality of the Focus and Fiesta, changes were made to the Powershift automatic gearbox. When Ford created the original dual-clutch design, they failed to let their loyal customers know that this new gearbox worked much like a manual.
Although this automatic gearbox shifts for you, its internal mechanisms align closely with a manual, making it feel a lot rougher than expected as it shifts. When coupled with the shuddering, the rough shifts just make the gearbox feel broken.
In response, they overhauled the Powershift design to make it much smoother through all the gears. Unfortunately, despite that, it still has the initial shudder as you accelerate, so there’s still room for improvement. They will likely need to readdress this issue in the coming years or go with a continuously variable transmission design instead.
Ready to Buy a 2018 Focus? Use Vehicle History to Check It Out
If you’re on track to buy a 2018 Ford Focus, get geared up for test drives and inspections galore. After that, run each VIN or license plate number through Vehicle History to learn all you can about the cars.
With those results in hand, you’ll know which cars have had accidents, title issues, and other problems in their past. You can then use that info to make an excellent purchase decision.
