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2012 Ford Focus

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Comments

  • hackattack6hackattack6 Member Posts: 2
    I agree the transmission is more like a manual than a traditional auto. The dealer does a horrible job of educating the buyer so ofcourse the buyer is expecting a auto transmission and is very dissapointed.
  • cannon3cannon3 Member Posts: 296
    Ford needs the momentum of the Ford Focus to keep going. Ford has a history of resting on its laurels when they have a hit. Now Ford needs to add more to the Focus line-up. Offer a wagon, offer a 2 door coupe, offer a convertible. Offer several performance models/upgrades/trim levels ect... I have to say, look at Kia/Hyundai. They have expanded on their line-ups in break neck speed. Don't rest Ford!!
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    Ford has many other things to invest in. New C-Max. New generation Fusion Hybrid. New Escape. New Fusion. New small and large vans. Next gen F150. Focus electric. Plug-in hybrids.

    The market for coupes and wagons is really small and Ford has better things to invest in right now. Maybe down the road.
  • Sandman6472Sandman6472 Member Posts: 6,966
    Sat in both cars the other day at the dealerships and preferred the dash layout of the Focus a bit more actually...not a bad place to be but the seats were a nightmare for my bad spine. The Jetta chairs were just so much more comfortable and they had a nice perforated leather with upteen adjustments...I found a very comfortable position without too much fuss. I definitely prefer the hatchback style of the Focus over the Golf though...with the right alloys, the Focus hatch is a real looker...job well done Ford! Down here in South Florida, the split seems to be 50/50 sedan/hatch which is what I'd get if in the market right now. I could see out the back pretty easily and the extra versatility would be really nice now. I do like the C-Max very much also and just wondering if it has the auto tranny that so many are complaining about? The mileage figures look very impressive but worry about battery replacement down the line...will the price be so outrageous as to wipe out all the proposed savings of the hybrid? And how long will the batteries last before needing to be swapped out for new ones?
    Watched MotorWeek yesterday and they did a segment on plug-in electric powered cars which was very entertaining and informative. Think a city is the best place for those types of vehicles as there would be more charging station sites available for a quick charge up. Maybe it's time quite hasn't come yet for the American suburbs. But looks very promising for the future though.

    The Sandman :) :sick: :shades:

    2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)

  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    edited November 2012
    I checked out the new Focus ST & C-Max today in the show room.

    The C-Max has more things in common with the new Jetta -- besides the "door armrest too low for the driver's elbow", there's the "lack of high chair for rear passengers", unlike the new or old Focus (or the upcoming Volvo V40, which is still based on the C-1 platform).

    The ST, whether it's the new 2012 or my 2007, has "high rear chair" (except the left corner tapers down somewhat due to bad U.S. workmanship), higher than the Golf's, which is still higher than the new Jetta's.

    This is so annoying. In order to get high chair for the rear, you don't get stretch-out leg room? Or vice versa. At least the old Focus seems to achieve both quite OK.

    By the way, the C-Max hybrid uses CVT tranny.
  • starluck3000starluck3000 Member Posts: 14
    Ok hackattack6....what's to understand? I love my 2012 focus se...bought it in March...I have about 4800 miles on it and the transmission is HORRIBLE!! It shakes..shudders..and I feel like the whole front end is going to fall off! And..it has actually gotten worse! I am going to take it in...my husband talked to the tranny mechanic who said this is normal for this transmission, but give me a break...it feels like I am driving over railroad ties for about 5 to 10 secs upon acceleration. You think that this is normal? I am at my wits end...sorry for venting, but I won't accept this as "normal" glad you love your car....
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    It's not normal. Find another dealer and get it fixed.
  • joegiantjoegiant Member Posts: 90
    Shoulda bought the 5 speed. We too bought our's the beginning of the year and with 23k on the odometer to date (yes we commute in this thing like you wouldn't believe!), not one problem to report. Not one. Love this car.
  • ivan_99ivan_99 Member Posts: 1,681
    Shoulda bought the 5 speed

    I'm not certain my wife would accept that solution :)

    I think right now she's thinking she should have bought anything else...Honda, Toyota, VW...
  • kam327kam327 Member Posts: 115
    Hey all, I've experienced both sides of the story. With 9,200 miles now, I've experienced periods of perfect transmission operation and periods of shuddering and grinding. From other sources I've found that there are two main sources of transmission trouble:

    1) The software
    2) Leaky seals

    If you're having trouble and haven't taken it in yet, definitely take it in ASAP to get the software all updated to the latest. Many have reported a vast improvemet, though mine which was behaving almsot perfect before the latest software update actually behaved a little worse after the update

    There are growing reports of leaky seals which are allowing fluid to get on the dry clutches, causing the shuddering etc. If your software's all up do date, try to force your dealer to investigate the clutch seals.
  • starluck3000starluck3000 Member Posts: 14
    Interesting that you should say that...so stick would of been the answer? Well...I have been driving in the "S" mode which in my owners manual stands for "Sport mode" and there is less of the problem. My daughter says it feels like a manual transmission when she rides in it. If I wanted a stick...I'd of bought one....thanks for your input. :P
  • starluck3000starluck3000 Member Posts: 14
    We took it in after the 1st recall and it seemed a little better and then got worse. Good idea...I will definitely look into software issue. Thanks for the input.... ;)
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    The only time my daughter's really feels like a manual is when you're backing up and let off the throttle and there is no engine braking from the torque converter. It still has a jerky shift every once in a while but it's really not that noticeable. She had the first software update but not the second one. Waiting to see if anything else needed to be done.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    A reporter would like to speak to car owners who use Chrysler Uconnect, Cadillac CUE or Ford's MyFord/MyLincoln Touch. If you use any of these telematics systems, please send your daytime contact information to pr@edmunds.com no later than November 20, 2012 at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET.
  • dickhurtsdickhurts Member Posts: 3
    Just curios, because if you do you will like it. If you dont you will not like it!

    I like mine whaaahoo!
  • jgdarlingjgdarling Member Posts: 11
    wish mine was that good, going back for 6th time tomorrow for more reprogramming, seems like I take it in the reprogram runs great for 2 weeks then it goes down hill from there, I get the whole transmission thing, but the shaking and shuddering and noise are just not normal, also I only get 27-29 MPG I I do mostly highway driving, going to be getting rid of this crap I cant keep taking it back every 2 weeks to get fixed, Its great for those that got the good ones but for those of us that got the lemons, not so great really disappointed in Ford and the fact that they cant fix this issue for all of us.
  • jgdarlingjgdarling Member Posts: 11
    I get that and the shudder, noise no power in turns etc, been reprogrammed 6 times giving up gong to trade it in this week I hope! Hate the car and every time they fix it it runs great for 2 weeks then its back to bad behavior. I also only get 27-29 MPG on mostly HWY driving, cant use the avg it shows you that's crap, have to do the math. Very disappointed bought car for gas mileage and it sucks.... Ford lied about that
  • jgdarlingjgdarling Member Posts: 11
    Going back to have it checked again tomorrow 6 times already reprogramming last 2 weeks and then it goes down hill from there I cant take my car in every 2 weeks to have it reprogrammed, car is crap
  • jgdarlingjgdarling Member Posts: 11
    cant go by that avg on monitor, you have to do the math, miles per tank / gallons of gas you put in, My avg says, 32-42 at times and when I do the math I get 27-29 mpg, ford lied about gas mileage and car runs like crap, reprogramming #6 tomorrow, then going to trade it in cant deal with having to take it in every 2 weeks to be fixed and get crap gas mileage
  • Sandman6472Sandman6472 Member Posts: 6,966
    Sorry to hear of your problems with your car...test drove a couple last year and was so unimpressed that we took it off our short list. It seems to be not that great of a car. Have heard more negative than positive so we're concentrating on foreign brands exclusively now...had have good luck with our past models!

    The Sandman :) :sick: :shades:

    2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)

  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    edited December 2012
    Which foreign-brand alternative? These blade multi-links can be found in the C30 (or the upcoming V40), the Mazda3 & the Golf (also in the new Beetle convertible).

    But those of you who drive stick might be disappointed w/ Mazda3's abnormal clutch wear.

    The C30 is probably not so reliable either.

    Only the (soon to be discontinued) 5-cyl version of the Golf comes w/ the reliable made-in-Japan automatic transmission (read not DSG), while the manual has uncomfortably deep clutch travel.

    & only the convertible version of the new Beetle comes w/ both the multi-links & the reliable 5-cyl engine.

    As far as looking for a reliable trouble-free car, recent Consumer Reports statistics shows that the 5-cyl Jetta/Golf wagon imported from Mexico surpassed even the Prius V wagon imported from Japan!
  • gambit293gambit293 Member Posts: 406
    That's pretty lousy MPG for highway. Just out of curiosty, how fast do you drive on the freeway? I can get godly MPG if I drive very slow on the freeway (around 50-55 mph), but MPG drops pretty steeply as you rise to 75 mph.
  • starluck3000starluck3000 Member Posts: 14
    Well ...I haven't posted lately on mine since all the shuddering and stumbling and the front wheels feeling like they are going to fall off!! I have about 5600 miles on it now...I actually find that it drives better in the sport mode....has a lot less of the shudder and stumble issues. We will eventually get rid of it, but for now....happens less frequently, but I still want to take it in for reprogramming of the tranny....just doesn't seem right for a NEW car....what were they thinking? My thoughts for the day...(my mpg around town is anywhere from 26 to 29 mpg) ...Happy Holidays to all posters... :shades:
  • gogogodzillagogogodzilla Member Posts: 707
    I've noticed that a lot of the shuddering transmission issue is based off of how you accelerate.

    If a driver hit the gas and then back off the accelerator, only to hit the gas again, it tends to confuse the transmission. Since it's a dual-shift, it's got the second gear somewhat preset to engage... thinking that the driver needs power. But if the gas pedal is released, it then releases the preset upshift gear and resets it to a lower gear. Only to then have to release that one and reset to the higher gear all over again.

    I'd suggest that for any acceleration, to try and step on the gas and not back off on the acceleration.

    It should help greatly. (fingers crossed, though)
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    There are also some defective trannys out there. If the latest software update doesn't fix it then it might need to be replaced. My daughter's does not drive that way.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Yep. Focus.

    http://www.forbes.com/sites/joannmuller/2012/12/19/the-worlds-most-popular-cars-- a-new-champ/

    #2 is no surprise... except it's one of the worst cars in this class IMO: Corolla.

    #3 is the Jetta. Then #4 was a surprise to me... Elantra.

    Then Fiesta, Golf, etc. Have to go all the way to #7 to find the only mid-sized car in the group: Camry (more proof in addition to Corolla that lots of people buy on reputation).

    The numbers are world-wide, reflecting the popularity of small cars in Europe and AP.
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    edited December 2012
    By calling both the hatch & the sedan a Focus...

    By calling every model riding on the same platform a Corolla...
    http://www.broadspeed.com/new_cars/Toyota/Corolla_Verso
    http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/C1A971414B4C6B28CA257A60001C77- - - - 5F

    The Corolla even came in both RWD & FWD platforms the same time:
    http://www.modifiedplanet.com/category/toyota-trueno/
    http://images03.olx.lk/ui/20/26/70/1334544860_354102670_1-Pictures-of--Toyota-Sp- - - - rinter-For-sale-Call-0777279393.jpg

    VW doesn't do that:
    http://www.mundoautomotor.com.mx/web/2008/11-volkswagen-bora-2009/

    So if you combine the sales of both the Golf & the Jetta (Bora, etc.), then who's the best seller?
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    At least the hatch and sedan variants of the Focus are the same design. :P
  • jgdarlingjgdarling Member Posts: 11
    I have talked to other owners they say theirs are good, taking mine back tomorrow to see what they can do for me, Worst car Ive ever owned , wouldn't even go with another ford at this point, dont think I have any other options.
  • jiminy3jiminy3 Member Posts: 1
    edited December 2012
    Look closely at the article and you would see that the Focus didn't even make the top ten in America. It most likely got its title of most popular car in the world by being available in more markets than the competitors. Any company can sell 1,000 cars in each of the 120 countries that it's available and appear to be doing better than a competitor that "only" sells 100,000 cars in one, for example.
  • bpizzutibpizzuti Member Posts: 2,743
    So Ford cheated by offering the same car in more markets? ;)
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    I guess it depends on what the definition of "doing better" is. 1,000 sales in 120 countries IS 20,000 more sales than 100,000 in one country.

    Just an observation :shades:
  • maniac4maniac4 Member Posts: 41
    Thats what happend to me. Had the dealer expained the operation of the dct. I would have understood better. I did test ride it first. I knew what it was, But acted dumb. The salesman says "oh thats the new six speed" He had no clue it was a manual/auto tranny. Needless to say after the update mine operates good.
    Something tells me in a couple of years its all we probably can get.
    Its the final nail in the coffin for torque convertors.
    The dual clutch will only get better with time.
    how do you spell dart?
  • maniac4maniac4 Member Posts: 41
    Nope, Its called ford global.
  • bpizzutibpizzuti Member Posts: 2,743
    As I recall, the Cruze, Civic, Fit, Sonic (as the Aveo), Golf, and others are also sold globally. I was accusing Ford of cheating sarcastically. :)
  • maniac4maniac4 Member Posts: 41
    yea, I guess you are right! LOL.
  • ivan_99ivan_99 Member Posts: 1,681
    I suppose most manufacturers would like increased sales (for the most part), but I don't assume any vehicle is better (or more desirable) because of higher sales.

    Economies of scale could come into play; maybe allotting a higher level of equipment...but I had a Maserati GranTurismo power by me the other day it didn't seem lacking due to limited sales :shades:

    A Big Mac isn't my favorite either :)
  • cannon3cannon3 Member Posts: 296
    is the most boring car in this class. I just can't see why anyone would want to buy one with all the great small cars out today. Hell, even Kia and Hyundai are better in their drive trains!
    Focus is getting some bad press because of the sport shift transmissions. People in the U.S. don't know how they work and its newer technology for Americans. I love mine! Took me a bit to understand how it works but if works great. I am averaging 33.7MPG between city and Hwy in my 2012 Focus SE hatch automatic. I get complements all the time on this car.
  • bpizzutibpizzuti Member Posts: 2,743
    UGH! Corolla by cannon3
    Dec 31, 2012 (5:11 pm)

    is the most boring car in this class. I just can't see why anyone would want to buy one with all the great small cars out today. Hell, even Kia and Hyundai are better in their drive trains!

    You FINALLY said something I can agree with, congrats! :D
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    I mentioned this before. My '98 Corolla LE stick 1.8 had excellent torque around 2000rpm & gets 40mpg on the hwy. Due to its uncomfortable driving position (w/ low chairs & limited rear leg room) plus poor ride/handling/steering, I had to replaced it w/ the noisier Focus ST stick 2.3 (reliable Mazda engine) gas-guzzler that feels weaker at low rpm. But it's still worth it w/ all the enjoyment.

    Today, the new Focus w/ problematic auto tranny still has the comfortably high chairs, but no longer got rear leg room, which owners of the new Corolla w/ roomy high chairs can laugh at.

    The fun-to-drive hatchback Golf 2.5 automatic is reliable like the Corolla, but the rear seating is uncomfortably low (although not as bad as the C-Max) despite good leg room. Fortunately there's the Golf/Jetta wagon 2.5 w/ a comfy supportive rear chair while excels in reliability surpassing even the Prius V wagon (See Consumer Reports)!
  • gogogodzillagogogodzilla Member Posts: 707
    Last week, the metal piping at the bottom of my passenger-side rearmost window fell off... and today, the parts came into the dealer; so I took my 2012 Ford Focus hatchback in to have it replaced. So far, so good.

    Has anyone else had a problem with the metal piping at the bottom of the side windows?
  • cannon3cannon3 Member Posts: 296
    I have not had any interior parts fall off in the 9 months I have owned my Focus.
  • cannon3cannon3 Member Posts: 296
    Some how Consumer reports can look into the future and see the relaibility of the new Focus is going to be bad. I sure would like to know how they do this???? I know there have been some that have complained about the transmission with the dual clutch. I feel this is due more to not knowing how this transmission works. This is the same Focus that has sold in Europe and it has been fine. Well, I guess we will see in the next 4 years if mine has any issues. They also claim 28MPG combined?? I know plenty of people in other forums with Focus sedans and hatch backs that are getting between 31 and 34 combined. I think this is once again a case of Consumer reports bashing domestic brands.
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    This is the same Focus that has sold in Europe and it has been fine.

    This is the same Focus that has sold in Europe?

    The domestic-built new Focus had so much quality problems:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUXNNe1C9i0
    Ford had to ship the whole entire dashboard from Europe for a while!

    Low-quality Focus should be bashed. That's why I had to wait about half a decade since the mk1 Focus was introduced in the U.S. before I bought one. & back then, Focus' auto tranny was a Mazda unit imported from Japan.

    Besides, what percent of Euro drivers drive stick?
  • kam327kam327 Member Posts: 115
    There are very good reasons why the Focus was named to Car & Driver's 10 best a second time, after almost 2 years on the American market, and is the best selling car in the world. The DCT is not perfect but it has its advantages and it's getting better as the initial kinks are worked out (faulty clutch packs and programming).
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    edited January 2013
    There are very good reasons why the Focus was named to Car & Driver's 10 best a second time

    No doubt, the Focus is less boring-to-drive than the Accord, which has been Car & Driver's 10 best more often than anything else on earth. "C&D's Ten Best" are not based on reliability anyway.

    If you have only driven the Focus lately, go back to the ST170 (SVT in America) & see for yourself. Consumer Reports rated the Focus SVT more fun-to-drive than the Mini Cooper while offering more comfort! Which other cars can do that?
  • ivan_99ivan_99 Member Posts: 1,681
    Here is what CR says:

    ------------------------------------------------------
    For new models that are currently available, our Predicted Reliability rating is based on the model's recent history, provided the model hasn't been significantly redesigned for the current model year. Online, Predicted Reliability is presented in the new car model overview pages in the Ratings Report Card, and Ratings & Specs and in the Vehicle Overall Ratings comparison. It is also incorporated into the Reliability History charts as the New Car Prediction.

    We also present Predicted Reliability in more detail in our graphs. In this presentation, bar graphs show the percentage difference between each model's overall reliability and the average reliability of all models. We group models by vehicle type (for example, family cars or minivans), for ease of comparing models that are direct-market competitors.

    Our statisticians also do in-depth analyses of the reliability data to provide information to consumers about trends in automotive reliability, reliability of newly introduced models, and other important issues. These analyses are presented in the April issue of Consumer Reports, at ConsumerReports.org, and in newsstand auto publications throughout the year.
    ------------------------------------------------------

    To summarize: If the vehicle had transmission problems last year and this year there are no changes they'll predict that it will have problems. If there is no historical data it usually doesn't show anything.
  • akirbyakirby Member Posts: 8,062
    But the software HAS changed at least twice and there are hardly any new reports of problems.

    BTW the Euro Focus gets a different version of the powershift DCT - it has a wet clutch vs. a dry clutch and is smoother.
  • ivan_99ivan_99 Member Posts: 1,681
    I'm not certain if there are more or less "new" problems reported; that's just what they show on their site.

    They've recently had Ford high in their rankings, I'm assuming if these problems go away they'll re-evaluate and position them higher.

    That is of course if you care about that sort of thing; the two Focuses I've driven (manual and auto) were fine (for the test drive anyway). I'm not totally sold on how they collect data and how it relates to reliability anyway.
  • kam327kam327 Member Posts: 115
    I think Consumer Reports unfairly penalizes companies like Ford. Ford has become known lately for being a leader with new (or at least new for its segment) tech, like MyFord Touch, the dual clutch automated manual, the 1.6L turbo, etc. Ford may not do well in releasing that tech to the masses without problems, but the real question in terms of reliability should really be how reliable the car is once the typical first-model-year problems have been fixed (via recalls and TSBs on cars already sold and running production changes). I don't see how CR takes that into account with current or recent model year cars.

    Their reliability ratings are based on consumer surveys. So if consumers complain that MyFord touch is slow or locks up, BOOM - CR hits Ford with poor reliability despite the fact that Ford is continuously releasing software updates which greatly improve the tech.

    And then another issue - take the Focus with its DCT transmission. The '12 Focus gets excellent reliability ratings in everything except "Transmission - minor" where it gets a poor. Why? Could be because many of its subscribers are complaining about the DCT behavior (jerky low speed operation, roll back on hills, etc.) without taking into account that that's pretty normal DCT behavior and the consumer just doesn't realize it. And then they give the car an overall poor reliability rating because it scored poor in only 1 of numerous reliability categories. Pretty unfair.

    Bottom line - don't trust Consumer Reports! It rewards cars with relatively little technical innovation and that are boring to drive (lookin' at you Camry!)
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