Ford Knowingly Sold Cars with Dangerous Transmission Problems
Posted on behalf of Jeff Pitman on July 17, 2019
in Car Accidents
Updated on April 25, 2024
A Free Press Investigation has found that Ford Motor Co. knowingly launched two low-priced models equipped with faulty transmissions. Ford continues to sell these models despite thousands of complaints and many costly repairs.
Many of the cars with these transmissions randomly lose power on freeways, unexpectedly move into intersections and have trouble accelerating when drivers need to accelerate.
These Focus and Fiesta models began to be sold in 2010, after the Great Recession. Ford Motors Co. declined to make an expensive fix to the transmission technology and kept trying to fix the defective transmission for five years after the models were released.
If you own a Ford Focus or Fiesta model with the faulty transmission, you should seek legal advice from a Milwaukee product liability lawyer from PKSD today. We offer a free, no obligation consultation to discuss your legal rights.
Call us at 414-333-3333 to set up your free consultation.
Reported Issues
Consumers made 4,377 complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about the 2011-16 Ford Fiesta and 2012-16 Focus transmissions. Consumers reported a variety of issues with the Focus and Fiesta models including:
- Failure to accelerate and get into gear
- Accelerating while pushing on brakes
- Lack and loss of power
- Sudden jolts
- Sputtering
- Rough acceleration
- Premature internal wear
Many consumers reportedly suffered injuries linked to the transmission defect, however, no deaths have been attributed to the DPS6 transmission.
Despite a number of consumers taking these models in for repairs, the transmission defect was often not fixed and internal emails show the entire transmission needs to be replaced in order to solve the defect.
Ignoring Internal Warnings
According to materials obtained by the Free Press investigation, many within Ford Motor Co. warned about the defective transmissions. Documents show that Ford lawyers told engineers back in 2008 that they were worried about the safety of the dual-clutch technology, which had previously faced problems in Volkswagen vehicles throughout Europe.
Amid pressure on automakers to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles, the car’s transmission technology was critical to Ford at the time and was developed as Ford lost more than $30 billion from 2006-08 during the recession. The vehicles were marketed as a way for drivers to save on the high costs of gasoline at the time of the model’s release.
“With gasoline already more than $4 per gallon in some American cities, the new fuel-saving dual dry-clutch Ford PowerShift six-speed automatic is the right transmission at the right time,” a March 2011 news release said as the new Focus went out on the market.
Ford Motor’s Stance on the Issue
Ford Motor Co. continues to reiterate that vehicles with DPS6 transmissions are safe because the car’s power steering, brakes, passenger restraints and other functions work fine.
Ford Motor Co. responded to the Free Press investigation of DPS6 transmission with a statement saying the company acted quickly to investigate, tell dealers, pay for repairs and lengthen warranties. The statement says the company regrets the inconvenience and frustration consumers experienced.
The company discussed many remedies, which included changing transmissions, according to the statement. The company believed it made the best decisions for consumers at the time. However, the company says the vehicles with the DPS6 transmission were safe and continue to be safe.
There are still 1.5 million Ford vehicles equipped with DPS6 transmissions on the road.
Speak to a Qualified Lawyer Today
If you have any questions about legal options for owners of Ford vehicles that have the faulty transmission in question, seeking legal help from an experienced attorney may be in your best interest. We will evaluate your situation and determine which course of action may be best for your case.
We have helped many clients recover the compensation they needed to get through a difficult time. Our services are provided on a contingency fee basis, which means that there are no upfront costs or legal fees, and we only get paid if we successfully obtain compensation on your behalf.
Set up your free consultation by filling out our free online form or by calling 414-333-3333 today.