If your Ford Fiesta shudders when it pulls away, slips out of gear, or has already been back to the dealer more than once for the same transmission complaint, you are not imagining it and you are not alone. Ford Fiesta transmission problems have followed the same dual clutch design for more than a decade.
Ford built the DPS6 PowerShift transmission into 2011 to 2016 Ford Fiesta and 2012 to 2016 Ford Focus cars. The design tried to deliver manual transmission efficiency with automatic transmission convenience, and instead it produced shuddering, jerking, slipping and premature clutch failure. Those defects led to multiple lawsuits and years of federal complaint activity.
The Detroit Free Press investigation published in July 2019 under the title Out of Gear reported, from internal company documents, that Ford launched the cars knowing the transmission was prone to problems. The Free Press counted thousands of transmission complaints filed with federal safety regulators for the 2011 to 2016 Fiesta and the 2012 to 2016 Focus.
Despite that reporting and the payouts that followed, Ford kept fitting a PowerShift automatic to 2017 to 2019 Ford Fiesta cars, and owners of those later cars report the same shuddering, slipping and stalling. The complaints below were submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and have been edited only for grammar and clarity.
Ford Fiesta PowerShift Transmission Complaints
Jerking And Power Loss At Highway Speed
The car jerks and shutters when pressing on the gas. The car loses power and will not go over 40-50 miles [per hour], which is very dangerous when driving on the interstate. The car is not changing gear properly.
Slipping Out Of Gear On A Steep Driveway
On occasion while backing up steep at home driveway (approx. 15-20 degrees), the transmission slips out of gear and rolls forward. [I] step on brake immediately and [it] instantly shifts back into reverse. [This] has happened 3-5 times since vehicle was new.
Drive Axle Separation And Loss Of Power
Vehicle [was] driving on interstate when a vibration was felt through the steering wheel, then the vehicle started lose power. Gear shift still in drive, engine still running and [it] coasted to a stop on side of highway. Vehicle was rear ended. [I] found out that the left drive axle had become disconnected at the transmission end. When this happens, the [SUV] has no way to maintain a safe speed.
Shudder Into Second Gear And Stalling
While driving, the automatic transmission shutters when going into second gear and stalls before accelerating. Sometimes, the car won’t start and it’s not related to the battery or the starter. It also had a purge valve replacement three months after purchase. A few months later, I had to replace it again. This time it wasn’t under warranty. I purchased this car brand new in 2018 and it had all these issues in 2018, and October of 2019 is when the transmission began to shutter.
Failure To Reverse And A Low Speed Collision
My 2019 Ford Fiesta automatic [transmission] does not shift gears properly, my car would not reverse and therefore caused a small fender bender. It has no speed and runs rough.
Sluggish Shifts And Jolting From A Stop
The vehicle has a problem with the PowerShift automatic transmission. It’s very sluggish when shifting. When you tap the accelerator with your foot after being at a stop sign, the car jolts like previous year and models of this car.
Ford Focus PowerShift Transmission Problems
Ford Focus transmission problems come from the same DPS6 PowerShift unit. Ford installed it in 2012 to 2016 Ford Focus cars, then kept installing it in 2017 and 2018 Ford Focus cars after the first wave of lawsuits was already public. The 2018 model year was the last Focus Ford sold in the United States, so the newest car carrying this transmission is already several years old, and the complaints never stopped.
The pattern owners describe is a clutch that wears out long before it should. One 2017 Ford Focus owner reported the clutch burned up at 30,000 miles, was replaced by Ford, was slipping again 10,000 miles later, and was failing a third time at 70,000 miles. Another 2017 Ford Focus owner had a clutch replaced under warranty and was stuttering again by 76,000 miles. A third reported slipping from the day the car was bought, then whining noises, a check engine light and a car that would not start.
Ford Focus Transmission Issues Owners Report
The Ford Focus transmission issues in the federal complaint file repeat a short list. Cars shudder pulling away from a stop sign or a traffic light, and shudder again accelerating out of a parking lot, whether the engine is cold or warm. Cars hesitate and stutter through corners, hard enough that owners describe the tires feeling like they bounce. Transmissions slip between first and second gear with a vibration through the steering wheel and a grinding noise. One owner reported hearing the gears clang back and forth inside the transmission by rocking a front tire with the car parked and switched off.
Those reports run from 2016 Ford Focus transmission problems through 2017 Ford Focus transmission problems and 2018 Ford Focus transmission problems, and they read almost identically to the Fiesta complaints above. Same transmission, same failure, same gearbox repair that does not hold.
Why The Later Ford Focus Cars Were Left Out
Owners of the later cars keep meeting the same answer at the service counter. One 2018 Ford Focus owner was told by the dealership that the car uses the same clutch as the 2012 to 2016 Focus and that there is no real fix for it. Another was told across two Ford dealers that the work was not covered because the car was not part of a recall. A 2017 Ford Focus owner was told the car fell outside the class action that covered the model year immediately before it, even though it is the same transmission.
As of August 2026 there has been no single nationwide safety recall of the PowerShift transmission itself. Ford addressed the defect through extended warranty coverage, dealer field service actions and class action settlements instead. The Vargas class action, which covered 2011 to 2016 Fiesta and 2012 to 2016 Focus cars, received final court approval in 2020 and has been paying qualifying owners since. A separate class action was later filed over 2017 to 2019 Fiesta and 2017 to 2018 Focus cars. What you are covered for depends on your car, your model year and your repair history, so check your own paperwork rather than assuming.
Your Ford Lemon Law Rights In California
California’s lemon law is the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. It applies when a vehicle still covered by its manufacturer warranty has a defect that substantially impairs its use, value or safety, and the manufacturer or its dealers cannot repair that defect after a reasonable number of attempts, or the car has been out of service for repair for an unreasonable length of time. A transmission that shudders, slips or fails repeatedly is exactly the kind of defect the statute was written for.
When a claim succeeds the manufacturer either repurchases the vehicle or replaces it. A repurchase returns what you paid, including the down payment, the monthly payments and the loan payoff, less a mileage offset calculated from the miles you drove before the first repair attempt for that defect. The Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act also requires a manufacturer that loses to pay the buyer’s attorney fees and costs, which is why these claims are normally handled with no fee up front. No one can promise a particular dollar figure, because every case turns on its own numbers.
One practical note on eligibility. We currently take California claims on 2020 and newer vehicles that were bought or leased from a licensed California dealer and are still covered by the original manufacturer warranty. Many Fiesta and Focus owners reading this page fall outside that window, so ask rather than assume either way. Our California lemon law FAQ answers the questions that come up first, and you can meet the attorneys who handle these claims before you call.
Ford Fiesta And Ford Focus Transmission Questions
Is there a Ford Fiesta or Ford Focus transmission recall?
No. There has never been a single nationwide safety recall covering the DPS6 PowerShift transmission itself. Ford used extended warranty coverage, dealer service actions and class action settlements instead, and the recalls that were issued covered narrower related failures. That is why a dealer can tell you your car has a known problem and tell you in the same visit that the repair is not covered.
What are the most common Ford Fiesta transmission problems?
Shuddering as the car pulls away, jerking or hesitation at low speed, slipping out of gear, delayed or missing reverse, grinding, and clutch failure that comes back after the clutch has already been replaced. Owners also report sudden loss of power at highway speed, which is the complaint that makes this defect a safety problem rather than an annoyance.
Do Ford Focus transmission issues qualify as a lemon?
They can. What matters is whether the car was still under the manufacturer warranty when you first reported the defect, how many repair attempts the dealer made for the same complaint, and how many days the car sat waiting for repair. Keep every repair order, including the ones that say the technician could not duplicate the problem, because those visits still count as attempts.
What does a Ford Fiesta or Ford Focus gearbox repair involve?
Usually a clutch replacement, a transmission control module reflash, or both, and sometimes a full transmission replacement. The pattern owners report is that the repair holds for a while and then the shudder returns, which is why the same car goes back to the same dealer several times for the same gearbox problem.
If you have recurring problems with your Ford Fiesta, Ford Focus or DPS6 transmission, your vehicle may be a lemon. Read more about your California lemon law rights. If you would like more information, complete the form below to request a free consultation.
Reviewed by Roger Kirnos, Managing Attorney, California State Bar No. 283163
