Thinking of buying a 2013 Ford Focus Automatic. Big Manufacturer incentives right now.
My one concern: lots of reports on car forums about transmission "shudder" that Ford appears to have blamed on programming alone for the last 2 years, but many owners say the reprogramming didn't solve things.
I cant tell for sure that the most recent cars coming off the line are affected. Seems hard to get reliable information.
Thoughts?
posted by dougiedd
on Mar 17, 2013 -
9 answers
Is it my transmission, my clutch, or something else? Shifting into 2nd gear from 1st, constant acceleration (gas pedal) but the car stutters (surges forward, almost stalls, surges forward, almost stalls with concomitant spiking of RPM).
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posted by porpoise
on Mar 4, 2013 -
20 answers
Can you help me understand, once and for all, what I need to do to get the best mileage out of my manual-transmission car?
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posted by Scientist
on Oct 2, 2012 -
27 answers
My car is doing something kind of alarming, intermittently. I'd love to get some guesses as to whether I need to see a transmission specialist or not before I take it somewhere.
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posted by restless_nomad
on Jul 24, 2012 -
12 answers
My 2001 Saturn's transmission celluloid has gone out. It can be reached through the oil pan so it's fairly accessible as transmission repairs go. What's a reasonable price to expect for this repair? I'm just looking for a ballpark so I might know if I'm getting hosed in the estimate when I get it next week.
posted by Issithe
on Jul 14, 2012 -
3 answers
Is it a bad idea to slightly accelerate on a steep uphill slope to keep a car with an automatic transmission stopped?
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posted by saeculorum
on Jun 16, 2012 -
24 answers
Our wagon has a quirky automatic transmission—the same problem with little change for six years: Sometimes it won’t shift into drive, but it will always
always engage in reverse. The go-to fix? Drive backward to a slope that enables a rolling start forward, shift into drive and tap-tap the gas until, eventually, *clunk* it engages. Diagnosis?
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posted by AnOrigamiLife
on Jun 14, 2012 -
9 answers
I need a recommendation for a good transmission shop on the northside of Chicago. Bonus points for Evanston, Rogers Park, and the surrounding areas.
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posted by who squared
on Apr 25, 2012 -
5 answers
our 2006 honda civic EX sedan (automatic) is having occasional problems shifting into reverse. we're taking it in to be fixed, but i want to try and read up on this beforehand.
fascinating details inside.
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posted by patricking
on Apr 16, 2011 -
5 answers
I have a 2001 Honda Accord with a potential transmission problem. I owe about $4000 on it, it's worth about $3500-4000K and the transmission will likely be $3000. Do I keep it or sell it?
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posted by gyroscope
on Apr 5, 2011 -
10 answers
How do I know replacing my 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer transmission is the only option?
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posted by msk1985
on Mar 8, 2011 -
8 answers
Would you buy this used Toyota Corolla? I've got a line on a 1997 Corolla with 150k on the engine, but the transmission was replaced five years ago (after dying at 125k) with a used transmission from
JapanDirect. That transmission now has ~75k on it, in addition to whatever it had before it was installed. I'm having my mechanic look at the car this week, but have no idea if any of this is a warning sign. Is JapanDirect reliable, in your experience? Would you buy a used car with a replacement transmission?
posted by mediareport
on Jan 23, 2011 -
14 answers
'97 Corolla rumble: I think the transmission or clutch is suspect. What should this cost to fix, and are there more durable components that could be installed for future driving?
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posted by roygbv
on Jun 30, 2010 -
9 answers
Looking to buy a Subaru Forester XT. I'm concerned with the transmission, however maybe this is normal for the Subaru auto tranny?
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posted by ganzhimself
on Jun 17, 2010 -
5 answers
What part could you remove from a car engine that would suddenly limit power to 3000RPM?
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posted by lovejones
on May 2, 2010 -
19 answers
I am disappointed in my relationship with my 97 Honda Civic. Maybe you can give me some advice. YANMM.
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posted by bunny hugger
on Sep 14, 2009 -
5 answers
[Posted for a friend:] I posted
this a while back. Today I was talking with someone about the car, and he offered me $400 for it. He's coming back by on Monday.
Quick recap: it's a high mileage 97 Hyundai Sonata with a busted transmission.
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posted by Mr. President Dr. Steve Elvis America
on Jan 10, 2009 -
7 answers
Is my car broken? I somehow managed to stall my automatic transition. WTF? Is it a crazy fluke, or possibly a sign of trouble? The car is a 2001 Subaru Forester.
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posted by gauchodaspampas
on Jul 29, 2008 -
18 answers
During the warranty period, we took are car in twice for what I assumed was a transmission problem. Both times they told us it we were crazy. Now I think the problem has rendered the car undriveable, but the warranty is expired. Are we screwed?
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posted by JeremiahBritt
on Apr 10, 2008 -
6 answers
Mechanic Question: Even though I just changed the clutch, it
still won't start. The starter runs, the flywheel and some of the transmission is turning (I can hear it loud and clear), but it won't fire; it just spins.
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posted by koeselitz
on Jan 26, 2008 -
85 answers
Standard-transmission-filter: the point of engagement of the clutch (in my mid-90s Acura Integra, if it matters) has suddenly moved, and I now have to push the clutch pedal almost to the floor in order to get the transmission to disengage. What's going on, and how much is it likely to cost to repair?
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posted by killdevil
on Dec 2, 2007 -
18 answers
I'm driving an automatic car for the first time. How should I safely move off when stationary in heavy traffic pointing up a steep hill?
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posted by thparkth
on Jun 10, 2007 -
18 answers
is it my clutch? or my tranny? or somthing else? i drive a 2002 vw gti stick shift. since yesterday, when i give it some gas it revs up for a few seconds before it kicks in and the car actually goes with it. this never happened before. it matters not if i am shifting or in gear , it happens when i give it gas in either case. i seached and read a post about something similar when it was cold and it taking some time to catch gears, but i dont think this is similar, it kicks in after about 1-3 seconds (for now, i guess), and its still summery warm here... help me out, god i wish i was a mechanic instead of a sysadmin.
posted by fumbducker
on Sep 8, 2006 -
15 answers
To transmission flush or not to transmission flush? That is the question.
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posted by geeky
on Sep 1, 2006 -
16 answers
My van's transmission is very sad. It's on the verge of being considered a junker car: should I repair it or buy another crappy car?
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posted by ztdavis
on Aug 14, 2006 -
12 answers
Hey! Know a good subaru repair shop in Palo Alto? What about the Mission side of SF?
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posted by metaculpa
on Dec 9, 2005 -
9 answers
Another car question. I have a nine year old automatic car with a seven year old engine. Lately in the cold when I put it into reverse and put on the gas, the car just revs. Then after a little bit I feel a shifting clunk and the car is in reverse. I back out of my space and put it into drive at which point, if it's cold enough, the same thing happens. I coast in neutral, accelerator does nothing but rev for a little while, then I feel it push into gear and can go forever, including to full stops and on again the whole day. Even on cold days, after being parked it works fine. When it's not cold, this doesn't seem to happen. So 0.5) is this related to my transmission at all, 1) is my transmission on the way out, 2) is it more dangerous than I think to drive it, and 3) will I need a whole new transmission or just a minor repair?
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posted by ontic
on Feb 22, 2005 -
18 answers
I'm interested in buying a car with a manual transmission. Unfortunately, while I've driven with a manual a couple of times in the past, I'm still very inexperienced. What's the best way to practice prior to getting the new car or without ruining the gears on my new car (or causing traffic problems)? And is it even worthwhile to get a manual these days if I don't already know how to drive one? Keep in mind this car would be used for daily commutes through moderate to heavy traffic.
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posted by EatenByAGrue
on Feb 2, 2005 -
52 answers
I was stop and go driving for about an hour today (hanging flyers for my job; the car's a manual transmission '95 Saturn) and after I finished I was heading back to the store when I hear a pop and my stick shift is just wobbling around. I still have to hold the clutch to start the car but it is stuck in second gear so I can get it going but only drive 10-15mph. What in the hell just happened?
posted by untuckedshirts
on Jul 9, 2004 -
11 answers
