Ford’s PowerShift transmissions have been a thorn in the company’s side for over a decade now. Due to their erratic nature, countless lawsuits have been filed against Ford. But surely people can just fix the transmission instead of paying lawyers, right? But can Ford PowerShift transmissions be fixed at all? The answer is sad, no, they can’t be.
PowerShift transmissions have been a mainstay in a few of their cars since 2011. The cars that have this transmission in them are mainly Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus. Ever since these two cars have been relaunched following the global recession, people have been complaining about the various issues regarding transmissions.
The main issues that people face fixing Ford PowerShift transmissions are-
- Stalling
- Shuddering
- Vibrating
- Hesitating
- Unexpected increase in acceleration etc.
These problems arise due to faulty designs made by Ford. So, the PowerShift transmissions can’t be fixed. But it doesn’t mean people are helpless in this regard. I would recommend either replacing the entire transmission or replacing the parts that are causing the problems.
Can The Ford PowerShift Transmission Be Fixed?
Ever since their reintroduction, Ford PowerShift transmissions have been a matter of headache for both Ford and the consumer. The problem starts mere moments after the consumer buys their cars. The first response to this problem is the consumers wanting to fix the PowerShift transmissions. But there are some problems regarding this.
First of all, it is impossible to fix a Ford PowerShift transmission. If a fault is detected in any of these transmissions, you have to replace the entire transmission. But doing so is too expensive. If you want to replace a PowerShift transmission, it will cost you about 3500 dollars on average.
Sometimes the replacement cost of the PowerShift transmission is more than the car itself. So people might think that it is not worth it to replace their transmission. If that is the case, you have a couple of options in front of you. First, you can replace the transmission regardless of how much it costs if you want to drive the car for a long time.
The second option is more feasible for most people out there. You can just sell the parts of the car instead of spending a fortune on the car’s transmission. Not everyone has extra 3500 to 4000 dollars on hand to spend on a new transmission right after buying an affordable Ford car.
But sometimes, you don’t have to replace the entire transmission. There are times when a certain part of the transmission malfunctions. In that case, all you need to do is to replace the faulty parts of the PowerShift transmission in your Ford. The most common way to partially fix a PowerShift transmission is to replace the shift solenoids and the transmission bands.
This costs a lot less than replacing an entire transmission. The above repair jobs can set you back about 150 to 190 US dollars. When compared to the cost you’d have to undertake otherwise, it’s pocket change.
Can Ford Fix Its PowerShift Transmission?
When these problems with PowerShift transmissions first came to the fore, people thought going back to the car dealers would fix the issues. But they couldn’t be more wrong, as when the cars were taken to the car dealers, the consumers were faced with lies and deceit. Ford told them either there was nothing wrong with the car, or the transmission was European or the transmission was merely adapting to the habits of the driver.
When the consumers understood that they wouldn’t get anything from Ford, they decided to sue the company by the lemon laws. As a result, Ford decided to take steps to accommodate the victims’ demands. The step Ford took is to extend the transmission’s warranty up to 10 years or 150000 miles. But what good is an extended warranty when you are hundreds of miles away from your home and can’t even move your car?
So, people demanded that Ford should fix the transmissions. It was then that they were faced with the real truth. The design of the PowerShift transmissions was so flawed that once they started malfunctioning, they were impossible to fix.
Symptoms Of A Malfunctioning Ford PowerShift Transmission
Now you know that once you notice the PowerShift transmission going haywire, there isn’t much you can do. But how do you know that your transmission isn’t working properly? The signs of a malfunctioning Ford PowerShift transmissionare-
- Shuddering: The car starts to shudder all of a sudden, especially when the speed of the car is low.
- Vibrating: The car also starts to vibrate unnaturally when driven at a low speed.
- Stalling: There have been occasions where the car completely stalls and refuses to move at all.
- Hesitating: When gears are switched, the car hesitates before changing speed.
- Unexpected Increase in acceleration: Sometimes the car accelerates unexpectedly, resulting in a lot of accidents.
ford powershift transmission related (FAQs)
1. When Did Ford Fix The PowerShift?
Once the problems regarding the PowerShift transmission started to surface in early 2012, Ford claimed to have worked on these issues. But it was all for naught, as the same problems remained as if nothing was done.
It was when lawsuits started piling up during 2017, then Ford seriously started working on removing the PowerShift transmission issues. Even then, there have been reports of theFord transmission acting weird.
2. How Do I Reset My PowerShift Transmission?
Resetting the PowerShift transmission has different methods depending on the vehicle. For example, if you have a Ford Fiesta, you can reset your transmission by-
- Turning on the car but not starting the engine
- Shifting the transmission to neutral.
- Turning off the car.
- Shifting the car to park.
- Turned the car on again.
- Starting the engine
Once you do all these, you will be able to reset your PowerShift transmission on your Ford Fiesta
3. Can I Get My 2012 Ford Focus Transmission Fixed For Free?
When Ford was forced to take action against failing PowerShift transmissions, its first act was to increase the warranty. But since that didn’t do much for the car owners, Ford then ordered all of its car dealers to fix the 2012 Ford Focus transmissions for free. You can avail of this even if your warranty is no longer valid.
Watch >>PowerShift Transmission Fix Video
Final Words
For a long time, Ford’s PowerShift transmissions have been bothering consumers worldwide. Not only have these faulty transmissions caused countless injuries and even deaths, but customers also have been suffering from less-than-ideal customer service. So naturally, they have been faced with the question, can the Ford PowerShift transmission be fixed?
The answer, sadly, is no. If a Ford PowerShift transmission starts acting up, all that can be done is to replace them for a hefty price or fix parts of it.
You might find the articles below equally helpful to read:
July 2023: Ford sent a letter:
Customer Satisfaction Program 14M02
2013 Focus
My VIN
This is to owners, like me of a Ford Focus who show symptoms of faulty Transmission Control Modules (TCM), This letter serves as notice that Ford extends the warranty to a total of ten years or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date for the TCM.
For Focus who have exceeded this limit, Ford offered a one-time replacement of the Transmission Control Module through June 2025. This will be free of charge.
Unfortunately, Ford service departments (Two, in my case.) told me they have absolutely no idea when the TCM will be available. In my case, my 2013 Focus has been parked, undriveable, since July.
I have accumulated more than $3000 in car rental fees. The Ford representative with whom I was dealing was sympathetic, and committed Ford to a rental reimbursement rate of $40 per day. (I have paid between $68 and $84 per day.)
As I commute, this has severely impaired my livelihood and is very expensive.
I am attempting to get full reimbursement for my car rentals. A the moment. There is no solution to the TCM availability nor the matter of rental reimbursement.
This is an example of the effect of this TCM/transmission problem on my family.