Ford Extends Warranties For Focus And Fiestas With Transmission Issues

Ford has announced that it will extend the warranties of 2014-2016 Fiesta and Focus models fitted with the available dual-clutch transmission.

For years, customers have complained about various issues with the dual-clutch transmission and a damming report from mid-July revealed that Ford knowingly launched the Focus and Fiesta models with defective PowerShift transmissions.

Now, the car manufacturer seems to have acknowledged that there are problems with the gearbox and will increase the warranty of the clutch and associated components from five years/60,000 miles (96,000 km) to seven years/100,000 miles (160,000 km). The warranty for the transmission control module will be covered for 10 years/150,000 miles (241,000 km).

Also Read: Did Ford Knowingly Launch Focus And Fiesta With Defective PowerShift Transmissions?

“Ford understands and regrets that many customers have been inconvenienced and frustrated by the performance of the DPS6 transmission,” vice president of Ford Powertrain, Dave Filipe, said in a statement. “Earning and keeping the trust of customers is vital to everything we do. That is why Ford and its dealers have gone to great lengths to improve the performance of the transmission.”

The car manufacturer has also revealed that it will reimburse customers who’ve carried out clutch repairs and paid for them out of pocket. Additionally, Ford will reach out to a small group of Focus and Fiesta owners who’ve not previously received a software upgrade for the transmission control module. This upgrade provides greater advanced warning should the system detect the control module is failing, CNET reports.

Ford’s new warranty is unlikely to have any impact on the class-action lawsuit regarding the defective transmissions which was filed on March 24, 2017 addressing the complaints of 1.9 million current or former owners of 2012-2016 Focus and 2011-2016 Fiesta models.