福特佛cus Owners Get $23k Payout Due To Problematic Transmission

It's the transmission that Ford probably wishes it never made. Dubbed DPS6 internally, the manufacturer is continuing to face repercussions for its troublesome dual-clutch PowerShift transmission. In the latest case, Ford has been ordered to cough up $23,000 to owners of a 2014福特佛cus, according to areport from The Detroit News. The official charge amounts to a violation of consumer protection laws after the PowerShift's flaws caused the owners to feel unsafe.

Salvador and Yvonne Quintero, the plaintiffs, continued making lease payments for their Focus despite choosing to stop using the vehicle. The $23k payout amounts to triple what their lease payments were worth and yet, Ford claims this amount to be less than what the manufacturer offered as a settlement over two years ago.

So, what is the issue with the PowerShift gearbox that has affected thousands of 2011-2016 Ford Fiesta and 2012-2016 Focus models and resulted in the filing of a class-action suit? Owners have described a recurring shudder when pulling away from a stop and an especially disconcerting 1-2 upshift causing a notable vibration through the vehicle. Everything from output shafts to clutches and entire transmissions has been replaced, while others have tried to remedy the issues with a software update. Unfortunately for Ford, the issues often reappear, indicating a fundamental flaw with the DPS6.

While dual-clutches are known for slipping the clutch in a similar fashion to a manual when pulling away, Ford uses a dry clutch that only adds to these undesirable traits. Premium manufacturers like Audi and Porsche make use of wet clutches and, unsurprisingly, their transmissions exhibit smoother shift quality.