Do the Herky-Jerky: Ford's PowerShift Problems Aren't Over

Ford Motor Company probably wishes it had gone with a CVT.

After weathering years of complaints about the performance of its six-speed PowerShift dual clutch transmission, Australia just added to the misery with a class-action lawsuit, CarAdvice reports.

The suit, which alleges the transmissions are unsafe, concerns 2010–2014 Ford Fiesta and Focus models. Ford owners involved in the legal action claim the gearbox “slips, bucks, jerks, and harshly engages when driven” — a gripe echoed by other owners and the automotive press for years.

Sudden or delayed acceleration and difficulty in bringing the vehicle to a stop were other complaints listed in the suit, which alleges the transmission’s problems amounts to a violation of consumer law.

Poorly-shifting transmissions can give an automaker a reputation (looking at you, Smart Fortwo), something Ford tried to avoid with continuous upgrades to the PowerShift’s software. Still offered in the Focus and Fiesta, the transmission didn’t show up in North American Fiestas equipped with the 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine. The similarly powered Focus is equipped with a traditional automatic as an option.

It’s also possible the transmission’s spastic nature is behind the relative popularity of manual-transmission Focus models.

A different version of PowerShift went into Volvo models beginning in 2008, but that unit avoided complaints of bad performance. The Volvo version uses hydraulic actuation, rather than the electric motor/solenoid actuation used in the Focus and Fiesta.

In Australia, Ford extended the warranties of tens of thousands of PowerShift-equipped vehicles last year after a barrage of consumer complaints. The owners in this lawsuit are going after a bigger win — they want a full refund of their vehicles’ purchase price, as well as compensation for repairs and stress.