Ford Fiesta Automatic Problem

Ms_Mop_123 · 12 March 2018 at 5:13PM

Hi Everyone....first time posting.

Got a Ford Fiesta automatic 62 reg. Had a flat battery, charged it up and then a message appeared....transmission malfunction service. Did some goggling and apparently it’s a known fault with the car. Ford have given a ten year extended warranty on the part in America, in the UK we only get a five year one. Took it to the garage and they agreed its a problem Ford are aware of. Asked if we would get the same problem with the new part, told we wouldn’t because the parts now been modified. Cost for repair over £500. The car is only eight weeks over the extended warranty and only done 15,000 miles. Phoned Ford custumers services and got nowhere,,,,over the 60 month warranty...end of story.

So, my question is....if Ford are aware of the fault why
a...They didn’t do a recall
b...Are they obliged to offer replacement free due to it being a faulty part when purchased
c...Why in America they get twice the warranty that we get

I just don’t think we should have to foot the bill for the repair when it’s clearly a fault they have been aware of for some time,

Any help in would be appreciated.

Thank you
Ms Mop 123

EdGasketTheSecond · 12 March 2018 at 10:08PM

Did you charge the battery with it still connected to the car?

You might want to google the fault and see what other people had e.g.

http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/mk3-tsb-recall-problems-archive/295408-transmission-malfunction-service-now-2.html

forgotmyname · 12 March 2018 at 11:53PM

Ms_Mop_123 wrote: »

Hi Everyone....first time posting.

So, my question is....if Ford are aware of the fault why
a...They didn!!!8217;t do a recall. Not all suffer the fault.

b...Are they obliged to offer replacement free due to it being a faulty part when purchased. Faulty when purchased yet lasted 6 years?

c...Why in America they get twice the warranty that we get. Are you sure, just looked and the Fiesta was 3 years in the USA.

I just don!!!8217;t think we should have to foot the bill for the repair when it!!!8217;s clearly a fault they have been aware of for some time,

Any help in would be appreciated.

Thank you
Ms Mop 123

Just looking at it from the other side of the coin. It lasted 6 years so was it faulty when new?

arcon5 · 13 March 2018 at 7:33AM

forgotmyname wrote: »

Just looking at it from the other side of the coin. It lasted 6 years so was it faulty when new?

Maybe I'm misunderstanding your point here, but just because it lasted 6 years doesn't mean something isn't inherently faulty. And there are also rules around how long goods should last. 15k miles on a box seems very low.

Saying that if the fault only flagged up when the battery ran flat it could simply be a case the error needs to be cleared.

forgotmyname · 13 March 2018 at 11:06AM

15k is low, but does the OP actually have the issue they think they have?

You yourself mentioned the fault only appeared after the battery died and a new one fitted. If the box had serious wear then they should have noticed the faults previously.

No mention of any fault with the box other than the warning light after a battery issue.

Ms_Mop_123 · 13 March 2018 at 4:27PM

Thanks for the replies.
Thought first I!!!8217;d explain what the problem is. The car will change from first to second perfectly okay, but when changing from second to third it takes along time, the rev counter goes up to 4,000 revs before it changes and it won!!!8217;t go into fourth. I think it!!!8217;s called limp home mode.

Answers to questions raised.

The battery was in the car when charged. We checked all the leads to make sure they were tight. Have googled the problem and have tried different suggestions, but nothing worked.

From what I!!!8217;ve found out the fault only becomes obvious once the car battery has been flat a few times. Sod!!!8217;s law it!!!8217;s happened when the car is only eight weeks out of warranty and not before. The car was first registered in Jan 2013. It!!!8217;s only just over five years old and not six which was mentioned in one of the replies.

Don!!!8217;t think there is a problem with the battery, it only does short journeys (hence low milesge) and during the recent snow it wasn!!!8217;t driven for several days, add to that it was very cold, hence the battery died and needed charging again.

I!!!8217;m afraid that because I am a newbie to this site i am unable to put up links yet, could of directed you to where I found out about the extended 10 year warranty in America.
It states that they are extending the warranty to ten years or 150,000 miles. I!!!8217;m sure if you google Ford Fiesta extended warranty tcm you will find it.

I did ring Ford Customer service last Friday, told the lady my tale of woe, she said if it was diagnosed with the tcm problem it would be replaced free of charge. I got the ref number of the phone call. When the garage phoned once it had been diagnosed with the fault, only to be told it wouldn!!!8217;t be fixed free of charge. I!!!8217;ve phoned since and they just won!!!8217;t budge, I!!!8217;ve asked them to listen to the phone call and they won!!!8217;t....all I get is it!!!8217;s out of it!!!8217;s 60 month extended warranty. Just gets me so annoyed thatFord obviously are aware of the problem, their now fitting a modified part, yet we are left to pay to have it sorted.

Ms Mop 123

Ms_Mop_123 · 13 March 2018 at 4:30PM

Why do all them numbers appear in my reply?

EssexExile · 13 March 2018 at 6:05PM

Ms_Mop_123 wrote: »

Why do all them numbers appear in my reply?

It happens with Apple "intelligent" punctuation on this forum lately.

EdGasketTheSecond · 13 March 2018 at 6:16PM

If the charger does not have a 'smoothed' output then the battery should have been disconnected from the car for charging. The pulses and spikes from low-end or old chargers can damage car electronics. That might have caused the unit to fail or it migtht just be coincidence.

System · 13 March 2018 at 6:20PM

forgotmyname wrote: »

Just looking at it from the other side of the coin. It lasted 6 years so was it faulty when new?

It quite well could have been if it were a design fault. Nvidia several years ago infamously had a manufacturing error in every 8000 series graphics chip that they made and they admitted every single one of them would fail because of this, it wasn't a question of if but when. I know of someone who got the thick end of half a decade out of his because of light use but it did eventually fail and the people who made the laptop replaced the mainboard even though it was well out of any warranty.

System · 13 March 2018 at 6:22PM

EdGasketTheSecond wrote: »

The pulses and spikes from low-end or old chargers can damage car electronics.

No they can't. The charger is connected to a massive capacitor, the battery, which smooths them out. On a petrol engine car the electronics will get more and worse spikes from degrading plug leads and back EMF from the starter motor than a charger.

Ford Fiesta Automatic Problem

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