Scotty - I have love your videos! I have a 2015 Ford Focus SE Hatchback 2.0 L with 89,000 miles bought it in 2018. Have less than a year payments left. It needs a new Transmission Control Module (it is under warranty). The part is on Back Order with no ETA to come in! They said it could be weeks, months or more! The car has been at the dealership for 4 weeks already. I want to get it running and get a Toyota! What would you suggest? A remanufactured TCM if no new Ford parts are coming out?
Thanks for your advice!
Thank you for commenting on the Ford Focus TCM issue. I have a 2014 Focus S(46k miles) that is currently sitting since 8/13/22 at the attentive Maplecrest Ford Lincoln of Union NJ while I and they wait for Ford Co makes it a priority to provide the TCM part us. I don't see how Ford functions when reportedly they have 45k new vehicles sitting idle awaiting parts. I am glad that Ford is not abandoning the gas driven vehicles but I wonder if their investment in the electric vehicle plant in Tennessee has most of their attention. Ed A
That car has Ford's infamous "PowerShift" dry clutch automated transmission, sounds like the dealer is making a lame attempt to "fix" it. There is no real fix for it, those transmissions are a fundamentally flawed design.
Now if your TCM has actually cratered rendering the car immobile, replacing it should at least get the car going again. However if they are trying to fix the lurching, slipping, and other shifting problems those transmissions are famous for it's probably not going to help.
I wonder if AutoZone actually has that Dorman part in stock? Seems like it's out of stock just about everywhere else.
They are available all day long at AutoZone. Dorman #609-030 - $324.99, limited lifetime warranty.
The Dorman TCM is a rebuild and is not in stock. I called my parts store (Lordco in Calgary) to see if they could bring in the Dorman TCM for me, but their distributor said they were awaiting rebuildable cores. The core charge was $500. I even contacted Dorman to see if I could sell them cores from junked Focuses, but they aren't buying them. The TCMs were all stripped out of the pick a part Focuses and Fiestas anyways.
I bought a 2013 Focus in late June. I knew the Focus had transmission problem, but figured Ford had all that sorted by now. The Focus was one the few used cars I could find that weren't crazy expensive.
It ran great for two months before the transmission began intermittently loosing gears 2, 4, 6 and reverse. The Ford dealership said it was the TCM and it was covered under extended warranty. They put me on the waiting list a replacement and told me that if I bought a knockoff from Amazon, they'd install it and program it for me until my Ford unit arrived. I found a Chinese rebuild off Amazon that should be arriving this month.
I'd like to know why it's taking Ford so long to get replacement parts for their transmissions. Is it really 'shortages'? Considering how many Ford Focuses and Fiestas are parked because of the TCM issue, I'm hoping they get sued again. It will be a cold day in hell before I ever buy another Ford! Fool me once, shame on you, fool me seven times...okay, I've bought a lot of Fords. It might be a problem.
I don't see how an after market TCM part can be used even if available when Ford has the extended warranty campaign program 14M02, 10 years or 100k miles. Ed A
Had no issue getting my TCM replaced when I had a Focus with the dry powershift (a fabulous wagon) - it took a day, Ford dealers used to have them at the dealerships due to how frequent failures are.
Try calling different dealerships to see who has a TCM in stock.
These aren’t just “computers”, these have electric motors that move the shift drums and the TCM also outputs current for the “forks” that engage the clutches.
After replacement make sure that Ford performs (a free) computerized learning procedure - performing it your self is a miserable experience.
No, used TCMs are a bad idea!
as these have been revised many times (both hardware and firmware) to get the somewhat-reasonable shift quality you see on the 2015 model year.
Yes, getting a Toyota is a good idea.
if you want the best reliability, get a conventional auto (expect for 2010-2014 4 cylinder camries and the earliest 8 speed variants on any of their range)
Maybe they aren't available due to chip shortage. At some point the dealer must want to get the car out of their hands.
A Ford Co. chat representative told me in August 2022 an estimate of 2 to 6 months wait for TCM part for my 2014 Ford Focus. Ed Anderson
