Is the shift actuator part of the transmission control module?

There are two shift actuator motors which are inside of the tcm which you say have already been replaced. The only other parts are the clutch motors which are outside of the TCM and they do not cost anywhere near $2500. Should be less than $900... Could an expert respond?

This sounds like it is a clutch actuator. I would ask for part numbers from the dealership to clarify.

My daughter took car in for the TCM recall. They called and told us the transmission actuator was also bad. Apparently, the actuator is a wearable part and even though the transmission is now warrantied to 100,000 Miles. Car only has 83,000 Miles. The wearable part is not covered and it will take 2 hours of labor to replace it. Even though my understanding is that you to have to remove the actuator to replace the clutch! What a rip off!!!!!!!! Last for our family will own. Learn how to treat your customers. Toyota here we come!!!!!

I just got quoted CAD $282 to replace the actuators as part and parcel of Ford the transmission under the extended warranty and was told to keep the receipt 'for when the warranty is further extended to include the actuators." NB. They said when not if - I told them it seems a bit backward to not include the actuator cost now - if they know that they will in the future. Her response was I can only cover what is currently under warranty.

I'm actually a service adviser at a Ford dealership. Yes, there are two actuators located in the transmission control module (TCM). These actuators operate the shift actuators (or clutch forks) A and B. Fork A operates gears 1, 3 & 5. Fork B operates 2, 4, 6 and reverse. Unfortunately, the extended coverages on the TCM and clutch assembly do not include the clutch forks. Parts and labor usually comes out to around $1200.00. What we have done in the past is replace the clutch assembly under warranty if applicable, then charge the customer for the additional parts (clutch forks) only, not the labor. Going that route means the customer only pays around $400.00.

@scarlet_adviser7 can you provide those warranty details for the clutch assembly? I’m being told by the dealership in Louisiana that the clutch assembly is not covered but only the tcm is covered. Thank you so much for your time.

I'm amazed to find this situation has existed for so many as we are currently going through this exact same nightmare with our daughter's Ford Focus with the TCM being replaced, but the car won't work because we need to spend $1,900.00 on the Clutch Actuator. Trouble with the transmission since day one!

I paid almost $700 to have my actuator replaced and it totally solved the problem of shudder, not being able to go in reverse, etc - everything Ford is AWARE OF - but they won’t cover repairs for! No more Ford for me!

I also had an actuator go out under 70,000 miles. Less than two months after FORD replaced the clutch under warranty..... From my under standing you have to remove the actuator for the recall...... Funny i have these issues all the sudden.... Not a dependable car! Definitely not for me as a college student in debt!

My 2017 Ford Focus is in the shop as we speak, they replaced the TCM I guess, on warranty bc I only owe for diagnostics. But they said the car is not fixed. Said it's the actuator and it cost $2,600. Now this is the 2017 that's not on the lawsuit but has the same problems. Ford sucks and ain't interested In doing what's right.

The same exact thing is happening to me right now. I've had issues with my 2015 focus since the day we got it. Literally. After months and months of trying to get the transmission fixed with the recall i received in the mail, they finally agreed in January of this year to replace the Clutch and TCM. Not even three months later, my car is violently shuddering every time I accelerate. Now they're telling me my car is shifting from 1st to 3rd to 5th instead of the correct way. They've told me its the actuator. Forks is actually what they said. Its not covered under warranty and they blatantly said they dont replace them when they replace the clutch. So now I'm stuck with a 2,000 dollar bill to fix something that should have never been faulty in the first place. I HATE FORD. My family have been avid buyers since way before I was born, but no one wants to give them any business after what has happened to me. They refuse to fix an ongoing problem in these vehicles, but are still manufacturing the same ones and selling them. Whatever

Same think for my 2014. They replaced the clutch under warranty and now a year later I have a check engine light. I checked the code myself and saw it was the actuator. I brought it in because it was also shuddering on acceleration. They called me and said it's not covered and I have a $200 diagnostic fee. I told them i already knew what the problem was why am i being charged. They said they wanted to double check. This has put a bad taste in my mouth for fords. I am selling it as fast as possible.

I just had my 2014 Focus into the dealer for gas tank recall. Since the car has always vibrated at idle and I had studied out a bit and the forum consensus was a bad motor mount. I asked while it was in would they check out the motor mounts? They came back with "Its not the mounts, its likely the clutches" Not to worry, its still under warranty. After two days I get a call and informed the clutches were OK and it did not qualify for replacement under the recall, but they reprogrammed it and said it should feel better. It felt the exact same. Now about 3 weeks after getting it back it starts shifting very strangely and Check engine light comes on. Being a DIYer I get out my code reader and pull a P0902 code, Low voltage on Actuator. Checked out the parts and actuators are about $70 each. two needed if they should both need to be replaced. Studied how to and for anyone with tools and a bit of mechanical know how should be a pretty easy. In my studies so far I found it suggested that many of the transmission problems are not so much mechanical but electrical, and improving the ground connection and/or replacing the battery fixed many of the issues. All that being said, I have seen a lot of unhappiness with Ford, and I am not defending them, but I am wondering if that is not pretty much an all manufacturer problem. Is there a car company that any are super pleased with when it comes to warranty service? Sadly I think that US manufacturers are all disappointing in that aspect.

richlars.....I'm going through the exact same issues as yourself with same timeline. This though marks the 4th off to dealership service for similar/same issue. Though I did have clutchvreplaced 2 times already and I just hit 91,000km. I ran scan had same code issue took to dealer, useless as boobs on a bull, dodge the issues as they don't want to spend a dime on the problem. Did a flash to the onboarding comp and problem and engine light went away, but, 4 days later back to same issue, completely missing gears. Checked my grounds, cleaned them up, check battery voltage then load and low and behold a bad load capacity. Did another energy purge on electrical system, reconnected new battery and coolant, she's good to go......for now. I'll repost in a week to see if this is a fix or a bandaid. Good luck to all the disappointed Ford owners! This guy is done with their products and poor service from Ford Canada. No wonder a multi billion dollar class action lawsuit was filed against them!

Has anyone filed for their class action lawsuit? If so what have you guys been told or informed? I have been denied 2 times although we have paperwork showing we’ve had transmission/clutch issues since 45k miles. It needs a new “shift fork” and they wanted to slap me with a 2400$ bill

I had hired an attorney to settle with Ford thru an arbitrator because of my Tc problems. Which dealer would not fix at their cost. The car finally would not turn at all and couldn’t drive. Had a non ford auto repair shop replace the entire steering rack, at my cost. The lawyer worked to get me a settlement with ford from 2017-2020, but the arbitrator ruled against any settlement. Now I’m going to file again thru this class action settlement, but I’m unsure if the steering rack replacement will be covered.

Similar issue to many of those above, 2014 Ford focus w/ 70k miles and 2 clutch replacements later. Wondering if anyone has had success after replacing their actuators? I think it is bonkers that it is not covered under the TCM warranty, since they exist within the same system of the car and may even be part of the real issue under the hood. Just got diagnosed with an actuator issue after experiencing high +5k rpm revs sporadically without any action from the gas. Wondering if the new part could give it life or if this is a good time to cut losses and walk away. This car has drained me and I know I haven't even had it as bad as some of us poor Ford owners. I want to let it go, but looking for any excuse to keep this shitty ass car. #fordsucks2020

There is a really good video on youtube how to change the clutch actuators by yourself. The right side is easy to get to, the left is a bit more in depth and tricky. The part from the dealership was 115$ each and took maybe 30 min to switch mine out myself.... so I only paid 230 for both actuators and never had to have the TCM reprogrammed. My dealer ignored the code and stated nothing was wrong. Then my car stalled and almost caused me to wreck with my two year old daughter. I will be doing my own repairs from now on when possible!!!!!!!!!

2014 focus 77,800 had my clutch replaced at 33,000 miles. I started feeling the gears slip when slowing down nearly at a stop with a “scuffing” sound brought it to the dealership, scanned for codes got p074f and p074b. Unable to engage gears 1,3. Stealership claims its both output shafts are bad and possibly more with an estimated 3800 minimum. Refusing to replace TCM because it didn’t throw the right codes. It sure seems like ford is going through real gymnastics to avoid having to call the entire transmission and clutch assembly defective and actually solve the problem their customers are experiencing. After owning 3 ford vehicles... this one will be my last. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

i AM HAVING THE SAME ISSUES WITH THE SHIFTING FORKS AFTER HAVING THE RECALL DONE LAST YEAR. THE DEALERSHIP QUOTED ME $2,000.00 TO REPLACE THEM AND THAT IT WAS EXTENSIVE LABOR, ABOUT 9-10 HOURS, THAT'S WHY IT WAS SO EXPENSIVE/ Sorry, I didn't realize my caps were on. I cannot believe that Ford isn't including these in the warranty when clearly they are a huge problem for all of us and SO costly!! My car is only worth about $4,000, and there is no guarantee that the issue will be solved. I am so done with Ford, I am trading in my car and getting a Toyota Corolla!!

I am also having problems with my Fiesta! My car has been in and out of the shop for years dealing with the transmission. I wrote to Ford Customer Service - I need your best customer service. I own a 2011 Ford Fiesta and yes, my clutch needs to be replaced. I am at 97,300 miles, my vin# XXXX. I HAVE HAD MANY ISSUES WITH MY TRANSMISSION. Everyone around the world knows about the Ford Fiesta and Focus transmission issues. Kendall Ford of Anchorage is charging me $3,000 to repair my clutch! I know last year a memo went out to all of the Ford dealers to cover transmission/clutch issues for free. Can that memo still be in effect? Is there something you can do to help me out? This issue is not due to my driving or misuse of the car. I have maintained this car very well and am taking excellent care of it. It only seems fair that Ford pay for the mistake they made and not force the customer extra costs of your faulty transmission/ I would appreciate any assistance you could help. They responded- After reviewing my resources, there are no warranties or programs in effect that would provide coverage of your current concern. I recommend that you keep your receipts in case Ford initiates a program in the future based on your situation. Ellen Ford Service Team Ford has very poor customer service. I am going to file a complaint and share this experience on social media. This is bull%$#@! Why do we have to pay for their mistake?!! And they know they made a HUGE mistake! I am currently in negotiations for a Toyota and will never ever by=uy another Ford!!

Hello all! Amazon has Actuators for about $45. It took me 20 minutes, even running after the tools, to replace. I replaced the actuators for clutch B. Solved my issues and now it drives like new. Just enter the Ford part number for the actuator and Ford and knock-off parts will come up. It’s extremely simply to replace.

I’ve been trying to get my actuator in but it seems to not be flush and i’m not sure how to get it to fit all the way in, I turn the gear and try to get it to fit, but nothing. It’s sticking out enough to where you could fit a quarter in between it and the transmittion. Any help here?

I am personally going to call ford everyday from here till something happens. I am running into the same problem today. Dealer said it will cost 1200 dollars due to 7.5 hours of labor costs.

on 8/20/2020, I had my Focus "fixed". It was shifting crazily and finally a check engine light came on. Apparently something inside got stuck and it burned the clutch up. Since then, I haven't noticed any change with the car aside from the check engine light being off. When I'm trying to accelerate and the car seems to go into neutral instead of shifting into the next gear, it can sometimes be scary. I'm amazed I wasn't pulled over the other day when that happened, since it sounded like I revved my engine and chirped the tires into gear right next to the police. When I contacted the dealership, they said it's normal for the car to make noises and to shift unusually and that nothing is wrong. Since I just spent half of what the car is worth and they're refusing to look at it, what can I do??? I was hoping spending $3000 would be enough to keep the car working for another year so I can save up for anything not made by Ford, but now I went through some savings and I'm still left with a turd of a car

My sons car is starting to not go into gear, loss of power, and shuddering. 2017 Focus with 35K miles. 3 years old and has been nothing but trouble since brand new. Thanks Ford. I'm not paying a dime to fix it. If they tell me I have to pay anything I'm going straight to an attorney.

My mother's 2015 Fiesta, 9,000 miles - she bought it used with Ford's Extra Care extended Warranty. Shuddering, two trips to the dealer to reprogram the TCM which is not covered (I guess that's an "adjustment". 3rd trip they removed the transmission, report says defective clutch, they replaced the input shaft shaft seal and clutch under TSB 16 0109 and the TCM under TSB 16-0129. So far so good and no charge, just the $100 deductible. They delivered the car to her house to retrieve the rental car since she is 86, had fallen, and couldn't drive with a fractured wrist. They didn't ask for payment until afterwards. They also replaced the "clutch slave" (really a dual throwout bearing) and both "levers, clutch release" (really jackscrew controlled clutch forks). For these parts and the labor to replace they want $765. These parts have to be removed and replaced under the first TSB, in order to replace the seal (which is what the TSB is mostly about - there were a lot of seal problems with transmission fluid getting to the clutch) so the labor shouldn't be charged a second time. Also the parts are not called for to be replaced in the TSB and don't need to be unless they are bad. In my research I saw that the transmission assembly on Fords website, although its a rear view I can see that the servo motors which actuate the jackscrews in the "levers, clutch release" come with it so I assume the levers do also which makes them internal transmission parts which the Extra Care warranty covers. And Ford did deny the dealer's claim for that work which must be because it wasn't necessary. Reading the 12 page contract there are no exclusions that I see in transmission except a manual transmission's clutch. This video shows the entire first TSB being performed and is a good reference. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVJnNPbjjjs&t=645s So I'm in an email exchange with the dealer, we've not paid them yet and have the car so we're in the driver's seat. I've asked the dealer to explain why the denied parts were replaced. I think we'll send the dealer a check in the mail for the deductible plus tax.

The junk yards make you pay for the whole tranny even though all i need is the actuator. 1 clip and 4 bolts but still want to charge 1000 for the whole thing. So in my opinion the actuator motors should be covered in transmission since event he junk yards will charge you for the whole thing.

I am currently having the same problem with my 2016 Ford Focus. I looked up if there are other reported issues with the clutch actuators and found that on July 2020 ford started Customer Satisfaction Program 20B23 – Replacement of Clutch Actuator Motors – 2016- 2017 Ford Focus until July 2021. I took mine to the dealer and they told me there are problems with the motors and they can replace that for free but they also need to replace the levers and the total would be $3000 to fix it. They said they cant fix the motors or TCM until they fix the lever. This sounds so unfair and illegal. Can anyone recommend the best or more economic course of action to either fix this.

2015 Ford Focus - same issue. Had clutch replaced under extended warranty about 18K miles ago (@ ~39K miles). Now car has frequent lurching, inconsistent shifting, unable to engage gear, loss of power, and finally check-engine light. So I think the TCM has finally died. Take it to dealer, dealer runs tests and 'sends the results to Ford' who says, no, not the TCM. It's the clutch actuators, and, who knows, possibly the shift forks and throw-out bearings. We'll have to get in there to see, but none of that is under the extended warranty. Riiiiight...it's not the TCM, just something that works in conjunction with the TCM. Trust us. Feels to me like Ford has found a way to weasel out of their extended warranty AND reclaim a lot of money they've already lost by making sure they can find extra high-cost things that go wrong downstream of the TCM and upstream of the clutch, but call it NOT the TCM or the clutch. You can't convince me there's not some deceitfulness and fraud in all of this.

Reading through these comments has been therapeutic and maddening. Feels good to not be the only one that feels manipulated by Ford. I'm getting rid of my 2014 Ford Focus asap.

Feel the same way about our 2015 Focus, having replaced clutch assembly and TCM at 35K and now again at 77K, which Ford says the forks have to be replaced, not under warranty! It's all perfectly connected and Ford wont cover the forks. They just say "fork over the $680 or we're taking you to court" at a San Diego Ford dealership. Done with Ford!!

2012 Ford focus. I had my TCM replaced at 78k miles after my car wouldn't turn on and haven't had any problems for about a year until I started to have trouble shifting. I flushed my transmission fluids and I just ordered 2 shift actuators priced at 135ish and my neighbor is installing them for 40 bucks.its a very easy install I would do it myself but I don't feel like it and I enjoy supporting these kinds of mechanics. I have learned everything about my car through YouTube and talking personally with mechanics. This car is legit designed to be very hard to fix it seems so you take it to ford and they wax you on prices. Just do your research first before you consider even calling ford because I probably know more about fixing my car than some of those people that work there.Always look for your own parts on Amazon or whatever just pay labor if you have to. Best thing to do really is to sell asap every mechanic hates this car and it's just too much of a hassle.

https://www.carproblemzoo.com/tsb/ford/focus/2013-ford-focus.php

2021 ford focus can someone tell me where does the reverser clutch solenoid is located? thank you.

I'm having the same issues. Just bought a 2013 Focus 3 months ago. The transmission was feeling jerky when starting out. Called dealership where I bought it, they said that was normal. Then I received notice of a TCM recall. Then went out and it wouldn't start. Had a lot of corrosion on negative terminal. Cleaned it and it started right up. 2 days later, it wouldn't start again. Had it jumped and went to Autozone. They said it was a bad battery. Went to leave and when I put it in drive it rolled backwards like it was in neutral. The check engine came on for the fork a and fork b position circuit. Dealership where I got it at wants me to pay for a 35 mile tow. I can't, completely broke cause I spent all my money to buy the car. Anyone know what this repair is and how much?

I don't know if the fork position circuits are part of the TCM or not. If they are then you might get lucky with Ford's extension of the TCM warranty. (I don't recall the mileage limit on that). But they do everything they can to avoid things falling under the scope of the warranty, in my experience.

I spent about $4500 on the car, having a shift fork, actuator, and clutch replaced on one side. Within a week, the other side started acting really terribly. The dealer refused to look at it, since it was "normal. you just have to drive it". I complained to Ford customer service about it, and they told the dealer I wasn't satisfied, who sent me a check for $100. What good is $100 going to do? A tow to have it donated? No, I'd never wish that on someone, especially someone needing a car. I had a friend drive me around to dealers to test drive other cars. Once I decided, I drove the constantly broken Focus, and they immediately stuck a "not for sale" sticker on it. Nice. I'm now a proud new owner of a Hyundai with an extended warranty! Just avoid the Focus with the Automatic/Powershift/DPS6 since they're better used for scrap metal/parts, even when they do still have a working transmission. Get that weight off your chest, even if it can be a struggle for a little bit. These cars will never be worth it as there's no real repair in existence. If you don't have much of a budget, check out used Mazda 3's. They're very similar to the Focus, but actually built well and don't have transmissions that cost the value of the car to only repair half of. The Mazda 3 has been a popular used car for a reason.

So, CEL comes on last night, 12/30/2021 and I barely make it home. Back story is since buying it the trans has shuddered since I bought it 10k miles ago. Felt as if I was spinning the tires on take off. Anyhow, fast forward to now. Trans is shifting weird if at all, missing gears, over heating etc. Ran the codes to find it’s the Transmission Shift Actuator B top side. Thankfully I found one on Amazon for under $100 and swapping it out is simple. Maybe an hr tops.

This is kind of in response to Philip he posted about a year ago . I’m curious what ever happened? I am under the impression that some years of Ford Focus are indeed a manual transmission not an automatic transmission . Even though your car is an automatic therefore it wouldn’t be covered. If I’m wrong please someone tell me. I’m having the same problems with my focus getting the same actuator code. Sometimes it won’t even shift into reverse. Sometimes when I revs like that I’ll just let up off the gas so it’ll lick into a different gear. I’ve found when I’m able to pull over and shut my car down for like 30 mins. When I turn it back on and if it lets me I’ll immediately put it into auto manual . I find my car drives better in auto manual anyways so I try to use it as much as possible I feel the more I do it helps regulate more solid shifting when it’s in automatic . I also feel like the time span for it to act up again is longer. Sadly it’s literally whenever my brother drives it and he does not know how to drive manual is when it starts acting up again. But the shuttering at take off is constant. So do I have to replace the forks and the actuator or should I try a new battery. My roommate is a mechanic so I have not taken it to the dealership yet. I’m just hoping for an answer on where to start! Please?

AFH-32, I just talked to someone at Ford Corp. What a joke. Basically like has been stated by so many Folks here Ford is refusing to warranty the actual part that fails. They pointed out the module as the problem and are going to warranty that part but it says right on this website that the actuators are part of the module. How can you possibly say the module in this case is what's bad and then not cover the working parts of the module? This is short of fraud by trying to cover up the actual issue. I was given this website to check into. fordtransmissionsettlement.com

AFH-32 Just wanted to add to my previous post. Just how many people that bought this car new or used were told about this issue? These cars were sold without any kind of warning and Ford knew. I definitely will never by Ford.

Just wanted to say: replacing the actuators should not be an expensive job. If they quote you over $1000 or even over a few hundred dollars: they are just trying to rip you off. It's too bad. I wish mechanics were more honest.

2014 Ford Fiesta throwing P073A code. Clutch fork A stuck engaged. Dealer says not part of the TCM recall....estimate near $4000. Youtube mechanics says replace actuators. Bought two OEM actuator for $142 each. Actuator B easy to access underneath the car. Actuator A requires removing some radiator hoses.... about 30 minutes of initial fumbling. Did the whole use a spline tool...rotate where the actuator goes around 14 turns counterclockwise....spray with brake cleaner and then WD40. Installed new actuators. Didn't fix a frickin thing. Horrible horrible little car.

transmission control module waiting a year . NEVER BUY FORD AGAIN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!