2013 Fusion Titanium hard shift fixed

[Justin]

My wife's '13 Fusion Titanium - 2.0L ecoboost - has about 14,000 miles on it. Not sure when, but a while back I noticed that it was shifting hard between 2nd and 3rd gears. It would hold the RPM up for a bit too long and when it went into third you could really feel it. Well, last week we took it in for the fuel leak recall and told them to look at the hard shifting problem too. I really wasn't expecting much...I've seen some other people posting about the problem but no real resolutions. Well, they fixed it! The main culprit, evidently, was the main controller in the transmission. It's buttery smooth now.

 

Just posting this in case others come searching for the same problem. Looks like there may be a fix after all.

 

-Justin

[akirby]

Let us know if it stays fixed permanently. Some have reported temporary relief but it comes back after a few hundred miles.

[Justin]

Let us know if it stays fixed permanently. Some have reported temporary relief but it comes back after a few hundred miles.

Oh. Yeah, I'll definitely keep this post updated.

[Juben]

Is the car still doing well? I was doing some Googling and came across this post. Mine has doing the exact same thing and I've been to two different dealerships that tell me nothing is wrong with it.

[Justin]

The car now has about 27,000 miles on it and unfortunately the hard shifing appears to be back. It's not quite as bad as before, but then again we're in the heat of the summer and it was always worse when it was cold.

 

I'm planning on taking it back in this fall...hopefully they replace it again. It's pretty frustrating. Juben, my dealership had no problem seeing that there was a shifting issue which really surprised me. I expected to have an experience like you're having. We'll see how they react when I take it in again though.

[cdn001]

For what it's worth, my 2010 SEL 2.5 has had:

 

• A rebuilt transmission
• A new transmission
• A new throttle body
• New MAF sensor
• Multiple transmission flushes
• Transmission drain and fill with Redline D6
• Multiple PCM flashes to latest software
• A revised ground strap with capacitor
• A new PCM

 

My initial concern was a 2-3 or 3-4 shift flare that occurs at random. In addition, there is an annoying 2-3 hard shift once the car has been driven for more than about 10 minutes.

Keep in mind that on the 2.5 and 3.0 motors, the TCM is built into the PCM. So therefore both the engine management computer and transmission control computers were replaced. After the PCM was replaced, just like always, the hard shifting returned.

 

I'm convinced now that the TCM either thinks that the pressures are too low when the transmission is cold, so it kicks up the line pressure after a certain amount of shifts. Just like fuel trims, the TCM "learns" over time and makes long-term in addition to short-term "mini" adjustments in pressure. Supporting this theory: any time my PCM is reflashed or reset, or the KAM is reset the shifting is buttery smooth for about 15 to 20 miles. The fuel trim and TCM data are zeroed out and it has to relearn everything again.

 

I'm planning on stopping by the dealer sometime soon to have them update the PCM yet again under the recent 13B17 customer satisfaction program. The update's intended purpose is to improve the car's behavior when certain parameters go outside of the defined envelope on the throttle body... Perhaps there is more to this update than just that - manufacturers have been known to be sneaky about what is exactly inside of the latest PCM firmware.

 

As always, I'll report my findings. As for now, the 2-3 hard shift and 2-3 and 3-4 occasional shift flares do not appear to be getting worse. The ATF still looks new and does not smell burnt.

 

 

Edit: We recently picked up a 2014 Escape with the 1.6 Ecoboost, and of course the 6F35 pile of garbage. It too, has a "harder" 2-3 shift when warm. It's nowhere nearly as bad as the Fusion, but it's there if you pay attention. Makes me think that perhaps Ford revised the TCM shift strategy to be more tolerant of pressure irregularities for a longer period of time, effectively decreasing the TCM's response time to pressure changes. I could be completely wrong, but that's the only logical thing that I can come up with. There are about 1,500 miles on the Escape now. I'm not concerned for the longevity of either of my vehicles, but it's just an annoyance when the rest of the vehicle is so enjoyable and refined.

 

The REAL question is why are there pressure irregularities. I'm guessing it comes down to lower quality materials inside the transmission... *cough cough* pressure regulator solenoid without a wear sleeve

Edited June 17, 2014 by cdn001

[junehhan]

I suspect that there are not too many of the newer style Fusions that are having the harsh 2-3 upshift like some of the older ones as I am just not reading about it. I know that mine is incredibly buttery smooth and has been since it has adjusted to my driving style. With Sonax making an upgraded pressure regulator, have you thought about just replacing that as an experiment?

[cdn001]

No, do you know what the costs would be to get that installed? I assume that would also void the powertrain warranty, no?

[junehhan]

That is a good possibility, but I would talk with your service department first and get their opinion on it. I have absolutely no knowledge about this type of stuff and could not even begin to tell you about the possible issues, but the Sonax part appears to have been designed to address the wear issue with that part in the stock 6F35. If you have a good relationship with the dealer, it is possible that you will not have warranty problems since the dealer has to prove that the part caused a failure in the event of a future transmission warranty claim. For those with no or a negative relationship with their dealer, that is an uphill battle in the event of it occurring.

[the_madz]

I found this thread while googling it so i'm presuming others will read it too.

 

i'm wondering if there has been any updates on the harsh shifting between 2nd and 3rd gear.. my dealership just shrugs their shoulders and say without any error codes they can't do anything and that they hear the complaints but there are no fixes.

 

i find it a bit ridiculous that their top of the line fusion has a shittier feel to the transmission than a basic dodge caravan.

 

they have reset the computer and even at one point replaced something else but if i slowly accelerate i always get that harsh feedback when shifting, only if i'm putting the foot down does it go smoothly (but then you have absolutely no fuel economy on this car)

[grinwa]

I have had my transmission rebuilt due to the hard shifting. It is now acting up again. Hard shifts, hangs in 5th, acts like it is 2 gears at a time, etc. Of course these are things that only happen occasionally and can't be duplicated by the mechanic. I also have a sound that sounds like a tin can rattling in the front drivers side. Again the shops can't/don't hear anything.

If I were asked, I would not recommend this car to anyone. It was a certified pre-owned that we have had for less than a year. Very frustrating.

[FordService]

I have had my transmission rebuilt due to the hard shifting. It is now acting up again. Hard shifts, hangs in 5th, acts like it is 2 gears at a time, etc. Of course these are things that only happen occasionally and can't be duplicated by the mechanic. I also have a sound that sounds like a tin can rattling in the front drivers side. Again the shops can't/don't hear anything.

If I were asked, I would not recommend this car to anyone. It was a certified pre-owned that we have had for less than a year. Very frustrating.

 

Have you been back to your dealer, grinwa? Please let me know, along with your mileage, and I can check out some options.

 

Meagan

[grinwa]

I have had it to the dealer multiple times. After the rebuild, I took it to a different dealer and the couldn't find anything or hear the rattle. The first time (before the rebuild), it took three visits before they decided there was a problem and rebuilt the transmission. The noise has been there since shortly after I bought it, but the dealers can't hear it.

The car currently has just over 36,000 and about 11,000 since I bought it as CPO.

Edited August 7, 2015 by grinwa

[Msmitty]

I have had my transmission rebuilt due to the hard shifting. It is now acting up again. Hard shifts, hangs in 5th, acts like it is 2 gears at a time, etc. Of course these are things that only happen occasionally and can't be duplicated by the mechanic. I also have a sound that sounds like a tin can rattling in the front drivers side. Again the shops can't/don't hear anything.

If I were asked, I would not recommend this car to anyone. It was a certified pre-owned that we have had for less than a year. Very frustrating.

I had a similar sound in my fusion. It's fixed after A trip to the dealer. They said there was a tab about the fuel line clips that hold hold it to the firewall. Although I couldn't find anything in alldata on this it seems to be fixed.. In addition my 13 fusion has hard upshift 2-3 when doing anything but 1/2 throttle or less. And occasionally hard 3-2 and 2-1 downshifts. Trans has been rebuilt already at 37k by a ford dealership.. Good luck

[Msmitty]

TSB not tab sorry

[charslo]

Hey, just wondering if there's any actual fix to this issue? from reading through the comments it looks like it's simply (ok, not "simple" but yeah) a computer issue and that "reseting" and rebuiling the transmission is only a temporary fix? is there a permanent fix? has anyone been helped?

 

i currently have 43500km on my '14 fusion titanium awd 2.0 ecoboost and it's got some pretty nasty shifting going on (between 1-2 and 2-3, not all the time though and not just when it's cold. city driving in general). the ford tech contacted ford who said nah, it's normal.. so essentially i just wasted a shit load of money on a "good" car to be hit in the head by the seat whenever the car decides to shift like a jerk.

 

basically i was told to complain every time i take my car in for an oil change or anything/eerything and hopefully eventually something will be done.

 

i always get bugged by my dodge buddies about buying a ford because... well, fix or repair daily... now i'm sad. glad i have a bit of warranty left on the car but.. i drive lots (that 43500 is in 1 year) and i know it won't last forever...another year... my fear is that the jerking will wear down the transmission (or other parts) and cause other issues down the road that won't be covered...

 

wish i had gone with a different vehicle at this point.

[FordService]

Hey, just wondering if there's any actual fix to this issue? from reading through the comments it looks like it's simply (ok, not "simple" but yeah) a computer issue and that "reseting" and rebuiling the transmission is only a temporary fix? is there a permanent fix? has anyone been helped?

 

i currently have 43500km on my '14 fusion titanium awd 2.0 ecoboost and it's got some pretty nasty shifting going on (between 1-2 and 2-3, not all the time though and not just when it's cold. city driving in general). the ford tech contacted ford who said nah, it's normal.. so essentially i just wasted a shit load of money on a "good" car to be hit in the head by the seat whenever the car decides to shift like a jerk.

 

basically i was told to complain every time i take my car in for an oil change or anything/eerything and hopefully eventually something will be done.

 

i always get bugged by my dodge buddies about buying a ford because... well, fix or repair daily... now i'm sad. glad i have a bit of warranty left on the car but.. i drive lots (that 43500 is in 1 year) and i know it won't last forever...another year... my fear is that the jerking will wear down the transmission (or other parts) and cause other issues down the road that won't be covered...

 

wish i had gone with a different vehicle at this point.

Hi charslo,

 

I recommend reaching out to our Ford Canada team on Facebook or Twitter, or calling into the Ford Canada Customer Relationship Center at: 1-800-565-3673 (M-F 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET.)

 

Meagan

[dstephen]

This is thread has been very disappointing to read. I picked up a 2014 Fusion Titanium ecoboost 2 days ago. Noticed the shifting issue between gears 2-3. Didn't think much of it. I figured it was just mildly annoying and I would have it checked out. But apparently this happens TO EVERY FUSION with no solution in sight. How is it possible that one of the best selling mid-size sedans just can't shift properly from 2nd to 3rd gear? Luckily Carmax has a 5 day money back guarantee.

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

Based on what I have read with the Ecoboost transmissions (specifically the 6F55), you could be seeing valve body issues, or simply the need for new transmission fluid. Try getting the trans flushed (a BG flush works nicely) and see if that solves anything. There are also additive products from Lucas and Lubegard that can help if nothing else will.

[Waldo]

This is thread has been very disappointing to read. I picked up a 2014 Fusion Titanium ecoboost 2 days ago. Noticed the shifting issue between gears 2-3. Didn't think much of it. I figured it was just mildly annoying and I would have it checked out. But apparently this happens TO EVERY FUSION with no solution in sight. How is it possible that one of the best selling mid-size sedans just can't shift properly from 2nd to 3rd gear? Luckily Carmax has a 5 day money back guarantee.

 

Ummm this thread has 4 people complaining about this issue while Ford has built nearly a million Fusions since 2013. Not sure why you think EVERY ONE has the issue.

[akirby]

I certainly don't have this problem on my 2013 Titanium.

[Ron538]

As far as buying the 1st year of a model (( It shouldn't make a difference !! )). Guess all new houses should fall apart. I never bought a Ford before our 13 Fusion, and will never buy another of their products (new or used). Wanted a stylish, safe car for my wife. All reviews (Consumer Reports, online reviews, etc) had all good news about the new, redesigned Fusion. I drove 60+ miles for the Black/Black Titanium with awd (all the bells and whistles). Didn't notice the hard shift during my drive home. My wife used the car & I only drove it to get gas. Can't say when I started to notice the shifting problem (hard shift into 3rd), but when I questioned the Mrs she knew about it (but never said anything !!). Had it reflashed. So instead of shifting hard into 3rd it now slips (up to 1000 rpm's) before SLAMMING into 3rd. Everything else about this car is perfect, but every time I drive it I hate it. Why did I go FORD. #1, they didn't file bankruptcy like GM and Chrysler. Well, now looking to get rid of this beautiful car before I take it out and keep slamming it into 3rd until the transmission fails. Just need to go to the LYING Ford dealership and get the POS transmission reflashed until it drives somewhat normal so I can get a decent trade. Going back to GM. Ford's idea of AWD on this Fusion is 70/30. Only (up to 30%) of torque gets transferred to the rear. GM's Buick Velarno has 50/50 awd. Drove a 2013 and the transmission is butter smooth. By the way, to the member who said you shouldn't but a NEW Model, well, I bought a 2011 Kia Sorento (1st year of the new model & 1st year built in the USA). That 6 speed auto was the best I had driven up to that point. Too bad Ford can't build them like the Koreans. Ford, you have lost a customer. FORD (Fixed Or Repaired Daily) - was the joke as a youngster. Live and learn.

[rdhqcpro]

I purchased my 2013 Fusion SE 2.0 EcoBoost CPO several months ago and did not notice the harsh 2-3 shift issue on either of 2 test drives (probably to distracted) until I drove it home the day I purchased. My story is similar to many here. Bought mine with about 34k on it. Listed my complaint on my first first to the Dealer to have numerous recalls performed and was told that it was normal. During the course of the next few months I was given several different Fusions as loaners and noted that none of these vehicles exhibited the issue. Of course all the loaners were 2015 models.

 

It was then suggested by my selling dealer to take it to another dealer for a 2nd opinion. The 2nd dealer acknowledged the issue and replaced the transmission control module and I was told to allow it 1000 miles to relearn. I guess Fords are slow learners. In any event, the shifting issue is no better and if anything now with around 47 K on it the shift issue is worse. I've been too busy with work and other personal items to revisit this over the last couple months but plan to very soon, but all the posts here leave me with little hope and a VERY sour taste in my mouth regarding Ford. The loaner I was given to drive at the 2nd dealership, which replaced the shift control module, was a Focus and I was Horrified to learn that Ford deemed the MASSIVE shifting issues in that vehicle to be normal. SERIOUSLY, I drove a lot of junker cars down through the years but never experienced anything like that from a "newish" car before. Any company that labels severe grinding noises and shuddering with a No-Go condition when attempting to pull away from a stop as normal in a car with 20k miles on it invites market share loss to the imports.

 

The Patriotism that led me to buy (2) Fords from my local Dealership on the same day is now dead. Why or WHY did I not purchase the Malibu, Accord or Camry I also considered?!

[braddotson7]

I also have a 2014 Titanium and it is also shifting hard between 2nd and 3rd gear.

We have about 16K miles right now and it's been into the dealer a few times. twice for the transmission.

 

1st time the transmission was leaking. it was dripping along the half-shaft and coating the inside of the alloy wheels while driving. They replace a seal. Did not address the hard shifting. (normal)

after that at certain speeds (55mph) on a smooth flat road it made almost a subtle pulsing grinding noise. I've had similar before which signalled damage to the bearings in the CV joint. currently waiting for that to get worse enough for them to notice before having it looked at.

 

2nd time the trans was leaking much more, enough to leave a puddle on the driveway if left for a few hours after a drive. That time I was given a focus as a loaner and to another poster's point that focus had some SERIOUS shifting issues that made mine feel small. They replace a side panel gasket on the trans that time, and again, "technician checked and shifting was normal". (still shifts hard between 2nd and 3rd). Now it ALSO shifts hard between 1st and 2nd.

 

Based on what I'm seeing here, most of these issues are with the TCM. Transmission Control Module and there is not a "Ford authorized long term fix", almost wondering if putting an aftermarket PCM/TCM in which is geared more for performance would also fix this issue. I would wait on that until my warranty is up so I don't void anything unless anyone has already tried this with success?

[akirby]

No such thing as an aftermarket PCM/TCM.