Ford Focus Powershift transmission - any good?

[JR Hartley]

I’d be grateful for advice/opinions from anyone who has experience of owning or driving a Ford Focus/Fiesta with a Powershift transmission.

I’m tasked with sourcing an automatic Ford Focus for my elderly father after he’s finally decided to part company with his ailing Rover 75. He’s decided to buy a car with an automatic transmission and has set his mind on a Ford Focus.

I’ve read various articles on-line about these transmissions being problematic, either in a mechanical reliability sense or in terms of basic smoothness. I haven’t been in or driven a car with anything other than a torque converter automatic gearbox (most things by ZF are pretty flawless IMHO) so I’m not sure how much weight to attach to the opinion pieces I’ve seen.

Bear in mind that the car will only be pootling along - we’re not talking about split-second shift changes being of paramount importance here! However, I’d like to know how well owners get on with Powershift-equipped cars on a daily basis.

All advice and opinion is welcome!

Many thanks!

[Paul 2000]

My wife’s got a Fiesta Titanium with Powershift which is approaching four years old and we’ve had no problems with it - runs great. I’ve got an 18-month old Focus Titanium, also with Powershift, and that works great as well.
We’ve had both of the cars from new and to be honest have had zero problems with either.

[StevecRS]

I`ve had my Focus powershift since 5,000 miles old and now its on 156,000 miles! in 4 years. I have the gearbox serviced every 37.5K and it`s been faultless, would recommend.

[Rat_Fink_67]

Just be mindful of the fact that "Powershift" is just a brand name and there are two very different versions. The one fitted behind most of the EcoBoost petrols and smaller engined diesels is a dry clutch version, and the one fitted to the 2.0 petrol and diesel models is of a wet clutch design. Both are very robust in terms of the actual gearbox, it's the clutches that cause a few niggles. In the dry clutch version they are prone to juddering when pulling off from a standstill or under load, this can be helped by a software update but usually requires the clutch pack unit replacing as a permanent fix. In the wet clutch version it's lack of maintenance that causes issues...swarf from the clutches travels around the electro-hydraulic portion of the transmission and clog up vital galleries and/or sensors. If ever you look at a wet clutch Powershift box equipped car and can't verify it's had the 3yr/37.5k oil and filter change then walk away.

[chip*]

Rat_Fink_67 said:

Just be mindful of the fact that "Powershift" is just a brand name and there are two very different versions. The one fitted behind most of the EcoBoost petrols and smaller engined diesels is a dry clutch version, and the one fitted to the 2.0 petrol and diesel models is of a wet clutch design. Both are very robust in terms of the actual gearbox, it's the clutches that cause a few niggles. In the dry clutch version they are prone to juddering when pulling off from a standstill or under load, this can be helped by a software update but usually requires the clutch pack unit replacing as a permanent fix. In the wet clutch version it's lack of maintenance that causes issues...swarf from the clutches travels around the electro-hydraulic portion of the transmission and clog up vital galleries and/or sensors. If ever you look at a wet clutch Powershift box equipped car and can't verify it's had the 3yr/37.5k oil and filter change then walk away.

Apology for the drift, but I checked on ETIS and my 2015 Mondeo 2.0l Ecoboost state it's an "Automatic Gearshift". Is this a completely different gearbox from the Powershift/wet clutch system mentioned above? (Just wish to check if our Mondeo gearbox needed additional servicing on it's 3rd anniversary)

Thanks.

[Paul 2000]

Rat_Fink_67 said:

Just be mindful of the fact that "Powershift" is just a brand name and there are two very different versions. The one fitted behind most of the EcoBoost petrols and smaller engined diesels is a dry clutch version, and the one fitted to the 2.0 petrol and diesel models is of a wet clutch design. Both are very robust in terms of the actual gearbox, it's the clutches that cause a few niggles. In the dry clutch version they are prone to juddering when pulling off from a standstill or under load, this can be helped by a software update but usually requires the clutch pack unit replacing as a permanent fix. In the wet clutch version it's lack of maintenance that causes issues...swarf from the clutches travels around the electro-hydraulic portion of the transmission and clog up vital galleries and/or sensors. If ever you look at a wet clutch Powershift box equipped car and can't verify it's had the 3yr/37.5k oil and filter change then walk away.

Good info I should have mentioned in my previous post that before the Focus I had a Powershift B-max and that did have the judder you describe. Fortunately, although the car was outside its 3-year warranty when I got it, it was fixed for free under extended warranty with the clutch pack unit being replaced.
The Fiesta we've got is a 2015 and although that hasn't displayed any problems Ford have extended the warranty on the gearbox to five years if it starts to display the juddering symptoms (I think this is a general extension for all affected cars, according to the dealer).

[Rat_Fink_67]

chip* said:

Apology for the drift, but I checked on ETIS and my 2015 Mondeo 2.0l Ecoboost state it's an "Automatic Gearshift". Is this a completely different gearbox from the Powershift/wet clutch system mentioned above? (Just wish to check if our Mondeo gearbox needed additional servicing on it's 3rd anniversary)

Thanks.

If it's a 2.0 Ecoboost, it should indeed be the wet clutch Powershift requiring an oil and filter change every 3yrs.

[chip*]

To clear up my concern, I called up my Ford dealer who checked and informed the autobox on my 2.0 Ecoboost was sealed for life unit i.e. not a Powershift. Also, I dug out a hard copy of the original spec and that states the 2.0 Ecoboost had an "A6" transmission compared to the Duratorq/TDCI model with a "MPS6 (Powershift)". It appears the petrol Mondeo was not fitted with the Powershift box for some quirky reason.

Seems the 3 year gearbox service is not applicable for the Ecoboost Mondeo model, but I will change the oil in the coming year despite been a sealed unit for good maintenance.

(just for FYI, link to the latest Mondeo spec which list out the transmission type per model under page 64
https://www.ford.co.uk/cars/mondeo/models-specs#ov...

[Rat_Fink_67]

MPS6 is the dry clutch box fitted to the 1.6 and 1.5TDCI and 1.0 Ecoboost Mondeos. Yours will be the wet clutch 6DCT450, I'd take what Ford dealers tell you with a pinch of salt.

[JR Hartley]

Very many thanks for the advice and the accompanying debate. However, after all that, my father changed his mind and went and chose a Focus with a manual transmission!

Another clutch/gearbox for him to torture...