2012 Ford Focus

[apopj]

Hello all,

Is anyone out there in TearDrop land towing with a newer Ford Focus? I have a 2012 Titanium. It has the 6 speed auto transmission that they have been having some trouble with. I haven't had a problem and they just extended the warranty to 100,000 miles. I checked the owner's manual and it says !Warning, do not tow anything with this vehicle. It is not equipped to tow nor is there a towing package available!......

I have a 2012 Little Guy 5 Wide. Weight is about 950 pounds with a tongue weight of about 40 pounds (according to them). Any thoughts on the matter? Thanks so much...

Dr. Jeff Popa

[SeaFlea]

Hi Jeff,

at the risk of sound like a smart-azz, get in touch with a Ford dealer & speak with them.
they should be able to tell you all about their vehicle & it's capabilities.
it should be a fast conversation!

charlie

[apopj]

The "canned" comment is "!Warning, do not tow anything with this vehicle." That was why I was asking members that tow with a newer Focus if they had any problems. It is always nice to talk with someone who is actually doing it to find out how it goes than to speculate. If problems are being had, then I just won't tow. The 6 speed auto transmission has been giving Ford serious problems for a couple of years and they just won't say okay to towing. So, again, is anyone out there actually towing with a newer Ford Focus and how is it going....

Dr. Jeff Popa

[dogscats]

When going to dealer it should look like you have a bicycle hitch and think about towing some day

[apopj]

I do have a bicycle carrier that I carry in the trunk when I go to the dealer for just that reason. I tuck the wiring cable under the spare tire.... thanks

[Askewman]

I tow a custom 5 wide trailer that's a little over 1k lbs with a Ford Fusion SE. No problems.

[Modstock]

Walk away from it imediately . These cars have always had motor mount issues from day one. We had one for our DD . although it was a good commuter , we replaced motor-mounts on it 3X . I would not advise to even tow with it. The car is not designed to tow . You'll be much happier with a mid-sized SUV with a 6cyl at least. 4 bangers are not up to the job of towing and you'll be in the way of whoever is behind you . Just a piece of experience im sharing.

[Tucguy]

I tow with a 2004 Honda CRV. My trailer is a 5 wide Little Guy and it does just fine with me, my wife and our child plus trailer. I limit speed to 65 max for the 13 inch wheels on the trailer and get 27mpg on the flat. One of the advantages of a teardrop is that you can tow it with a small car. It is very common in every other country to tow with a four cylinder engine. Americans have been told that a four just cannot do it and that is so wrong. I have a manual transmission and an automatic will require an addition transmission fluid cooler but it is easy to two with a small car.

[TimC]

Hello all,

Is anyone out there in TearDrop land towing with a newer Ford Focus? I have a 2012 Titanium. It has the 6 speed auto transmission that they have been having some trouble with. I haven't had a problem and they just extended the warranty to 100,000 miles. I checked the owner's manual and it says !Warning, do not tow anything with this vehicle. It is not equipped to tow nor is there a towing package available!......

Dr. Jeff Popa

I too have a FF. I'm torn between towing or not. Haven't had any of the transmission "problems" that others are complaining about. The transmission does have a different feel, especially after a "stranger" drives it and it is adjusting back to my driving style. Try going to the Focus forums and ask a direct question of people that actually have towed with the Focus. You'll still hear from the experts about why you should not though. I'm always amazed by the amount of people that read the manual verbatim and warn against towing with no experience doing so. Obviously Ford has an interest in the matter and I believe it leans in the CYA category. As much as I like Ford's products and their business responsibility (see bailouts) I wouldn't put it past them to reject warranty work when they see a hitch regardless of the presence of a wiring harness.

I'm still a month or so from roadworthyness of my tear, so I have time to study the matter a bit more and find a few folks that tow with the FF. I will probably give it a go if I have less than 1k# and less than 100# tongue weight. Right now I don't have any idea what she'll weigh. I'm going to be smart with this though. I learned when I had a 3200 lb sailboat on a trailer that rather than "Can I tow this?", the question becomes " Can I stop this"!

[apopj]

Hi Tim,

Yes, it's quite a quandary.... Ford has had so many problems with their 6 speed auto that they have increased the warranty from 32K miles to 100K miles. The problem as I see it, there is plenty of power to tow, plenty of brakes to stop (within reason). The transmission is the acheles heel. The owners manual says to "touch the button on the side of the shift lever to disable the overdrive". I've tried that but nothing happens. Of course, I may not be going fast enough. I am wondering if driving in "S" mode and shifting manually will help keep the transmission cooler. I thought of adding a cooler, but wonder if that will be an indicator that I am towing. I can cover the hitch with the bicycle carrier, but the cooler, not so sure. Anyhow, let me know what your thoughts are and how it fairs for you..... just a side note, I towed the 5 Wide from Tallahassee Florida (couple thousand miles round trip) with no problems. I also towed a U-haul loaded with an interior for a VW bus from Orlando, again with no problems. I'm tempted to just of ahead and tow, damn the torpedoes.

Dr. Jeff Popa

[KennethW]

I know this does not help. I tow with a ford freestyle with the CVT. (ford does not even sell new transmissions for the freestyle)
I have had no problems. I do limit me speed to 80 unless I am passing.

[Wolfpack]

Does this car model have dual clutches? My limited understanding, is that overdrive is a problem with automatics which have non locking torque converters when towing, as their hydraulic coupling will slip and increase the temperature of the transmission fluid, which can be overcome with a transmission cooler. Clutches on the other hand don't slip under those conditions, unless they are very worn out and need changing.

[apopj]

Yes, unfortunately, it does have the dual clutch transmission. I read the Consumer Report before I bought it, and they gave it an ABOVE AVERAGE in quality rating in every category. Then, in the overall quality, they gave it a BELOW AVERAGE. How they can say it is above average in everything but below average overall is beyond me. I may try the cooler, but I will tell the dealer that I will be traveling in hilly country. If they recommend the cooler, I will have a reason for the cooler if they ask at a later date. Thanks for all the help to everyone....

[Yak]

This is not really an automatic but an electronically shifted manual trans with a dry dual clutch. There is no torque converter, no wet clutches, hydraulics or valve body as found in a normal auto. We have been putting clutches in some, mostly due to an oil leak from the rear main seal. At this time most of the issues seem to be the transmission control module and programming issues. Would I recommend towing a TD with it?? No. Would I tow with one? I don't think so.

BTW, I've been a Ford tech for 33 years 28 at the same dealer. You got questions I got answers, let's see if they match!

[Yak]

Yes, unfortunately, it does have the dual clutch transmission. I read the Consumer Report before I bought it, and they gave it an ABOVE AVERAGE in quality rating in every category. Then, in the overall quality, they gave it a BELOW AVERAGE. How they can say it is above average in everything but below average overall is beyond me. I may try the cooler, but I will tell the dealer that I will be traveling in hilly country. If they recommend the cooler, I will have a reason for the cooler if they ask at a later date. Thanks for all the help to everyone....

You can't put a cooler on these