Ford obviously know and should be addressing the issues properly. This is the list of potential fixes Ford Australia offer:

Based on the assessments these repairs can include the fitment of the latest specification clutch, replacement of input shaft seals, a TCM replacement or recalibration.

 

Absolutely, not multiple software updates.

 

Have there been any articles in the UK auto media about this? Auto Express or Auto Car etc.?

 

Ive not seen any, though i think there was something on honestjohn.

 

My car went back in again and ford had it for two weeks they have now replaced something in the gear box can't completely remember what it's called this might help you with your b max if your still having the problem after clutch changes.

 

It would help if you knew what they had replaced Sadie. Any chance that you could call the garage and ask them as I'm sure it woyld be of use to all our members with auto box problems.

Thanks

 

Following on from juddering problems I have now had 2nd fix of new clutch pack which I am assured will fix the problem, it is the one they are now using in 17 plate motors so time will tell. So far 5 weeks on no problems and it has been tested to the limit with a holiday to Angelsey, though it was 7 months last time before it reoccurred. Since I complained direct to the Managing Director Ford kept constantly in touch with the dealership and myself and were much more helpful than the customer relationship centre. They did however insist on going through all the motions of software upgrade etc as per the first time which was very frustrating since they obviously knew the previous fix of the clutch pack didn't work as a modified version had already been brought out. Waiting to see what happens over the next few months, highly unlikely I will keep the car once the warranty has run out as yet again I have been told by Ford that the extension to the automatic transmission does not cover the juddering problem!!

 

We chose a bmax as my wife has mobility problems and needed something a little higher to access. The juddering started 9 months into its life accoanied by assorted rattles and clatters from the gear box which i first thought were loose baffles in the exhaust. No one has mentioned it but i assume it goes with the problems that the hill start assist has a mind of its own as to whether it works or not which can be disconcerting at best and dangerous at worst as it lulls you in to a sense of false security by working long enough for you to forget its failings to then in a tight area to suddenly decide it wont work. Also pulling out from a junction you almost feel it is thinking about which gear to use. Pretty worrying when a vehicle is bearing down on you. Are these things which go with judder or is our gear box a trend setter. We did have the soft ware up date which laster 200m and it goes to our local dealer next week

 

My bMax has been in four times and it really looked like it was finally sorted, until after about 6000 miles since the last fix, but... a few days ago after a lot of stop/start there was a little judder.I decided not to be patient and went straight back to the dealer who calmly booked it in for the 'final' fix (thought I'd already had that). This is replacement of the 'module' which I was told was the electronic box that controlled all the clutch/gearbox, and then I will have exactly what is going in the 2017 cars.
I'll update when I get it back.

 

Ford would not approve a new module, so it was just another software update. The problem, between 1st and 2nd, has gone. Now I have a worse problem between 2nd and 3rd!!It will be going back again!!

 

I have a 2013 registered B Max automatic bought last year from main Ford dealer. Since 26 May 2017 I have had problems with an "automatic transmission malfunction" which has been reset by my local Ford garage 4 times so far. It also happened whilst 40 miles from home and I had to call out rescue, which was fixed within minutes. Today it has gone into main Ford dealer who I bought it from to hopefully be sorted finally and hopefully under the extended warranty. I have a courtesy car which is great as I have a slight disability and have this until next Tuesday, by which time, hopefully, my car will have been sorted. This forum was extremely helpful in pointing out the extended warranty, which my local garage did not mention!!! I will post again next week, hopefully with final outcome, wish me luck.

 

Good news, the problem with my BMax 2013 automatic transmission has been identified by main Ford garage and auto transmission is to be replaced under warranty. Will get car back middle of next week, in the meantime I am using 2017 reg courtesy car, so good service so far from Ford main dealer; as I said before, a pity local Ford garage did not advise of ongoing problems with this model which could have saved me 2 months of aggravation!! I will post again in a month or so when I have had car back and driven it to see if all is as well as I hope it will be.

 

I've just joined the forum, having purchased my B Max 2013 with Powershift and 23k miles just one week ago. The independent garage that sold me the car confirmed with the local Ford dealer that the gearbox is covered for five years from manufacture, which takes us to June 2018. Right from the word go I adopted an attitude of sunny optimism despite the myriad stories online about the failures of the Powershift gearbox.

My car went to the local Ford dealer for two outstanding field service actions, including a TCM software update, before I picked it up. However today, not even a week later, I noticed a slight judder on accelerating uphill. With less than a year left on the warranty and the problem (if problem it is) in its early stages, I'm wondering to contact my local Ford dealer and have the judder investigated so that there's time to get it sorted at their expense before the warranty runs out. Apart from that judder when going uphill, the drive is near faultless.


What would other peeps do? Wait and see if it gets worse, or contact Ford right away?

 

If it was me I would get that car into a Ford dealer without delay. Try and take some screen prints on this subject from the forum just in case you need to persuade them to act. Good luck.

 

Thanks for that.I'll monitor the situation over the next few days just in case the problem is in my mind rather than in the car, because I fear that having for once committed to buying the car before doing the research, I'm ultra sensitive to any sign of issues with ours. It should be easy to replicate the conditions when this first judder appeared, and if as I expect its repeated, I'll do as you suggest.

Edited by: desthemoaner

 

Well, I now have my car back today (ongoing problem with automatic transmission). Of course it will be a week or so, I guess, to evaluate whether the problem has been properly fixed, but apparently a transmission control module was replaced. I am pleased to say that it was all done under the extended 5 year warranty (2013 reg), so no cost to me and I had a brand new B max courtesy car whilst it was being done. The car was in the garage for 10 days as they had problems getting the part.

So, thanks to this site hopefully the problem is now resolved. A pity my local garage (Ford dealer) did not advise of extended warranty when problem first occurred, but I found out about this on this site. Hopefully I will not be posting again, so happy driving everyone.

 

I am glad you got it fixed Linda, keep us posted how it goes in the future.

 

I have a B-Max Titanium Powershift with 9500km on the clock. Bought from new in Mallorca, where we keep it. Our judder started about 1500km ago and is progressively getting worse, except in two situations:1) after a night standing and 2) when a Ford service engineer comes out with me to experience it.
I have tried to demonstrate the problem 4 times now, including an immediate turn-around following a service last Friday. It didn't do it for them but as soon as I got in it on the way home it started again. Honestly, it makes you think you're going nuts.
Anyway, I was so pissed off with it I red-lined the engine several times and log and behold the engine warning light came on later.
Back in to Ford in Palma first thing Monday morning with the light on and the judder as bad as ever. Now they seem to be taking it seriously. I have told them to keep it, drive it as much as they need to until the problem re-occurs. In the meantime I have a courtesy car. Frankly I don't want to see the B-Max again until it's properly fixed, however long that takes. Though, having read the posts, I can envisage a situation where it comes back, all is hunky-dory and then it soon goes again. Anyway, frustrating or not, I have no choice but to persist with it. My wife will only drive an auto, otherwise I would change it for a manual, so that rules out any change for another Ford car as I don't trust the 'box. I looked at swapping it for a Dacia Duster auto here but they offered me a derisory sum of ‚¬7000 in p/ex. The cars only 2 years old and when they drive it they said it was 'perfect'. Feel in a real bind, made worse by the fact that - were it not for this stupid auto box - the B Max is brilliant. "Apart from that Mrs Lincoln....."

 

I have a B-Max Titanium Powershift with 9500km on the clock. Bought from new in Mallorca, where we keep it. Our judder started about 1500km ago and is progressively getting worse, except in two situations:1) after a night standing and 2) when a Ford service engineer comes out with me to experience it.
I have tried to demonstrate the problem 4 times now, including an immediate turn-around following a service last Friday. It didn't do it for them but as soon as I got in it on the way home it started again. Honestly, it makes you think you're going nuts.
Anyway, I was so pissed off with it I red-lined the engine several times and log and behold the engine warning light came on later.
Back in to Ford in Palma first thing Monday morning with the light on and the judder as bad as ever. Now they seem to be taking it seriously. I have told them to keep it, drive it as much as they need to until the problem re-occurs. In the meantime I have a courtesy car. Frankly I don't want to see the B-Max again until it's properly fixed, however long that takes. Though, having read the posts, I can envisage a situation where it comes back, all is hunky-dory and then it soon goes again. Anyway, frustrating or not, I have no choice but to persist with it. My wife will only drive an auto, otherwise I would change it for a manual, so that rules out any change for another Ford car as I don't trust the 'box. I looked at swapping it for a Dacia Duster auto here but they offered me a derisory sum of ‚¬7000 in p/ex. The cars only 2 years old and when they drive it they said it was 'perfect'. Feel in a real bind, made worse by the fact that - were it not for this stupid auto box - the B Max is brilliant. "Apart from that Mrs Lincoln....."

My 2014 1.6 auto Titanium X is in now for the 5th or 6th time (I've lost count) and is supposed to be having a new 'Module', which apparently is the ultimate fix.


Like you, I cannot get the judder to appear when at the dealers. It needs a good 30/40 min run followed by stop/start town work, to appear. I suspect that it is the oil/fluid getting to high temperature and thinning, thereby getting past seals and on to clutch plates.
If this is the case, how can any amount of software updates or a new control unit (module) fix it? If the issue is mechanical, electronics can't fix it, just make it less noticeable.

 

Its a mechanical problem. Needs a new clutch. End of.

 

Maybe (with great respect and every possible acknowledgement of your frustration, Munrosaxman ) its not such a good idea to admit to deliberately red lining the engine.

Such a confession might well present Ford with an opportunity to claim that an owner has admitted responsibility for damaging their own car, and claiming that it absolves them of responsibility for any repairs.

I personally treat my B Max with kid gloves. ;0)

 

Ford in Australia seem to be under much more pressure to sort this out than they are in the UK. Here is the latest update from down under:http://www.caradvice.com.au/570243/powershift-ford-australia-boss-speaks-against-accc-claims-regrets-poor-experience-video/

 

Latest on my Mallorca B-Max. Once the engine warning light came on the Ford main dealer started to take it seriously and a new TCM plus other components was promised. They kept the car for two weeks, which cost us a couple of hundred euros in terms of insurance charges on the courtesy car, but at least they'd acknowledged a problem. Eventually the car came back. They'd put it through a proper road test, which i had wanted all along. the diagnostics showed a problem and they've now tweaked the software. Apparently, it's now running well. I say 'apparently' as I had to come back to the UK so a friend picked the car up for me instead. I trust his judgement and he detects no problems. However, time will tell. Still, at least it's now on their radar and we are still under warranty. The irony is that it all takes so long I have a car that I rarely get to drive abroad - and when I have done it's been awful. Anyway, benefit of the doubt and all that, let's see what happens when I go out in October and next drive it. Quite why they said they would change the TCM, which was showing on the Ford system as need, and then didn't, is beyond me.

 

One question about this issue that came up on another forum, and its this.

Normally manufacturers will not honour a warranty if during the warranty period the car has been serviced outside the dealer network, or if services are missed, and Ford, I'm told, is no exception.


Given that the gearbox warranty has been extended to five years, does this mean that Ford will view their obligation to fix gearbox faults at no extra cost to the owner less generously if one's B Max does not continue to be serviced by Ford dealers for the additional two years? I asked the question elsewhere and received no answer. Does anyone here know?


Has anyone whose car is out of standard 3 year warranty and who has had their car serviced elsewhere, or missed Ford services during the warranty period, had any trouble getting them to honour the gearbox warranty?


Edited by: desthemoaner

 

Has anyone whose car is out of standard 3 year warranty and who has had their car serviced elsewhere, or missed Ford services during the warranty period, had any trouble getting them to honour the gearbox warranty?

My Bmax is just over 3 years old and has just had the auto clutch judder 'fixed' yet again, within the 5 years. The two services, that I have had done, were with a Ford 'specialist', a former Ford dealer, NOT a proper Ford dealer. It made no difference.