Ford Fiesta 1.0L 2017 EcoBoost - Intermittent Gear Sticking

[HeleniusTG]

Hi all,

This is my first post on the forum so forgive me if I'm posting in the wrong place.

I have owned my 2017 Ford Fiesta 1.0L Ecoboost for around 1.5 years now. Bought it used from a very reputable high street seller at 27k miles and only one missing service due to the fact the vehicle saw little to no use for a while due to the previous owner's ill health, apparently. Since then, I have reached around 43k miles with no mechanical issues.

That is until recently. Probably some 3 months or so ago, I noticed a very, very intermittent issue whereby, as I was coming down through the gears usually to come to a stop, in the lowest gears (1 & 2 most often, occasionally 3 recently), the clutch pedal started to feel different and upon trying to shift out of gear, the gear stick was locked in place. Its not as if the pedal feels odd and then immediately locks up, sometimes it can feel odd for a few gear changes before it does eventually lock up. It feels as if the bottom of the gear pedal and maybe the first inch or so of liftoff feels normal-ish, maybe a little stiff, and then the resistance seems to disappear altogether. Re-applying the pedal appears to do nothing, as the gear stick is fully locked in place. 

Lifting fully off the clutch pedal and re-applying usually rectifies the issue straight away; obviously causing me to stall if I am at rest however. I have noticed on certain occasions (at rest) that when the issue occurs, if I leave the gear stick alone and keep the clutch pedal fully pressed down, the car will start to lurch and eventually stall of its own accord, implying the clutch is moving of its own free will.

I do a fair bit of driving for work, and I drive very sensibly, aiming more so for fuel economy than thrills; so I'd like to think it's nothing to do with the way I treat it. The nature of the problem is so intermittent that I can quite easily run the car for 100+ miles without a single issue, but then other trips can be absolutely nightmarish. 

I took the car to a trusted local garage a few weeks ago, whereby they gave it once over and said they couldn't see any visible fluid leaks. They bled and re-filled the fluid lines and sent me on my way. No dice.

More recently, having taken it back in, the garage decided to start a process of elimination and replace both the clutch and the slave cylinder. Upon inspection, both seemed to be in fairly good condition, but they were replaced anyway. The issue persists.

Apparently, the next step is to replace the master cylinder and hope that that rectifies it. I am dreading the ever increasing suggestion that it may be gearbox related.

If anyone has any thoughts / suggestions, please shoot my way. Despite not knowing the ins and outs of automobiles in particular, I am mechanically minded, so don't spare me the details.

Cheers, S. 

 

[flavoursome]

I have exactly the same intermittent problem with my 2016 Fiesta 1.0 Ecoboost, which I have owned from new. It's been going on for 2 to 3 years. The only way forward is speculative replacement of clutch-related components, just the same as you, but I have not done anything yet. However I must now do something, as the situation has become intolerable. Did you discover what the root cause of your problem was? I would very much appreciate any further insight you could provide.

[stasia2023]

Literally the exact same problem on my 2015 1L eco boost. I've also replaced the clutch and slave cylinder which seems to have reduced the issue, however the gear still sticks causing me to stall every now and again. Has anyone got to the bottom of the issue

[DMCC10]

Same issue with my 2016 Fiesta 1.0 Ecoboost. After short distance in slow moving traffic, I cant find 1st or 2nd gears. Need to turn car off and restart to clear issues. Brought to Clutch & Gear box specialist repair center and told it would be new clutch and master cylinder. The current master cylinder is losing pressure. Appears to be a common problem on such vehicles with 40-60,000 miles. Pity Ford changed the gearbox on the Fiesta, previous box was bulletproof.

I have little confidence that new parts will completely eliminate the issue. Is this the experience from others?