Hello

My Ford Fiesta 1.0 ecoboost (125) 2014 has had 1st and reverse gear selection problems (difficulty selecting), and reverse jumps out of gear 2/3 times a week (I only use 4/5 times per week). Dealer lubrication eased selection issues, but not jumping out of gear. Only has 4,000 miles yet clutch an a cylinder replaced as abnormal wear thought to be causing gear problems. However, it sill pops out of reverse gear and since the clutch replaced sometimes reverse will not engage when gear lever is pulled as far as it will go - There is no movement and it makes a quiet grinding sound.

Dealer says Ford say have to delay changing gear for 4 -5 seconds after moving forward, and due to no synchromesh on reverse - Ford say they will do no more at present.

Any help please I am a worried lady.

Can only suggest if reverse doesn't feel like it's going in. Move to neutral and release clutch then clutch back in and try again. Mine is sometimes a little stubborn with reverse too at times.

It is going in ok now, in fact sometimes goes in without any notching or resistance. Its those times it either does not engage so when reverse attempted car does not move and gears grind.

It jumps out of gear when car well into reverse motion.

My 63 plate ZS hates reverse.

The clutch in general doesn't seem as bullet-proof as the one in my 1.8 TDCi Focus.

I get smells - horrible burning clutch smells - if I'm not careful.

I wondered, is the clutch in a ST similar?

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ST is the same with the minging smell if you kill it in reverse or even go over 3K, unsure what it is. 1.0 did it as well. Although the ST is fine going in reverse the 1.0 didn't like it and you could make it pop out if you tried to have fun with it.

i find when a gear wont engage properly, if you let the clutch out just to the point where it would begin to bite if it was in gear, while moving the gearstick into reverse or first, the gear will slip into place a lot easier, and then immediately press the clutch back down, otherwise the car will move.

I don't know exactly how gearboxes work but i guess by using the clutch you are helping to match the speeds of the different gears that are engaging

i find when a gear wont engage properly, if you let the clutch out just to the point where it would begin to bite if it was in gear, while moving the gearstick into reverse or first, the gear will slip into place a lot easier, and then immediately press the clutch back down, otherwise the car will move.

I don't know exactly how gearboxes work but i guess by using the clutch you are helping to match the speeds of the different gears that are engaging

I second that :)

I wondered, is the clutch in a ST similar?

I've not had any problems with the ST clutch or gearbox, except it sometimes seems a bit reluctant to go into first, although putting it in neutral and back again solves it. No weird smells either, even when reversing up a steep drive, where I'd have it at about 1500 rpm slowly reversing for over 5 seconds.

My ST is sometimes reluctant to go into 1st sometimes aswell.

On my old 1.0 Zetec S I also had the clutch replaced due to a vibration whirring noise when reversing. Which a few other people have had.

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My ST is sometimes reluctant to go into 1st sometimes aswell.

Maybe it's a flaw in the design of the gearbox, but it didn't happen until the car was a couple months old I think. It happens very rarely though, but if it gets worse I might take it to Ford and see what they think.