Ford has just announced something that will hopefully satisfy 560,000 Fiesta and Focus owners. Following years of problems regarding the vehicles' dual-clutch transmissions, the automaker has decided to extend the clutch warranty on specific 2014-2016 Fiesta and Focus vehicles by two years or 40,000 miles for a new total of seven years or 100,000 miles. This will take into account vehicles in the US and Canada, and nor does it affect the 10-year/150,000–mile transmission control module warranty.

In addition, Ford will reimburse owners who paid for clutch repairs out of pocket. "Ford understands and regrets that many customers have been inconvenienced and frustrated by the performance of the DPS6 transmission, said Dave Filipe, Ford's vice president of powertrain engineering. "Earning and keeping the trust of customers is vital to everything we do.

That is why Ford and its dealers have gone to great lengths to improve the performance of the transmission. While these vehicles always were and remain safe to drive, we regret the inconvenience our customers have experienced." Along with the warranty extension and reimbursement, Ford also announced a software update for these vehicles.

Previously, Ford updated the transmission control modules for some 84 percent of affected cars, but claims 16 percent of owners have not yet visited a dealership to get the upgrade. Ford will reach out to these individuals and provide them an opportunity to get the necessary and free updates. In case you're wondering, this update provides an enhanced warning if a transmission control module begins to fail.

If deemed necessary by technicians, Ford will replace these modules for this specific group free of charge for up to six months even if the 10-year/150,000-mile warranty expired. With this latest update, Ford says all Fiesta and Focus vehicles will have the latest component and software updates for this specific DCT, codenamed DPS6. Or, at the very least, owners have been provided extended warranties for the clutches, all related hardware, and the control modules, for the aforementioned time period.

Despite the announcement, there's still a lawsuit against Ford alleging it knew this transmission was not production-ready but still opted to sell the vehicles anyway.