Ford Fiesta won't go into reverse - is the gearbox on the way out?

Five months ago I bought a 2013 Ford Fiesta 1.25 petrol. I'm only 18 years old and the car was sold with 33,000 miles on the clock and a six month dealer warranty. I have noticed reverse is difficult to engage and it sometimes crunches into gear. Other times (although rarely) it pops out of gear. I took it in today to be looked at by the dealer, but they said they cannot find any fault. One of the mechanics said he had come across this issue on another 1.25 Fiesta of a similar age. He said i needed to ensure the clutch was engaged for a few seconds before selecting. I thought I was being fed a bit of a story. Does the Fiesta 1.25 have a reputation for a dodgy gearbox?

Asked on 7 December 2016 by Ronan Williams

Answered by Honest John
Yes, quite a common problem. See: www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/ford/fiesta-2013/?se.../ It's probably a 'characteristic'. Gearboxes in this class of car have always been of variable quality.
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