This is the transmission in question:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Ford/comments/2iumiq/new_focus_transmission_shuddering_issues/
It looks like some shudder is "normal", but sometimes it's excessive and has to be repaired.
I corrected the "normal" part.
It is not normal for a transmission to shudder.
They just messed the implementation of a good idea.
And I say this because there are dual clutch automatic transmissions which do not shudder.
I am still waiting to see if I will get the shudder too, right now I am at 5000 miles with my car.
In the meanwhile I got a letter extending the warranty on the transmission - caused by multiple customers complaining exactly about this problem.
But I know how it can feel, I drove a rental once which had this problem - I thought it had it because it was a rental so I got the same car, just one model year later.
Until now I like it, I like the fact that it feels like a manual transmission.
So, from what I read, it is not something which will go away - it is a systematic problem and they just reprogram the transmission, it starts "learning" and then it starts to shudder. It seems when it learns how you drive it also learns how to shudder :).
I don't know how safe it is, but I know that if I get the same behavior in a manual transmission I go directly to the mechanic because it means bad clutch. So at least psychologically I don't like it.