2013 Ford Focus Complaint Log

Steering wheel became hard to turn and then no steering and steering loss Stop safely came on the instrument panel, had car towed home and have had no one look at it yet

The vehicle was serviced at Bartow Ford in Bartow, Florida, where approximately $1,100 was paid for the installation of a Body Control Module (BCM). Less than two weeks after this repair, the vehicle was returned to the same dealership due to issues involving the windshield wipers. According to the dealership’s own written statement, their technician began diagnosing the issue by replacing a blown fuse and tracing the wiring harness. While inspecting the wiring harness near the heater hose area, the technician observed coolant dripping onto the harness. When the technician touched the harness, it immediately caught fire. The shop foreman then had to disconnect the battery to prevent further damage. This fire occurred while the vehicle was in the possession and control of the dealership and during active diagnosis by their technician. Despite this, the dealership is now attempting to charge approximately $3,700 to repair the wiring harness and related components. We find this unacceptable. It is unreasonable to expect the customer to pay for repairs to damage that occurred during dealership service and inspection. This situation raises serious concerns, particularly because the dealership had recently performed electrical work on the vehicle involving the BCM only two weeks earlier.

During recent freezing weather, upon starting the car and attempting to turn, I realized that the steering wheel was frozen solid. While researching what could have happened, the war warmed up enough to melt the water in the electric power assisted steering motor, allowing the vehicle to turn. Now, the EPAS is seized up completely. If I had been driving when it locked up completely, it could have proved fatal. The problem has not been reproduced, as it just happened in the last couple of weeks. I never got any check engine light pertaining to this issue. OBDII showed not errors for the EPAS.

The vehicle began to experience issues where it was difficult to start and ran rough. Multiple times after turning off vehicle and attempting to restart later it would not restart. Had vehicle towed to dealership for repairs, they conducted a recall repair and test over multiple days. Picked up vehicle, drove approximately 7 miles. Went into store came back and vehicle would not start. Multiple other recalls are listed for this date range and motor that likely could be impacting my current vehicle. However, this VIN is not listed as a specific recall. Current situation places driver and passenger at risk as the vehicle does not run properly and does not restart

Our 2013 ford focus has had the shudder clutch replaced 3 times in 4 years. We paid $2500 for them to replace the clutch, forks, and adjust the tcm module. Within a year it went again. They replaced under our warranty from the first fix. Then a year later, it went again, warranty was out but ford sent a letter to replace for free. They did.. and now it’s broke again. It shudders and jerks so bad. My college daughter takes it to and from school and relies on it. I don’t understand how Ford gets away with this as it is an ongoing issue with this year make and model vehicle. It’s dangerous, will stall… and jerk. They charge to fix and all it is a bandaid for an ongoing inevitable failure again. On top of that all the electrical to the radio, speakers and such went as well. The vehicle has less than 98k miles on it. It is well taken care of. This transmission issue is Fords negligence. It’s dangerous, deadly; and I cannot believe they continue to charge for an issue they know about.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

erratic shifting and eratic slipping gears , first happened while on highway and then it wouldnt go in any gear besides reverse and would say transmission overheat wait 5 min . caused another veihcal behind me to slam on there brakes and they ended up getting rear ended from the car behind them ..... all becouse of my cars tcm or transmission issues>!!!! also not too mention ` random unusual noises coming from clutch or shifter when not even start car yet _delayed start and delayed shifting .. i could go on and on this car is a nightmare

The reverse Camera assist and alerts are faulty. The camera when you put the car into Reverse is upside down all of a sudden. The alerts continue to beep when I put the car in reverse as well. It's very dangerous because you think something is behind you even though there is nothing. Because the camera is upside down you can see anything behind you as well it just beeps non stop with no assistance.

While driving, the electric power steering went out. I purchased this vehicle on Aug 15 2025 and the Carfax report did not have any information pertaining to an issue with EPAS. To have this repaired will cost me over $3k which I was not prepared for. Being that other Ford vehicles have this EPAS recall, shouldn't a recall be made on the 2013 Ford Focus as well.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the failure persisted. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission after finding metal shavings inside the transmission fluid. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 105,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle shuddered and hesitated. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 103,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled, the RPM decreased, and the vehicle turned off independently. While attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that a dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the fuel line and fuel system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 178,391.

The car shows a warning transmission fault service now

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly shifted into neutral(N), and the message “Transmission Overheated - Pull Over for 5 Minutes” was displayed. The contact coasted to the side of the road and waited before continuing to drive. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start immediately, causing the contact to make several attempts to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was hesitating, and the vehicle was jerking while downshifting. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed failures with dual clutch, engine failure, Clutch A failure, and a failure with the Transmission Control Module(TCM). The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V523000 (Power Train). The contact drove the vehicle to work and while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to immediately start, and the vehicle became inoperable. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V523000 (Power Train). The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 169,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the transmission was slipping, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 126,000.

When I drive my car it takes time before it kicks in to drive correctly

Power steering randomly stops working when vehicle is running. It happens most often right after I start the vehicle. I can turn the vehicle off and back on a couple times to get it to work. I am worried that it will happen while active driving. Power steering light comes on dashboard. It has happened many times.i will list the last date that it happened.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal before the vehicle lost automotive power. The vehicle was shifted into park and restarted. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with PCM failure. The contact stated that the PCM had been reprogrammed before. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the transmission was slipping, and the vehicle lost motive power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly lost motive power before suddenly jolting forward. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed failures with the clutch, slave cylinder, and shift levelers. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 24,000.

My car randomly puts itself in 2nd gear and wont go more than 25 mph

Power train or speed control. The transmission acts up and it’s a common problem in this model and it’s almost caused an accident and I haven’t had a reliable source of transportation since this issue arose.

I have a current recall on my transmission I notify for it. I went up there to get the recall fixed. They plugged it up to the machine to see about my transmission, and they said it came back with a cold that was not associated with the recall for my transmission, but it did say something was wrong with my transmission, I looked into that popped up on the cold reader and it’s it. I gave them the number and they said that Ford will be unable to pay for it and they told me I would have to pay $175 in order to hook it up to the main machine to see what exactly the code is if it match the cold that will pay for me new transmission. I explained to them that if I have a recall on the car for my door, lash and my transmission , why would I have to pay for so he kept running around loops not trying to give me a correct response basically just making me trying to pay for them to hook up something that should be for free so my car is accelerating is not accelerating speed, it keeps on clicking is something to do with my transmission, which it has a recall on it before in Orange will not fix it Paid paid off so I need someone to help me solve this matter because Ford and Orange is trying to make me pay for something that is a recall that should be fixed and free if someone call me back at [XXX] thank you INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the transmission hesitated while upshifting to the next gear. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and heard an abnormal ticking sound coming from the transmission. The contact was able to get the vehicle back to the residence safely. The dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired after the first failure; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was provided an estimate for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 137,000.

Power steering malfunction. Wheel not working on low temperature.

The vehicle jerks from gear to gear when getting the car to move, hesitates and feels like it's skips

There is an issue with the vehicle not receiving gasoline and the car has left me stranded

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was jerking abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was not under recall for transmission failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall for transmission failure. The approximate failure mileage was 174,500.

Has a bad electrical problem and the transmission is got right

I started experiencing intermittent (what seems like transmission) Issues about a little over a year ago. It would randomly occur and usually after the engine was warmed up and I had been driving a lot that day. It would only occur from a dead stop and then starting to accelerate from 1st to 2nd gear. The RPMs would go way high but the car wouldn’t accelerate I would let off the gas and then give it a little gas right away and it would seem to “grab” and the car wouldn’t accelerate start to go. It has over time increasingly gotten worse increasing from just 1st to 2nd gear and now 2nd to 3rd gear. I have a transmission that is a dual clutch transmission so it is an automatic but when I want to I can put my gear shifter into “S” mode (sport mode) and the car then acts as a manual transmission needing the driver to change gears by pushing a + or a - button on the gear shifter either when accelerating or downshifting gears. It never acted up in “S” Mode only during automatic driving until recently. What sparked my need to write in about this is when I was driving down the freeway the car all of a sudden lost power but the RPMs accelerated up into the Red zone on my tachometer. Essentially I was dead driving 60 mph down the freeway and quickly losing speed cars were swerving around me and one almost rear ended me. It put my life and the life of my passengers all at risk and it was scary! I had a good friend of mine who is an ASE Certified mechanic look at the car and he couldn’t see anything wrong but because this happens intermittently I wouldn’t expect the problem to occur for him during a five min test drive. However it doesn’t change the severity of what I have been experiencing. There was a previous recall on my vehicle for this transmission and these exact problems and although it was repaired (under a different owner) I am experiencing the same issues. Maybe the replacement transmission was also faulty? since my “service transmission” light came on as well.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AND TPMS LIGHT ON. VEHICLE EXHIBITS OVERHEATING WARNING LIGHT ON. FOUND CODES: PO7A3 - Transmission Friction Element 'A' Stuck On P2872 - Clutch 'A' Stuck Engaged the transmission takes off in 1st okay, stutter felt in 2nd and 3rd when shifting. when shifting from 3rd to 4th there is a long delay engine bogs down before shifting into 4th gear. same problem in 4-5, 5-6th gear was running properly recommended diagnosis on the engines code and dual clutch assembly then retest clutch travel test failed. Transmission is previously recalled. Ford has Ford's Customer Satisfaction Program that is supposed to replace the Transmission control module extended warranty coverage Campaign# 14M02 It’s also supposed to repair issues caused by TCM, which is related to the codes showed but the dealership will not fix either issue. On the website chat a guest service member said my car qualified for repairs but the dealership said they won’t replace the TCM unless I replaced the clutch first with a $3700 estimate. Clutch issues are cause by TCM malfunctioning.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle drove rough. The contact stated that the vehicle was idling rough. In addition, the fuel gauge was moving erratically. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with canister purge valve failure. The contact was informed that the canister purge valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised that the repair was not covered under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); because the recall repair had already been performed on the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle was restarted, and the vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with fuel tank and fuel pump failure. The contact was informed that the fuel tank and the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and made aware of the failure; however, the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under the recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,819.

P0236 , p0238, p007d, p0456, charged air sensor A fault, boost sensor range/performance fault, and other faults , crank car engine service now pops up everytime, clear codes pops rite back up, car stumbles ,misfires , no boost, no throttle shuts off . Only had this car a week . Performed wire splice and anything I saw that I could do to fix this . No help making payments on a car I can't drive is very frustrating. Replaced sensors. These faults pop up within 2 seconds of clearing codes and starting vehicle everytime.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that upon shifting the vehicle into reverse, the vehicle had no motive power. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission solenoids. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the transmission had previously been replaced in June of 2023 at 114,000 miles. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 147,000. The VIN was not available.

I am experiencing a significant issue with my 2013 Ford Focus that aligns with known recall symptoms. When I accelerate from a stop, the car shakes violently, similar to a washing machine off balance, and struggles to gain momentum. This issue impacts the vehicle's performance and safety, and I believe it may be related to a recall affecting this model. I kindly request your assistance in diagnosing and resolving this problem under the applicable recall or warranty coverage. Please let me know the next steps to address this concern.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the transmission was slipping and shifted hard. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with failed transmission clutches. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled and shut off at a red light. The contact stated that after ten attempts the vehicle restarted. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 196,666.

The transmission seems like it doesn’t want to go right away. It gives off a twitch which doesn’t allow me to start up right away and causes my tires to spin.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH on two occasions, the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the roadway and restarted. The contact stated that after the first failure, the vehicle was taken to a dealer however, the failure could not be replicated; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that on the second failure, the vehicle was able to restart; however, the failure persisted upon restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to another unknown dealer, where it was diagnosed that the Transmission Control Module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving and attempting to stop, the vehicle hesitated and shifted out of gear independently. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000.

The Transmission Control Module (TCM) failed while driving. The car's engine began revving at high RPM while not accelerating and forcing the vehicle to slow down, creating a dangerous driving environment as I tried to get the car to a repair facility. An error message appeared stating that there was a transmission error and to get the vehicle serviced. This is the 5th time that the TCM has been replaced in this car. This car is 11 years old with approximately 60,000 miles. This is the first time it failed while driving. Typically, other symptoms prompt me to take it in. This time, I had no warning other than the message at the time of failure while I was driving in heavy traffic on a highway (speed limit was 55 mph). I somehow got the vehicle to a Ford dealership which diagnosed the problem as a failed TCM.

Not shifting into gear properly, slipping out of gear into what seems like neutral, downshifting. Also electrical problems, radio not functioning, speakers popping and static sounds even with vehicle completely off.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the clutch vibrated when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with clutch failure. The contact was informed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the loss of acceleration had not been duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that the clutch was previously replaced in 2020. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 154,000.

This is the second failure of the door latch we’ve had. 1st time was drivers door. Today was passenger door. Ford dealers refuse to fix it. Carthage ford sold me the parts and I paid my mechanical c to fix the drivers door. $200 for the door latches $200 to install. Now I have to do the passenger door. I was under the impression this should be free as it’s a recall I’ve contacted ford corporate and didn’t get anywhere with them either. They were supposed to get something set up with a local dealer but never heard back from them. This is a huge safety issue. Please help me either getting reimbursed for the earlier repairs and parts and maybe getting the others fixed or at least pay the bill if I have to get them done

Power steering assist pump stopped intermittently, than stop completely

Electrical Power Steering. While driving the steering suddenly locked up. There was no prior indication. Upon having a Master Mechanic check the vehicle, it was stated that it is a common problem seen by mechanics and after researching online searches, the Ford Focus vehicles from 2010-2014 have experienced the same issue. This is an absolute hazard. The cost to repair will be close to $4, 000. I am requesting that an immediate recall she be mandated by Ford. This was a close call for me on a main Freeway.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated after driving approximately 35 MPH, the contact attempted to shift to reverse; however, the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the clutch needed to be replaced. The contact researched and became aware of an unknown NHTSA Campaign Number; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed the contact noticed a failure when he attempted to switch gears. The contact stated that his shift gear remained in neutral with the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed as a failure with the clutch gear which the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to reach out to NHSTA for further assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 176,294.

UNKNOWN