2013 Ford Focus Complaint Log

A few times i have been driving, or sometimes just started my car to drive and my steering would be hard. Contacted Ford and was told that was normal. I Was driving a couple months with everything working properly and suddenly the Electronic steering is gone. Nearly caused an accident with my grandchildren in the vehicle. I was fortunate enough to be able to get to the side of road without getting hit.

For some reason the recall doesn't show up on the last page, but my TCM went out. The car failed to sshift at a stop sign. I brought the car to a Ford dealer, who confirmed the part was covered by recall. That was 2 years ago. It's bene sitting in their parking lot ever since. I've emailed them twice. The first time, they seemed to try just reentering the cars ticket, based on emails I was getting. I got several emails saying service has been scheduled. The second time they told me the repair was complete. I drove to Ford where they told me they were stil waiting on th part. That's when I emailed this site, which directed me here. I don't know what a "reasonable amount of time" is, but I feel two years of waiting is excessive.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the fuel quickly evaporated soon after refueling. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact also stated that an abnormal sputtering sound was coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed; the contact was informed of a failure with the catalytic converter. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) which he linked to the failure. The dealer was notified of the failure and notified the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.

This vehicle was brought into jiffy lube and we inspected the vehicle. We noticed rust on the passenger rear of the car and we looked at the brakes on the passenger rear and there is little to almost no rotor left maybe a fingernail thin and it is not attached to the wheel anymore it has been cut from it and now is hanging on by what’s left of the brake pad. We gave him almost more than half off of what we can do to get it fixed and give the oil change what he came in for for free but declined and just wanted the oil change. I was scared for him to leave the shop because it is unsafe and endangering me and other people that are on the road around this area. But the customer did not seem to care how dangerous it could actually be on the road and didn’t seem like he was in any rush to get it fixed as well.

Steering rack failed while driving. Leaving parking lot steering started to make a grinding noise and almost immdeiatly locked in place when on the road.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contacted that after driving her vehicle an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact asked a person nearby what the warning light meant and was informed that there was a failure with the transmission. The contact then became aware that it was difficult to shift the vehicle into gear. The contact shifted the gear shifter into park(P) however, the gear shift indicator did not show the vehicle being in park(P). The contact stated that the vehicle then started rolling backwards. The contact then took her vehicle to the dealer and was informed that her vehicle could not be repaired unless the warning light was illuminated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred her to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 36,900.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start after multiple attempts with the transmission warning message displayed on the instrument panel. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer where a diagnostic test determined that the powertrain control module was defective. The vehicle remained at the dealer for two weeks. Once the parts to repair the vehicle arrived, the contact was then informed that the battery and dual clutch transmission also needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed her that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly hesitated and shuddered. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the clutch and clutch assembly. The vehicle was not repaired, but the contact stated that the clutch had already been replaced twice within the past 2 years. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 96,000.

During startup after refilling tank with fresh gas it will putter and hesitate to stay stay on. Engine light came on had codes ran came back as codes P0171 system to lean secondary DTC P1450 unable to bleed up fuel tank. Was told that was caused by the EVAP so I needed that replaced. Then it’s starts again was told it was the canister purge valve. I had my car taken to a ford dealership and was told they didn’t see what the issue was. It is doing all the things that the recalls for the same year make and model did. It needs to be fixed because this is a safety issue. Next step is to hire an attorney and have vehicle throughly looked at.

The transmission/clutch shutters between gears and has gotten progressively worse. I had the transmission fluid flushed at 30,000. Car now has 34,000 miles. The shutter/slip is now dramatic enough that I feel the car is not safe to drive.

I just found out about the recall after the fire. Everyone in the car was okay it is currently parked as I am finding somewhere open to be able to look at my car the fire department looked at the car and said it looked to be electrical and there were no warning signs or anything it just caught fire when driving down the freeway

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered, vibrated, and lost motive power. During the failure, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The contact also indicated that the powertrain had been serviced several times under the same failure. No further information was available. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle accelerated independently and shifted out of gear independently. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the clutch to be updated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 16,000.

There's an extended warranty on the TCMS on the fiestas and focuses from Ford from like 2011 to 16. I took advantage of them to replace the TCM but due to the TCM I guess malfunctioning the clutch itself has went out and now that's like dollars so the transmission control module in the clutch I feel should be covered under the customer satisfaction.

I had my engine on in park and it stalled left me stranded and dashboard said engine fault service now when I tried starting the car it would turn over and I heard a bunch of clicking and the lights were flickering the dash and radio had no power and my wipers wouldn’t go off. I had to abandon my car on someone’s private property until I could get it towed they ended up calling the cops and gave me 48 hours to remove my car off there property. In my 2013 Ford Focus se I have experienced reduced engine power, hesitation, ENGINE STALLS while driving with NO WARNING Front and rear lights flicker and dim random spikes in voltage and inconsistent start-up issues like sometimes the vehicle does not start when turning the ignition on and car suddenly starts or idles down unexpectedly and stutters/lurches when driving. Also sometimes my radio fails to have power. I have replaced relay fuses starter fuses purge valve bought a new battery bought a new alternator I changed o2 sensors spark plugs filters etc I took it to Fred Martin Ford and they advised me they found intermittent communication failure between PCM and TCM. Performed wire trace on harness found harness frayed that runs along transmission unit. There are wiring harness recalls on Certain 2013 and 2014 Model Year Focus ST and Escape Vehicles Equipped with a 2.0L Engine Engine Wiring Splice Repair Safety Recall 14S17 My 2013 Ford Focus SE 2.0L Engine does not fall under this recall how come? There are several other customers having the same wiring harness issues.

Latch on hatchback doesn't latch, or unlatches, in cold temperatures. Has happened multiple times, and results in rapid cycling of the door locks on the rest of the vehicle as a result of the auto-unlocking configuration.

The contact owned a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that she left her dog in the vehicle with the engine off and the windows partially open, as she entered her workplace. Approximately 30 minutes later, she was alerted that there was a vehicle on fire. She rushed outside to discover that her vehicle was on fire. As she attempted to save her dog, the fire grew stronger and the vehicle became engulfed in flames. By the time the fire department arrived, the vehicle was incinerated. Her dog died as a result of the fire and was taken by animal control. A police and fire report was filed. The contact sustained severe emotional trauma due to the loss of her dog but did not seek medical attention. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was deemed a total loss and destroyed. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.

blah

Radio makes loud popping noises on occasion. This is available for inspection upon request assuming a fix is not made. This loud noise could put the driver and others at risk because loud popping noises could scare dive. This problem has been inspected and confirmed by an audio shop. The radio works on occasion but often has popping sound and cuts out.

Car won't go in gear when you come to stop, or in middle of driving on beltway and you can't get over. I almost caused several accidents, cause got stuck in middle of rd for 20 minutes. lucky I had cones.

transmission keeps slipping

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while pulling out a parking space, the vehicle started to shake abnormally without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer replaced the transmission control module, but the failure continued. The dealer was contacted, and the dealer stated that the vehicle was not under warranty. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 55,000.

I have had multiple instance of losing power with my car, I completed Customer Satisfaction Program 14M02 and the known issue was not solved. I then went to a mechanic to have a diagnostic test performed due to the check engine light being on and they concluded that the issue was the Canister Purge Valve as well as possibly the Charcoal Canister due to the CPV malfunctioning. Other than losing power within my car the other associated problems, as confirmed by mechanic, are rough idling, difficulty starting, decreased fuel economy, and increased emissions.

I’ve seen multiple recalls on the electric power steering with ford and recently I lost all power steering in my 2013 Ford Focus SE and know it’s been a problem for other fords like mine. My vehicle has 119,000 miles. I want to know why there are recalls for other ford cars for the exact same issue but not the 2013 focus

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 50-55 MPH, the vehicle began to jerk. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact then refilled the fuel tank, however, he noticed that there was a significant amount of pressure coming out of the fuel tank. The contact was able to continue driving. Additionally, the contact stated that the fuel gauge frequently provided inaccurate reading and would indicate that there was approximately 100 miles left of fuel while the fuel tank was empty. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the fuel tank had expanded and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer who provided the same diagnostic information. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the dealer had only reprogrammed the PCM. The dealer informed the contact that the fuel tank could not be replaced under the recall since the recall was marked as completed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not repair the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) as the fuel tank was in good condition at the time the recall repair was completed on the vehicle a year and half prior. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, she heard a sound like metal breaking coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the "Transmission Fault, Service Now" warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over safely and left the vehicle running. The contact stated that she drove the vehicle to her residence and had it towed to a dealer. Additionally, the contact stated that when she shifted the vehicle into reverse the "Hill Assistance" light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 172,455.

This car has a bad clutch/Auto transmission problem. It shudders and has to be replaced. I had mine replaced at 67,206 miles. Now 15,000 miles later, it has to be replaced again. Ford knows of this problem. Just about everyone who owns this car has had at least 1 replaced if not 3. Ford knows of the problem. Ford should have to pay for my repair. I am sure lots of other focus owners would like to get them replaced or get reimbursed for repairs they were forced to pay for.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at 20-30 MPH, the vehicle started jerking. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact drove to a stop sign and waited for traffic to subside before crossing to the other side of the road as the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The contact stated that as she began to drive, the vehicle continued to jerk and downshift as if it was going to stall. The contact stated that she continued to depress the accelerator pedal and the vehicle accelerated to 60 MPH, then downshifted again to 20 MPH. The contact was able to drive to her residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the transmission clutch had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,637.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the transmission fault failure service now warning light illuminated. The contact continued driving to her residence and then the engine fault failure service now warning light also illuminated. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission control module to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with an unknown Manufacturer Communications however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,015. THE CHAMPAIGN IS 14M02. THIS IS THE CODE THAT WAS MISSING.

While driving the vehicle the power steering completely failed and it became impossible to steer (except with great effort). If this had happened on the highway at speed it could easily have caused a major accident. I have seen hundreds of complaints about this problem on the internet, but there has been no recall for this highly dangerous defect.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving, the trunk would automatically open. The failure occurred on numerous occasions. The dealer was contacted several times to have the failure repaired however he was advised that the parts to repair the trunk was not available. The contact stated the most recent time that the failure occurred his trunk had opened, causing him to run over an object underneath the vehicle, which caused damage to the brakes and the axel. The contact stated he currently drives with a lock on the trunk to prevent it from opening automatically. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The mileage failure was 131,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle would shudder and would not accelerate as designed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the dual-clutch transmission to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

On the freeway and I received an error message stating to put the transmission on park on the interstate and the car shut down and almost hit several vehicles. This is very unsafe and don’t want anyone else to experience this. It was telling me to put it in park and I couldn’t shift it to park because I didn’t want the car go in a dead stop on a 5 lane freeway. And it has this bad shudder and I’ve replaced several components and find this very unsafe to drive as well as I feel like I’m going to hit a car in front of me!

Check engine light came on Saturday morning on my way to work, When checked it comes up as fault codes P0420, with secondary codes of P144A - EVAP Emission System Purge Vapor Line Restricted/blocked, P1450 - Unable to bleed up fuel tank vacuum, and P0131 - O2 Circuit Low Voltage (Bank 1, Sensor 1), And started stalling after putting new gas in only, and now hesitates at lower gears and has a rougher then normal idle with the rps not staying steady, Also when doing a VIN check on Fords website, or the NHTSA lookup it does not show up as a recall, however when I do a full VIN check it does show under the recalls page, I'm not sure if they marked it as completed for the VIN of this vehicle or not but its doing literally all the stuff stated in Ford Safety Recall 18S32 18V735000 or 19S22 19V515000, but when trying to chat Ford about it they deny there is one even though the NHTSA OVERVIEW states: All of the affected vehicles previously had Ford Safety Recall 18S32 performed; however, updated powertrain control module (PCM) software was not available at that time. Ford Motor Company wants to ensure the software is updated to the most current release available. In some of the affected vehicles, the PCM software may not adequately detect a stuck-open canister purge valve (CPV) within the fuel vapor system. If the CPV malfunctions and sticks open, it can lead to excessive vacuum in the fuel vapor system, allowing the plastic fuel tank to deform. This can cause the following symptoms: • Illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0420, P1450, P0443, P0452, P0456, P0460 and/or P2196 • Inaccurate or erratic fuel gauge indication • Inaccurate distance to empty (DTE) • Engine stall and/or other drivability concerns related to stuck open CPV I have only had the car 2 months as of tomorrow, and am a single dad raising my 6 month old son alone, I cannot have this breakdown completely and risk a accident when it should be covered by recall

Power steering assist failed while driving on the highway. I pulled over and turned off the car to investigate and the steering wheel locked up.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while making a left turn, she heard an unknown alert chime, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact then started to lose control of the vehicle but was able to park on the side of the road. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the residence. After waiting for several days, the check engine warning light turned off independently. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission module to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer also informed the contact that the clutch assembly needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not serviced. The contact stated that the failure recurred July 23, 2023. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

Daughter's car has hesitation when driving, took to son who is mechanic. He said it has hesitation, cough idle, loss of power and the gas tank is malformed. He said he looked up the vin and it showed recall 18532-51. I looked on fords website and see that this is recall for their reference number 19S22. My son said this is dangerous because that issue with the fuel tank vacuum could cause the gas tank to crack. I called ford service center to schedule a recall repair but they told me her vin does not show that recall. This car has all the symtoms of the recall, the vin showed up for my son, and the recall is mentioned on fords werbsite. We need to have this repaired. It is a known issue for 2012-2013 ford focuses. Why wouldn't her car be covered??

There is a shudder in the transmission when accelerating, upshifting and occasionally downshifting as well. It has not posed any safety risk yet. My car has not (to my knowledge) been inspected by a dealership, service center, insurance representative, etc. but there have been previous recalls for this issue. Since buying it last autumn there has been a small, almost unnoticeable shudder, but it has quickly gotten worse.

I have a 2013 Ford Focus 4 Door Hatchback, It is at 70k miles and has been giving problems taking off from first gear. I took to Ford dealer to be evaluated and it’s the dul clutch system going bad which they have had many issues with. I feel is a safety issue I’m getting ready to have a baby and what if my car doesn’t go and hesitates and someone hits me or I get stuck in the middle of traffic! They had a warranty service for this issue on my exact car but you had to receive a paper in the mail to have the issue fixed which I am not the first owner and didn’t receive the letter. They also upped the warranty on the vehicle to 7 years 100k miles and unfortunately my vehicle was driven to little for the problem to become noticeable in the 7 years as it only has 70k on it. I called customer relations to see if they could cover this because it’s only fair they replace and fix since it’s been a on going issue with these vehicles and only has 70k on it.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that she was unable to add more than 3 gallons of fuel to the vehicle. The contact also stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer where they stated that the vapor canister needed replacement. The contact stated that for the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the VIN was not included. The contact mentioned that the previous owner had experienced the failure starting in 2018. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to call the NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer to be repaired under an unknown transmission recall, and he was informed that it would be two months before the vehicle could be repaired. However, the contact stated that 4 months later, the vehicle was still at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was not contacted or informed of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

This car started to make loud engine noises which caused the car to shut off then it restarted on it's on I finally got it to parking lot when I cut it off it still was rattling and clacking like I was cranking it up on the left side of engine so I waited till about 30 minutes what ever it was it killed my battery then it started back up again but then through a check engine light on but when I got it checked it wouldn't read any codes so the display on board of the car read transmission shift in reverse but I wasn't in reverse so it was stuck in transmission mode and could not drive it I got it at a shop which they only would say a transmission, but they only wants to put a transmission in with out checking if it could be anything else like a electrical problem but he says no a transmission so now I'm only at 150k miles and this goes out without notice, I even asked about the transmission acuator but he says no the whole transmission, I just got the car like 3 months ago, and that is no good

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at 50-60 MPH, the vehicle was emitting abnormal loud whining sounds. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that upon refilling gas in the vehicle and starting the vehicle, the vehicle experienced a rough start, was shuddering and was jerking, in addition to the abnormal loud whining sounds. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring increasingly. The independent mechanic diagnosed that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the recall repair was previously completed but the fuel tank and fuel delivery module were not replaced as the vehicle was not experiencing a failure at the time. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was unknown.

Transmission stalled on highway. Have had this car three days and already have stalling out and no power problems! This car is a dangerous vehicle! My 17 year old grandson was almost hit by a truck. The dealership said no problems with the transmission on this car, but after reading all the information about the transmission and many other safety issues, all of these cars should be removed and replaced. Ford made a really dangerous car in those years. It should get a zero safety rating. And the locks are a huge safety issue! Platte valley ford in Kearney said they would look at the lock recall when we brought the car back for transmission flush, but after purchasing this dangerous car three days ago, and already having this transmission stalling out problem, it is time to take legal action! [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

Approaching the George Washington bridge, I was in very very heavy traffic, stopping, starting, going super slowly. Warning light came on telling me to get off the road safely and let the transmission rest for 5 minutes. I followed directions then it happened again, stopped, waited, and it happened again. It is a dangerous area to pull off the road, very narrow breakdown lanes, big trucks, etc etc. Apparently, this is a chronic problem with the Ford Focus of certain years. There are some situations when one cannot get off the road safely, so this is potentially very dangerous. If one doesn't follow the directions one can have an even more serious transmission failure.

- Steering rack and pinion failed while driving and is currently being repaired at dealership - Safety was out at risk due to the malfunctioning occurring while car was being driven. Steering became extremely difficult and felt as if wheel was locking-up. - Car was taken to dealership twice regarding the malfunction. First resolution was updating the power steering control module software. Steering was fixed for one week before the issue re-appeared while driving. During second visit at the dealership, it was determined that the steering rack and pinion will need replacing. - There was no warning messages or symptoms prior to the malfunctioning occurring.

Powertrain loss and loss of engine power, power control module. Engine failure on a busy highway. Putting me at risk of an accident. The car has been serviced by an independent service center. Has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer. Check engine and other warning lamps appeared

On September 25, 2021 around 11:30pm, I was driving and the steering wheel happened to lock out of nowhere and I’m not able to turn correctly. It was a very dangerous situation and I couldn’t turn and the car was going straight. I was very close to get into a car accident. I bought car without any issues and I’ve been taking good care of it and out of nowhere the steering wheel locked on me and gave me a signal saying “steering loss stop safely” i went to advanced parts to have it tested on a Sunday and they said I needed to replace my catalyst system efficiency which I was aware of that needed to replaced but nothing else showed besides the code they gave me P0420. The vehicle hasn’t been Inspected or component by a insurance company or others.

As I was driving down the road my power steering went out. I pulled over and tried to turn the car off and on and had no luck. I then got a warning that said my power steering malfunctioned. I do not know what I would have done if I were on the interstate as I had been 2 minutes earlier. I cannot believe I am alive. This is the second time something like this has happened. The other time I just had my car stall out on the interstate as I drove down it. That time it was a transmission issue.

Size p215/55r16 Tire blew out on the freeway. After close inspection discovered that the blown out tire had severe tread separation. After closer inspection of the other tires on the car, I discovered another tire identical to the blown out tire also has tread separation. The tires on the vehicle have a least one year of tread on them.