2013 Ford Fiesta Powertrain (other) Problems

The vehicle experienced a sudden transmission failure while driving. Before the failure, the car began shuddering and hesitating during acceleration. It then started making loud metal grinding noises from the transmission area and eventually lost the ability to move properly when placed in Drive or Reverse. This created a safety risk because the vehicle could not accelerate normally in traffic and became difficult to control. The issue appears related to the transmission and/or clutch system. Warning messages and abnormal shifting behavior occurred prior to the failure. I previously asked a dealership in 2020/2021 to inspect and repair the transmission issues while the vehicle was still under warranty, but they stated the problem was not “bad enough” at that time and did not perform any repairs. The vehicle is currently inoperable due to this malfunction.

NHTSA ID

11731703

Incident

Apr 16, 2026

I was driving down [XXX] . I stopped at a stoplight. When the light turned green I pressed the gas to accelerate when suddenly mid intersection my transmission went out causing me to have no power. Approximately 5 minutes prior to this I did get a message about a transmission malfunction. Due to the transmission going out I was stuck in the intersection. I had it towed to a shop where they have confirmed that the Transmission Control Module (TCM) has failed. There are a couple parts of the transmission that they have not been able to confirm whether they are working due to the TCM failing. I believe that the TCM failing can put drivers in a potentially unsafe position like it did to me. I was stuck in an intersection of 2 very busy roads due to this failure. I dont currently have the part that failed with me. It is still currently on the vehicle. The vehicle and component has not been inspected by anyone other than the shop it was towed to. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11728218

Incident

Mar 21, 2026

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, there was a loud rattling sound coming from the vehicle and the vehicle experienced a loss of power and decelerated. The vehicle was driven to a nearby service station. After restarting the vehicle and shifting to drive(D), the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The vehicle was later towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was 131,000.

NHTSA ID

11706151

Incident

Dec 12, 2025

Mileage

131,000 mi

My car has 74,000 actual miles and the transmission is acting up kicking out of gear and loosing coummcation with the tcm and a sensor comes on about bad clutch pack

NHTSA ID

11704414

Incident

Dec 31, 2001

PowerShift dual-clutch transmission, slipping, bucking, and shuddering during acceleration. Subject of a class-action lawsuit.

NHTSA ID

11683162

Incident

Jul 2, 2025

Transmission control module failure

NHTSA ID

11680125

Incident

May 1, 2025

Static through speakers - possible cause, alternator, spark plugs, or faulty wiring. Passenger air bag light - comes on and off on its own randomly. Overheats - with fluids all topped off and car parked and running for 5 minutes it will start extremely overheating with visible smoke. Not sure why. Wire cover - plastic panel on ground towards front of door on driver side needs better coverage. Panel just keeps popping off showing wires. Not sure to what. If gets wet from getting in and out of car can shock you while your driving if touch it just right. Emergency break - don't work Warming indicator - says doors are open when they aren't. Headlights - work when they want to. Theft alarm - don't work Hood pop lever - the lever to pop your hood isn't connected well. The whole lever is just hanging under my steering wheel from the cords. Not latched into anything just kinda floating in the air, makes it hard to pop the hood, can be a distraction while driving with something hitting your knee. Belt buckles - when using seat belts, comes unclicked randomly while driving or won't buckle at all when first trying to put it on. Trunk - unlatches and opens randomly while driving or parked. Shocks? - not sure if it's shocks or what it is. But there is no comfortability while driving. You can feel every bump, pot whole, Crack, anything you drive across. Think it messed up my bearings because of it. But I'm not a mechanic so these are just examples of what's going on and what i think.

NHTSA ID

11655136

Incident

Apr 17, 2025

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The vehicle had failed to start. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to reverse. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was not safe to drive. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 14M02. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutch, the TCM, and the doors needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ID

11623625

Incident

Feb 1, 2024

Mileage

60,000 mi

Car shudders with noises on the transmission, not going on reverse and sometimes can not go on driver or forward too, car has codes for transmission clutches

NHTSA ID

11619555

Incident

Oct 13, 2024

Transmission won't move in reverse and goes slow in drive

NHTSA ID

11617149

Incident

Sep 29, 2024

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, and while driving up an incline, the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle was not responding as needed. The contact stated that while at the top of the hill and driving down the hill, the vehicle regained motive power. The contact stated that no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was occurring while driving up an incline. The contact drove the vehicle to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the internal transmission seals were leaking and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,429.

NHTSA ID

11613079

Incident

Aug 12, 2024

Mileage

74,429 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was shuddering. The contact stated that previously it was difficult to shift out of park(P). Additionally, the contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The message "Turn Vehicle Off - Transmission Overheating" and "Transmission Malfunction - Service Now" were temporarily displayed. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch pads had seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.

NHTSA ID

11609470

Incident

Aug 15, 2024

Mileage

132,000 mi

Cars transmission went out at 64000 miles car started jerking then showed a message to use brake stop safely I pulled over and then said transmission hot give a few minutes then after a few minutes it said transmission ready then I tried to drive it and it did the same thing all over again. When I got it home I found out the reverse is out

NHTSA ID

11600981

Incident

Jun 1, 2024

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the transmission experienced a catastrophic failure. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 92,800.

NHTSA ID

11591108

Incident

May 28, 2024

Mileage

92,800 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on three occasions, the vehicle jerked, lost motive power, and failed to accelerate above 25 MPH. The check engine, oil, and ECM warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and restarted. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where the failure could not be replicated. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the failure persisted. The check engine and ECM warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the Transmission Malfunction message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.

NHTSA ID

11590552

Incident

May 22, 2024

Mileage

101,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of a failure with the transmission. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into second gear and was stuck in first gear. The contact stated that there was transmission fluid coming from the transmission. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence however, the failure persisted. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

NHTSA ID

11587862

Incident

May 9, 2024

Mileage

160,000 mi

I have a 2013 Ford Fiesta that I had financed through a 3rd party just right at a year . The ride was rough to begin with and I began experiencing problems such as a loud shrieking/grinding noise under the hood , which triggered the check engine light . Also pressing the gas and the car not accelerating properly which causes jerking , stalling , and etc. I had a mechanic look at it and did minor repairs but this problem is reoccurring. Recently , I was backing out of a parking spot and shifted the car into drive from being in reverse and pressed the gas and it didn't accelerate it just made a loud revving noise and jerked until I proceeded out the parking lot into traffic. The car continued to jerk really ridiculously, and I had to put on emergency lights and pull over into the nearest parking lot. I then had to call someone to trail me home. I recently had it towed to a local transmission shop after it jerked/stalled out really bad on me in heavy traffic again and didn't really want to accelerate to the proper speed. The mechanics at the Transmission shop ran a thorough diagnostic , and other tests and let me know that it's the Transmission Control Module that needs replaced and that it has to go to the dealership. Well I called a Ford Dealership , and the representative said it takes months to get in a new Transmission Control Module and also that even when replaced it really does not fix the problem as per many other similar situations the service representative has dealt with. I have been completely screwed all the way around with this car and I'm not even sure why there isn't a recall on these 2013 Fod Fiesta because they are really dangerous and it's so very inconvenient with all the troubles that come with it.

NHTSA ID

11577740

Incident

Mar 8, 2024

we broke down in hopskinville kentucky at a gas station. had problems with going into drive and reverse. not wanting to shift. got it going on highway. wouldnt shift into gears lost of power. engine roars loudly and has difficulty shifting to higher gears when we attempt to accelerate. It feels like gears ears slipping or catching when speeding up or slowing down.Unpredictable shifting Trouble shifting into higher gear Trouble downshifting Getting stuck in the same gear. yes it has cause it would not shift and be stuck in the road.. took it to lovegreens in kirksville MO back at home. been nothing but issues and problems. they have lied to us and the ford customer service. they never ran a test on my vehicle they told ford that they havent done a test cause i was trying to get a loaner vehicle,. it has not been inspected. none of the lights came on until we experence the breakdown in kentucky. made it to athens alabama then had it trailered back to kirksville mo due to it almost causins a wreck. lovegreens said they have fixed the recall of the tcm but it was never fixed. i asked ford if i can get a diagnostic test if i can take it to another dealership for the recall... they would not honor it due to lovegreens claiming they fixed the tcm. 2 weeks later i went to pick the vehicle up it was stuck in first gear and it would not shift out of 1st gear. put it in L and then back to drive still would not shift gears. i decided to park it and i havent drove it since.

NHTSA ID

11559321

Incident

Jun 19, 2023

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while his daughter was attempting to reverse; after shifting into reverse, the vehicle failed to move. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission control module and the clutch. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11553834

Incident

Oct 30, 2023

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle would jerk and would hesitate to respond. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure recurred while driving from a complete stop, and the vehicle stalled in the middle of the road. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that her husband depressed the accelerator pedal and was able to continue driving; however, the vehicle failed to exceed 20 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the TCM was replaced under Ford Campaign Number: 14M02. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle was shuddering. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 2,500.

NHTSA ID

11553757

Incident

Nov 6, 2018

Mileage

2,500 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the transmission seemed to have slipped out of gear, and the vehicle decelerated to 10 MPH. As the contact depressed the accelerator, the vehicle was bucking into gear. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated and there was an indicator flashing that the transmission had overheated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the TCM needed to be replaced. Additionally, the TCM failure caused damages to the transmission and the transmission needed to be repaired. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact drove the vehicle from the dealer to her residence; however, while driving, the vehicle stalled and was towed to the residence. The contact researched online and related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02 Automatic Transmission Control Module (Power Train). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.

NHTSA ID

11552874

Incident

Jun 16, 2023

Mileage

147,000 mi

The contact’s daughter owns a 2014 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact then stated that that while the accelerator pedal was depressed the vehicle hesitated. No warning lights was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be duplicated; however, the technician found that the clutch was slipping, and the clutch and shift forks failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000.

NHTSA ID

11550421

Incident

Oct 16, 2023

Mileage

37,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while making a left turn at the traffic light, with her grandchild in a car seat in the rear passenger seat, the rear passenger's side door opened inadvertently. The contact stopped in the middle of the road. A bystander attempted to close the rear passenger's side door; however, the door failed to closed. The bystander was able to keep the door closed by using a cord. The contact moved her grandchild to the rear middle seat. The contact also stated that while driving on another occasion, the front driver's side and front passenger's side doors inadvertently opened.  Additionally, the contact stated while driving on a slight incline, the vehicle inadvertently rolled back. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the failed to respond. The contact engaged the electronic parking brake; however, the vehicle rolled to the base of the incline. The contact was able to continue driving on the leveled road surface. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving on an incline. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised to contact the dealer for recall repairs. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact also stated that the seat belts pretensioners of the vehicle were not retracting as intended. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was previously involved in a crash. The contact stated while idled at the traffic light, another vehicle crashed into the front end of the vehicle. The front driver's side air bag and knee air bag deployed and propelled burning fragments on the contact's face, legs, neck chest, arms. The contact also stated that the front driver's side air bag also hit her on her chin and neck and knocked her unconscious. The contact was transported to the hospital by emergency services. A police report was filed. The contact stated that she sustained burns all over her body and had been r

NHTSA ID

11539847

Incident

Aug 21, 2018

Mileage

32,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unintendedly shifted into neutral(N). Additionally, the contact stated that the transmission failed to shift into reverse(R) as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who performed a relearn, a visual inspection, and an adaptation test. No failure was found; however, the contact stated that the failure recurred. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Programs: 15N22 (Transmission Control Module), 19N07 (Transmission Control Module), and 14M02 (Transmission Control Module). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,901.

NHTSA ID

11534333

Incident

Feb 15, 2020

Mileage

52,901 mi

I bought a Ford Fiesta in 2013 at Ford Parkway, Winston Salem. I received a letter from Ford to recall this car due to the transmission being defective stating that I can either file a lawsuit or bring the car to Ford to replace the transmission. Ford said they would replace the transmission. After that, I noticed that the noise was a bit less than before and my wife started using the car but not daily because she has been working from home, which resulted in having less than 56K mileage. Recently, I noticed that the car was not running smoothly, and a loud noise started to come every time I drive the car. I went to Ford Parkway, they said the entire transmission needs to be replaced, I told them that they should have done so when they said they did back to 2017. However, the service department informed me that they only replaced the outer shaft and the clutches back then, even though this was a known manufacturer defect issue and Ford stopped making this model because of that. Now, because of not driving this car daily for long miles like most people do, the transmission problem popped up later than expected and after my warranty period has expired which I wouldn't have benefit from it anyway because of the coverage that was for the transmission software only. I talked with the service director at Ford parkway, and explained to him that the warranty period should have nothing to do with the defect issue because lots of people who were lucky enough discovered this fatal issue early enough to get reimbursed and settled from Ford without waiting all that long as in my case because of not driving the car daily. I also talked to Ford customer service and asked to speak with a regional manager, they refused and said that they opened a case for me but they could not let me talk with the regional manager because he couldn't do anything. I have the call Ref number. Please advise on how this fatal issue can be settled as it threats our safety every time we drive the car.

NHTSA ID

11511462

Incident

Mar 8, 2023