2013 Ford Focus Electric

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.

In December 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 235 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging doors failed to latch when closed, and/or inadvertently opened while driving, on model year (MY) 2012-2014 Ford Fiesta, and 2013-2014 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ. Some VOQs reported the failure occurred after the latch had been remedied under a prior recall which involved fracture of the latch pawl spring tab due to thermally induced cyclic fatigue. Other VOQs alleged a similar failure in vehicles not previously recalled. A latch with a fractured pawl spring tab typically results in a ?door will not close? condition, however in certain somewhat rare circumstances, may result in the door coming open while driving. In response to ODI?s investigation, Ford has announced three field actions, as discussed below.On March 23, 2020, Ford submitted Safety Recall 20V-177 (Ford 20S15), a regional recall campaign to address door latch failures in vehicles not previously recalled under Safety Recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 and 17V-210. The recall affects vehicles currently or ever registered in certain high ambient temperature states (see 20V-177 for affected states). As a remedy, Ford will replace all four door latches free of charge.On August 24, 2020, Ford issued a non-safety regional field action (Ford 20R01) to address door latch failures on the same model/MY vehicles not covered under 20V-177 (i.e., not currently/ever registered in affected states). According to Ford, spring tab failure rates for vehicles covered by this action are about half that of the 20V-177 vehicles. Under this action, dealers will replace all door latches, free of charge, if either; a) the vehicle exhibits a related latch concern, or b) if the vehicle owner expresses a concern about the latches in their vehicles. Details can be found under NHTSA TSB No. 10190990, a copy of which is available in this investigative file available at NHTSA.gov.On June 8, 2020, Ford submitted Safety Recall 20V-331 (Ford 20S30) addressing vehicles previously remedied under NHTSA Recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 and 17V-210, where the repair may not have been properly completed, specifically not all of the door latches were replaced, or replaced correctly. This recall involves an inspection of the latches, with the option for a consumer self-inspection; owners could view the date codes on their latches (and confirm child safety locks are present on the rear doors) and then submit the information to Ford?s mobile app or website. A dealership inspection option was also available. Any vehicle found to have unreplaced defective latches requires the replacement of all door latches as directed by Ford.Regarding the 4,494 reports cited above, 1,485 involve scope-related failures (with 13% alleging door opening), and the remaining 3,009 reports involving remedy concerns (with 18% alleging door opening - note ODI was unable to verify the allegations of door opening). The three ODI injuries were all relatively minor. Ford?s reported injury incidences include one (unconfirmed) report of an ejection, three minor injuries with the others involving undisclosed injuries. Ford?s crashes involved two (unconfirmed) crashes alleging the incident door contacted another vehicle and three involving doors striking other property.The recalled vehicles include MY 2011-2015 Ford Fiesta, 2013-2016 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, 2015 Ford Mustang and Lincoln MKC, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2012-2015 Ford Focus and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect.Ford's actions address ODI's concerns at this time. ODI will take further action if warranted by new information. The reference (OD

In January, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation based on consumers' allegations of doors failing to latch and/or inadvertently opening on model year (MY) 2012-2013 Ford Focus vehicles (subject vehicles).ODI has received 464 unique reports related to the alleged problem, with over 200 claiming that the door(s) opened inadvertently while the vehicle was in motion.One consumer alleged an injury that occurred while driving when a door inadvertently opened and then closed on a child's arm.Another alleged that a door that inadvertently opened struck a parked vehicle.In response to ODI's information request, Ford Motor Company (Ford) provided 500 unique reports related to the alleged problem on the subject vehicles.Ford reported no injury or accident claims.Ford also submitted 1,513 warranty claims related to door latch failures.Many customers indicated that the affected door could not be latched at all and some of them decided to restrain the door by other means in order to operate the vehicle.Some customers also reported door latch failures occurring on multiple doors and at different times.Additionally, Ford stated that MY 2014-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape, 2013-2015 Ford C-Max, 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect, 2015 Ford Mustang, and 2015 Lincoln MKC, all use the same door latch as the 2012-2013 Ford Focus.On September 6, 2016, Ford notified ODI that it would conduct a safety recall (16V-643) to remedy the door latches in the MY 2012-2015 Ford Focus and other Ford models mentioned above (total of approximately 2 million vehicles).According to Ford, a component within the door latch may break preventing the door from latching.Ford dealers will replace all four door latches in the recalled vehicles with a new more robust latch design that is currently in production.The recall action initiated by the manufacturer appears to address the safety risks.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the identification (ODI) numbers found in the attached list.

In an October 28, 2013 letter to NHTSA, Ford Motor Company (Ford) submitted a recall notice identifying a defect in the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software in approximately 2,456 model year (MY) 2012 through 2014 Ford Focus Electric vehicles manufactured from September 15, 2011 through August 23, 2013 (Recall No. 13V-523).According to Ford, PCM software faults may cause a complete loss of powertrain torque.When this condition occurs, drivers receive a red triangle indicator and the message Stop Safely Now in the instrument cluster.In addition, vehicle brake and steering systems will continue to operate normally and the vehicle can be restarted after going through a shutdown process.Ford and its supplier, Magna Powertrain, upgraded the PCM software to address powertrain shutdown conditions and issued a technical service bulletin on September 23, 2013 instructing dealers to reprogram the PCM on all affected vehicles. The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) analyzed complaint data provided by Ford as well as complaints submitted to ODI from consumers. In total, there were 171 unique reports indicating loss of motive power while driving, and the predominant failure mode identified involved loss of powertrain torque.Ford began owner notification on November 5, 2012.Owners of the recalled vehicles are notified to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer who will reprogram the PCM to the latest calibration. See the investigative public file for copies of Ford's bulletin and owner letter.This preliminary evaluation is closed.The ODI reports cited above can be viewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification numbers (ODI Nos.): 10536160,10534988,10534323,10531894,10525393,10525187,10523536,10521207,10516270,10512459,10512146,10509307,10543015,10542983,10542840,10542753,10538223,10537801,10537111,10537048,10536894,10536592,10536538,10536510,10526350,10524026,10522585,10521986,10521459,10519446,10545282.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus Electric. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start while the battery was fully charged. The message "Stop Safely Now" was displayed. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under Ford Campaign Number: 15N03 because the campaign had expired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ID

11574025

Incident

Feb 15, 2024

Mileage

50,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus Electric. The contact stated while turning off the vehicle, the lights and radio remained operational which resulted in the battery being drained. The vehicle was diagnosed and repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

NHTSA ID

11427840

Incident

Jun 8, 2020

Mileage

45,000 mi

CAR STOPPED ON MOTION WITH AN ALARM STOP SAFELY NOW, WHEELS LOST POWER, STEERING WHEEL WAS ABLE TO FUNCTION SO CAR HAD TO BE PUSHED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.

NHTSA ID

11231056

Incident

Jul 11, 2019

Mileage

24,000 mi

SO I WAS DRIVING HOME LAST NIGHT IN THE RAIN AND THE SPEEDOMETER WAS JUMPING AROUND A LITTLE AND THE TRACTION CONTROL FLASHED A COUPLE TIMES AND I THOUGHT 'OH IT'S JUST CAUSE THE RAIN' WELL TODAY THE SAME THING WAS HAPPENING WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THEN I GOT A WARNING LIGHT SAYING 'LOW BRAKE FLUID' AND THE BRAKES LOCKED UP WHILE I WAS DOING 30MPH. IT WENT AWAY AND DROVE FINE BUT IT WILL POP UP EVERY 4 MILES OR SO SAYING LOW BRAKE FLUID

NHTSA ID

11193717

Incident

Apr 3, 2019

Mileage

91,500 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD FOCUS ELECTRIC. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE STOP ENGINE NOW WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO VANCOUVER AUTO GROUP (6804 NE 40TH ST, VANCOUVER, WA 98661, 360-992-7285) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. REPAIRS WERE MADE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 41,000.

NHTSA ID

11155246

Incident

Aug 22, 2014

Mileage

41,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD FOCUS ELECTRIC. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO TURN LEFT, THE STEERING ABILITY SEIZED AND THE VEHICLE KEPT GOING STRAIGHT. THE CONTACT DROVE OVER A SIDEWALK AND THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000.

NHTSA ID

11141863

Incident

Aug 18, 2018

Mileage

69,000 mi

WHILE IN THE DRIVEWAY AND STATIONARY, I TURNED ON THE CAR AND THE "POWER STEERING ASSIST" WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THE POWER STEERING WAS NOT OPERABLE AND THE STEERING WENT INTO MANUAL MAKING IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE WHEEL. AFTER THE MECHANIC EVALUATED THIS, IT WAS DETERMINED THE SENSOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE PART ALONE IS $1100 AND THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE LABOR. RATHER COSTLY. THERE ARE MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS FOUND ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE WITH A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH. OTHER FORD CARS HAVE RECEIVED A RECALL ON THIS PART. IT SEEMS PARTICULARLY ODD AND EXTREMELY IRRESPONSIBLE ON FORD'S BEHALF TO NOT CONCEDE TO THE DEFECT ON THIS PARTICULAR YEAR/MAKE/MODEL AND ISSUE A RECALL FOR REPLACEMENT AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER.

NHTSA ID

11088899

Incident

Apr 18, 2018

Mileage

105,000 mi

TAKATA RECALL. THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN SLIPPING SO WHEN I DRIVE IT JERKS AND FEELS AS IF IT DOESN'T WANT TO GO. I WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC THAT IT WAS BECAUS THERE'S A MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE UNSERVICEABLE. I WAS GOING TO A LEAST GET THE FLUID CHANGED IN THE TRANSMISSION BUT THERE'S NONDIPSTICK AND I WAS TOLD IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE CHANGED AND IT'S THE TRANSMISSION. I WAS TOLD BY MORE THAN ONE PERSON THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING AND I'VE ONLY OWNED THIS YEAR FOR A YEAR AND A HALF AND OWN 10,000 ON IT.

NHTSA ID

11088638

Incident

Jan 3, 2018

Some 2012-2016 Focus Electric vehicles built on 15-Sep-2011 and through 9-Dec-2015 may exhibit a Stop Safely Now message displayed in the instrument panel cluster (IPC) message center. This may be due to either an internal coolant leak on the upper or lower high voltage battery or corrosion on the lower high voltage battery connector caused by water ingress. If this occurs, the vehicle may not restart once it has been shut off. To resolve the condition, follow the Service Procedure to replace the upper and lower high voltage battery or apply corrosion protection.

Customer Satisfaction Program 19N09 Certain 2011-2014 Model Year Edge and MKX and 2013-2014 Model Year Explorer, Flex, and MKT Vehicles Left Front Door Latch Extended Coverage

Some 2012-2016 Focus Electric vehicles may abort the battery energy control module (BECM) on demand self-test but pass the network test. This is the result of a module software limitation and does not indicate an issue is present in the BECM. If the vehicle has the stop safely now message and no other observable symptoms are present, continue with normal diagnostics. If there is a symptom present in addition to the stop safely now message, perform individual self-tests on the other high voltage (HV) modules including the PCM, transmission control module (TCM), secondary on board diagnostic module (SOBDM), air conditioning control module (ACCM), and direct current to direct current (DC/DC) converter modules. Diagnose any DTCs as necessary. If there are no DTCs in other modules but CMDTCs are reported by the BECM, diagnose these DTCs.

Some 2011-2014 Fiesta and 2012-2014 Focus vehicles equipped with a DPS6 transmission may experience a fluid leak between the engine and transmission. Be aware that the engine oil and DPS6 transmission fluid are similar in color and texture. A transmission fluid leak at the input shaft seal can cause a buildup of fluid in the bell housing; creating the appearance of a rear main seal leak. The rear main seal should only be replaced after a rear main seal failure is confirmed through appropriate diagnostics outlined in the updated online Workshop Manual (WSM) Section 303-00 / Diagnosis and Testing with the use of Fluorescent dye (164-TP33200601).

Some 2013-2018 Fusion Energi, 2012-2018 Focus Electric and 2013-2017 C-MAX Energi vehicles equipped with a TCU built on or before 11-Oct-2017 may exhibit a discharged battery, inoperative remote features via MyFord Mobile app, incomplete user authorization and/or accessory protocol interface module (APIM) DTC U0198 with no modem electronic serial number (ESN) displayed. To correct this condition, perform any open TCU field service actions (FSAs). If U0198 DTC still remains, remove the TCU fuse for 5 minutes then reinstall. Reprogram the TCU using IDS or Ford J2534 Diagnostic Software (FJDS) release 110.03 or higher. An internet connection is required. Calibration files may also be obtained at www.motorcraftservice.com. For claiming, use causal part 14G229 and applicable labor operations in section 10 of the SLTS manual

Some 2012-2018 Focus Electric, 2013-2017 C-Max Energi, and 2013-2018 Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) may exhibit the high voltage (HV) battery failing to charge while connected to the second Generation 120-volt electric vehicle service equipment (EVSE) charge cord. Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition.