RoadVitals

2013 Ford Focus Electric Driver assistance Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Driver assistance reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Apr 3, 2019
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
12%
of 69 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2013 Ford Focus Electric submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming driver-assistance

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistanceElectricalPowertrain (other)
Filed Apr 3, 2019

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
Driver assistanceElectricalPowertrain (other)
Filed Dec 8, 2017

THIS CAR, I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET HELP FOR A LONG TIME AND IT SEEM LIKE NOT ONE HAS HEARD ME , NOT EVEN THE DEALER, AND NOW HEAR IT IS MY CAR IS HAVING TROUBLE LIKE THE TRUNK WONT OPEN AND WE TIDE A STREAM ON IT AND THE LIGHTS STAY ON OVER A HOUR. AND CAR JERK WHEN TAKEING OFF IN SPEED WHEN CHANGE GEARS.

NHTSA ID
11053394
Incident
Jan 31, 2013
Driver assistance
Filed Sep 21, 2016

DOORS LOCK AND CAN NOT GET OUT OF MY CAR LOCKED IN SETTING STILL COULD NOT BE OPENED BY PERSON TO HELP ME GET OUT OF CAR, LOCK LOCKED ME IN TOTALY

NHTSA ID
10908352
Incident
Apr 13, 2016
Mileage
33,000 mi
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed May 29, 2014

IN MOST VEHICLES THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL DISCONNECT WHEN SHIFTING GEARS OR BRAKING. THE 2013 FORD FOCUS ELECTRIC DOES NOT DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN VEHICLE IS PLACED IN L TO UTILIZE ENGINE BRAKING. IT CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN SPEED REQUIRING IMMEDIATE APPLICATION OF BRAKES TO SLOW VEHICLE. CRUISE CONTROL SHOULD TURN OFF WHEN SHIFTED TO L. *TR

NHTSA ID
10594830
Incident
Jul 17, 2013
Mileage
150 mi
Driver assistanceEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed May 22, 2014

FOCUS ELECTRIC BEV (NOT HYBRID) - WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, WARNING INDICATION LIGHTS UP ON DASH STATING "STOP SAFELY NOW". THE CAR HAS NO POWER TO ACCELERATE ANYMORE. THE ONLY CONTROL THE DRIVER HAS IS TO BRAKE OR PULL OVER. ON FREEWAYS OR OTHER HIGHWAY WITH TRAFFIC WHEN THIS OCCURS THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS ANOTHER VEHICLE CAN PLOW INTO THE BACK OF THE CAR BECAUSE YOU CANNOT ACCELERATE AND YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PULL OVER IF THERE IS A CURB OR IN A LANE OTHER THAN THE RIGHT. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. UNDERSTAND THAT THE CAR HAS NO POWER AND YOU CANNOT USE THE ACCELERATOR AT ALL UNEXPECTEDLY. THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO IS BRAKE AND/OR STEER BASED ON THE MOMENTUM OF THE CAR AT THE TIME OF THE WARNING. YOU CANNOT CLEAR THE ISSUE UNTIL YOU COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. TURN THE CAR OFF BY PRESSING THE IGNITION BUTTON, WAITING A MINUTE OR TWO, THEN STARTING THE CAR BACK. AT THAT TIME, IT MAY OR MAY NOT WORK. SOMETIMES WHEN THIS PROCEDURE DOES WORK, YOU MAY ONLY GET A MILE OR TWO DOWN THE ROAD BEFORE IT DOES IT AGAIN. THIS FIRST OCCURRED ON APRIL 17/18 AND TAKEN TO A DEALER TO REPAIR ON A CURRENT RECALL NOTICE OF WHICH SYMPTOMS INCLUDE THE CAR "LOSING POWER" AMONG OTHER RELATED REASONS. AT THE TIME, THIS EVENT DID OCCUR AND I EXPLAINED THAT TO THE DEALER AND THEY INFORMED ME IT WOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF WITH THE RECALL REPAIR. AFTER RECEIVING THE CAR BACK, IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON APRIL 29. IT WAS TAKEN TO A DIFFERENT DEALER THIS TIME. THEY ATTEMPTED TO FIX AND GAVE ME THE CAR BACK THE NEXT DAY ON APRIL 30TH. UPON LEAVING THE DEALER ON THE 30TH, THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN ON THE AWAY FROM THE DEALER LESS THAN 3 MILES AWAY. I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND IT HAPPENED 3 ADDITIONAL TIMES IN THE 3 MILES BACK TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER CONTINUES TO ATTEMPT REPAIR AND HAS NOT RETURNED THE CAR TO ME. I HAVE FORD AND BBB CASE NUMBERS.. *TR

NHTSA ID
10593466
Incident
Apr 17, 2014
Mileage
12,200 mi
Driver assistanceFuel system
Filed Oct 28, 2013

WHILE DRIVING IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC ON THE FREEWAY, THE VEHICLE STALLS UNEXPECTEDLY, FOLLOWED BY A MESSAGE TO 'STOP SAFELY NOW'. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES OF ATTEMPTING TO RESTART, THE VEHICLE RESTARTS AND IS ABLE TO DRIVEN AGAIN NORMALLY. THIS HAS OCCURRED TO ME THREE TIMES SO FAR, WITHOUT WARNING AND DOES NOT SEEM TO BE ANY COMMON PATTERN THAT IS CAUSING THE STALLS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10549894
Incident
Aug 30, 2013
Mileage
1,800 mi
Driver assistanceEngine
Filed Oct 17, 2013

STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE CAR DASH INDICATOR ERROR "STOP SAFELY NOW" APPEARED AND THERE WAS NO ABILITY CONTROL THE CAR--DIDN'T TO RESPOND TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. I RESTARTED THE CAR SEVERAL TIMES AND FINALLY WAS ABLE TO REGAIN NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10548272
Incident
Oct 17, 2013
Mileage
2,043 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Sep 8, 2013

I BRAKED TO A STOP AT A BUSY ENTRANCE TO A TRAFFIC ROTARY. TRAFFIC STARTED UP AND THE CAR WOULDN'T RESPOND TO ACCELERATOR. I SAW A STOP SAFELY NOW MESSAGE ON THE LEFT HAND DIGITAL DISPLAY. CAR WOULDN'T MOVE OR START AGAIN. HAD TO PUSH CAR OUT OF BUMPER-TO-BUMPER TRAFFIC. STATE OF CHARGE WAS GOOD FOR THE TRIP. PROBLEM WAS NOT EXPLAINED BY DISPLAY. OUTDOOR AMBIENT TEMPERATURE WAS MILD. CAR WAS FLAT-BEDDED TO MY FORD DEALER, WHERE IT STILL SITS TODAY. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE SERIOUS IF IT HAPPENED ON A HIGHWAY, AND I HAD BEEN SURROUNDED WITH TRAFFIC BESIDE ME INSTEAD OF ONLY BEHIND AND IN FRONT.

NHTSA ID
10542482
Incident
Aug 8, 2013
Mileage
3,800 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .