2013 Ford Focus Engine Problems

The evap canister purge valve has been a recurring problem for this vehicle. The canister was replaced in 2021, but continued having problems, as it pulled a vacuum on the fuel tank in upwards of 3/8 inch. (Documented by Murray Ford in 2023 and reassuredthere was no issue by them) the vehicle has displayed inaccurate fuel readings and caused our family to be disabled and then stranded in the night on highway 95. It put the safety of my family, and other motorists at risk The problem hasn't been duplicated because their "software fix" essentially ignored the problem altogether. There were no warnings. According to my vehicle it had at least 50 miles til empty. The fuel sending unit is displaying innacurqte fuel readings, and the fuel pump has displayed symptoms, characterized by surging, stalled when accelerating from a stop, and of course, completely shutting off, while on the highway. I've tried my best to trust and be patient with Ford and for them to do the right thing, but have been brushed off.

NHTSA ID

11750254

Incident

Apr 2, 2026

I am reporting a severe vehicle safety hazard and engine stalling incident on my 2013 Ford Focus caused by an un-remedied factory emissions safety defect (related to Ford Recall 26S40 / 18S32). Due to an incomplete factory software monitoring patch, the canister purge valve stuck open and allowed continuous, unchecked engine vacuum to pull straight out of the plastic fuel tank. This heavy vacuum physically collapsed and deformed the bottom of the plastic fuel tank inward by approximately 0.25 to 0.375 inches. This structural collapse compressed the internal fuel pump assembly and mechanical float arm, falsifying the dashboard fuel gauge and distance-to-empty calculations. On April 2nd, while driving on Interstate 95 at midnight, the vehicle displayed an inaccurate fuel level, ran completely dry, and suffered a sudden engine stall in high-speed traffic without warning. My family and I were trapped in a highly hazardous situation and were forced to physically push the disabled vehicle 3 miles down the highway in total darkness. We ultimately had to enlist the emergency intervention of the Florida State Patrol Road Rangers to dispatch a unit and supply fuel so we could safely clear the interstate. The vehicle has since thrown a hard diagnostic trouble code P0443, confirming a complete electrical circuit malfunction of the EVAP system. Ford's failure to successfully deploy a functional software monitor has caused severe structural damage to my fuel system and created an imminent, life-threatening safety risk to my family on public highways. I am requesting a federal record of this incident to compel a full vehicle inspection and complete fuel system component replacement by the manufacturer."

NHTSA ID

11750247

Incident

Apr 2, 2026

The "shift tower" typically refers to the external mechanism on top of the transmission where the shifter cables connect. Problems with this part, which is a broken internal pin, result in a shifter that moves freely without engaging any gears. The gear become in operatable when driving down the highway, which is a hazard on the road. There were no warning light just not ale to change gears.

NHTSA ID

11736515

Incident

Apr 29, 2026

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

NHTSA ID

11731107

Incident

Nov 20, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID

11670310

Incident

May 22, 2025

Mileage

126,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11667397

Incident

Jun 17, 2025

Mileage

103,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

11662950

Incident

May 9, 2025

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)

NHTSA ID

11647156

Incident

Feb 7, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID

11646728

Incident

Mar 6, 2025

Mileage

24,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

11631473

Incident

Dec 1, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID

11630181

Incident

Sep 5, 2024

Mileage

196,666 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11627869

Incident

Sep 8, 2024

Mileage

150,546 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. Additionally, the contact stated that while the vehicle was stopped, the vehicle rolled backward. The contact also stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was jerking. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 154,000.

NHTSA ID

11626112

Incident

Dec 10, 2023

Mileage

154,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11620504

Incident

Sep 17, 2024

UNKNOWN

NHTSA ID

11597717

Incident

Jun 29, 2024

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that on several occasions, the vehicle shuddered and then stalled. The contact stated that the failure also recurred while reversing. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the failure could be related to the TCM. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

NHTSA ID

11595730

Incident

Dec 21, 2023

Mileage

200,000 mi

My car has a transmission problem because when I run the car it goes from and back and is takes time to speed it feel like if I’m forcing the car to move I don’t run the car to much since I got it it has 48538 it also makes a lot of noise on the engine we noticed since we buy the car from car max but they say the car had no recalls. About June 2023 it started with more problems and I don’t like it much because my 19 year old daughter is driving my car for school. I would like if ford can fix the engine problem ASAP. I would like my daughter to drive a safe car and for her not to be on danger.

NHTSA ID

11576562

Incident

Aug 16, 2016

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle started to overheat. The contact's son was able to drive the vehicle to a safe location off the roadway. The contact's son allowed the vehicle to cool down. The contact's son safely drove the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed TCM. The contact was informed that there was a technical service bulletin for the TCM replacement, and the part would be ordered. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had provided any assistance or information regarding the ordered parts for the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.

NHTSA ID

11567749

Incident

Jun 19, 2023

Mileage

52,000 mi

While driving on busy street, car gave sudden warning light 'stop safely now’, car then slowed and shut down on its own, not giving enough time to find a safe place to pull over, posing risk of serious injury to myself, my son, and my wife, as this happened to all of us while driving this vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11564063

Incident

Nov 15, 2022

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 35-70 MPH, the vehicle shuddered, and the steering wheel was vibrating while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, the contact stated that the RPMs were high, but the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where DTC code: P1450 was retrieved, and the contact was informed that the fuel tank was deformed. The mechanic related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the recall was previously completed on the vehicle. 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 101,000.

NHTSA ID

11552724

Incident

Apr 30, 2023

Mileage

101,000 mi

Car was inspected by a Ford certified mechanic after issues arose. My car only has 24,000 miles on it. Was informed that it was the clutch in the transmission that needs replaced. Investigation into the problem I saw a recall referring to the clutching, but was not associated with the car I have. For it having low miles and the clutch going out on it already, seems a bit odd. The car cannot be driven until repairs get done as I do not want to be breaking down on the side of the road.

NHTSA ID

11541442

Incident

Jul 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power without warning. The contact was able to pull over on the side of the roadway and the vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the powertrain control module needed to be updated and that the carbon canister, fuel tank, and fuel delivery module needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). On another occasion while attempting to starting the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact added fuel and the vehicle started however, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted a case was filed and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 110,000.

NHTSA ID

11535141

Incident

Jul 26, 2023

Mileage

110,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle decelerated and stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch pedal, transmission, canister purge valve, injectors, and spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ID

11533010

Incident

Jul 1, 2019

Mileage

80,000 mi

While driving at approximately 60 mph on a highway in the passing lane, the engine shut off without warning, and the following lights appeared on the dash: check engine, ABS, and traction control. The speedometer needle also went down to zero. I was in the process of passing a tractor trailer, and another tractor trailer was right behind me. I was barely able to maneuver off the highway onto the left shoulder and was almost rear-ended by the tractor trailer. The lack of power steering made it extremely difficult. This is a major safety issue. My family was in the car with me. After sitting on the side of the highway, I was able to start the engine and drive home. I arrived home and tried to back into my driveway, but it would not go into reverse. I took the car to the local Ford dealer and I was told the TCM needs to be replaced for around $750. I asked about the recall and they said that it expired in October of 2022. I did not know that recalls had an expiration date. After reading through many other complaints on the NHTSA website for the 2013 Focus, it seems that I have purchased a lemon. I just bought this vehicle in January at 57000 miles and have only put around 5000 miles on it. I still owe $9700 on the loan and the vehicle is undriveable. The manufacturer needs to buy this vehicle back so that I can purchase a replacement vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11519898

Incident

Apr 30, 2023

On Monday March 27th 2023 at about 7:00 pm I was leaving the parking garage where I work in Rosslyn, VA: I started the car as usual and notice that I couldn't put the car in Reverse using the clutch (it's an automatic Ford Focus 2013): Luckily, the parking garage was empty on the level where I was parked, and I pushed the car back and forth to be able to keep the car in "Drive" mode so that I could drive the car out of the garage. I did that and I started to drive to go home. I started to notice that I couldn't accelerate the car and at about 20 min into driving I started to get a signal on the dash board that said: “TRANS OVERHEATING”, and I was getting the signal to stop the car to cool off before driving it again. I had to do this several time (at least 6 times) while I was driving home to MD. The car was NOT SAFE to drive I barely made it home and the next morning on Tuesday March 28th I drove the car to the Ford Dealer "Academy Ford" in Laurel MD, having the same issue and emergency signal on the dash board. This is the SECOND TIME that this issue has presented itself: in 2019 the Car had the same problem, and at the time, because the car was under extended warranty, Ford replaced the part at no cost. I took the car at the same Ford Dealer in 2019. (see paper attached) This time the Dealer said that I would have to pay for the COST OF THE REPAIR, which I provided with the QUOTE from the Dealer in attachment. I was advised to contact directly "Ford Costumer Service" to see if they would provide Financial Assistance and Reimbursement for the Car Rental that I had to get because I didn't have a car and I work in VA every day (the cost is provided in attachment). Ford Costumer Service opened a case but denied ANY FINANCIAL HELP and Assistance for the Car and for the Rental because THERE ARE NOT CURRENTLY ANY RECALLS of this nature ON THE FORD FOCUS 2013. I need to open a CASE & A RECALL for this PROBLEM for the FORD FOCUS 2013. Thank you.

NHTSA ID

11517486

Incident

Mar 27, 2023