2013 Ford Focus Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2013 Ford Focus, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Powertrain (other)1,05038.8%
- Engine35713.2%
- Electrical27310.1%
- Steering27310.1%
- Fuel system2629.7%
- Driver assistance1435.3%
- Body & structure833.1%
- Interior & seats562.1%
- Transmission542.0%
- Visibility291.1%
- Airbags261.0%
- Brakes240.9%
- Other / unspecified200.7%
- Seat belts190.7%
- Suspension150.6%
- Exterior lighting140.5%
- Tires & wheels90.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
Our 2013 ford focus has had the shudder clutch replaced 3 times in 4 years. We paid $2500 for them to replace the clutch, forks, and adjust the tcm module. Within a year it went again. They replaced under our warranty from the first fix. Then a year later, it went again, warranty was out but ford sent a letter to replace for free. They did.. and now it’s broke again. It shudders and jerks so bad. My college daughter takes it to and from school and relies on it. I don’t understand how Ford gets away with this as it is an ongoing issue with this year make and model vehicle. It’s dangerous, will stall… and jerk. They charge to fix and all it is a bandaid for an ongoing inevitable failure again. On top of that all the electrical to the radio, speakers and such went as well. The vehicle has less than 98k miles on it. It is well taken care of. This transmission issue is Fords negligence. It’s dangerous, deadly; and I cannot believe they continue to charge for an issue they know about.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
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."
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
The vehicle was serviced at Bartow Ford in Bartow, Florida, where approximately $1,100 was paid for the installation of a Body Control Module (BCM). Less than two weeks after this repair, the vehicle was returned to the same dealership due to issues involving the windshield wipers. According to the dealership’s own written statement, their technician began diagnosing the issue by replacing a blown fuse and tracing the wiring harness. While inspecting the wiring harness near the heater hose area, the technician observed coolant dripping onto the harness. When the technician touched the harness, it immediately caught fire. The shop foreman then had to disconnect the battery to prevent further damage. This fire occurred while the vehicle was in the possession and control of the dealership and during active diagnosis by their technician. Despite this, the dealership is now attempting to charge approximately $3,700 to repair the wiring harness and related components. We find this unacceptable. It is unreasonable to expect the customer to pay for repairs to damage that occurred during dealership service and inspection. This situation raises serious concerns, particularly because the dealership had recently performed electrical work on the vehicle involving the BCM only two weeks earlier.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
Steering wheel became hard to turn and then no steering and steering loss Stop safely came on the instrument panel, had car towed home and have had no one look at it yet
During recent freezing weather, upon starting the car and attempting to turn, I realized that the steering wheel was frozen solid. While researching what could have happened, the war warmed up enough to melt the water in the electric power assisted steering motor, allowing the vehicle to turn. Now, the EPAS is seized up completely. If I had been driving when it locked up completely, it could have proved fatal. The problem has not been reproduced, as it just happened in the last couple of weeks. I never got any check engine light pertaining to this issue. OBDII showed not errors for the EPAS.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
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."
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
erratic shifting and eratic slipping gears , first happened while on highway and then it wouldnt go in any gear besides reverse and would say transmission overheat wait 5 min . caused another veihcal behind me to slam on there brakes and they ended up getting rear ended from the car behind them ..... all becouse of my cars tcm or transmission issues>!!!! also not too mention ` random unusual noises coming from clutch or shifter when not even start car yet _delayed start and delayed shifting .. i could go on and on this car is a nightmare
When I drive my car it takes time before it kicks in to drive correctly
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
This is the second failure of the door latch we’ve had. 1st time was drivers door. Today was passenger door. Ford dealers refuse to fix it. Carthage ford sold me the parts and I paid my mechanical c to fix the drivers door. $200 for the door latches $200 to install. Now I have to do the passenger door. I was under the impression this should be free as it’s a recall I’ve contacted ford corporate and didn’t get anywhere with them either. They were supposed to get something set up with a local dealer but never heard back from them. This is a huge safety issue. Please help me either getting reimbursed for the earlier repairs and parts and maybe getting the others fixed or at least pay the bill if I have to get them done
I TOOK MY FORD FOCUS 2013 INTO THE FORD DEALERSHIP ON JUNE 2020. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE DOOR LATCHES 20S30 CODE. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY TOOK CARE OF IT. I JUST CHECKED ONLINE AND ITS HASNT BEEN FIXED. ITS BEEN ALMOST A YEAR AND WEVE BEEN DRIVING IT WITH A NEWBORN BABY NOT KNOWING THAT THEY HAVENT FIXED THE RECALL.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the trunk independently unlatched. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the failure persisted. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission after finding metal shavings inside the transmission fluid. 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 105,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH on two occasions, the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the roadway and restarted. The contact stated that after the first failure, the vehicle was taken to a dealer however, the failure could not be replicated; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that on the second failure, the vehicle was able to restart; however, the failure persisted upon restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to another unknown dealer, where it was diagnosed that the Transmission Control Module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
There are multiple issues going wrong with my car and I have 5 children and this makes me angry and scared to drive it 1. Vehicle completely shuts down if you go under 1/4 tank and NOT on red at all! No gas light or anything 2. The hesitation from stop to go is getting worse" mechanics tell me this is normal" for a focus and now sometimes when accelerating on the highway it gets stuck in certain speeds and feels rougher 3. Now there is a chain like rattling noise upon idle that is annoying and embarrassing 4 the codes state oxygen sensor ,speed sensor,fuel valve issue, and power train and abs... It's 100.00 per issue to diagnose. How is anyone able to afford this? I'm not a mechanic but everytime I take my car in they give it back saying there's no issue or I have to pay more fees to find the issue before anything can be replaced? This is crazy! I don't feel safe driving this car with my babies in it but with student loans and my kids school costs I can't seem to save if I'm paying all these fees to try to figure out what the issues are . The front windshield is horrible because it's hard to see out of even when I clean it w auto glass cleaner, which I have never experienced before and is very dangerous.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the windshield wipers were inadvertently activated. The windshield wipers failed to operate when the contact attempted to activate the wipers. The contact was unable to drive the vehicle when it rained due to the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The mechanic informed the contact that an unknown part needed to be replaced and the vehicle needed to be taken to the dealer for repair. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was not manufactured with the unknown part and the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the vehicle was not able to be diagnosed when connected to the diagnostic machine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 214,525.
The contact owned a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 30 mph, she lost control of the vehicle, causing it to roll over twice and ended up in a ditch. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated the front driver's side and the front passenger dashboard air bags did not deploy. The contact stated the front passenger curtain air bag did deploy. The contact stated no one was injured nor sought medical attention. A police report was filed. The insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000. The VIN was not available.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
blah
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
Swollen lug nuts. They corroded and were almost impossible to remove. Lug nuts were destroyed during removal and had to be replaced. Apparently some two piece lug nut Ford used. They were original equipment.
Tire lost pressure impossible to get lug nuts off . Tire dealer said all lugs nuts were defective and needed to be replaced. Couldn’t be done middle of road very dangerous 12/12 2022
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
The seatbelts in these cars do not retract. After it is buckled, it sits loose on the person wearing it. Is an accident, the seatbelt will provide no help, causing me, or one of my passangers to be hurt. 3 of the 4 belts in my car are basically useless. This is not only an issue in my car. I've noticed after working on several of these cars (ide assume from the years 2012-2018) they don't work. I have several friends and relatives with a model in between those years, and it can be duplicated in their cars too. This is a major issue, and needs to be addressed in all models of this vehicle
THE DRIVER SEAT BELT GETS STUCK ALOT AND IS VERY HARD TO DISCONNECT, THE CAR WON'T GO IN REVERSE AND IT IS PART OF A CLUTCH RECALL FORD WON'T HONOR IT IT'S BEEN REPLACED TWICE ALREADY,
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
I HAVE SEEN MANY VIDEOS ON YOU TUBE ON WHAT COULD OF BEEN WRONG AND THEY ALL HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WHICH WAS THE STEERING RACK AND PINION VERY EXPENSIVE AND UNSAFE FIX MY CHILD WAS IN THE CAR WHILE WE WAS DRIVING WHEN MINE BROKE ONLY 28 DAYS AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR NOT VERY HAPPY
THE ISSUE HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE CAR. THE CAR WAS SHAKING WHEN I WOULD PUSH ON THE GAS. THERE WAS A DELAY WITH EXCELERATION. I WAS DRIVING ON THE CITY STREET AND THE CAR WOULD NOT EXCELERATE THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT CHANGING GEARS. I HAD TO COAST DOWN THE STREET TO MAKE IT TO SOMEWHERE I COULD PULL OVER. ONCE STOPPED THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO ANY GEAR AND WOULD NOT DRIVE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP EACH TIME I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE AND THE CLUTCH THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 system has not failed yet, but the exterior lights of this car are a safety concern to me and my family. There is no visibility at night, when it is raining, or any tough conditions on the road. With no proper illumination, the risk for an accident is higher. These exterior lights need to be replaced with better quality lights. I called the Ford dealership where I bought the car and I gave them my car pin number, and they told me there are no recalls for this vehicle regarding exterior lights.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD FOCUS EQUIPPED WITH VELOZZA ZXV4 TIRES, SIZE: 235/45ZR17 (NA). THE CONTACT STATED THAT SEVERAL OF THE TIRES EXPERIENCED BLOW OUTS, TREAD SEPARATION, AND TREAD FLATTENING. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE FAILURES OCCURRED ON SIX DIFFERENT FRONT AND REAR TIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL TIRE DEALER (TIRE KINGDOM) WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .