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CarComplaints.com Notes: Ford changed a lot of things for its 3rd generation, just none of them were a good idea.

The transmission tends to hesitate and jerk when accelerating. The new electronically-driven power steering can fail suddenly and without warning. Even Ford's SYNC can be a headache. Actually, scratch that last one — it's always been a headache.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
14 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
8 / 1
Average Mileage:
37,884 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2013 Ford Focus drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2013 Ford Focus Owner Comments (Page 17 of 51)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #693

May 172019

Focus

  • 58,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving my car and the transmission quit working. A light came on and said transmission overheating pull over. I barely made it to the dealership. When you hit the gas pedal, the card would not go.

- Sparks, NV, USA

problem #692

May 202015

Focus

  • miles
I have had my transmission replaced 4 times before hitting 100,000 miles. At 109,000 miles it began the same problems of shuttering upon acceleration, lower fuel efficiency, and stalling when attempting to accelerate. To say this vehicle is unsafe is a major understatement.

- Wentzville, MO, USA

problem #691

Jul 082019

Focus

  • 136,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal traveled to the floorboard when it was depressed and the vehicle accelerated roughly. There was a brief delay before the vehicle moved forward. The vehicle also hesitated before shifting into gear. Also, the transmission indicator illuminated. The vehicle was driven to donley Lincoln Ford (1455 coshocton ave, mt vernon, oh 43050, (740) 392-2222) where it was diagnosed that a control module, seals, and the dual clutch needed to be installed. The vehicle was not repaired; however, the control module and seals were covered under warranty. The other part was not. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that they would not cover the cost of the dual clutches. The failure mileage was 136,000. The VIN was unknown.

- Howard, OH, USA

problem #690

May 012014

Focus

  • 4,600 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The transmission has been repaired or placed 5 times and it still has a shutter in the clutch. What this does upon taking off it start skipping so you don't know if you are going to make it thru the intercesion

- Plover, WI, USA

problem #689

Feb 022014

Focus

  • miles
The transmission in my car is jumping. I only have 17,000 miles on it. When I took it to my dealer he said it is bad and always was since I bought it. I do not drive it much so it is out of warrentiy. He said Ford knew about it when they sold it to me. I can not afford to have a new transmission put in. I think it is their responsibly. I am scared to drive it. I saw on the nighty news their is a problem. Please help check into this. I believe they are responseable for paying to have this fixed. I am a senior citizen and on a fixed income. Thank you.

- Middle River, MD, USA

problem #688

Jul 092014

Focus

  • 54,000 miles
My transmission is great progressively worse. The judder, slipping out of gear, deceleration when I need to accelerate, and the random buckling of car is getting too horrible to ignore anymore. My dealership told me that there has been no issues with the transmission and that I was wrong. I am reading way too many of the same stories with the same car. This is getting dangerous and I am stuck with this car. When I accelerate from a stopped position, I feel as if I am riding a bucking Bronco (shuddering). The jolting and shuddering is enough to loosen my kidneys. This has always occurred on my car. But it is getting worse. But according to Ford, this is 'normal' and 'this transmission is suppose to feel like a manual.' I have driven manual transmission cars and they do not behave this way. They have made it seem like cars are suppose to drive this way now.

- West Hempstead, NY, USA

problem #687

Oct 092014

Focus

  • 12,544 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I purchased a brand new 2013 Ford Focus in June 2013, I began having issues with the car lurching and shuddering in fall 2014. When I apply my foot to the gas, the car hesitates and then lurches and shudders before fully accelerating. The problem is the transmission. When going uphill, the car hesitates and shudders excessively. The shuddering is worse in cold weather and when air conditioner is running in hot weather. I was told it was an issue with the clutch in the transmission and it was replaced in Oct 2014. In Jan 2016, I was back with the same problem and they gave the same fix. There were recalls that required reprogramming which I had done but the shuddering continued. 4 months ago, I was told it was not shuddering outside of normal amounts and I had to pay for the repairs even though it should have been covered under my dealer warranty. When I got the car back it was still shuddering and I have not gone back. If I get the car serviced anywhere else, I lose the lifetime power train warranty that the specific dealership offered. I cannot afford a new car nor can I continue to pay out of pocket for repairing the same problem over and over again. The problem is continuing and I am frustrated with the service managers attitude about getting it fixed. The last time it was "fixed" was March 2019 but the shuddering never went away. I was told the transmission would re-learn my driving style and it would go away.

- Poplar Grove, IL, USA

problem #686

Jun 192019

Focus

  • 111,000 miles
1. the transmission jumped at intersection once. The transmission did not switch from park to drive once. The software was re-configured several times but it still not running smoothly at low speed. This issue happened since I bought the car in new. 2. the fuel tank indicator did not show correct fuel level. The engine light on. The car seems loosing power. Had to bring the car to the dealer to re-configure the software.

- The Woodlands, TX, USA

problem #685

May 172019

Focus

  • miles
Along with the myriad of Ford dps6 transmission problems, and repairs over the past 4 years, I alsoy had an event that could have caused a fatality directly related to the performance of the power train and engine. While attempting to make a light acceleration for a city green traffic signal for a left 90 degree turn the car unilaterally increased the speed and RPM's. the car was moving so fast I nearly hit a tree on the opposite side of the intersection at a high rate of speed. I had to repeatedly hit the gas peddle with my foot to stop the acceleration, while maintaining directional control of the vehicle. I am still waiting for Ford to contact me about the other fuel recall issue related to this vehicle so they can address this issue as well.

- Naples, FL, USA

problem #684

Jul 112019

Focus 4-cyl

  • 78,000 miles
The vehicle stutters, shakes, shudders, grinds, and jerks when accelerating from a stand still or accelerating out of a a lower turn. I had the clutch replaced a year ago but that only solved the problem for a few months. Now it's worse than ever and I drive it exactly how the Ford mechanic people described. Crossing 4 lane highways has become a risky endeavor now as I never know if the car will stall or lag or accelerate fast enough to get through. I voiced this safety concern with Ford more than once but they didn't care. The Ford shop has tried to convince me the issue was my own fault because of how I drive it but I've seen many other similar complaints online. They also blamed the problem on a leaky seal within the clutch and ensured the replacement would fix the issue but clearly it hasn't. the whole design is defective but Ford literally doesn't care. Personally, I never carry any passengers because I never know when I'll be stranded or get into an accident because of this transmission/clutch issue. I also get regular oil changes and other basic car maintenance to try to be as safe as possible but I feel it's a time bomb.

- Warsaw, IN, USA

problem #683

Apr 182019

Focus

  • 73,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When attempting to pull out into traffic from a stop, the car suddenly lost power. Pressing the accelerator was just causing the engine to rev. Then the car shifted into gear and suddenly lurched forward. It then dropped out of gear and lost power again. Car continued to shift randomly, drop out of gear, and suddenly shift into gear and accelerate creating a very dangerous situation. It would not shift correctly after that until I took it to a dealership and they updated the transmission control module software. Service advisor at the dealership said this was a common problem and would likely happen again.

- Brighton, MI, USA

problem #682

Jun 302019

Focus

  • 90,000 miles
I have a 2013 Ford Focus SE. I bought it used at 84K miles from a dealership in February of 2019. First time I got gas after buying the car it had trouble starting afterwards. Had that fixed and it doesn't stall but the miles to empty reads incorrectly now. Also started making a grinding sort of noise when I'm going up slight inclines. When I go from a stop light or stop sign it shudders during accelerating. I was getting onto the highway and had to stop on the entrance ramp due to road work and almost couldn't get enough power to get onto the interstate. Currently this website is saying all of my recalls have been repaired.

- Ripley, WV, USA

problem #681

Mar 052019

Focus

  • 98 miles
Studdering, shaking upon acceleration

- Louisville, TN, USA

problem #680

Jul 012018

Focus

  • 113,762 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. While driving 30 mph, the vehicle decelerated and the check engine indicator illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle lost power when making turns or coming to a stop. The contact called dave sinclair Ford (7466 S lindbergh blvd, St. Louis, mo 63125, (314) 892-2600) and was informed that there was no remedy. A loaner vehicle was not provided. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified and informed the contact to work out the issue with the dealer. The failure mileage was 113,762.

- St.Louis, MO, USA

problem #679

Jun 272019

Focus

  • 92,200 miles
Car would not start. Jump started battery. Dashboard reference transmission error. Press ok to clear the message. Shifted from park to reverse and the car would not move. Shifted to drive and car would not move. The vehicle has been to the dealership for the intermediate shifting problems. Ford refers to the shifting problem with transmission as a customer satisfaction program and not a recall. Referencing 14M02 as the control module being the culprit and 14M01 as the transmission clutch being the cousin of the culprit. There are several posting indicating a lack of addressing the faulty issue when driving. We do not believe Ford is taking an active role in identifying tractability of the components we understand there is a lawsuit for this particular problem.

- Fairfield, CA, USA

problem #678

Jun 012016

Focus

  • 70,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. While the contact's girlfriend was driving 30 mph, the vehicle shuddered and the gear shifter became stuck in second gear. In addition, the check engine indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to bailey Ford of malone (11 state St, malone, NY 12953, (518) 483-5500) where it was diagnosed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and provided case number: 21866473. No further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 70,000.

- North Lawrence, NY, USA

problem #677

Jun 122019

Focus

  • 82,774 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. While driving 30 mph, the transmission began to shudder and the vehicle decelerated. The vehicle lost power and hesitated. The contact attempted to depress the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle would not move forward. The vehicle was driven to Ford of san leandro (1111 marina blvd, san leandro, ca 94577) where it was diagnosed that the vehicle needed a new transmission clutch and module. The dealer would not repair the vehicle because it was eight days past the warranty requirement. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not assist. The failure mileage was 82,774.

- Hayward, CA, USA

problem #676

Jun 012019

Focus

  • 129,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. While driving various speeds, the check engine indicator illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle began to jerk, hesitate, and the transmission would not switch into second gear. The vehicle was taken to Ford autonation (2 auto center dr, tustin, ca) where it was diagnosed that the transmission lever assemblies, the engine cylinder, and the transmission clutch were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 129,000.

- Garden Grove, CA, USA

problem #675

Jun 102019

Focus

  • 131,000 miles
On Friday, May 30. 2019, around 5:00pm, I was driving to a family event. I had just stopped for gas about 15 minutes prior to the incident happening. As ibwas driving and I came to a stop. Just as the light turned green, signaling for me to go, and I released my foot from the brake and began to accelerate, my car stalled. I was in the middle of a very busy intersection. I immediately put on my hazard lights, put my car in neutral, and began pushing it out of the street. There was smoke coming from the hood that eventually dissipated. I made several attempts to restart my car and it never would. I called my roadside assistance provider and had my car towed home. I have been trying to figure out the issue when today I had a reader plugged into my car to test for any error codes. Surely, codes P0100, P2227 and P0456 all came up. As I researched these codes, I was brought to the NHTSA website and found thid recall that I was never notified of and there's no remedy for. I am without transportation.

- Hemet, CA, USA

problem #674

May 222019

Focus

  • 68,721 miles
The car jerks and shutters when taking off from a complete stop. This is worse when the A/C is on. When accelerating the car will jerk between shifting gears causing the car to move slower at take off which has almost caused multiple accidents.

- Germantown, KY, USA

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