Print this page

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

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2013 Ford Focus:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2013 Ford Focus Owner Comments (Page 26 of 51)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #513

Dec 192016

Focus

  • 86,000 miles

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

My 2013 Ford Focus shudders, hesitates and surges when shifting. Today it is in Ford's dealership getting the fifth auto trans dual clutch installed. I do not feel safe when accelerating from a stop sign. Yesterday the car shifted hard 1-2 and again shifted hard 2-3 and then would not come out of 3rd gear.

- South Lyon, MI, USA

problem #512

Dec 202016

Focus 4-cyl

  • 18,209 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. While driving 65 mph, the vehicle shifted independently to a lower gear without warning. On several occasions, the vehicle failed to shift out of second gear while the accelerator was depressed. The vehicle was taken to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the PCM needed to be reprogrammed. The PCM was reprogrammed; however, the failure recurred. The contact also stated that the clutch was replaced, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 18,209. Updated 01/31/2017

- Tacoma, WA, USA

problem #511

Jun 132013

Focus

  • 5,000 miles
Transmission makes noise, delayed acceleration, hard shifts. Vehicle has been taken to the dealership for software updates but no attempts to fix have been satisfactory.

- Shelby Township, MI, USA

problem #510

Nov 152016

Focus

  • 55,540 miles

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

The fuse that controls the instrument panel in front of the steering wheel will not stay in. It does not "blow" and when this happens you have no speedometer, heat or gas gauge, turn signals, ect. I believe this to be a valid safety issue. When this fuse does not allow the current to get to the instrument cluster then the mpg readout returns to 30.7 in lieu of what was being shown at the time of the failure. Anytime your signal lights will not work that is a recallable situation. I believ fomoco knows about this. Also the sticker on the door jamb in regards to tire pressure reads 30 psi. Right now I have 30 psi in my tires and the "low tire" light is constantly on.when I contacted my dealer he said to put 35 psi in each tire to eliminate the problem. If the tire manufacturers wanted more than 30psi in their tires then why does the door sticker not say so and also the tire booklet.

- Bristol, VA, USA

problem #509

Apr 092015

Focus

  • 14,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced shuddering and then stalled while being operated at a low speed. The failure occurred without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

problem #508

Dec 102016

Focus 4-cyl

  • 70,000 miles
Was driving down the road and suddenly transmission stops working engine revs up then it engages again. Continued down the road and it continued to do this repeatedly. Pulled off road only to find out no reverse as well. Almost caused me to lose control of the vehicle as I live in a rural area with small rolling hills and it is wintertime.

- Greencastle, IN, USA

problem #507

Dec 092016

Focus

  • 68,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. While driving approximately 65 mph, the service transmission warning indicator illuminated. The dealer diagnosed that the part that held the clutch to the transmission fractured and needed replacement. The contact also stated that the vehicle was previously repaired twice for power train failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.

- Compton, CA, USA

problem #506

Aug 012014

Focus

  • 8,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the transmission slipped while accelerating. The dealer did not find any issues with the transmission. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 8,000.

- South Lyon, MI, USA

problem #505

Nov 092016

Focus

  • 37,100 miles
Vehicle does not start with warning parking aid fault. After several attempts, it starts but then stops. Vehicle shudders from start, gears make noises and down shifts unexpectedly.

- Burlingame, CA, USA

problem #504

May 052015

Focus

  • 40,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. While driving various speeds, usually between 20-30 mph, the vehicle jerked and a loud noise was heard under the vehicle. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed seals and the shaft needed to be replaced. The repairs were completed, but the issue persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the clutch was replaced twice and there were two software updates. The failures continued. The manufacturer was notified. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

- Sioux Falls, SD, USA

problem #503

Nov 012016

Focus

  • 37,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the transmission gears were extremely slow to change over and suddenly the gear engaged and caused a jerking motion. The emergency brake was released and fractured. The contact notified at least three dealers and one of them indicated that the transmission clutch assembly needed to be replaced; however, the part was on a national back order. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 37,000.

- Dillon, SC, USA

problem #502

Aug 262015

Focus

  • 75,000 miles
I purchased my used 2013 Ford Focus on August 4th 2015. Since then it has been in the shop four times to address the dual clutch system being faulty. The car will shutter between gears, struggle to accelerate, it will roll backwards/forwards at stops while the car is still in drive and when I am going to park. It also will rev up randomly and almost lurch forward when its trying to shift. I bring the car in and they "fix" it, when I pick it up from the shop it runs smoothly for a short period of time before it starts all over again.

- Clearwater, MN, USA

problem #501

Nov 072016

Focus

  • miles
I purchased a 2013 Ford Focus 2013 SE hatchback. I've had it for about two years. During the last few months the transmission has started to stutter. When starting at an intersection from a red light or stop sign the car struggles to accelerate. At slow speed in a parking lot for example it doesn't operate well wither. It behaves like someone is learning a manual transmission for the first time. My car is an automatic. Lately the automatic transmission has gotten worse. I have had to take it in to the dealer.

- Suffolk, VA, USA

problem #500

Nov 042016

Focus 4-cyl

  • 54,600 miles
I was literally leaving the Ford dealership for "shut down isssues and shuddering issues" when they supposedly couldn't "verify the problem" I was driving home on a five lane highway and my car completely lost power in the middle of an intersection going 70mph and was stuck in the middle of the freeway until a tow truck came and towed my car back to the dealership where it is currently at right now. This is my 5th attempt for them to fix it.

- Columbus, OH, USA

problem #499

Feb 012016

Focus

  • 1,700 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. While operating the vehicle, the transmission malfunctioned and caused the vehicle to stall. The vehicle would also not operate in reverse occasionally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission was faulty. The transmission was repaired, but the failures continued. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 1,700.

- Mobile, AL, USA

problem #498

Oct 162013

Focus

  • 10,000 miles
The vehicle stutters, jerks, and stalls in low gears. When we press the gas from a stationary position the car fails to move forward on many occasions. If it does move forward then the gears make a grinding sound. It poses a risk to us when we have to move across oncoming traffic, especially on left hand turns at stoplights when we have a yield sign. The car has stalled out on a few occasions leaving us vulnerable to cars traveling at high velocities towards us. This is an unsafe car and we plan to hold Ford accountable for human and property damage should it occur due to this defect.

- Fairfax, VA, USA

problem #497

Oct 172016

Focus 4-cyl

  • 52,000 miles
I have had nothing but problems with this car and have only owned it since July of 2014. The computer module in my transmission has already had to be replaced due to shuddering, gears shifting incorrectly, and eventually dying while driving. Now my car is in the shop, again. This time for code P0456, which relates to the purge valve canister and evap system. A few weeks ago, I noticed my check engine light came on and had someone run my codes. Whenever I put gas in the car, it takes several tries before my car will start. I have to pump the gas while starting the car in order for it to actually start. After I get gas, the car will sometimes die while I am driving...which has happened while I was driving on the highway in the middle of rush hour traffic. This will cause a major accident for someone some day...maybe even a fatal accident. The fuel gauge also started reading incorrectly at the same time. I will have a 1/4 tank of gas, but it will register that I have 3/4 full and is only momentarily corrected when you turn the car off and restart it. I have researched many blogs and forums and have discovered that many Focus owners are having the same exact problems with these issues. My car is in the shop right now and I am waiting for them to call with the final diagnosis. It isn't right for Ford to know that they have faulty cars out there and not pay to fix the problems. Ford needs to recall this.

- Bonner Springs, KS, USA

problem #496

Oct 242016

Focus

  • miles
The powershift transmission contains one or more design and/or manufacturing defects that cause problems and unsafe conditions, including, but not limited to, suddenly lurching forward, delayed acceleration, and sudden loss of forward propulsion. The transmission has a very sluggish shift between the first and second gears and the upshift bogs down like the vehicle might stall and erratically shifting in second and third gear as well, continue to experience transmission defect, including, but not limited to, bucking, kicking, jerking, harsh engagement, and delayed acceleration and lurching. This is a serious matter that needs to be addressed before this defect causes fatalities.

- Nogales, AZ, USA

problem #495

Jul 082014

Focus

  • 94,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. While driving 15 mph, the vehicle shook violently and failed to start. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the front passenger and rear driver side power windows failed to function. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 94,000.

- Los Banos, CA, USA

problem #494

Oct 202016

Focus

  • 59,500 miles
At an intersection, the car sputters from a stop and sometimes stalls. Likewise, after re-fueling the tank the car stalls 2-3 times in a row on ignition before starting and staying on. When approaching a stop, the car has sometimes had the other dashboard warning lights come up and felt like it was about to stall, with the RPM gauge bouncing around near zero, but has not fully stalled during deceleration (possibly due to me pressing on the accelerator to prevent the stall). The service engine soon light came on shortly after this began. At that time, the fuel gauge also began to "stick, " not moving from position until the car would be stopped and restarted, and mis-representing the number of miles left before needing to refuel. I'm currently at a Ford dealership to get inspected and repaired. I've been told that it has something to do with a pump, but nothing more at this point.

- New York, NY, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?