2013 Ford FOCUS

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2013 Ford FOCUS has 2913 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 36.4x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is transmission problems (38% of all complaints), specifically: at approximately 7:15 am, roadway was wet (previously rained), traveling at approximately 60 mph in lane 3 of 3 and changing lane into lane 2 of 3 while mildly accelerating and then let off the accelerator lightly as changing lane (approaching rear of vehicle in front of me). as i tried to accelera. ⚠️ 17 fire reports filed.

17 fire reports 48 crash reports 26 injuries

2913

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

36.4x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

TRANSMISSION

1107 complaints

38%

• AT APPROXIMATELY 7:15 AM, ROADWAY WAS WET (PREVIOUSLY RAINED), TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH IN LANE 3 OF 3 AND CHANGING LANE INTO LANE 2 OF 3 WHILE MILDLY ACCELERATING AND THEN LET OFF THE ACCELERATOR LIGHTLY AS CHANGING LANE (APPROACHING REAR OF VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME). AS I TRIED TO ACCELERA
• I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE. THE TRANSMISSION HUNTED FOR A GEAR BUT SEEMED TO GET STUCK BETWEEN GEARS AND ACTED AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. THE ENGINE RPMS STAYED UP SINCE I HAD MY FOOT ON THE GAS. I LET OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND THE ENGINE RPMS DIDN'T DROP, BUT KIND OF JUMPE
• TL- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER TRAVELING UPHILL, THE VEHICLE WOULD ROLL AWAY IN REVERSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER SWITCHING FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD TH

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 17 crashes

“AT APPROXIMATELY 7:15 AM, ROADWAY WAS WET (PREVIOUSLY RAINED), TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH IN LANE 3 OF 3 AND CHANGING LANE INTO LANE 2 OF 3 WHILE MILDLY ACCELERATING AND THEN LET OFF THE ACCELERATOR LIGHTLY AS CHANGING LANE (APPROACHING REAR OF VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME). AS I TRIED TO ACCELERA”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

355 complaints

12%

• I OWN A 2013 FORD FOCUS HATCHBACK TITANIUM MODEL. PURCHASED THE CAR IN JANUARY 2013. CURRENTLY HAS 1100 MILES ON IT. CAR HAS A SIX-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION THAT FORD HAS DUBBED "POWERSHIFT". TRANSMISSION IS VERY JITTERY AT ALL SPEEDS WHEN SHIFTING GEARS WHILE ACCELERATING. IT IS ALSO HESITANT TO
• VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH WITH NO WARNING. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO RESTART FOR 10-15 MINUTES, THE CAR DID RE-START, BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP ON 2/22. AWAITING INFORMATION FROM DEALER. *TR
• NOTED JERKY MOVEMENT OF CAR DURING TURNS AND IMMEDIATELY UPON ACCELERATION. WAS MINOR AT FIRST, BUT APPEARED TO INCREASE IN DURATION AND INTENSITY WITH ADDITIONAL MILEAGE. QUALITY OF SHIFTING BETWEEN GEARS VERY POOR - SURGING AND LURCHING NOTICED. SLIGHT OIL LEAK DETECTED TOWARDS FRONT END OF ENG

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 7 fire reports💥 7 crashes

“I OWN A 2013 FORD FOCUS HATCHBACK TITANIUM MODEL. PURCHASED THE CAR IN JANUARY 2013. CURRENTLY HAS 1100 MILES ON IT. CAR HAS A SIX-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION THAT FORD HAS DUBBED "POWERSHIFT". TRANSMISSION IS VERY JITTERY AT ALL SPEEDS WHEN SHIFTING GEARS WHILE ACCELERATING. IT IS ALSO HESITANT TO”

— NHTSA complaint filing

STEERING

274 complaints

• DRIVING STRAIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY ~50MPH THE CAR SEEMED TO BE DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT AS THOUGH BEING BLOWN BY HEAVY WINDS, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS LITTLE/NO WIND THAT DAY. I APPLIED A TYPICAL, SLIGHT ADJUSTMENT TO THE LEFT BUT THE STEERING WHEEL RESISTED MY INPUT, AS THOUGH SOMEBODY WAS HOLDING ONTO THE STE
• APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES INTO TRIP TO WORK FROM HOME THE POWER ASSIST STEERING ON MY 2013 FORD FOCUS FAILED AT WHICH POINT THE VEHICLE BECAME SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFICULT TO STEER. LUCKLY I WAS ON A STRAIGHT PATH, HAD THIS HAPPENED IN A TURN, AN ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY OCCURED. AT THE POINT WHERE
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND THEN RESUMED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN THE CONTACT WAS OPERATING THE VEHICLE IN 70 DEGREE AND WEATHER AND ABOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTH

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 7 crashes

“DRIVING STRAIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY ~50MPH THE CAR SEEMED TO BE DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT AS THOUGH BEING BLOWN BY HEAVY WINDS, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS LITTLE/NO WIND THAT DAY. I APPLIED A TYPICAL, SLIGHT ADJUSTMENT TO THE LEFT BUT THE STEERING WHEEL RESISTED MY INPUT, AS THOUGH SOMEBODY WAS HOLDING ONTO THE STE”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

273 complaints

• THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GAUGES ARE HARD TO READ ON A SUNNY DAY. THE VISION OF THE SPEEDOMETER, WHILE DRIVING ON A SUNNY DAY IS VERY HARD TO READ. IT IS A DISTRACTION TO STARE AT THE SPEEDOMETER, TO SEE THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHTS ARE SET AT THE BRIGHTEST SETTING. TH
• INCIDENT HAPPENED WHILE IN PARK - STOPPED THE CAR AND PLACED IT IN PARK (THOUGHT I DID) SHUT THE CAR OFF AND LOCKED THE VEHICLE AND ENTERED THE STORE. THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS OBVISIOUSLY NOT IN PARK BUT ALLOWED ME TO EXIT THE VEHICLE AND LOCK THE DOORS WHI
• VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH WITH NO WARNING. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO RESTART FOR 10-15 MINUTES, THE CAR DID RE-START, BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP ON 2/22. AWAITING INFORMATION FROM DEALER. *TR

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 5 fire reports💥 4 crashes

“THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GAUGES ARE HARD TO READ ON A SUNNY DAY. THE VISION OF THE SPEEDOMETER, WHILE DRIVING ON A SUNNY DAY IS VERY HARD TO READ. IT IS A DISTRACTION TO STARE AT THE SPEEDOMETER, TO SEE THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHTS ARE SET AT THE BRIGHTEST SETTING. TH”

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

261 complaints

• AS I PULLED OUT INTO THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC FROM A GAS STATION, I REALIZED MY CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE BEYOND 15-20 MPH. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO THE RIGHT HAND LANE AND PROCEEDED TO THE STOP LIGHT, WHICH WAS ABOUT A 100 YARDS DOWN THE ROAD. AT THE RED LIGHT I PLACED THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND DISC
• MY PERFORMANCE CONCERN STARTED WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK OF OWNERSHIP. I HAD REPORTED WHAT I PERCEIVED AS A PERFORMANCE ISSUE TO THE DEALER BUT OPTED TO GIVE A NEW CAR TIME TO "BREAK IN". 4 WEEKS INTO MY OWNER EXPERIENCE, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT HELD AND DROVE THE CAR FOR 5 DAYS AND HAD DETERMINED THAT
• LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED - AS I WAS DRIVING THE HIGHWAY TO GO HOME, THE CARS MOTOR SUDDENLY SHUT OFF, AFTER BARELY MAKING IT TO THE SHOULDER (INCHES FROM TRAFFIC) I LOOKED AT THE ESTIMATED MILES TO EMPTY, WHICH STATED 17 MILES TO EMPTY - YET I WAS OUT OF FUEL. SEEMS FORD FOCUS HAS A INCORRECT READ

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 3 fire reports💥 4 crashes

“AS I PULLED OUT INTO THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC FROM A GAS STATION, I REALIZED MY CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE BEYOND 15-20 MPH. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO THE RIGHT HAND LANE AND PROCEEDED TO THE STOP LIGHT, WHICH WAS ABOUT A 100 YARDS DOWN THE ROAD. AT THE RED LIGHT I PLACED THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND DISC”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

STEERING(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 2913 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
TRANSMISSION: AT APPROXIMATELY 7:15 AM, ROADWAY WAS WET (PREVIOUSLY RAINED), TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH IN LANE 3 OF 3 AND CHANGING LANE INTO LANE 2 OF 3 WHILE MILDLY ACCELERATING AND THEN LET OFF THE ACCELERATOR LIGHTLY AS CHANGING LANE (APPROACHING REAR OF VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME). AS I TRIED TO ACCELERA
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: I OWN A 2013 FORD FOCUS HATCHBACK TITANIUM MODEL. PURCHASED THE CAR IN JANUARY 2013. CURRENTLY HAS 1100 MILES ON IT. CAR HAS A SIX-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION THAT FORD HAS DUBBED "POWERSHIFT". TRANSMISSION IS VERY JITTERY AT ALL SPEEDS WHEN SHIFTING GEARS WHILE ACCELERATING. IT IS ALSO HESITANT TO
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
STEERING: DRIVING STRAIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY ~50MPH THE CAR SEEMED TO BE DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT AS THOUGH BEING BLOWN BY HEAVY WINDS, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS LITTLE/NO WIND THAT DAY. I APPLIED A TYPICAL, SLIGHT ADJUSTMENT TO THE LEFT BUT THE STEERING WHEEL RESISTED MY INPUT, AS THOUGH SOMEBODY WAS HOLDING ONTO THE STE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GAUGES ARE HARD TO READ ON A SUNNY DAY. THE VISION OF THE SPEEDOMETER, WHILE DRIVING ON A SUNNY DAY IS VERY HARD TO READ. IT IS A DISTRACTION TO STARE AT THE SPEEDOMETER, TO SEE THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHTS ARE SET AT THE BRIGHTEST SETTING. TH
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)