10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
14 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
8 / 1
Average Mileage:
38,533 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2013 Ford Focus:

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

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #217

Sep 162014

Focus 4-cyl

  • 16,309 miles
Just like 100S of others, car stutters and hesitates. Took to Ford dealer in macon, ga. And problem continues and we all wonder why there is no recall. Does no one care about safety and doing what is right"??????????????????"

- Perry, GA, USA

problem #216

Sep 052013

Focus

  • 6,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. While stopped at a traffic light or stop sign, the vehicle shook and shifted into the wrong gears when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact also noticed that the vehicle hesitated while shifting. The vehicle was taken to multiple dealers for diagnostic testing and was informed that the seals to the clutch housing were leaking. Oil seeped onto the clutch, which caused the vehicle not to shift properly. The computer for the transmission was reprogrammed and one of the two clutches was replaced, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle was sold with a power shift rather that automatic; therefore, the failures would recur. The approximate failure mileage was 6,000.

- Ytsilanti, MI, USA

problem #215

Sep 272014

Focus 4-cyl

  • 33,000 miles
My wife pulled out to make a right turn and the car bogged down, stuttered, hesitated. Long enough that she was scarred by the approaching traffic. This has happened several times. The stuttering, bogging down occurs all the time! we have had the car into kendall Ford twice already and have another appointment scheduled for October 28th. The next available service time. Service manager stated he has 40 of these cars in need of this repair right now, and that is the reason for the delay. This car is unsafe in its current condition. We are reluctant to drive it, please press Ford's to do the right thing and fix these cars. It should not take tragedies to make corrections! thank you [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Chugiak, AK, USA

problem #214

Aug 012013

Focus 4-cyl

  • 500 miles
Shifts rough (hard),slips when going up hill, put it in park you have to use E brake, clicks loud if sitting on a hill rolls back some and makes loud noise as if park is not hold the car still engine makes starting noise for hours after turning engine off.

- Oak Hill, OH, USA

problem #213

Dec 162013

Focus

  • miles
My Ford Focus SE hatchback has delays in shifting gears at low speeds and from stops. When accelerating, the engine revs higher but does not shift until a few seconds later which causes the car to jerk like a manual transmission. This is dangerous when trying to merge onto the freeway or at a 4-way stop when you have to react quickly and with timing accuracy, or trying to teach my daughter to drive! the service center of my dealer said the software had to be updated the first and second time I brought the car in for this problem. Does this mean I have to bring the car in every time there is a new software update which seems to be quite frequently? and the software update doesn't even solve the problem. I even got a thank you email from the service director at my dealership (sent by a person with a dealer-care.com email), which is most likely just a stock email. It thanked me for my service business and said that if I had further concerns that I could "reach out" to him at my earliest opportunity. Well I replied to that email voicing my concerns about this problem and after 4 months have not received a reply email or call addressing my concern.

- Honolulu, HI, USA

problem #212

Apr 222014

Focus

  • 10,000 miles
Vehicle has been in for service 4 times for issues with transmission. Hesitates or jumps when shifting. Sometimes almost stalls out. Dealer has done everything they can and state that Ford is not allowing them to service the vehicles. Dealer stated they have 25 Ford Focus currently in for same issue. I am scared to drive the vehicle with my daughter in it, as this clearly is a safety issue. The issue seems worse at lower speeds and with A/C on. Contacted Ford and they are stating this is "normal operation" if it was normal operation, I don't understand why it would start around 10K miles and 1 year of driving.

- Hazel Park, MI, USA

problem #211

Jan 072013

Focus 4-cyl

  • 11 miles
My Ford Focus had a jerky ride from the day I bought it. I mentioned after the test drive that it seemed a bit jerky on shifting and they said it was normal. A week later I told them again and again they said it was normal because of the new design. It got worse to the point that twice when turning out into traffic when I thought I had enough room to enter traffic it seemed to want to stall and I had to steer it back into the turn lane so as not to get hit. The car very often smelled of burnt rubber though at the time I explained it away as being from other cars nearby. In August 2014 I took the car in for a oil change and found out that a seal between the engine and transmission had failed and I had a major oil leak. This was unbelievable for a car with just 35,000 miles and lucky me I was eligible for an extended warranty on those parts from Ford for 100, 000 miles. Ford notified me the next week about the warranty only after the repair. The car drove better for a couple of weeks but then the shudders returned and began to worsen. I was going to take it in and have Ford look at it again but then on 9-14-2014 I was exiting my car and there was an overwhelming odor of burnt rubber coming from the engine. I decided right then I was not going to put up with the defective and possibly dangerous car anymore and I traded it in at loss. I recommend a serious look at this issue. Ford keeps saying these issues are normal for the new design and people are not used to it. I highly disagree. I got rid of it at a loss. That should say it all.

- Atlanta, GA, USA

problem #210

Jan 012014

Focus

  • 9,500 miles
Shuttering, hesitation, grinding, power loss, roll back, stalls in traffic.

- Prospect, OH, USA

problem #209

May 012014

Focus 4-cyl

  • miles
Continuance issues with my Ford Focus 2013 Ford Focus "banging, jumping, slipping, shaking and grinding: It's has now become an issue that's affects the drivability and safety of the vehicle and passengers. ?bogging down ?takes off in a lurch, accelerates rapidly at times, safety issue ?cars rolls backward when stopped on a hill. Safety issue ?car occasionally jolts forward when shifting at low gear, safety issue ?I?M told ?it has to learn how you drive.? I drive the car every day and it still hasn't so called, learned ?concerned about even pulling out in traffic for fear the car isn't going to go or will need time to find its gear. Safety issue ?in stop and go traffic it; slips often/hesitating/jerking/stuttering and grinding. ?RPM spikes and drops when shifting. ?noise when making a left hand turn. "sometimes will not go into reverse at all; on 9/9/14 stuck in a parking spot because the vehicle only moved two feet in reverse. Prior to this incident, the vehicle was towed into dealers because it would not go into reverse at all.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #208

Sep 042014

Focus 4-cyl

  • 7,000 miles
Loud grinding noise coming from a brand new Ford Focus. Being told that the sound is normal. I didn't sign up for a vehicle that sounds like it's dragging metal down the street only to be told this is normal for this vehicles dual transmission..

- Elmwood Park, IL, USA

problem #207

Aug 222014

Focus

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Cpsc: I1490081A. 2013 Ford Focus. Consumer stated the car stalls, stutters and also lurches between shifts.

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #206

Oct 012013

Focus

  • 28,676 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the vehicle started to jerk, and decelerated intermittently. The vehicle resumed normal operation after a minute. Also, the contact mentioned that the vehicle experienced a clicking noise in the front end of vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician reprogrammed the vehicle transmission soft wear, replaced the clutch and repaired a major electrical faults. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 28,676.

- La Mirada, CA, USA

problem #205

Jan 012013

Focus

  • 50 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. While driving various speeds, the vehicle jerked and hesitated to accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure and stated that the transmission operated as designed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 50.

- Monroe , GA, USA

problem #204

Dec 072012

Focus

  • 500 miles
The transmission shifts roughly between first and second gear. It causes the car to shutter and on an incline, has caused the vehicle to roll backwards. I have taken the car to a Ford dealership at least 4 times to fix the issue, but they have told me each time that there is no problem with the transmission. My driver door and driver-side passenger door have both opened while I was driving because of a faulty latch. They opened on separate occasions, so I have been to Ford twice because of the door not closing. Lastly, the ac has two separate issues where it doesn't work. The technicians at Ford have not been able to replicate the problem, so it has gone on unsolved.

- Desert Hot Springs, CA, USA

problem #203

Mar 102014

Focus

  • 8,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. While attempting to park, the vehicle lunged forward. On a separate occasion, while idling at a traffic light, the vehicle hesitated when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The dealer stated that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 8,000.

- Santa Clara, CA, USA

problem #202

Dec 092013

Focus

  • 10,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. While driving at low speeds, the transmission hesitated while shifting gears. The failure occurred intermittently on several occasions. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #201

Apr 152013

Focus 4-cyl

  • 3,000 miles
Car transmission constantly slips/lurches and grinds. Dealer says this is "normal". car has been close to several accidents due to transmission slipping/lurching at intersections I do not feel safe to drive this car.

- Springfield, MO, USA

problem #200

Jul 012013

Focus 4-cyl

  • 200 miles
When you step on the gas the car hesitates then makes a grinding sound and lurches as the transmission engages. The problem has existed since we purchased the car its been in the shop multiple times, each time we get it back the problem still exists. This is completely unacceptable as we use it for a drivers education car!! the dealership was aware of this problem and they are just as culpable as for is for putting out an unsafe vehicle.

- Lynnwood, WA, USA

problem #199

Jul 112013

Focus 4-cyl

  • 400 miles
The transmission shakes, jerks, miss-shifts, and makes noises on starts from dead stop. It is horrible in stop and go traffic situations. I've had it serviced twice at the Ford dealership, and the car runs well leaving the shop, only to return to the above mentioned problems within a very short period of time. I as well as all of my family members have experienced the problems, and the response I have gotten from Ford's representatives is that it is just a minor irritation and not a serious problem. I beg to differ with Ford in that it is a serious defect, which is potentially hazardous.

- Albert Lea, MN, USA

problem #198

Jun 032013

Focus 4-cyl

  • 5,000 miles
The Ford Focus 2013 seems to have a lot of issue with transmission. I have taken my car about 8 times now to fix the grinding problem when it changes gear. A software fix was mostly done which solves the issue (may be) for a week and then it starts all over again. They changed the clutch or something related to that and worked fairly better during the winter of 2013 but come summer of 2014 same issue. In fact the grinding issue got so bad that I had no option but to take it back in. It started to grind in every gear possible. Going up the hill was a huge nightmare. It used to grind all the way on the third gear till it shifted to fourth. So imagine sitting inside the car during that time. Also, with the ac on it was a nightmare. I drive a little longer to work than most people and it is a scary drive every single day. The gear does not change smoothly, it does get stuck occasionally and I get huge jerks before it changes, and the dealers and Ford have no clue what the issue is. They wont order a recall to fix it nor will they give me a new car. It is potentially unsafe to drive these Focus cars. I am scared if the car will stop in the middle of the highway. I hope such a day does not come.

- Sykesville, MD, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »