2013 Ford Focus: engine and transmission complaints
VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
68%
1,415 of 2,110 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
68% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2013 Ford Focus are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.
Worse than 90% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONT09/09/2025CRASH2 INJURED
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 …
AIR BAGS,ENGINE06/25/2019CRASH2 INJURED
TL* THE CONTACT WAS CALLING ON BEHALF HER CLIENT WHO OWNED A 2013 FORD FOCUS. THE DRIVER WAS DRIVING AT 35 MPH AND DECREASING TO 15 MPH IN ORDER TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH NO WARNING, AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE CRASHED A TREE. THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMB…
ENGINE02/07/2023FIRE1 INJURED
The contact owned a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that she left her dog in the vehicle with the engine off and the windows partially open, as she entered her workplace. Approximately 30 minutes later, she was alerted that there was a vehicle on fire. She rushed outside to discover that her vehicle was on fire. A…
Three of 1,415 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (12)
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Ford Focus vehicles with a 2.0L GDI or 2.0L GTDI engine. The Canister Purge Valve (CPV) may malfunction, possibl…
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 and 2017 Focus vehicles equipped with 2.0L GDI gasoline engines and 2013-2014 Focus ST vehicles equipped with 2.0L GTD…
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 For…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2013 Ford Focus
Ask the seller whether the transmission has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many transmission faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the transmission.
12 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
