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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 4
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
28,348 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 Fiesta engine problems

engine problem

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2013 Ford Fiesta Owner Comments (Page 5 of 6)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #29

Jul 312014

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 13,000 miles

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

My daughter took her car in for repair end of July 2014, due to very bad shuttering, shaking, acceleration and brake issue. Dealership claims they reset the computer that speaks to the transmission. I had her take car back about 10 days later due to the same issue. They claim there was nothing wrong with vehicle that she needs to drive at least another 1000 miles so that computer can register her driving habits"?" I drove her to work the following Friday and as I was leaving uphill parking structure the car felt as it completely stalled out, I had the pedal floored and nothing and then out of nowhere the car jumped and accelerated forward. Luckily there were no cars in front of me I would of definitely hit them. I drove vehicle straight to dealership and asked salesman to take for a test drive. He stated that there was clearly a problem and he would have gsm call me by the following Monday. Tuesday comes and as my daughter was driving to work she was involved in an accident due to the car not accelerating so she floored it and unfortunate for her hit the vehicle in front of her. I called salesman back and he said he would call me back, 3 weeks later no phone call from salesman or gsm. Accident occured on 8-19-14 then we received a letter postmarked 8-26-14. Customer satisfaction program claiming they have extended her warranty on clutch and transmission input shaft salsas well as the transmission software calibration for a total of 7 years or 100,000 miles whichever occurs first. To date still have not received call back from salesman or general service manager. Vehicle needs to be recalled......

- Las Vegas , NV, USA

problem #28

Mar 052014

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 18,304 miles
I purchased the vehicle used in February of 2014. A couple of days after having the vehicle it started to make loud grinding noises, when I tried to accelerate it would sputter and almost stall. I took it in on March 05, 2014 and the dealership had it for a week. When I picked it up, I was told that they could not find anything wrong with it and the grinding was "normal". the grinding noises, the sputtering, the slow acceleration, and other issues are still happening with this vehicle. When I call to see if I can take it in, I am told that this is normal for this vehicle. These 'normal' attributes should be disclosed prior to purchasing the vehicle. When I am at a stop and I start to accelerate, the car does not accelerate and it lunges and it has caused me to almost get rear-ended on more than one occasion. There has been a couple of times where I am driving on the highway at a steady speed and when I try to accelerate, it does not accelerate and the rpms just shoot up. The transmission of this vehicle has too many bugs in it and it is causing a safety concern. If I would have known that these things were 'normal' prior to purchasing the vehicle, I never would have bought it. Something needs to be done about this. I have seen numerous complaints that are very similar to mine and it truly is a safety concern that needs to be addressed.

- Lochbuie, CO, USA

problem #27

Aug 312014

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 43,883 miles
I just bought a used 2013 Ford Fiesta with about 43-44,000 miles on it. I drove the car off the authorized dealer's lot on yesterday 8/31/2014. The first thing that I noticed was, as I entered the highway, the car had trouble getting up to speed with the flow of traffic. Later on the same day pulling out of an establishment to enter the main road I pressed the accelerator and the car jerked and acted like it was going to stall out. Then it lunged forward into the street! had there been oncoming traffic, this could have caused an accident with me and my family in the car! the car hesitates to shift gears correctly. The RPM hand revs up real high on a light push on the gas pedal and doesn't come down efficiently so the car jerks when if finally "catches". I've had this car for one day! this is a danger and something needs to be done!

- East Point, GA, USA

problem #26

Jun 242014

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 1,300 miles

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

Purchased this vehicle as a certified used directly from Ford dealership. Since the second day of owning it, on acceleration there is a buzzing noise under the hood (sounds like a go-cart) and feels like it is clogged. Will accelerate suddenly or will have trouble accelerating especially when getting onto highway which have put me in a few dangerous situations. When coming to a stop or accelerating from a stop you can hear lots of metal clanking and sounds like its chugging. The vehicle vibrates, skips, like it is trying to get in gear on acceleration. Having trouble finding a Ford house that has time or willingness to repair. Any I have called have said it would be 3-4 days before it can get looked at and won't issue a loaner in the meanwhile. I can't go 3-4 days without a car. Monday morning, I am taking in to a dealership and leaving for them to access. This car was purchased for my teenage child who will be getting her license soon, after driving this car for 2 months I do not feel it is safe for her to drive and will be looking at other options for a vehicle.

- Montague, TX, USA

problem #25

Aug 012014

Fiesta

  • miles
Extreme transmission shudder. Jolting, jerking, shuddering, shaking, stalling. Had "dual clutch" replaced 3 times thus far. Requested a buyback, buyback denied. Had a couple more repair attempts and now the can't isn't running fully - sent it certified letter from a lawyer and trying to go through the buy back process again before going to court. Had 3 near accidents. This car is a lemon and extremely unsafe.

- Roanoke, VA, USA

problem #24

Jul 112013

Fiesta

  • miles
The vehicles engine makes noise as if something is caught in the engine or is having trouble shifting the entire time while driving. The car jerks aggressively when you begin to accelerate as if it is having trouble changing into gears. When trying to accelerate at times it will seem as if it looses power causing to almost come to an abrupt stop and shaking as if it is going to shut off! not the kind of trouble you should be having with a new car! I have to step off the gas pedal so that it can stop jerking. Several times I have been in the middle of traffic almost having people slam into me because of the abrupt stops the car has, or me almost hitting a car because it jerks to a sudden take off when pressing the accelerator.

- Oak Lawn, IL, USA

problem #23

Feb 072014

Fiesta

  • 7,761 miles

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

In February of 2014 I took my Fiesta in complaining of grinding and rattling noises when taking off from a stop. Both inner and outer input shaft seals were replaced due to a leak as well as the clutch assembly. In July of 2014 at approx. 13,104 miles, my average miles per gallon was dropping as well as the car shuttering on acceleration and turning the vehicle. Again, within five months the clutch assembly was replaced, in may of 2014 a different issue, the check engine light came on. This time diagnosis was the catalyst element failing and the exhaust manifold assembly was replaced. Another issue was I had the green phone icon light flashing on the center display, in which the front display was replaced. I really like the my Fiesta, but I do not feel very comfortable driving it, too much has gone bad in a short period of time. Ford needs to do more in addressing and fixing these issues. Too many Fiesta owners have these issues and this is not a safe vehicle.

- Kettering, OH, USA

problem #22

Jun 162014

Fiesta

  • 26,500 miles
Ford Fiesta 2013 (automatic transmission) - started car. Put car in reverse. Car did not reverse and there were rattling and grinding sounds coming from transmission. Restarted car. Car reversed. However, once car was put into drive the transmission was rattling and grinding again. Once I tried to accelerate, the car lurched forward, stopped and lurched forward again. The acceleration was not smooth, it felt like the car might stall. The engine noises were loud and not typical. Until I reached 45 miles per hour, the engine did not quiet down. Driving in traffic was terrible. I had to leave extra room to stop as I did not trust the car to downshift properly. I had to leave extra room to accelerate because I could not predict if the car would go at all or accelerate at an unpredictable speed because the transmission was not trustworthy and the clutch kept slipping. Overall, the Fiesta's transmission issue has to do with the vehicle's design, and this is not an isolated incident. From 20,000 miles on, I have taken the car in twice to try and fix this defect and it continues to exist. I currently do not have the car as it is at the dealership and has been for 24 days and counting. They can't seem to fix the defects and this transmission design should be investigated. I am currently working with the BBB autoline to try and resolve this issue.

- Cream Ridge, NJ, USA

problem #21

May 082013

Fiesta

  • 1,300 miles
Within 1 month of driving I kept hearing crazy grinding noises and it would bog out between 0-30..-RPM would jump to 5 on slight acceleration than dive back to 0; Ford dealer did "computer update on electronics" - did not fix problem; they said I needed to "adapt to the different clutch"; car continued to have problems between shifting into 2nd gear- took to dealer and another "update" was done. I was driving on major highway and had to drop speed from 45 to 30 to crossover to different highway and the car completely locked up as if it went into neutral. I managed to get car home without having a stroke and shut it off. When I got home I called dealer who came and towed it- the dealer replaced the clutch. After about 2 mos I noticed it was not shifting right again and became concerned for my safety due to prior highway incident. I took it in and the transmission was completely replaced; along with another clutch. Now it is making a ticking sound and I am concerned of a gas odor. I will be taking it back again. I filed lemon law on it after the highway incident. My greatest fear is that this car is very popular for middle class families looking for an affordable car for their new teen driver. The new driver will not be experienced enough to realize how to handle the situation or know that the car is malfunctioning. The 2013 Ford Fiesta needs to be recalled!!!

- Warren, OH, USA

problem #20

Nov 202012

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 233 miles
This has been an ongoing problem with the vehicle. I purchased car on November 10, 2012, and on November 13 heard a noise in engine. The car would jerk and surge on take off. I returned car to dealer who could not find anything wrong with car. The noise became louder, car began to shudder and surge more often during take off, and stick in reverse. I returned car to dealer on January 8, 2013, but the couldn't find problem. Over the next few months the noise became louder, car shuddered and surged, and began sticking in drive. I returned to dealer again on May 29, 2014, and dealer told me about transmission problems with Ford Fiestas. I picked car up on June 5, 2015 and drove short distance and all power to transmission went out. It eventually 'came back' and I was able to return to dealership. The problem was worse than when I took it to dealer in the beginning. This was a very scary situation because I was in the middle of rush hour traffic. I have had ongoing problems since I purchased car. It had 3 miles on it the date of purchase. I financed 21,049 to get car, and cannot afford to trade car in and go upside on payments. The car is a lemon! I have spoken with Ford 3 times about the matter. I am scared to ride in the car now. I need a car to go do work daily. Ford should recognize this problem and replace my car with a 'better' car. It is a shame that a large conglomerate like Ford can sell a 'lemon' and a consumer like me (single mom) with limited income has to 'take it." Ford should be held accountable. I have researched the problems and found supporting evidence to my case. I have contacted the attorney general's office in my state about the matter, and spoke with general manager at dealership. Ford has offered to extend my bumper to bumper warranty to 75,000 miles or 5 years (Nov. 2017) but I am still scared to ride in the car. It's dangerous.

- Moss Point, MS, USA

problem #19

Jan 222014

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 28,000 miles

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

Harsh shifting of transmission, or other transmission shifting complaints/problems. Loss of power on initial take-off from a stop or from low speeds. The feeling of the transmission "slipping". harsh or delayed engagement of transmission "jerking" or "shuddering" upon take-off from a stop. Vehicle rolls backwards when on an incline. Vehicle loses power when on the interstate and you try and accelerate to pass another vehicle.

- Uvalde, TX, USA

problem #18

Jun 172013

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 1,000 miles
The car is jerking between 0 and 15 miles an hour. The jerking has gotten progressively worse over the last year. On yesterday 05/03/2014, the jerking is even worse. The dealership (tropical Ford of orlando) has informed us that Ford motors said this is normal and then provided a one page document for the issue. The entire vehicle is shaking until the car get to 15 miles per hour.

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #17

Oct 032013

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 2,500 miles
I purchased my 2013 Ford Fiesta from a dealership in may of 2013, in October of 2013, my not even 6 month old car, started to make grinding and crunching noises in the engine and the transmission was slipping. I called the dealership and took it in. They replaced the transmission and after 8 weeks, I picked it up. The noises were gone, but quickly came back a couple months later, I kept getting told it was normal, but it has gotten worse. I am trying to work with my dealership now to quickly get this resolved. I am also only getting 25 mpg.

- Pocatello, ID, USA

problem #16

May 132013

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • miles
Bought a 2013 Ford Fiesta brand new and I have had nothing but issues with it. It feels like something is getting caught when I try to accelerate and then when it does accelerate it jerks, and grinds and all sorts of other noises. When I am in stop-go traffic it feels like it is bouncing up and down and at points I am being jerked in my seat along with the car. Going up a hill is the worst of all because it makes noises and sounds/feels like it is going to stall- sometimes just trying to get up a hill feels like I am trying to drive through thick mud. I have taken it back to Ford several times and they tell me it is nothing. One time the lady who was scheduling the appointment told me that her car does it but it is normal and something that you have to get used to because of the transmission. When I get my sheet back after I have had it in the shop they barely and vaguely acknowledge how they checked the problem and state they couldn't find anything. There is no way that it is normal to be apprehensive when driving your brand new car because you are not sure that you are going to be able to accelerate in time to pull out into traffic.

- North Versailles, PA, USA

problem #15

Aug 202013

Fiesta

  • 15,000 miles
I bought a new 2013 Ford Fiesta in November of 2012. I have had nothing but problems since. It has been in the shop more than 3 times, once was a broken catalytic converter, the other time was a soaked clutch, and another time was to get recalibrated. This car has acceleration issues and almost causes many accidents for me, it is shaky and bumpys, and jumpy. Everytime I take it in there is something wrong with and they advised me its not normal for new cars, when I read the reviews everyone has the same issues. There is also a roll back when you stop and press the gas to go, I have almost hit multiple cars in front of me because of this.

- Costa Mesa, CA, USA

problem #14

Apr 152012

Fiesta

  • 2,015 miles
After a long battle with the dealership over a previous death trap[used] the owner agreed to rectify that issue with a brand new 2013 Ford Fiesta.that was a great thought till the first engine light coming on, they found no reason except the gas tank has no cap.I was told this is dirt around the seal and it will keep happening unless I buy my own cap. Well it wasn't long and my car started spitting missing hesitating, engine light comes back on I take it back in they believe there is a pinhole in my gas line.they keep my car for a week they did supply a loaner not a Fiesta !!!! I told them of the issues but they found nothing.now a couple weeks ago I took it back for these issues I had pointed out to them previously.I had the service person ride along he felt aa of the issues heard all of the sounds the grinding, revving.I am so afraid in this car getting on and off ramps it doesn't pick up speed it almost sounds like the gears are reversing.I cannot pass anyone, I live in a highly traveled area for tourists who don't drive the same as locals on single lane roads.a brand new car isnt suppose to make you feel that you were better off not having a car. Ford should be ashamed...you dont take shortcuts or rush a product that can badly affect hundreds of thousands of people. I want out of my contract I owe more than this car is worth, I do blame the dealer also for continuing to sell this death trap. Just saying enough people are having the same issues and if anyone who has made this complaint ends up in an accident due to these obvious issues that have been brought to the attention of Ford, dealerships and the national safety board I hope these families sue your pants off. Forcing you out of business.unless you rectify each persons individual situation and not a generac brushoff.been there done that.get on the ball and fix this problem now!

- Mcdaniel, MD, USA

problem #13

Nov 092013

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 1,650 miles
From a stop sign making a right turn onto a highway my 2013 Ford Fiesta now decides to make loud grinding noises from the 6 speed auto transmission when accelerate to normal highway speed hesitates and almost was rear ended from the vehicle behind me had to quickly pull to the right of the road before merging back on the highway. Have taken to the dealer three times for unusual transmission slippage, and noises waiting on a back order dual clutch kit part,1700 hundred on back order was told may take up to 6 months for this part to arrive.

- Atwater, CA, USA

problem #12

Jun 152013

Fiesta

  • 1,300 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, she noticed a loud grinding and growling noise upon acceleration. The vehicle also jerked forward at different speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer three different times where they were unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was nor repaired. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 1,300.

- Ripley, TN, USA

problem #11

Aug 122013

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 4,523 miles
Was at a complete stop. Went to step on gas to turn right and the car would not go above 7 mph for about 8 seconds, then it shifted hard into second gear and sped down the street. I completed 4 more turns around the block of my housing track and at all 4 it did the same thing until I reached my driveway and had it towed to a dealer.

- Corona, CA, USA

problem #10

Aug 152013

Fiesta

  • 26,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while at a stop sign, the vehicle shook and the contact noticed an abnormal rattling from the engine on several separate occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis but they were unable to duplicate the problem. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 26,000.

- El Paso , TX, USA

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