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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:
38,544 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

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2013 Ford Focus Owner Comments (Page 15 of 52)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #751

Jun 202015

Focus

  • 58,684 miles

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

Have had issues with transmission control module unit. Issues with transmission shuddering, transmission slipping out of gear and not applying power while in intersections, issues with the car creeping forward. Have had issues fixed multiple times only for it to return again within a month or two. Also had many other issues with car. There are multiple dates for transmission issues. There would have been more, but I was told that they did all they could do to fix that issue even though it was not fixed. Dates for transmissions: 6/26/2015; 8/1/2015; 6/4/2016; 12/19/2016; 7/19/2019. The last time I took it in (7/19/2019) I found a letter saying Ford would fix it regardless of warranty status. This letter was incorrect and they wanted about $1,200 to fix (put a temporary band aid on) the same issue I had before that reappeared within a month of them fixing it.

- Howell, MI, USA

problem #750

Apr 042015

Focus

  • 56,091 miles
Vehicle has ongoing issues through it's life, all diagnosed as transmission related. These include replacement of the clutch 3 times, updates to the PCM at various times. Would not go into reverse. Significant shuddering and lack of acceleration, etc is ongoing - Ford cannot fix. Vehicle only slightly improves after which soon returns to the horrible shaking, lack of acceleration, etc have given up on attempting to repair. Class action lawsuits provided no assistance or recourse.

- Grand Rapids, MI, USA

problem #749

Jul 092019

Focus

  • 78 miles
Transmission shudders and shifts erratically in low gears. Sometimes unanticipated accelerations from low gears and sometimes transmission shifts into low gears while at higher speeds, causing vehicle to rev up and loose accelerations intermittently.

- Ames, IA, USA

problem #748

Jun 132019

Focus

  • 84,000 miles

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

Transmission problems

- Saint Joseph, MO, USA

problem #747

Nov 252012

Focus

  • 500 miles
This vehicle has had problems since the day we bought it.the transmission has a mind of its own. It jerks, shudders and slips in and out of gear at random. We have had 4 clutches, a tcm, 2 purge vale replacements and countless software updates. It has completely lost the ability to propel itself on three separate occasions; once while we were taking it in to the dealer. When we got to the dealer they told us that "yes that can happen sometimes " !!! please help us and hold Ford accountable for their reckless decision to allow these vehicles to be sold to chumps like me. They have deliberately and repeatedly blamed us for their mistake. We are unable to use our vehicle because it is unsafe.

- Sebastian, FL, USA

problem #746

Jun 282013

Focus

  • miles
This vehicle has been plagued with transmission problems since soon after purchase. It has been returned to multiple Ford dealerships in carbon county pa since being purchased in December of 2013. There has been no resolution and problems still persist. We are trying to retrieve the attempted repair records and will upload when we have them.

- Lansford, PA, USA

problem #745

Jul 232019

Focus

  • 125,000 miles

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

Driving my 2013 Ford Focus, I had stopped at a stop sign. When I tried to accelerate the warning "hill start assist not available" flashed and then the car turned off. I put the car in park and after a few attempts I got the car started, but the engine light came on and "transmission fault service now" flashed. I was able to drive it home and it was checked out by an auto repair guy. He tried to reprogram the computer but the the transmission fault error continues to flash and the car won't start.

- Jackson, WY, USA

problem #744

May 212019

Focus 4-cyl

  • 62,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. While driving 50 mph, the vehicle jerked, lunged forward, and lost power. The contact managed to gain control of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to morlan-shell Ford (1824 porter wagoner blvd, West plains, mo 65775, (417) 256-3193) where multiple diagnostic tests were performed, which determined that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The transmission was replaced five times, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided the contact with case number: 96-182145. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000. Check attachment characters are over 2,000. Arbitrator's decision form case number #xx-xxxxxx 'parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'

- Mountain Home, AR, USA

problem #743

Nov 292016

Focus

  • 67,000 miles
Vehicle is equipped with the dps6 powershift dual clutch transmission. Vehicle was purchased used from Ford dealership in December of 2016 with about 44,000 miles on the odometer. Several months after purchase it started exhibiting some minor shuddering when accelerating from a stop. Over time this shuddering became quite severe and would sometimes even appear when already up to speed driving down the road at a steady pace or when accelerating to pass another vehicle etc. It also exhibited some grinding noises as well when accelerating. Eventually this shuddering became so severe it was un-bearable and at approximately 67,000 mileswe brought the car back to the Ford dealership for diagnosis. It was determined that defective seals on the input shaft of the transmission had caused the dct gearbox oil to contaminate the linings of the clutch assembly. The remedy was to replace these seals and the clutch assembly with updated items. This repair was completed at a cost to us of just under $1600

- Maple Park, IL, USA

problem #742

Jul 192019

Focus

  • 53,000 miles
My 2013 Ford Focus stalled out in the middle of an intersection and would not start due to a faulty tcm. We do not make right-hand turns on red because the vehicle does accelerate properly and shimmers and shakes when accelerating. We have advised Ford of this issue and was advised this is normal performance for this car.

- Cranberry Twp., PA, USA

problem #741

May 012015

Focus

  • 100,000 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 while driving at various speeds, the vehicle had experienced random jerking and unintended sudden acceleration. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer cross road Ford(4510 whitehill blvd, prince george, va) was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 100,000.

- Petersburg, VA, USA

problem #740

Jul 172019

Focus

  • 65,959 miles
The vehicle started shuddering badly between gear shifts and transmission began slipping in and out of gear at highway and city driving speeds. Returned the vehicle to the dealership, parkway Ford in winston salem, nc for evaluation and repair. This was the 8th incident with this vehicle. They replaced the clutch, seal assemblies and reprogramed thepcm/tcm. I got in the vehicle to drive home and my first worry was if I would make it home safely and without a mishap.

- Mount Airy, NC, USA

problem #739

Jul 102013

Focus

  • 100 miles
Multiple dealer visits to repair slipping and shuddering transmission. Was informed by dealer this was normal. Still own the car and the issue remains to date. Transmission still slips and shudders

- Garrettsville, OH, USA

problem #738

Aug 122018

Focus

  • 67,331 miles
Although we have experienced several problems with the transmission operation previously, the following incident left my wife stranded on the side of the road when driving home from the grocery store. "on 08/12/2019 at 67,331 miles, while traveling 35 mph approximately 1/2 mile after the restart of a warm engine and lightly accelerating on a county road, the shifting of the transmission became erratic and the check engine and check transmission lights came on in the instrument cluster. The driver pulled of the road and called me for assistance. I drove to her location and I slowly drove the Focus to the Ford dealership with the other driver following in our other car. The dealership, on the next day, replaced the transmission control module and the clutch assembly." The vehicle operated well for 6 months and 6,000 miles until the entire transmission had to be replaced at my cost ($6,600) due to excessive multiple bearing noise. Ford, through poor customer service, would not respond to assist in the repair cost.

- Rochester Hills, MI, USA

problem #737

Nov 012014

Focus

  • miles
Soon after the purchase of my vehicle I began to experience problems with the transmission. In the early years of owning my car I took it into Ford for the recall repairs which did nothing to solve the issue with my car. After about 3 or 4 failed attempts to have my car properly fixed I stopped taking it in. So for the last 5 years I've been driving my vehicle with this transmission issue. There are times where my vehicle stalls completely and the steering wheel stiffens so I am unable to drive. They're have been times where I had to continually pull over and stop my vehicle completely, waiting a few minutes to restart my car so I would be able to drive. I know have a 2 year old son and feel extremely uncomfortable and unsafe in this vehicle. At this moment I cannot afford to trade my vehicle in either and take the loss of all the money I put into this car.

- Dover, PA, USA

problem #736

Jul 232019

Focus

  • 88,000 miles
Power shift dual clutch transmission is jumping and seeming to go in and out of gear. It has been replaced once already but now starting to do it again after 25000 to 35000 miles. I have been noticing a shutter more and more lately. Ford knew about this safety issue and did nothing about it and not I do not feel like my vehicle is safe to drive. There are several things that I notice about this transmission that makes it unsafe. Sometimes slips out of gear, shutters on take off, and shakes at an idle. I am the 2nd owner on the vehicle, when I purchased the vehicle in Nov 2018 the prev owner told me that a new transmission was in place without this issue, but I found out that it was just the Ford fix to the transmission which many people are having issues with as it was not fixed as a long term fix but a short term fix.

- Clearwater, MN, USA

problem #735

Jul 012014

Focus

  • 3,000 miles
This vehicle has been 'fixed' multiple times. Shaking and rumbling when shifting in the transmission, lack of power when accelerating and rattling when around 50 mph.

- Waterford, MI, USA

problem #734

Nov 122018

Focus

  • 115,000 miles
Hello I'm writing this complaint regarding two things. My transmission & my radio. First my transmission has been took to a Ford dealership locate in Michigan to have an diagnostic ran on it and it was noted by the dealership that my car has two field actions on it which both have to do with the faulty transmission which happens to hesitate to take off and also jerks when I accelerate. This has been going on since this vehicle has been in my grandmothers possession. Now it has gotten worse to the point where it now drags and there is some slipping when it shifts. The second complaint I have is that my radio recently began to start to static and pop. And now for two weeks my radio have not been able to turn on, the only thing that displays is the time clock, date & temperature. I haven't gotten any audio from the vehicle. I've replaced the fuses for the radio and it still isn't playing any audio. And I currently do not have time or money to put into this vehicle any more.

- Saint Clair Shores, MI, USA

problem #733

Apr 222019

Focus

  • 95,265 miles
Since I drove the vehicle off the lot, transmission shudders, jerks, vibrates, rough up/downshifts, slips into neutral, wont shift into reverse, transmission fault warnings, transmission overheat warnings. The car does not reliably accelerate/decelerate under normal operating conditions. On multiple occasions had to push the car out of a parking spot by hand since reverse would not engage. Had to push off the road several times after violent shifts/shuddering and warning lights. Has happened numerous times since purchasing the vehicle. Initially dealership said over the phone the new technology hadn't adapted to my driving style yet and it would clear up. Eventually I took it in for repair after repair and have since taken the vehicle off the road. The last episode happened with my children in the car and it's no longer safe to Transport passengers in.

- Milford, PA, USA

problem #732

Jul 112019

Focus 4-cyl

  • 52,269 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. While driving 10 mph and/or making turns, the vehicle spontaneously accelerated and stalled. The vehicle was able to restart. Additionally, the air conditioner and radio turned on by themselves without warning. The vehicle was taken to arlington heights Ford (801 w dundee rd, arlington heights, il 60004, (888) 481-8607), but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 52,269.

- Des Plaines, IL, USA

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