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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:
3 / 4
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
40,942 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 electrical problems

electrical problem

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2013 Ford Focus Owner Comments (Page 7 of 13)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #139

Apr 282017

Focus

  • 25,000 miles

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

There is a group of electrical cables in the trunk of the vehicle on the passenger side that controls all the lights that are attached to the trunk lid. This includes the brake lights. When opening and closing the trunk, this group of cables rubs up against a metal bar. Eventually this can cause the electrical cables to lose their protective tape and possibly cut the cables, leading to a complete loss of brake lights, reverse lights, and turn signal lights. Additional details can be found at the following link. www.focusfanatics.com/forum/MK3-Focus/312776-sedan-owners-watch-potential-wire-failure-trunk.html I have contacted my local Ford dealer, but they did not seem to care. They have made obtaining appointments to fix other recalls extremely difficult and it almost seems like they wish to ignore NHTSA recalls instead of making vehicles safe.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

problem #138

Jul 212017

Focus

  • 33,800 miles
Ford Focus 2013 SE - while driving (in motion), driver's side door unlatched and swung open, and would not close, horn stopped working, interior displays and lights flickered, when pulled over, car would not start. If we were on a highway it would have been tremendously dangerous. Later car did start, but door would not latch, radio was reset, hazards would turn on and off at random. Door latch and horn would not work after this event. Shortly prior to this issue, horn started working at random, wipers would not turn off. When inspected, advised battery was bad and had corroded negative wire to battery. One week after replaced, this event occurred. Clutch in vehicle also jitters when increasing speed from full stop, allegedly corrected at Ford dealership after recall (2 years ago). Per research this issue is being caused by a faulty clutch interfering with electrical system.

- Oakland Park, FL, USA

problem #137

Jul 212017

Focus

  • 72,000 miles
Car won't start after refueling.... takes several attempts to crank before barely firing up, random rough idle and rpms will drop and the car will stall for no reason. All problems with idle will come and go, it will run fine for a bit, then the idle problem will come back. The problem cranking the ca rafter putting gas in is every time I get gas.

- Fort Walton Beach, FL, USA

problem #136

Jun 212017

Focus

  • 53,500 miles

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

The body control module failed. After only 4 years and 53K miles on the road the BCM simply stopped working. The car was not showing any of the signs of a failing BCM (electrical glitches, engine issues, etc.). as far as I knew, until the component failed the car was in perfect condition. The car was parked outside my office when the part failed. When I made my 20 minute commute to work around 7:30am it operated fine. When I returned to the vehicle around 5pm the key fob would not work, the instrumentation panel would not light up and the engine would not turn over. I tried jumping the battery multiple times with no improvement. The car was completely dead. We had to manually override the brakes just to get the car loaded onto a tow truck. Mechanics spent more than 4 hours looking over the vehicle to determine the source of the issue. After multiple tests they determined that the tcm was working fine (Ford issued a csp for tcms on this build) and that the BCM failed. They told me that typically a BCM will fail if there is an accident, water damage or a short, but they also confirmed that this vehicle showed no signs the failure was caused by these problems. They also told me that the part can fail with age, however, this is a newer model year with relatively low mileage. While I was fortunate that my car failed when the car was parked, I worry that other drivers may not be so lucky. It sounds like this part could fail while the vehicle is in motion, and if it does, can cause engine problems and result in sudden dangerous driving conditions. This is even more concerning knowing that there are other vehicles out there with this version of BCM and that they can fail prematurely too.

- Minneapolis, MN, USA

problem #135

Jun 012017

Focus

  • miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. While driving at unknown speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning and was unable to restart. The vehicle was towed to edd rogers valley Ford (located at 111 auto ln, sparga, tn 38583, (931) 738-2311) where it was diagnosed with a faulty transmission control module that needed replacement. The contact stated that the module was replaced at no cost to her. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Spart, TN, USA

problem #134

May 162017

Focus

  • miles
After purchasing the vehicle brand new in June 2013, the car would stall/jerk/grind when trying to take off after being stopped at a red light or stop sign, or just accelerating to increase speed. Had to take it in to the dealer to have the clutch repaired and even after this was performed, it still jerks, especially when the air conditioner is on. In January 2016, had to take it to the dealer to reprogram the PCM/tcm and perform clutch which was the 15B22 software update issued by Ford Motor Company. After 36,000 miles the horn stopped working. After 65,000 miles the check engine light turned on and after taking it to the dealer, was told it had a code P0456 which is a small evap leak present. Since it's not under warranty, I have to pay $119 just to diagnose the problem. Now I have a safety recall notice 16S30 which states it may be possible that my side door latch may break, which may make the door difficult to latch. All this on a vehicle that is under 100,000 miles and almost 4 years old.

- Wood Dale, IL, USA

problem #133

May 112017

Focus

  • 43,990 miles

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

This car experiences sudden loss of power leading to the inability to accelerate or even move the vehicle for varying lengths of time. This is left me stranded in dangerous situations three times. Twice I was in traffic (coming off the I-95 North and needing to merge my exit, then when stopped at a red light in a left turn lane). Most recently the vehicle would not start up after being in a parked. In the latter episode jump-starts did not help. While the dash lights eventually came on, and the windshield wipers were able to move one to two times and then died, the engine simply would not turn over. Initial evaluations by the dealer for an engine light gave an "overspeed code" which was not relevant to driving conditions.

- Laurel, MD, USA

problem #132

May 052017

Focus

  • 59,780 miles
As I was waiting for light to turn green at a busy intersection my car stalls. It was acting as if I had put my car in park and accelerate the gas. On my dash board I notice the symbol as if my traction was on. I turned my car off and tries to restart it. It will not turn over. Not even making a sound. Mind you I am at a very busy intersection. This is so dangerous especially if this would have happened on the freeway.

- Suisun, CA, USA

problem #131

May 012017

Focus

  • 72,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. While driving various speeds, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate and shuttered. On several occasions, the vehicle failed to start. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The contact indicated that the vehicle was previously repaired for the same failure. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 72,000.

- Lynchburg, VA, USA

problem #130

Apr 232017

Focus

  • 60,000 miles
Wires in the rear right luggage compartment have become exposed and/or broken from regular opening and closing of the luggage compartment lid. The wires are restricted in motion such that they bend with every opening and closing of the luggage compartment. This lead to a breaking of wires which caused the trunk light and opening mechanism to fail. Exposed wires can lead to many more problems like shorting the battery or an electrical fire.

- Sterling Heights, MI, USA

problem #129

Mar 152017

Focus

  • 40,000 miles

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

I've researched and have discovered that the radio head is bad. While driving, there is a ridiculously loud static noise that pulses at any given time. Even when I turn the ignition off, it still statics loudly - you can hear it while walking away and the windows are

- Navarre, OH, USA

problem #128

Mar 012017

Focus

  • 53,000 miles
"takata recall": about one month ago the horn started working intermittently before ceasing to work at all. It will not work where the car is parked or in drive. I bought the car less than a year ago. In general it has had other issues with the electronics in the car, anything having to do with the media system (auxiliary, usb, sync audio, etc have all stopped working) since I bought it in June 2016. I cannot obviously honk the horn while driving and communicate effectively with other drivers on the road. The car has ~53000 miles.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #127

Mar 252017

Focus

  • 45,000 miles
While driving on a main thoroughfare at 50mph my 2013 Ford Focus engine shutdown. I coasted to the side of the road. Luckily this did not cause an accident because no other vehicles were on the road. When I took the vehicle to the car shop I was notified the electrical wires had frayed, killing the engine, and was a known issue. There is a bulletin on 2013 Ford Focus documenting this problem (tsb 15-0036). Service representative repaired the harness at throttle body.

- Papillion, NE, USA

problem #126

Feb 202017

Focus 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 92,300 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. While driving low speeds, the steering wheel seized and the brake system warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted and operated correctly. The failure occurred several times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the electric steering motor burned out and needed replacement. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 92,300.

- Palm City, FL, USA

problem #125

Feb 192017

Focus

  • 69,707 miles
About 1 am this morning I left work and started down the highway with the gas gauge reading 44 miles to empty. Since it was rather late I decided to go home and just get gas in the morning but about halfway home it it dropped all the way from 44 down to 17 and then about a mile later ran out of gas. This was an issue but not the one I'm overly concerned about right now. I placed on my hazards and tried to flag down some help to get to the gas station I had to leave the car parked in a curve and though I was off the road it wasn't by much so I left the hazards on. When I came back roughly an hour and a half later the battery was completely dead. I got gas into the car and got the battery jumped and then started the vehicle with one major issue the instrument panel had gone completely dark so there was no way of telling how fast I was going nor could I see how much fuel was in the tank or engine temperature. The other issue was the turn signals also stopped working. Today I checked all the fuses and when I pulled out the one for the instrument panel it was absolutely fine but when I put it back in everything came back to life like there wasn't a problem about an hour and a half later in heavy traffic it all went dark again so I was unable to use my turn signal or tell how fast I was going. Once again I just pulled out the same fuse and push it back in and everything was fine. This just seems like it could be a real dangerous issue and as I read online this car seems to have a plethora of them also the issue with not getting an accurate reading of how much gas is in your tank is also a problem. The gentleman from the store who helped me put gas in the car and jump it said he has the exact same model for his wife and that he was told when she ran out of gas it was because the plastic tank melted and change shapes allowing inaccurate reading of the amount of fuel left

- Chesterfield, VA, USA

problem #124

Feb 012017

Focus

  • 60,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. While driving various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle for approximately twenty minutes. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

- Detroit, MI, USA

problem #123

Jan 022016

Focus 4-cyl

  • 23,000 miles
Newly purchased 2013 Ford Focus SE.1. initial incident at 23000 miles showing error code on dashboard display with subsequent vehicle stalling (car shutting off). Issue similar to alternator or battery failure. 2. now-persistent dashboard alarm light with message: Steering assist fault, service required. Ford district management informed-no assistance available for repair or buyback or recall. Repair estimate couple thousand dollars. Vehicle not drivable without repair. Electronic power steering locks during drive after start after car is in driving gear preventing turns and driveability. Please respond, thank you (new vehicle purchase) less than 40000 miles.

- Pompano Beach, FL, USA

problem #122

Jan 062017

Focus

  • 60,000 miles
Radio short -- the radio has stopped working and makes a very loud popping sound. It began as one loud pop. If you restarted the car the radio would work. Now, even with the radio off, the speakers will make an extremely loud popping sound. It happens randomly, and can happen out of the blue. When it happens it is very sudden, and very loud, loud enough to cause you to slam on the brakes, or immediately jerk the wheel due to fright. The radio makes static without the radio turned on, and even when you are not in the car. There is an active thread online www.focusfanatics.com/forum/car-audio-sync-myford-touch-electronics/358625-crackling-radio-problem-my-2012-sel.html that gave me the information I needed to help diagnose and remove the fuse. The loudness of the issue, the randomness, inability to maintain Focus on the road is a serious issue. In removing the fuse I now have lost the lock/unlock function of the doors and the ability to use my flashers. I will be going to Ford to have the radio head unit removed until I can resolve this with Ford. It is a serious safety issue.

- Battle Ground, WA, USA

problem #121

Jan 032017

Focus 4-cyl

  • 62,000 miles
While driving I came to a stop sign and as I started to let out the clutch and moving roughly 10 mph my car engine completely shut off and power steering was lost. Interior lights were still functional but when I went to start up the car again it would not turn over. This is a manual transmission but nothing was working to get it started again. This to me is unacceptable flaw in the system that put me at risk of causing an accident. Being stuck in the middle of an intersection and without power to the engine. I am fortunate enough that I was on side streets and not on a highway as this issue could have caused a serious accident. I took it to a garage to get it fixed and they told me that my model was not under recall. Doing some research found Ford recall 14S17-S1 for the Ford Focus St same year (2013) as mine with the exact problem my car had. The garage that I am receiving the repairs at told me they found 5 wires that were severed and was part of the problem. I have yet to get the full diagnostics from the garage but will be adding the document to the report once this has been resolved and all issues are made aware.

- Northborough, MA, USA

problem #120

Dec 262016

Focus

  • 62,000 miles
Car has stalled while driving now 5 times in 9 days. The first time driving from denver to casper, I wasn't too far from home the steering assist service needed warning came on, and about 5 miles later I received a transmission service required warning, immediately followed by an engine service now warning and I completely lost power. In trying to restart the vehicle, I had all my lights and everything (including warnings), but no crank. When a nice person asked to push me to the shoulder at least out of the turn lane while waiting for a tow truck. The car started right up. Towed the car still to a Ford dealership, where I was told nothing was found and they couldn't replicate the problem. 7 days later. And about 250 miles from home on the interstate. The same thing happened. The car started about an hour later after the tow truck driver arrived to help. Was able to drive the car home, and again the following day the fold dealership told me just communication codes on the computer and unsure what the issue is. Today, the car did the same thing 3 more times in the span of 2 hours. Once I was stopping in the right through lane at a stop light with my daughter in the car when it stalled out. Noticed this time even though I had the car in park the dash read it was in drive. Had the ECM on the transmission replaced already in September. Right now it is back a the dealership as I do not trust this car with me in it, let alone my 2 little girls.

- Thornton, CO, USA

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