Problems · by component

2013 Ford Focus engine problems

355 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2013 Ford Focus cite engine, 16% of all 2,157 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
355
16% of all complaints
Crashes
7
Reported by owners
Fires
6
Reported by owners
Injuries
6
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the engine

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the transmission was slipping, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 126,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 30, 2025Power train, EngineODI 11670310
“The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle shuddered and hesitated. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 103,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 17, 2025Power train, EngineODI 11667397
“I have a current recall on my transmission I notify for it. I went up there to get the recall fixed. They plugged it up to the machine to see about my transmission, and they said it came back with a cold that was not associated with the recall for my transmission, but it did say something was wrong with my transmission, I looked into that popped up on the cold reader and it’s it. I gave them the number and they said that Ford will be unable to pay for it and they told me I would have to pay $175 in order to hook it up to the main machine to see what exactly the code is if it match the cold that will pay for me new transmission. I explained to them that if I have a recall on the car for my door, lash and my transmission , why would I have to pay for so he kept running around loops not trying to give me a correct response basically just making me trying to pay for them to hook up something that should be for free so my car is accelerating is not accelerating speed, it keeps on clicking is something to do with my transmission, which it has a recall on it before in Orange will not fix it Paid paid off so I need someone to help me solve this matter because Ford and…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 8, 2025Vehicle speed control, EngineODI 11647156
“The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly lost motive power before suddenly jolting forward. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed failures with the clutch, slave cylinder, and shift levelers. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 24,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 6, 2025Power train, EngineODI 11646728
“The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled and shut off at a red light. The contact stated that after ten attempts the vehicle restarted. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 196,666.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 11, 2024Electrical system, EngineODI 11630181
“I am experiencing a significant issue with my 2013 Ford Focus that aligns with known recall symptoms. When I accelerate from a stop, the car shakes violently, similar to a washing machine off balance, and struggles to gain momentum. This issue impacts the vehicle's performance and safety, and I believe it may be related to a recall affecting this model. I kindly request your assistance in diagnosing and resolving this problem under the applicable recall or warranty coverage. Please let me know the next steps to address this concern.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 28, 2024Power train, Unknown or other, EngineODI 11627869

Showing 6 of 355 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.