NHTSA (USA)Critical
This page covers 17 recalls, 2170 owner complaints, NHTSA crash-test ratings and EPA fuel economy for the 2013 Ford Focus.
105 MPGe combined
Compact Cars
Fuel economy data from fueleconomy.gov (EPA / U.S. Dept. of Energy). Annual cost based on 15,000 mi/yr at 55% city driving and current fuel prices. MPG is U.S. gallons; L/100km converted. Ranges reflect the 5 tested variants for this model year.
5/5 Overall
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating
The 2013 Ford Focus draws complaints heavily concentrated in the powertrain, which accounts for nearly half of all reports filed for this model year. Owners most commonly describe the transmission hesitating, shuddering, and jerking during acceleration, with RPMs climbing while the vehicle fails to gain speed, a pattern consistent across a large share of the powertrain complaints. A smaller but notable group reports the transmission losing the ability to engage gears entirely while driving, with the shifter moving freely without selecting a gear and no warning light before the failure. Steering is the second most-reported system, with owners describing the power steering cutting out suddenly, the wheel becoming hard or impossible to turn, and warning messages appearing on the instrument cluster. Some owners also report difficulty restarting the vehicle after short stops, with the engine running rough before failing to start again.
2,170
Total Complaints
50
Crash-Related
12
Fire-Related
25
With Injuries
By System
The 2013 Ford Focus has 17 recalls, the most serious being multiple issues that can cause the engine to stall without warning while driving, cutting power and raising the risk of a crash.
Several recalls converge on this stalling risk through different paths: a canister purge valve that creates excessive vacuum in the fuel vapor system, faulty engine wiring harness splices that disrupt engine signals, and a powertrain control module software fault on Focus Electric models that causes a sudden loss of drive power. Some of these stalling-related recalls affect vehicles where earlier repair attempts did not fully resolve the issue. On the fire side, the 120V charge cord supplied with Focus Electric models can overheat and ignite, and on vehicles equipped with a block heater and a 2.0L engine, the heater can develop a coolant leak that causes an electrical short when the cord is plugged in.
Door security is another recurring theme. A component inside the door latches can break and allow a door to swing open while moving, and prior repairs to this defect on some vehicles were not completed correctly. On manual transmission hatchback models, the rear hatch can unlatch with a single press of the interior button, which could catch a driver off guard with unsecured passengers nearby. A rooftop rack system sold for certain model years may not grip the door frame securely enough to stay in place. Focus Electric models also lack an audible chime when the door opens with the vehicle still on, and certain Electric and ST trims with HID headlights may have side marker lamps that do not illuminate properly, reducing nighttime visibility.
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Ratings from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Based on 2 tested variants; worst-case ratings shown.
Complaints are owner-reported and reflect individual experiences, not confirmed defects. They are distinct from recalls. Data sourced from the national vehicle safety complaint database. See trending complaints →
At a glance
What can fail
The canister purge valve may malfunction in certain 2012-2018 Focus vehicles that received an incorrect repair under recall 18V735, causing the engine to stall unexpectedly while driving.
What the fix does
Dealers will update the powertrain control module software at no cost to address the valve malfunction.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The engine block heater may crack and leak coolant, creating an electrical short circuit when plugged in.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the block heater or install a threaded plug and remove the electrical cord.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The engine block heater may leak coolant, which could cause an electrical short circuit when plugged in.
What the fix does
The block heater will be replaced at a Ford dealership.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
A door latch component may break, making doors hard to close or allowing doors to appear closed when they're actually unsecured.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect door latches and replace them if needed at no cost. Owners can also check latch date codes online to verify if repair was done correctly.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The engine control module wasn't updated as planned. This can cause the canister purge valve to fail, creating too much vacuum in the fuel vapor system.
What the fix does
Dealers will update the engine control module software, check for fault codes, and replace the canister purge valve if needed. Related components will be inspected and replaced as necessary.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The canister purge valve may stop working properly, creating too much vacuum in the fuel vapor management system.
What the fix does
Dealer will reprogram the engine control module and check for fault codes. Canister purge valve, carbon canister, fuel tank, or fuel delivery module will be replaced if needed.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The 120V charging cord lacks a thermistor. If your home's outlet or wiring has high resistance, the cord can overheat and melt during charging.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace your cord with a new 120V convenience cord that includes a thermistor, at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The hatchback can open with a single press of the interior release button, failing to stay latched properly.
What the fix does
Dealers will reprogram the Body Control Module with updated software at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The rear hatchback can unlock and open with one press of the interior release button while the vehicle is moving at speeds below 7 km/h, which violates safety standards.
What the fix does
Dealers will update the Body Control Module software to prevent the hatchback from opening while the vehicle is in motion.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
A component inside the door latches can break, causing doors to fail to latch or appear closed when they are actually unsecured.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the door latches with an improved part at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Engine wiring connections to the MAP sensor may not compress properly, causing incorrect signals to the engine control module.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the crimped wire splices with new ones at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Defective splices in the engine wiring harness can cause reduced power, engine hesitation, or stalling, which results in loss of power and increases crash risk.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the affected wiring splices in the engine harness.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Engine wiring harness connections to the MAP sensor may not compress properly, causing the sensor to send incorrect signals to the engine control module.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the defective wiring splices with new ones at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
A software issue in the powertrain control module may cause the engine to stall unexpectedly while driving.
What the fix does
Dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module at no cost to restore normal operation.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The door chime does not sound when the vehicle is running and the driver's door opens, failing to alert the driver to an open door.
What the fix does
Dealers will update the door chime software at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
A wiring incompatibility in HID headlamp assemblies prevents the front side marker lamps from working properly on certain 2012–2013 Focus BEV and 2013 Focus ST vehicles.
What the fix does
Dealers will modify the headlamp assembly wiring at no cost to correct the marker lamp function.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Certain Yakima Q-Tower and Q128 Clip rooftop rack systems (part numbers 8000124 and 8000728) don't fully contact the door frame on 2012-2013 Ford Focus vehicles.
What the fix does
Yakima will refund the purchase price of the Q-Tower and Q128 Clip system. No replacement system is available for these model years.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
