Problems with 2013 Ford Focus POWER TRAIN

Every single time i drive in the city and take off the transmission shutters and skips. it sounds like a dump truck taking off. it feels very unsafe and likes to do things on its own. a car should not have these types of issues at that low of miles. i have to much money in this car for ford to sale a defective product. *tr

Ford is experiencing significant repair obligations due to the defective design of their clutch/automatic transmission arrangement on their 2013 ford focus models. the owner of this vehicle is driving a car that has a tendency to stall at intersections and at highway entry lanes. i have been told this condition is being experienced by many other focus drivers. this is a hazardous condition and as far as i can tell, ford is telling owners of these vehicles to keep on driving them until the parts can be replaced and the wait time in many cases is extending 90 days or more. *tr

After purchasing this vehicle in 2013 we found out the transmission does not have a torque converter. therefore, the transmission shakes, makes noises, and seems to grab, feeling like the vehicle might stall although it never has. we have had it in to the local ford dealer two times and both times we were told that the transmission is "within specs". the vehicle seems to be better when the vehicle is cool. once it warms up the issues seem to occur regularly when driven on city streets. we were told at the car dealership that one half of these models for this year vehicle have transmissions like this. the other half of vehicles have regular transmission that have torque converters.

The 2013 ford focus has an ongoing safety concern regarding the transmission. this is a known problem, as there is a plethora of similar complaints online. the transmission jerks/shutters/jumps/vibrates etc. when shifting, mostly between neutral and gears 1 through 3. this is most prevalent when starting from a stop, or any low speed/coasting situations. this is a huge safety concern which ford needs to address. i commute in stop and go traffic every day, and i never know when the card is just going to suddenly jerk forward, quickly accelerate, or not accelerate at all. this could easily lead to causing accidents, or not being able to avoid accidents, as i feel like i have little to no control over the car at low speeds. this is a safety concern i have every single day i drive the car - it's not a once-in-a-while incident, it's all the time. ford should really fix this problem before people have catastrophic failures (if they haven't already) from this transmission failing, causing serious personal and property damage, accidents, and possible death. *js

Takata recall

Car shakes and hesitates while trying to accelerate. seems like clutch or transmission slippage. there is also some type of vibrating/rattling noise at the same time. once the car shifts past 2nd gear it seems to be better. bought the car with 35000 miles and didn't notice it right away. slowly has gotten worse and the car now has 56000 miles. something is not right.

For a number of months the vehicle transmission shudders, lags, and acts intermittently lurching. very dangerous. when applying gas, one never knows if the vehicle will go forward smoothly, or instead lurch or shudder potentially causing to be rear-ended by someone or hit because the vehicle doesn't accelerate to queue. all accompanied by a loud grinding sound. a piece of junk! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. while accelerating the vehicle from a stop or while in reverse, the vehicle shuttered without warning. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutch failed. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred six times. the vehicle was service per a technical service bulletin for the transmission clutch failure. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 49,067. updated 03/02/17*lj *tr

Trouble shifting between 1st and 2nd gears, when turning a corner won't stay in gear, feels rough and studders between 1st and 2nd gears. have been told by a ford technician to drive the car "like i was an 18 year old" or told transmission is working as should be.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that an unknown part related to the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v495000 (electrical system). the failure mileage was 48,000.

The car shudders & hesitates upon take off from a standing start. it fails to pick up speed after starting & hesitates instead of moving off. it jerks forward then hesitates. we have taken it to the dealer 3 times, but they only do what ford has dictated that they do which does not fix the problem. i have contacted ford motor co. & they say they are not willing to fix the problem but we need to live with it.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving at low speeds, the vehicle suddenly shook and shuddered when in first or second gear. the vehicle was taken the dealer, who diagnosed that the clutch shaft seals needed to be replaced and the clutch needed to be reset. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 13,900. ......updated 01/12/15*bf updated 4/26/2016*js updated 9/11/17*cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. the contact stated that while at a complete stop and depressing the accelerator pedal, attempting to accelerate, the vehicle would shudder and hesitate to pick up speed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch of the vehicle had failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, however the failure recurred. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken back to the dealer three separate occasions after the initial repair, to have the software updated; but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 25,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. the contact stated that the vehicle would hesitate when attempting to accelerate and made a loud grinding noise. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician rebuilt and sealed the transmission. the failure recurred. the failure mileage was 9,815.

Was in the far left hand lane on i-15 in the mira loma, ca area going about 10-15 mph in stop and go traffic, as traffic started to clear i pressed the accelerator to increase speed and the car would not go any faster than 20 mph. i pulled off to the left hand shoulder and had the car towed to the nearest ford dealer. this is the second time this has happened. in addition, the car constantly "shudders" at low speeds to which ford has advised me is a design flaw in the automatic transmission, clutch assembly and that nothing can be done about it. *tr

Sudden stuttering power loss when making a turn nearly caused a rear and head-on collision. lack of acceleration for several seconds left vehicle immobile. constant shuddering under different loads of acceleration with no passengers, multiple passengers, on different road grades and conditions occurs. loss of confidence in vehicle to maneuver safely. *tr

The clutch assembly was reprogrammed on 11/14/14 at 14,219 miles. the assembly was replaced on 3/23/15 at 16,784 miles after waiting 1 month for the parts. on 7/5/16 the assembly was tested and failed. it was replaced on 9/1/16 at 25,262 miles after waiting for the parts. within the first week after this third repair, the transmission was starting to slip again. every time it has been worse than the time before. the last time the transmission slipped from 1st to 2nd gear. it stuttered, hesitated to the point of stalling, jerked and lurched forward when the 2nd gear finally engaged. there was no acceleration and it was a struggle to climb the smallest hill. this car is dangerous and frankly scares me to death. i have to wait to make a left turn on city streets until the traffic is very clear. the cars waiting behind me are blowing horns, cursing me and giving crude gestures. merging onto the freeway is truly frightening. stop and go traffic finds me stuttering along. ford has known of this problem since 2011 and has yet to find a solution. they call it a service action when actually it should be a recall. this car is not safe. the slipping is not too bad now but it is getting progressively worse. it does not happen every time so i have to be alert to the problem whenever i stop and go. if the problem is any worse this time, it will be totally unsafe to drive. i have less than 26,000 miles on the car and it is not yet paid for. the resale/trade in value to dramatically decreasing if i can sell it at all. *tr

Transmission shudders upon acceleration, sputters into gears and does not shift smoothly. it also shudders when accelerating at about 20mph

Same complaint as many others. shimmys, shakes when going into 2nd. not all the time. seems to happen when not enough excelleration. from a complete stop.

Purchased from ford dealer in late october 2014. car had 29,530 miles. transmission problems. clutch replaced tcm reprogrammed. continued to experience transmission problems. jerking, shuddering, lurching and sometimes failure to move unless accelerator pressed several times. tcm reprogrammed again at 37,200 miles. problems still continue. car is back in shop again two weeks later (10/15/2015). problem diagnosed again as clutch issue. recommended fix is clutch replacement again. clutch is on back order and will take 4 to 6 weeks. ford does not want to provide loaner or rental car. reason they say is it is safe to drive? clearly with how the transmission is performing, it is a safety risk. someone is likely to get seriously hurt or killed. looking up this problem on the internet, i was overwhelmed with the number of complaints, lemon law filings and class action suits. when is the government going to act before someone is seriously hurt or killed? i do have all the attempted repair documents except for current. car is still at the dealer....updated 10/27/15*bf updated 4/20/18*jb *cn

As many other owners have mentioned, my ford focus has this problem with accelerating after being stopped at a light or stop sign. i do the best i can to play with the gas pedal, trying to find a sweet spot so the car behaves but it's pretty impossible. the car is great on the highway but for stop and go driving it is awful. i'm not sure i can keep the car with such a persistent problem that seems to affect all focus models, but i will talk to the dealership repair people this week and let them know i have filed this complaint and that i expect them to take care of the problem. *tr

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.

Car's transmission shutters and jolts. hesitates to accelerate. dangerous when merging onto highway or making a turn. sent it to ford to fix as per their fsa on the transmission seal. both dealerships said there was nothing wrong with it, but it still hesitates, shutters, shakes and jolts. this is a safety concern. it needs to be brought up to ford.

After owning my 2013 focus se hatch for 20 months i finally bit the bullet, paid off my lease early, turned it in and walked away. the car is now only worth $10,500 (50% of original value) so that tells you all you need to know what the reputation of this car is doing to its value. what a shame because it truely is a great car - except for its terrible transmission. took it in 3 times over the last 20 months to 2 different ford dealerships and each time its deemed "normal" or the transmission is "reprogrammed with the latest update" but the shuttering, noise, hesitation, etc continues. the last straw was once again at in intersection while turning left the car hesitated and i was almost t-boned again (second time in 6 months). complaining to ford got me "customer satisfaction program 14m01: an extension of the warranty to 7 years. are you kidding me! so the only way i know how to vote is with my wallet and so after over 20 years of fords i bought a 2015 honda accord lx. the cvt transmission in the accord is so smooth it's almost like driving an electric car. i'll take my honda made in o-h-i-o over the ford made in mexico any day! good luck and god bless to all the other ford focus owners out there. i hope this never gets to the point of a fatality but unfortunately i'm not optimistic. *tr

Transmission went into neutral, pulled over restarted, car drove in lower gear, then went into neutral again while driving on road. pulled over once again. restarted, then transmission shifted erratically. again went into neutral, then into lower gear able to limp car into nearest dealer. this is happening to many cars to be isolated. ford needs to own the bad design. *tr

When i first got the car in september 2013, the car would jerk and shake when pulling off from a stop and was also very loud. i took it to be serviced and they told me that was normal. i took it back a few months later because i didn't believe that was normal. they fixed it. but now it's starting to shake again. in june 2014 the engine light started coming o for a few days. i took it to ford and they claim they fixed the problem. the light came back on in july, they claimed there was nothing wrong with it. the light was back on in september, they claimed yet again, nothing was wrong with it. i took it took a small transmission shop, they read my codes and immediately found a problem, claiming it was a transmission issue. a few days later, the light was back on. each time the engine light comes on, it would stall and immediately slow down right in the middle of traffic. each time ford claimed nothing was wrong with the vehicle, the engine light would be on for two days. each time i took my vehicle to ford, they would keep it 2-5 days... i couldn't get a rental car half of the time because they wouldn't actually do their job until the last day and then tell me that nothing's wrong with my car. we all know, your warranty company needs to know the problem before authorizing a rental vehicle. this last time in october, they claim to have fixed it. they claim that a sensor had to be replaced. i will never buy another ford vehicle. i cannot wait to get rid of this car! my car is still shaky. it makes a kind of loud noise now as well. *tr

No reverse on automatic transmission, and loud noises when on drive position. *tr

Vehicle shudders, jerks, shakes upon launch. also when going uphill vehicle jerks (similar to how a standard engine would jerk when taking off in the wrong gear). also when parking, vehicle "jumps" into park after car after engine is off or foot is taken off brake. transmission problem??? *tr

Vehicle failed to shift into gear during turn in an intersection. engine revs but transmission didn't shift into gear, then it forcefully engaged into gear. vehicle repeatedly and forcefully engages gear at low speeds causing to it jerk forward abruptly and without warning. transmission has continuous chatter during initial acceleration. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. while driving 40 mph, the vehicle lost power. in addition, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle jerked and hesitated before accelerating. the check engine warning indicator illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer on numerous occasions where it was diagnosed that the clutch needed to be replaced. the vehicle was replaced on numerous occasions; however, the failure persisted. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 30,000.

Was driving with my wife and noticed a loud rattling sound coming from the transmission. i had just had my focus serviced less than three weeks ago. seems the longer i drive the worse the transmission gets. hesitation and slipping followed by loud noises from transmission. *tr

When at a complete stop and needing to accelerate into traffic, the vehicle hesitates and then thrusts/jerks into gear. *tr

Been having the transmission shudder for the past few mouths and last week i went to put my seatbelt on and it wouldn't lock .driver side seatbelt broke on the female end. *tr

I purchased a brand new 2013 ford focus in june 2013, i began having issues with the car lurching and shuddering in fall 2014. when i apply my foot to the gas, the car hesitates and then lurches and shudders before fully accelerating. the problem is the transmission. when going uphill, the car hesitates and shudders excessively. the shuddering is worse in cold weather and when air conditioner is running in hot weather. i was told it was an issue with the clutch in the transmission and it was replaced in oct 2014. in jan 2016, i was back with the same problem and they gave the same fix. there were recalls that required reprogramming which i had done but the shuddering continued. 4 months ago, i was told it was not shuddering outside of normal amounts and i had to pay for the repairs even though it should have been covered under my dealer warranty. when i got the car back it was still shuddering and i have not gone back. if i get the car serviced anywhere else, i lose the lifetime power train warranty that the specific dealership offered. i cannot afford a new car nor can i continue to pay out of pocket for repairing the same problem over and over again. the problem is continuing and i am frustrated with the service managers attitude about getting it fixed. the last time it was "fixed" was march 2019 but the shuddering never went away. i was told the transmission would re-learn my driving style and it would go away.

The check engine light came on. the transmission shudders and hesitates under acceleration.

I have a 2013 focus with 28600 miles. on a daily basis i when i accelerate it rattles and hesitates. the dealership said it was a smart transmission and is just what it does. on oct 3rd 2014 i was at a busy intersection and waiting for the light to turn green. the light turned green and the car acted as though it was in neutral and would not drive. after about 15 seconds with everyone honking at me it started to move forward but sounded like it was going back and forth from neutral to drive and i couldn't go over 30. i barely made it to a parking lot. i pulled over and called the dealership but it was to late and the associate said i had to call back at 7 in the morning. my car shuddered all the way home especially when i had to stop and accelerate at a light or stop sign. i called in the morning and they said to bring the car in. the next day it drove fine. they thought it might be bad gas due to the fact the engine light had come on during the malfunction. that just made me mad. the dealership put it on the computer and it came up a bad transmission module? i am out a car for a week. i do not want the car back . what if it happens after 36000 miles. ford knows about this problem. i bought this car with an expectation of it being safe. it is not. it is a dangerous car. you should be ashamed ford corporation you are putting peoples lives in danger. *tr

The transmission in my car has failed 7 times since 7/15/2014. the transmission fails and causes the car to jerk, shudder, lag and jump in traffic. i have nearly rear-ended many vehicles and was nearly hit 3 times because the transmission slipped while making a left hand turn. this car is not safe to drive.

Had to buy two new front tires due to wear at only 24,000. tire person says they were just discussing this rash of 2013 ford focus owners with this same problem. this vehicle shakes, and vibrates excessively upon acceleration. taking off slowly is the most noticeable. i find that if i punch the accelerator at take off it is more positive without too much shaking and vibrating. now it jumps, shakes and vibrates into gear to catch up. makes loud rattling noises when turning and acceleration. by the sound of this car you would never guess it was a fairly new car. i am so disappointed. also having some type of electrical/computer problem. if i use the auto sensor lights the computer screen will display a large information icon and the cars warning chime is going continually. will not use auto sensor lights anymore. too scary. this is all happening while i'm driving. the second time this happened i freaked to death while driving and trying to figure out what is going on with my car and this warning chime going off. i even thought maybe one of my car doors was ajar and my child is in the back. very dangerous situation. this morning january 16. i go out to unlock my car and nothing, the car will not unlock. no flash of lights. so i try it several more times and finally my driver door unlocks. i'm thinking remote battery. i still can't unlock other doors not even from the inside. i put the key in the ignition to start. nothing. no life. i start to head in to get keys for second car. i try the remote again and now the other doors unlock. key in ignition and car now starts. my clock is still at 5:39 am. car will not recognize ipod. check cable. turn car off and on after several more attempts to get car to recognize ipod, suddenly starts to work. try to fix my clock many more times, still going back to 5:39am pull out car dummy book. nothing. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus equipped with goodyear viva 3 tires, size: 215/55r16 (na). the contact stated that the vehicle would not accelerate over 30 mph and the change engine oil warning indicator illuminated. the contact also stated that a warning message illuminated, indicating that the vehicle would shut off in five minutes due to overheating. furthermore, while driving between 50 to 70 mph, the vehicle shook. the vehicle was taken to herb chambers ford of westborough (310 turnpike rd, westborough, ma 01581, (508) 366-8311) where it was diagnosed that the computer needed to be reset and replaced and that the tires were bald. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. the vehicle failure mileage was 97,000. the tire failure mileage was unknown.

My wife pulled out to make a right turn and the car bogged down,stuttered, hesitated. long enough that she was scarred by the approaching traffic. this has happened several times. the stuttering, bogging down occurs all the time! we have had the car into kendall ford twice already and have another appointment scheduled for october 28th. the next available service time. service manager stated he has 40 of these cars in need of this repair right now, and that is the reason for the delay. this car is unsafe in its current condition. we are reluctant to drive it, please press ford's to do the right thing and fix these cars. it should not take tragedies to make corrections! thank you [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Anytime while driving this vehicle you will experience grinding,shuttering and hesitation usually at lower traffic speeds , which is sometimes unsafe while merging into traffic because of the hesitation. *tr

My vehicle failed to shift and had erratic lunging as well as loss of propulsion. it spent more than 3 months at the dealer in total and now the same problems are coming back. i have taken it in to be fixed more than 7 times and now will need to take it in again. the problems started around 20k miles and have continued since. the problem nearly caused an accident when the transmission failed to shift and stayed in neutral. please help.

Transmission shudders, jerks and makes rattles especially on acceleration

Just like 100s of others, car stutters and hesitates. took to ford dealer in macon, ga. and problem continues and we all wonder why there is no recall. does no one care about safety and doing what is right???????????????????? *tr

Transmission makes a metal type noise consistently and surges when warm. there is a random clicking noise under hood. transmission disengages intermittently while driving.

Grinding/rattling noise and heavy shuddering/shaking/lurching occurs at low speeds. not normal sounds. i drove manual vehicles for over 15 years and never experienced this occurrence, with the exception of first learning how to drive a manual. it is currently in the shop for a recall (that this site doesn't note, for some reason, but ford does find). i have never once (2 months time) gotten over 31 mpg either. this was purchased as a commuter vehicle, and for it to rarely get 30 mpg is sad, considering my driving an 8 year old, 175k mile corolla meant getting upwards of 34 mpg consistently. have made 2 payments on the car and wishing i had never bought it. *tr

I have brought the car to the dealership for multiple (4) transmission issues over the past year. the car has 25000 miles on it. the last time was july 17, 2015. when i picked up the car i was told it needed a new clutch but was okay to drive. i was told the clutch was back ordered 4 to 8 weeks but the car was okay to drive in its present state. the car continued to stutter at low speeds but i was told this was normal for this transmission. on july 31st the car began to stutter harshly and then completely stalled out in traffic in the middle of the road. the on board computer indicated a transmission failure. a second ford dealership said they repaired the transmission but not the clutch that was previously indicated. they also said the car was safe to drive. it is not. it stutters harshly and can't be depended on to merge into traffic safely. as of today, it sits in my driveway waiting for a new clutch. i don't know if it will finally be repaired or if the problem will return. in my opinion this car is not safe and the potential exists for someone to get seriously hurt or even killed. i know of two other owners of these vehicles (focus). both are having the exact same problem. one of which is having her transmission repaired for the third time today. this is a safety issue.

I was in heavy stop and go traffic. every time i would start to go the car would shudder, buck and stumble. it actually stalled in traffic. i continued to stumble, shudder and buck shifting gears until i got to free flowing traffic. i had been to dealer several times prior to reprogram the transmission but it never fixed the problem. the car got so bad in october 2014 that ford authorized the dealer to replace the dual clutch unit to the transmission. that temporarily cured the problem. the car has since started to shift rough, shudder and stumble in slow traffic. the dealer is documenting the dual clutch unit is failing again. ford refuses to replace the new dual clutch unit at this writing. the car currently has 20,800 miles on the odometer 4/2015. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving at 5 mph, there was an abnormal noise coming from the front end of the vehicle. the failure occurred several times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the clutch needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 8,000. the vin was not available.

Vehicle shudders, bucks & hesitates upon take off and acceleration. feels like its going to stall. makes grinding noise when changing gears. have had it "repaired" twice at the ford dealership where purchased for same issue. first time on 9/8/2014 & 2nd time on 5/4/2015.