KnownCarProblems2013 Ford Fiesta Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 668 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Ford Fiesta, most often about the transmission (59% of complaints, typically around 20,000 miles). It is the 2nd most complained-about Fiesta model year since 2000 and has 3 recalls.
Most common 2013 Ford Fiesta problems
Transmission
391 complaints · 59%Half of these problems showed up before 20,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, clutch assembly.
When trying to take off car almost shuts off and then all of the sudden picks back up and takes off. Sometimes coming out of first gear the gas sticks and chugs like it isn't getting gas just going down the highway. It is so bad that if you want to take off into traffic you have to cut the air off or heat to get all…
Transmission started shuddering shifting into 2nd gear. I believe it is also doing the samething going into 4th gear. Uphill sometimes it can't get out of it's own way. Had no problems until now. Car was fun to drive and getting 40mpg. Taking it to dealer tomorrow. We'll see.
Engine
113 complaints · 17%Half of these problems showed up before 18,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine.
First time it almost completely died on me getting on the highway, then all of the sudden it gunned it and took off. About 3 miles down the high way engine lights and service lights came on. I got to work and they towed it. They said they changed some kind of wiring under the front window and dash. That didn't fix it.…
Took car to get accelerator sticking, chugging down, loosing power for the 5th time. When they put it on the computer to see what was wrong they found out that the last dealer that did the airbag recall left the thing unplugged. What? Really? If we would have got the accelerator to stick or car die when I was pulling…
Other or unspecified
91 complaints · 14%Half of these problems showed up before 48,000 miles.
While driving on the freeway, my passenger door suddenly swung wide opened. I had to pull over and then hold the door all the way to dealership. The dealer said they will fix the passenger door only since they were not allowed to fix the rest of the doors even though all 4 doors are in recall. My car have been with…
Went to start my vehicle and it did not turn on at all. There is just a clicking noise, so the starter is good, however the battery was dead. I jumped started the car and was able to drive. My information screen said, "transmission malfunction please service now". The vehicle would run at 4,000 rpms before shifting…
Body and structure
78 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 39,000 miles. Parts named most often: body.
Upon closing rear passenger door, the door latch broke and would not allow the door to shut or the vehicle to be secure. This occurred away from home and was problematic in that the vehicle could not be secured, locked or shut. We had to strap the door shut until we could obtain repair, which cost around $500.
The transmission has been slipping constantly. When starting from a dead stop the transmission slips preventing its from catching the first two gears. Also the passenger side door latch will not close. The door all of a sudden came open while driving. This car is unsafe.
Electrical
62 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 58,000 miles. Parts named most often: software.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. While the contact's daughter was driving various speeds, the vehicle slowed down and stalled. The vehicle restarted and the "service immediately" message was displayed. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to mel hambelton Ford (11771 w kellogg ave…
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the rear driver side door unlocked independently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 55,000.
Doors and locks
47 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 52,000 miles. Parts named most often: doors.
On august 8th, the driver's door would not latch. The latch was replaced at the dealer ($450). On september 5th, the front passenger side door stopped latching. We called 5 local dealers before we could find one that had the part as we were told it was on national backorder. When we were able to locate a dealer with…
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. While driving 30 MPH, the passenger side door inadvertently opened. The passenger had to manually hold the door closed while the contact drove to the residence. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer stated that there were no recalls on the vehicle and recommended the…
Speed control
43 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 15,000 miles.
I bought a new 2013 Ford Fiesta in november of 2012. I have had nothing but problems since. It has been in the shop more than 3 times, once was a broken catalytic converter, the other time was a soaked clutch, and another time was to get recalibrated. This car has acceleration issues and almost causes many accidents…
The rear passenger side door, where my son sits in his booster, stopped closing one afternoon on our way to his soccer game. I used a piece of rope to tie the door across the car to the door opposite until I could get my car into the Ford dealership the next day. I searched the internet and saw an article regarding…
Fuel system
15 complaints · 2%Half of these problems showed up before 21,500 miles.
Transmission issues since purchasing the car brand new in 2013. Car jerks and accelerates sporadically. When taking off from a stop the car does not respond to pushing on the gas, but will then suddenly take off. It moves through the gears in a clunky manner. Makes grinding noises upon acceleration. The car rolls back…
I have been experiencing transmission problems including the car stalling when accelerating while trying to complete turns in traffic during turn signals. I have at one point a situation at a stop light where brakes were applied and car went forward unexpectedly. Additionally since almost the beginning of the vehicle…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2013 Ford Fiesta recalls
Doors and locks: latch
Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to inspect their own vehicle's door latches and enter the date codes into a website to determine if the latches are correct. Owner notification letters were mailed on july 27, 2020. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20s30.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 fiesta, 2013-2014 fusion, 2015 mustang, 2013-2015 escape and c-max, 2012-2015 focus, 2014-2016 transit connect, 2013-2014 lincoln mkz, and 2015 mkc vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15v-246, 16v-643 or 17v-210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
Doors and locks: latch
Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace all four door latches with an improved part, free of charge. Interim notifications were mailed to owners on june 5, 2015. The recall began on december 18, 2015. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15s16.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) notified the agency on april 23, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2013-2014 ford fusion and lincoln mkz vehicles manufactured july 1, 2012, to may 31, 2013, and 2012-2014 fiesta vehicles manufactured february 1, 2012, to may 31, 2013. On april 30, 2015, ford expanded the recall to cover an additional 119,567 vehicles, including certain model year 2011 ford fiestas manufactured from november 11, 2009, to may 31, 2013 and certain model year 2013 ford fusion and lincoln mkz vehicles manufactured from february 1, 2012, to june 30, 2012. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
Air bags
Risk: An occupant in the right rear seating position will not have coverage from the side curtain air bag in a side impact collision when the front passenger seat is empty, increasing the risk of injury to the right rear occupant.
Fix: Ford will notify owners and dealers will reprogram the vehicle's software free of charge so that it no longer suppresses the passenger side curtain air bag when the front passenger seat is empty, and consistent with the description in the owner's guide. The safety recall began on october 26, 2012. Owner's may contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
Full defect summary
Ford is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 fiesta vehicles, manufactured from november 3, 2009 through september 21, 2012. The vehicles fail to comply with federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) no. 208, "occupant crash protection." the passenger side curtain air bag will not deploy in the event of a side impact collision when the front passenger seat is empty. Although the side curtain air bag system was designed to suppress the side curtain air bag under this scenario, that information is not explained in the owner's guide for these vehicles as required by fmvss no. 208.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Door latch failures
Summary
In december 2019, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened this investigation based on 235 vehicle owner questionnaires (voqs) alleging doors failed to latch when closed, and/or inadvertently opened while driving, on model year (my) 2012-2014 ford fiesta, and 2013-2014 fusion and lincoln mkz. Some voqs reported the failure occurred after the latch had been remedied under a prior recall which involved fracture of the latch pawl spring tab due to thermally induced cyclic fatigue. Other voqs alleged a similar failure in vehicles not previously recalled. A latch with a fractured pawl spring tab typically results in a ?door will not close? Condition, however in certain somewhat rare circu
Door latch failure
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened an investigation based on consumer allegations of doors failing to latch and/or inadvertently opening on model year (my) 2011-2013 ford fiesta, my 2013 ford fusion and my 2013 lincoln mkz vehicles. All of the affected vehicles share the same door latch design.odi has received 281 unique reports related to the alleged problem, with over 100 claiming that the door(s) opened inadvertently while the vehicle was in motion. There were no crashes reported however three separate injuries were indicated, all caused by a rebounding door striking a consumer after they attempted to close it. In response to odi's information request (ir) letter, ford motor
Door latch failure
Summary
On september 11, 2014 the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation (pe14-028) to investigate claims of doors failing to latch and/or inadvertently opening on model year (my) 2011-2013 ford fiesta vehicles. Odi has received 207 unique reports related to the alleged problem, with sixty-five claiming that the door(s) opened inadvertently while the vehicle was in motion. Two injuries were reported, both caused by a rebounding door striking a consumer after they attempted to close it. In response to odi's information request (ir), ford motor company (ford) responded with 451 unique reports related to the alleged defect.one claim involved an incident in which property
Questions about the 2013 Ford Fiesta
- What are the most common problems with the 2013 Ford Fiesta?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: transmission (391 complaints, typically around 20,000 miles); engine (113 complaints, typically around 18,000 miles); other or unspecified (91 complaints, typically around 48,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2013 Ford Fiesta have?
- 3 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from June 8, 2020 (doors and locks). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2013 a bad year for the Ford Fiesta?
- It is the 2nd most complained-about Fiesta model year since 2000, with 668 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.