The recent third-generation update has brought in a spike in demand for Ford’s compact sedan, the Focus. Priced in the vicinity of segment favorites like the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla, or even the cheaper alternates like Chevrolet Cruze and Kia Forte, Ford has managed to hit a commendable sales number with this car this year. But what surprised us was the fact that, despite the popularity, the 2013 Ford Focus was one of the least performing sedans in the segment when it comes to overall build and reliability. Lodging a massive 10 recalls and 1872 user complaints about the 2013 model year, this compact sedan is far from what we call an ideal purchase in its current state. Even though the complaints have seen a falling trend, the recall numbers stay high as ever. So should you be spending a minimum of $17,950 knowing all these problems exists with this sedan? Well, this section should give you a brief idea of when to go for one or not.
2013 Ford Focus Sedan User Complaints and Problems
Mechanical Complaints
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Engine problems- Although the engine on the 2013 Ford Focus Sedan is a decently reliable unit mechanically, faults with the wiring harness have been reported to cause a range of problems, like rough idling, no-start condition, random stalls, hesitations, and a loss on acceleration usually coupled with a “Stop Safely Now” warning. Even though these issues were dealt with on a customer basis initially, it was later found that most cars had an issue with the canister purge valve or loss of electrical connection with the MAF sensor. The manufacturer was made aware of this and several recalls (IDs- 19V515000, 18V375000, 15V813000, and 14V495000) have been conducted over multiple years to rectify all these problems.
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Transmission Problems- Transmission problems have been pretty widespread on the 2013 Ford Focus and over 50% of the officially reported complaints fall in this category as per NHTSA reports. Users report experiencing problems like miss-shifts, slipping out of gear, shuddering, grinding noise, overheating, and incorrect shifter indication, mostly combined with a “transmission Failure; Service Now” warning. While the manual transmission is known for clutch actuator failure resulting in premature clutch wear, the automatics have issues traced to a faulty transmission control module (TCM). Though clutch replacements have been recorded on the manual unit at mileages as low as 67,000 miles, total gearbox failures are rare and if recorded, would be on vehicles with mileages north of 150,000 miles.
Electric System Complaints
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Radio issues- The media system on the2013 Ford Focus is reported to exhibit a few issues with the main problem being static or popping noise from the speakers when the head unit is turned on without any audio being played. No remedy has been provided by the dealer for this issue apart from the replacement of the entire unit on the car which is still under factory warranty. Bluetooth connectivity issues, blank center screen (if equipped), and random restarts are other complaints recorded on this unit.
Structural Complaints
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Steering issues- Steering rack and power steering module failure is a rather common occurrence on the 2013 Ford Focus. The indications of a failing steering rack are tight spots when steering, loss of assistance, noise, or even complete lock-up in some instances. If diagnosed, the unit does need a replacement and a module firmware update. The replacement cost is around $1,700 to $2,100 and multiple users do complain about not being provided a warranty on the replacement part. The average failure mileage recorded is around 70,000 miles.
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Door locks/latch problems- Faulty door latches have been a common issue on the 2013 Ford Focus as seen with many Fords of this time. A manufacturing error with the locks causes them to fail prematurely which in turn causes the doors to stay locked in place or swing open unintendedly when driving. The manufacturer is aware of this issue and has initiated a couple of recalls (22V331000 and 16V634000) to replace the affected units.
2013 Ford Focus Sedan Recalls
S. No |
Date |
NHTSA ID |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
Remedy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
8th June 2020 |
20V331000 |
Doors may open while driving |
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, which increases the risk of injury to occupants. |
The 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. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2020. |
2 |
5th July 2019
|
19V515000 |
A stuck canister purge valve may stall the engine |
The Canister Purge Valve (CPV) may malfunction, possibly causing excessive vacuum in the fuel vapor management system, causing an engine stall, and increasing the risk of a crash.
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The dealers will reprogram the Powertrain Control Module. Dealers will also check for fault codes and replace the CPV as needed. If the CPV is replaced, dealers will inspect and replace the carbon canister, fuel tank, and fuel delivery module as necessary. The recall began on July 29, 2019.
|
3 |
22nd October 2018 |
18V735000 |
A stuck canister purge valve may stall the engine |
The Canister Purge Valve (CPV) may malfunction, possibly causing excessive vacuum in the fuel vapor management system, causing an engine stall, and increasing the risk of a crash.
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The dealers will reprogram the Powertrain Control Module. Dealers will also check for fault codes and replace the CPV as needed. If the CPV is replaced, dealers will inspect and replace the carbon canister, fuel tank, and fuel delivery module as necessary. The recall began on August 19, 2019. |
4 |
28th September 2016 |
16V689000 |
The hatchback can be unlatched with one button press |
The hatchback of the affected vehicles may be unlatched with a single press of the interior latch release button, increasing the risk of injury to unlatched passengers in the back. |
The dealers will reprogram the Body Control Module with updated software, free of charge. The recall began on February 10, 2017. |
5 |
6th September 2016 |
16V634000 |
Doors may unexpectedly open. |
A component within the door latches may break, preventing the doors from latching and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not, increasing the risk of injury to occupants. |
The dealers will replace the door latches with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2017. |
6 |
2nd December 2015 |
15V813000 |
Engine wiring splice may cause engine stall. |
Insufficient compression in the engine wiring harness splices to the Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor may provide incorrect signals to the powertrain control module (PCM), causing an engine stall and increasing the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will replace the current crimped splices with new splices, free of charge. The recall began on January 7, 2016. |
7 |
11th August 2015 |
14V495000 |
Engine wiring splice may cause engine stall. |
Insufficient compression in the engine wiring harness splices to the Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor may provide incorrect signals to the powertrain control module (PCM), causing an engine stall and increasing the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will replace the current crimped splices with new splices, free of charge. The recall began in October 2014. |
8 |
1st August 2013
|
13V335000 |
Side lights inoperable |
Due to a wiring incompatibility, the front side marker lamps may not function, reducing the visibility of the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will modify the headlamp assembly wiring, free of charge. The recall began on August 16, 2013. |
9 |
7th March 2013
|
13V085000 |
Driver-side child lock may not function |
The left rear door child lock was built incorrectly. As a result, the child lock may not engage when the operator uses normal force to activate the child lock, increasing the risk of injury. |
The dealers will inspect the affected rear door latches, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2013. |
10 |
2nd October 2012 |
12E035000 |
Vehicle rooftop rack system |
Certain combined Q-Tower and Q128 Clip rooftop rack systems, part numbers 8000124 and 8000728, do not fully contact the door frame, causing it to slide off from the vehicle and possibly become a road hazard. |
Yakima will notify the owners, and Yakima or a Yakima dealer will refund the purchase of the Q-Tower and Q-128 Clip system. There is no replacement system available for the 2012-2013 model year Ford Focus. The safety recall began on October 15, 2012. |
Should you buy a used 2013 Ford Focus Sedan?
As an overall package, the Ford Focus Sedan is a practical, decently equipped, and probably the most fund driving car in its segment. For those reasons, the 2013 model year ranks the highest in our lists, based on the short initial tests with the vehicle. However, things have changed hugely since then as the 2013 Ford Focus sedan started to see a dramatic rise in complaints and problems. Ford has been on their toes fixing stuff, but the recent updates do show recalls for this car extending to the year 2020. Given the popularity of this compact sedan, we are aware that a lot many of you will buy this vehicle no matter what. Even if you do, make sure that the recalls pertaining to engine fires and structural problems have been dealt with for a safer user experience.