2013 Ford Fiesta

Above average

Owners filed 667 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train. It has been recalled 3 times.

When it fails
020k40k60k90k120k200k

547 complaints record an odometer reading. Failures cluster around 010,000 miles; the median is 31,483 miles.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Power Train299
000
Engine75
130
Structure › Body54
100
Unknown or Other51
103
Electrical System44
000
Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch22
101
Latches/Locks/Linkages21
000
Structure › Body › Door16
000
Vehicle Speed Control13
000
Electronic Stability Control (esc)12
011

3 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch20V331000
Filed Jun 8, 20202,147,323 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. 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.

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.

Remedy. 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.

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch15V246000
Filed Apr 24, 2015456,440 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. 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.

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.

Remedy. 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.

Air Bags12V488000
Filed Oct 5, 2012154,471 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. 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.

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.

Remedy. 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.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Latches/Locks/Linkages
Filed Jun 2, 202688,000 milesTX

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact received the recall notification letter for NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V331000 (latches, locks, and linkages). The contact stated that the passenger-side door opened while driving at 30-35 MPH. While her daughter was driving, the passenger side rear door came ajar. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was able to inspect and confirm the failure. The repair was approved then denied. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who referred her to another dealer. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000.

Power Train
Filed Apr 16, 2026KY

The vehicle experienced a sudden transmission failure while driving. Before the failure, the car began shuddering and hesitating during acceleration. It then started making loud metal grinding noises from the transmission area and eventually lost the ability to move properly when placed in Drive or Reverse. This created a safety risk because the vehicle could not accelerate normally in traffic and became difficult to control. The issue appears related to the transmission and/or clutch system. Warning messages and abnormal shifting behavior occurred prior to the failure. I previously asked a dealership in 2020/2021 to inspect and repair the transmission issues while the vehicle was still under warranty, but they stated the problem was not “bad enough” at that time and did not perform any repairs. The vehicle is currently inoperable due to this malfunction.

Power Train
Filed Mar 31, 2026MO

I was driving down [XXX] . I stopped at a stoplight. When the light turned green I pressed the gas to accelerate when suddenly mid intersection my transmission went out causing me to have no power. Approximately 5 minutes prior to this I did get a message about a transmission malfunction. Due to the transmission going out I was stuck in the intersection. I had it towed to a shop where they have confirmed that the Transmission Control Module (TCM) has failed. There are a couple parts of the transmission that they have not been able to confirm whether they are working due to the TCM failing. I believe that the TCM failing can put drivers in a potentially unsafe position like it did to me. I was stuck in an intersection of 2 very busy roads due to this failure. I dont currently have the part that failed with me. It is still currently on the vehicle. The vehicle and component has not been inspected by anyone other than the shop it was towed to. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Exterior Lighting
Filed Feb 16, 2026NY

My low beam heads both stopped working at the same time. Upon investigation I identified the problem came from corrosion of the relay in the battery junction box. This problem exactly matches a Ford recall for some 2013 Ford fiesta manufactured in Canada. My vehicle is not covered by this recall, but the problem and failure point is identical. The text of that recall is as follows: "Safety recall in certain Canadian provinces of select 2012-13 Ford Fiesta vehicles for potential battery junction-box corrosion Ford is issuing a safety recall for certain 2012-13 Ford Fiesta vehicles in the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Quebec. In affected vehicles, battery junction-box relay or fuse corrosion can lead to a loss of low-beam headlamps and daytime running lamps while driving. This action affects 13,564 vehicles in Canada. Affected vehicles were built at Cuautitlán Assembly Plant from June 25, 2011, through April 27, 2013. Dealers will clean the battery junction box, install foam sealing to the cover and replace any corroded fuses, terminals or relays. There will be no charge to the customer for these services. The Ford reference number for this recall is 19S28"

Power Train
Filed Dec 19, 2025131,000 milesFL

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, there was a loud rattling sound coming from the vehicle and the vehicle experienced a loss of power and decelerated. The vehicle was driven to a nearby service station. After restarting the vehicle and shifting to drive(D), the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The vehicle was later towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was 131,000.

Power Train
Filed Dec 11, 2025KY

My car has 74,000 actual miles and the transmission is acting up kicking out of gear and loosing coummcation with the tcm and a sensor comes on about bad clutch pack

Structure › Body
Filed Sep 7, 2025CA

Top of the driver side door handle broke free from the door. The car has previously been cleared of any recall defects - but a loose door handle may absolutely have something to do with the inner workings of the door/latch and may be a safety issue.

Power Train
Filed Aug 26, 2025LA

PowerShift dual-clutch transmission, slipping, bucking, and shuddering during acceleration. Subject of a class-action lawsuit.

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 12, 2025TN

Transmission control module failure

Unknown or Other
Filed Jul 21, 2025OK

Request Reversal of Recall Cancellation by the Ford Dealer. RE: Safety Recall Notice 20S30/NHTSA Recall 20V-331 VIN [XXX] ***IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL *** I have been working with the Service Manager, Forest at James Hodge Ford in Muskogee, Oklahoma, (1-918-682-1345) and Ford Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332. In March of 2025, an inspection was completed on my 2013 Ford Fiesta in regards to this safety recall. IAW service manager performed an inspection of the door latches and closed out the recall. The issue for this recall states that my vehicle was previously repaired under Safety Recall 15S15 or 16S30. Evidently this was completed by the previous owner but it states that it is possible that one or more of the door latches was not replaced or may not have been replaced correctly. This proved to be true because in April while on vacation I was driving when my door swung open. After grabbing it I was able to find a place to stop. Then, I discovered the latch would not close! I found a rope to wrap around it to keep it closed to finish out my vacation. Ford has recognized and issued a safety recall due to the risk of doors not closing or doors opening while driving. As stated in the letter I received about the recall the risk is: If a door latch is not replaced, there is still a risk that the pawl spring tab inside the door latch could break. This condition will typically prevent the door from latching. Where the door is able to be closed, the door may unlatch whi

Air Bags
Filed Jul 15, 2025NJ

All 4 door airbags spontaneously deployed while driving. The air bag deployment knocked me unconscious and I woke up on the shoulder of the road. The vehicle dialed 911 after the incident occurred.

Latches/Locks/Linkages
Filed May 27, 202578,000 milesOK

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40-45 MPH, the driver's door unintendedly opened. The contact immediately pulled over to attempt to close the door; however, the door failed to close. The contact used a rope to keep the door closed with the rear passenger’s door on the driver's side door. The vehicle was previously included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages), and the vehicle was inspected and determined that there was no failure with the doors. The vehicle was not repaired at that time, and the recall was closed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the door latch had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed May 9, 202540,000 milesFL

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed several times before the vehicle came to a stop. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle almost crashed into another vehicle due to the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with brake master cylinder and vacuum brake booster failure. The contact was informed that the brake master cylinder and the vacuum brake booster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact was informed that a brake fluid leak was not visible. The contact stated that the low brake fluid warning light was illuminated, and the brake fluid was refilled two days prior to the failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included with the recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

Electrical System
Filed Apr 17, 2025IL

Static through speakers - possible cause, alternator, spark plugs, or faulty wiring. Passenger air bag light - comes on and off on its own randomly. Overheats - with fluids all topped off and car parked and running for 5 minutes it will start extremely overheating with visible smoke. Not sure why. Wire cover - plastic panel on ground towards front of door on driver side needs better coverage. Panel just keeps popping off showing wires. Not sure to what. If gets wet from getting in and out of car can shock you while your driving if touch it just right. Emergency break - don't work Warming indicator - says doors are open when they aren't. Headlights - work when they want to. Theft alarm - don't work Hood pop lever - the lever to pop your hood isn't connected well. The whole lever is just hanging under my steering wheel from the cords. Not latched into anything just kinda floating in the air, makes it hard to pop the hood, can be a distraction while driving with something hitting your knee. Belt buckles - when using seat belts, comes unclicked randomly while driving or won't buckle at all when first trying to put it on. Trunk - unlatches and opens randomly while driving or parked. Shocks? - not sure if it's shocks or what it is. But there is no comfortability while driving. You can feel every bump, pot whole, Crack, anything you drive across. Think it messed up my bearings because of it. But I'm not a mechanic so these are just examples of what's going on and what i think.

SeatsCrash2 injured
Filed Nov 28, 2024FL

The vehicle suffered a direct rear impact from another vehicle traveling approximately 95 mph while this Ford Fiesta was traveling 60 mph forward. Both front seats were positioned upright with a properly seated driver and a passenger seated whilst turning his body behind the seat. The impact was severe enough to trigger the Ford Fiesta's SOS Post-Crash Alert System. As a result of the impact, both front seats of the vehicle broke free of their positions and reclined backwards. This action of the seats cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle as his hands were stripped from the wheel. The airbags did not deploy. The driver's head flew forward and slammed back hard into the headrest. The vehicle was inspected by a police officer at the scene who commented that the seats had failed. The vehicle was also inspected by an insurance inspector. The vehicle is currently in the possession of Progressive and may be available to inspect. The vehicle was in proper working order before the accident occured and provided no sign of issues with the seats.

Engine
Filed Nov 5, 202460,000 milesTX

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The vehicle had failed to start. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to reverse. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was not safe to drive. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 14M02. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutch, the TCM, and the doors needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

Power Train
Filed Oct 13, 2024CA

Car shudders with noises on the transmission, not going on reverse and sometimes can not go on driver or forward too, car has codes for transmission clutches

Power Train
Filed Sep 30, 2024MO

Transmission won't move in reverse and goes slow in drive

Power Train
Filed Sep 6, 202474,429 milesIL

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, and while driving up an incline, the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle was not responding as needed. The contact stated that while at the top of the hill and driving down the hill, the vehicle regained motive power. The contact stated that no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was occurring while driving up an incline. The contact drove the vehicle to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the internal transmission seals were leaking and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,429.

Power Train
Filed Aug 19, 2024132,000 milesKY

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was shuddering. The contact stated that previously it was difficult to shift out of park(P). Additionally, the contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The message "Turn Vehicle Off - Transmission Overheating" and "Transmission Malfunction - Service Now" were temporarily displayed. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch pads had seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.

20 of 667 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2011
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2019100310Routine
201835001Fatalities reported
201774011Fatalities reported
2016178011Fatalities reported
2015258400Above average
2014502780Above average
2013 — this page667340Above average
2012617350Above average
2011730353Fatalities reported
20021000Routine
20011000Routine
19912000Routine

Compare every Fiesta year →

Reading this record

Complaint volume is well above typical for a single model year.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Jun 8, 2020. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.