2013 Ford Focus

derfokus · December 2012

Would like to hear about other 2013 Ford Focus owners experiences with their vehicle.

derfokus · December 2012

Before I go into the dealer with my month old Focus hatchback, I thought I would check to see if anyone else noticed the rear defroster is pretty weak. Fog on the interior barely clears after 15 minutes of driving and not clearing due on the outside at all when the car is warming up in the drive in the morning.

This was built in Michigan where I used to live and it wouldn't pass the muster at all in any winter. Not especially happy to have to take this in already.

pod · December 2012

I'm not sure that there is a rear defroster (to remove frost from the window). Generally there is a forward windshield defroster which delivers lots of "air conditioned to be dry" warm air to clear the inside of the front windshield. This clears the fogged glass quickly because it is dry and the fan setting is wide open.
On the rear there is an embedded de-icer which is simply a grid of heater wires fused to the glass that melt the ice (which generally skids down the window and out of sight. The rear de-icer would have no effect on the inner glass surface fog (air conditioning would be required to do that---to dry out the air inside the car).

Does the new Focus have ducts that deliver defrosting air to the rear window?

derfokus · December 2012

Ehh sorry I wasn't clear. I am talking about the grid of wires. On previous vehicles the grid dried the window of interior fog (When I leave my dog in the vehicle while at the store on a cold morning) or of exterior due on the rear windshield in the morning. For those the grid barely - if at all registers lines of drying surface. Having said that, this morning real frost (rare is CA Bay Area) was on the window and the grid did get rid of the frost quicker than ever before. Maybe its just not going to be like my previous vehicles.

pod · December 2012

Thanks for the clarification. I was wondering why your car had frost on the inside of the rear window in the morning. Generally the formation of frost requires a high humidity. The dog is the answer. Any residual wetness whether from tracked snow (as here in the East) or rain that came in the side windows or a doggy shakedown left in the car could show up as frost on the inner glass. You can use the AC and the heat simultaneously when the pooch is with you. The drier you leave the inside of the car, the less likely morning frost on the inside of the glass would be. Once it has formed, drying it out is the method. Perhaps in your other car the heater grid heated the glass sufficiently that it evaporated the frost back into humidity in the car.

derfokus · December 2012

Thanks again for the reply. I think I'm going to just live with it since it handled the ice yesterday and will get another test today as it is 29 degrees this morning, a rarity for our area. Happy holidays.

two_romeo · February 2013

:shades: I have 650 miles on mine. My wife loves it, and she is a brand-conscious car snob, so that says a lot. Excellent car, I would echo Motor Trend and Edmunds in saying it is an extraordinary bargain. I don't know how Toyota sells a single Corolla when, for the same money, you can get a Focus that is much faster, gets much better MPG, and has in-dash navigation, a rear-view camera, heated leather seats, dual-zone climate control, and neat little features like turn signals embedded in the side-view mirrors, none of which are available on any Corolla at any trim level. Mine is very quiet in the cabin, with wind and road noise managed surprisingly well for a car this affordable. I test drove a Honda Civic and a Chevy Cruze, both of which seemed to have plenty of power for the job, but my Focus would dance circles around either, and the transmission is very smooth. Shifts where you expect it would, without a lot of fanfare. I have just three recommended improvements I would commend to Ford: 1) for about the same money, Ford could make a different version of the Continental tire standard equipment. They should go with the Extreme Contact DWS, which Tire Rack reckons is a 25% better tire than the OEM Continental ContiPro Contact. 2) I wish my gas tank was one gallon larger. Some extra range would be really nice. 3) I wish it came in brown or sand/tan. That Mocha color that is available for the 2013 Honda Civic is very attractive, and the Chevy Cruze comes in a color I think they call Gold Mist that looks super. No reason Ford couldn't provide similar offerings.

puffinalong · March 2013

I bought a Focus sedan Ti and I was at the airport and I left my keys on the car seat. Now, I'm 300 feet from the runway and my car got jammed and I was locked out as a 757 touched down.
It was 21 degrees out and the wind chill factor was 15 degrees.
Any airdales on here have any thoughts? :confuse:

cannon3 · March 2013

I totally agree about the Corolla. I don't get why anyone would by a Corolla over a new Focus.

Sandman6472 · March 2013

Absolutely agree here just wish they would change the color of the info displays in the Focus...that blueish gray is so boring...needs some color to liven the them up...very boring. Really love my '06 Civic the best but like the cockpit feeling of the Focus...it kind of surrounds the driver in a nice snug cocoon and from what I've heard, the auto tranny "learns" the drivers driving style and sets the shift patterns from there. Since I've only driven a few, can not really comment on that but it is a nice ride. And I'd bet one could snag a nice one for not to bad a price with all the incentives. Still, the "old" Corolla still sells in record numbers and the new one due out soon should be a real winner...it has to be in order to compete with the newer models coming out.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

jlaszlo · March 2013

For 2013, did Ford remove the suspension tweaks for the sport package on the SE? It was included on the 2012s but don't see it listed in the package details now.

puffinalong · March 2013

I have a Focus Ti Tuxedo Black and I'm afraid to drive it due to all the horror stories on Kelly's Blue Book consumer reviews.
Read starting from lowest to the highest and I think you'll get the real picture. :lemon:

markag1 · May 2013

See my Edmunds review. This is our second Focus, the last in 2000 which we still own, which is a dream and has been zero headache whatsoever. This new one has a lot going for it in the style, headroom (we're a tall family) and zip areas, but drawbacks in the ride, trans and cloth seat staining. Trans is the biggest problem.

carthell · May 2013

I'd be concerned about driving my car if something was wrong with it. Refusing to drive my car because others found something wrong with a similar model vehicle isn't something that anyone I know, including me, would do.

Note: if car purchases were completely dependent on the worst ratings given by the public, NO ONE would purchase a car from anyone.

pxleak · May 2013

I have 2100 miles on mine now from LA drive. Go it on 96 miles but what the heck advancing the break in period. So far it has been great. We got our eye on this one 2yrs. back as a tech-loaded fun of a commuter car and still going in style. The only cons I see was the turning radius was really wide, you'll need 2 lanes from where you are making a U turn. The back has less leg room but my wife and I are small people. Some of the TSB still wasnt resolved. I've been reading a lot of transmission problems but it seems some aren't fix at all. One there is a rattling noise when you reach 1st, 2nd gears shifts then dissipates. I read on some forums that there was a fix on this which will need attention on my first oil change soon. Sometimes it lunges as well but that was probably getting use to the transmission. Other than I'm accessorizing her from Philips crystal vision ultra bulbs, bought an engine cover, weather tech floor liners. The interior is well within reach for my size and stylish. We got one with a auto parking assist, from a persistent wife who can't parallel park. Economical on gas, at $42 full tank with 100 mpg left till empty from Gilroy CA to LA. There are some features they removed from the 13 model like rain sensing wipers. But you get remote start as a standard. We got her for $24k loaded and MSRP sticker of $27k. That's our xplan and discount combined. You can't get this kind of package on any other car at the price you want.

derfokus · May 2013

Since I started this post on December 19, 2012, I have to say I still am very happy. I have 7100 miles or so now. I have that transmission rattle too sometimes, so would like to hear about the fix on the oil change.

I am averaging 30 miles per gal in May ( see fuelly.com). I have a horrific commute from SF east bay valleys to San Francisco. Not true highway miles. I Like the three tone interior as opposed to all black but the upholstery and support could be a little better.

For the price this beats the competition - for me - the Mazda 3, Subaru impreza, and VW golf. Happy driving.

stever · October 2013

A reporter would like to speak to a young buyer of a Ford Focus or a Chevy Cruze. If you are under the age of 34, and you are shopping for or recently purchased a Ford Focus or a Chevy Cruze, please send your daytime contact information to pr@edmunds.com no later than 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET on Thursday, 10/10/13.

tlclark · October 2013

I have a 2013 Ford Focus. It has 3000 miles on it. It started off Not wanting to go it felt like it was going to stall out (and Its an automatic) at certain times and then it started making a chain grinding noise on the driver side when its changing gears. I am completely unhappy with the response I got from my Ford dealership telling me that's normal. I have bought Ford products for the last 10 years all of my family buy Ford products but after this and no one doing anything about my brand new car I will never own another Ford. For the money spent on new car someone should be having to make this right. Its known problem and Ford chooses to ignore it! !!!!

derfokus · October 2013

I am the one who started this post on Edmunds. I had the same problem around the same mileage. The grinding noise that is. It happened once and did t happen again except in a much quieter way. Now it almost sounds like a rattling muffler that's just starting to go bad when I accelerate from a complete stop. The sputtering When accelerating is normal I M told due to the clutchless transmission. It takes getting used to especially in stop and go commuter traffic like I drive in in the SF Bay Area. All in all I really like the car. I did read a post where a woman didn't like the sputtering and traded the car in when they told her it was normal. Good Luck!

toughallover85 · October 2013

I took my car to a different dealership and they did a software update in which actually helped the car. It drives a lot smoother now, but my low tire pressure light keeps coming on. They told me my tires are fine! Ugh it's a headache with this damn car

PF_Flyer · October 2013

This time of year when the temperatures drop, a lot of tire pressure lights come on. My TPMS light came on the other day after the first really cold night. Did the same thing last year.

Check your tire pressures and bring them up to the levels recommended on the sticker in the door frame. The TPMS system on my Versa resets itself. poking around a bit, it looks like the Focus may need a "procedure" performed to reset the light, but the dealer or a competent tire shop should be able to do that for you.

meme23 · November 2013

they are replacing the clutch plates in my car but they are 2 months on back order I have to drive my car the way it is until they get the parts

elvisruns · November 2013

I bought my 2013 SE Hatch (automatic) late last year after agonizing for a year that I had bought the wrong car and traded in a 2012 Hyundai Accent Hatch. I first noticed this problem within the first 60 days of ownership. I've had it into the dealer 3 times now to have them do something (being told either "it's normal" or "we did a computer re-set and it should fix the problem"). I had it back in yesterday as not only has the rattle not ceased, but it's gotten worse, and now the car is "lurching" into gears many times at lower levels of acceleration, and rpms have gotten hung up a number of times upon braking and deceleration. Sorry, but even my wife is like "This doesn't seem right!!??"

So, yesterday here is what my dealership did:
Reprogram the PCM/TCM
Inspected for transmission fluid leak
Perform IDS Transmission Clutch Adaptive Learn
Road Test and record PIDS
Review and Perform Calculations

I was told that this "should" smooth everything out, but some of that rattle was probably always going to be there. WTF? Car is making noise and by design then?

So I've been driving it all day and the car behaves really no differently than it was prior to yesterday's analysis. Perhaps that is the problem - no one at the dealership actually knows how to work on cars and is relying on this computer stuff to fix a problem that requires physical work??

I'm thinking about my options, but I now have ZERO confidence that the dealer can and will solve the issues. Thinking about taking it to a transmisson shop I took my old Mazda 3 to who did wizardry and fixed what one mechanic called a complete transmission job with two parts and the low, low price of $250.

I'm still under warranty at only 14000 miles. Any suggestions as to how to go about this? Already inconvenienced me for a whole week of time with 4 total trips to the dealer's service department.

jhall236 · November 2013

I have a 2013 SE Sedan, with the SelectShift or whatever that 6 speed automatic is called, 22000 miles and 13 months of ownership. I was getting shudders moving through gears 1-4, 5 and 6 weren't really an issue.

They told me they were going to do the same procedure as you have listed, reprogram, it'll always be there a bit, etc. However, they informed me that 3rd gear is essentially destroyed. The won't release the vehicle to me until the "rush" parts come in a few weeks from now.

I recommend everyone with the transmission problems, have the dealer actually physically look at the parts. It seems to be something they aren't doing, and they should be.

I'll put an update on here when I get it back, as to what it's doing after an actual fix.

elvisruns · November 2013

jhall- thanks for stating your case. I don't believe for a minute that the mechanics at my dealer have physically looked at the transmission - my feeling is that they are relying on the computer to tell them what is wrong and either the computer can't do it or they simply want to reset the system.
In another online forum, I actually had a Ford customer service rep contact me in a private message and is sending my case to a regional CSM. We'll see if anything actually comes of it, but HIGHLY disappointed that the mechanics at the dealer can't do what they are paid to do and not have me keep coming back.

jhall236 · November 2013

Elvisruns, I believe that relying on the computer a certain amount of times for a vehicle is probably part of the training now, it is incredibly cost efficient to "fix" things with a 20 minute reset. Don't get me wrong the onboard computers are great. But the only tell you where to start.

Personally, I would demand they inspect it properly. The fact that my mechanic at Ford will not even release the car to me says that the underlying problem is a very real safety hazard, not just an inefficient shifting issue.

I hope your escalation gets you somewhere, because this whole thing on Ford's part is unacceptable. I don't blame them for putting something out that wasn't perfect, it happens. I know some of the 2012 owners got recall notices on theirs. I've received none personally for my 2013. I just can't believe they would stick to telling people it's normal, when they can't possibly still not know that it is not.

As an update, I have driven 2 other Focus cars a 2013 and a 2014 both without the SelectShift. The 2013 is my rental, 1 shudder in about 1000 miles of driving it. The 2014 owner doesn't have the problem either.

abqwinter · November 2013

My 2013 Focus HB has 17-inch rims. I want to buy 15-inch rims and 15-inch snow tires for the winter, with the same circumference as the OEM 17-inch wheels.

I know the bolt pattern (5x108) and believe the 15-inch rims are 7 inches wide. Does anyone know the "offset" or "backspace" for 15-inch rims?

markus5 · November 2013

Step downs can be done easily at one inch. I did this with my 04 Focus for many years. Those Focuses had 205/50 x 16 inch 4 Bolt rims, which I switched to 195/60x15 for winter. Offset was never an issue. Remember that tire circumferences will need to remain the same after you make the switch, otherwise that finicky transmission will certainly have a nervous breakdown.

zhangjiaming · March 2014

I purchased a 2013 focus hatchback last March, always feel a little jerking. Then last week, I heard loud noise when accelerating. Take it to dealership, and they said the clutch in transmission needs to be replaced. It's kinda pity, and nervous. Anyone else has this problem? Is it common? What may I do next? Thank you.

cherrock · April 2014

My 2013 Focus with under 11k miles has been in the shop three times for transmission problems. At Thanksgiving time was told that there was a leak, immediately given a rental, said was unsafe to drive. At the time was told was replacing clutch. End of December car acted up again, brought to dealer. Said was leak in clutch seals, waited 3 weeks for part. Again two days with a rental. Now is April, car again lurching, rumbling etc. Dealer says prior visits nothing replaced, clutch only cleaned. In a rental again, dealer now says replacing the clutch. Bought this car for the long haul, very upset cant afford a car that will continually have problems. Ready to call to see if I can in-act the lemon law.

derfokus · April 2014

When I started this post I was very high on my purchase and thought many of you were unlucky. Eh, we are all unlucky. I took my vehicle in 6 days ago and after the first business day they called to tell me my clutch was leaking fluid into the transmission and that the seals for the clutch need to be replaced, and the transmission "cleaned" of the leaking fluid. I don't have a status report yet. Based on the recent comments I know I'm in for a lot of BS and more repairs. I hope to be trading this in around Memorial Day when car deals start to roll. FYI shortly before I took this in to the shop I read in consumer reports this vehicle has the worst possible rating for reliability. I need my vehicle for commuting and need reliability. My bad for not doing research first. They wouldn't give me a loaner since I didn't buy the extended warranty which included loaners in cases like this...Stay tuned for updates.

derfokus · April 2014

BTW, I have just over 17000 miles on this thing..

PF_Flyer · April 2014

@derfokus said:
BTW, I have just over 17000 miles on this thing..

Almost sounds more like a quality control issue with assembly and seals rather than a mechanical issue

guido65 · April 2014

I own a 2012 Focus SE hatch. I have the sunroof, winter package, convenience package and winter package. The only problem I had was the transmission jerking issue. I had the car reprogrammed at about 10,000 miles and not had an incident since. I average 34.7 MPG per the computer. This car is fun, sporty to drive. Once you learn how to use the sport shift it is actually pretty quick. I now have over 26,000 miles with no other issues. I would recommend this car.

tjs427 · July 2014

I have a 2013 focus hatchback will just over 20,000 miles. It has been in and out of the shop 4 times in the last 30 days. This last time they had it for a week. The time before that, a week also. They have reset the TCM twice, replaced the TCM, replaced the clutches, and replaced the actuators. When driving with the technician yesterday, my car was making grinding noises, shifting hard and shuttering. He told me that was normal operation for this transmission. I asked him if he thought Ford purposely designed a transmission to perform horribly and require major service at 20,000 miles. He laughed. I think Ford is aware there is a problem, but they have not come up with a fix. I hate having passengers, because its just embarrassing. I went on a road trip last weekend, and even if my car wouldn't have been in the shop there is no way I would have driven it any long distance. This car has proven to be horribly unreliable and unsafe.

Sandman6472 · July 2014

Drove 3 different Foci at work yesterday and they all shudder at lower speeds and I do not understand why. Honestly, every Focus I have ever driven has driven the same and I wonder why can't Ford fix this problem? People buy these things so does this issue not register or do they just learn to live with it? I'm at a loss here and even though I do like the looks, I never even considered it when I was looking. Honestly, my '06 Civic drove so much nicer than these Foci!

The Sandman

PF_Flyer · July 2014

@sandman_6472 said:
Drove 3 different Foci at work yesterday and they all shudder at lower speeds and I do not understand why. Honestly, every Focus I have ever driven has driven the same and I wonder why can't Ford fix this problem? People buy these things so does this issue not register or do they just learn to live with it? I'm at a loss here and even though I do like the looks, I never even considered it when I was looking. Honestly, my '06 Civic drove so much nicer than these Foci!

The Sandman

Any specific conditions that seem to be causing the shudder? BTW... love my Versa hatches too.

Sandman6472 · August 2014

No clue as to why they all seem to do this, must be something to do with the auto tranny they use but I know I'd never ever buy one with this issue. Was just too annoying and I'm used to my Hyundai which shifts seemlessly!

The Sandman

da_one · August 2014

So upset with FORD all around. We have bought Ford vehicles for the past 10 years, like some of you on here. You would think they would listen to their loyal consumers, that have made them "#1". These design flaws in the transmission need to be owned and dealt with, not giving the run around BS!!! Maybe a class action would encourage them to rectify the problem.

Yep, I have a 2013 Ford Focus Hatchback with the "manual" automatic transmission (as my dealership calls it). Purchased it in October 2013, brand spanking new. It now has 8000 miles on it. To date, I have taken it in for the transmission 3 times ; the strut tower bearings (only one side and not the mount) to be replaced, now 2 times!!!! I do not like wasting my time on this BS. I thought I was buying a cost effective, new, reliable car..........BOY! WAS I WAY WRONG

I contacted the Ford Customer Service department, explained the issue-he emailed me back "after investigating my claim" and told me to talk to the dealer's service department. What??? I explained that since the problem persists, I was contacting them. His reply,

****Thank you for your reply. I apologize that my original response did not resolve your concerns.

As previously communicated, your vehicle is operating within Ford specifications.

At this time, we recommend you speak with the Service Manager of your servicing dealership for further explanation on the condition of your vehicle.

Thank you for contacting Ford Motor Company.

Sincerely,

Chris

Customer Relationship Center

Ford Motor Company
**

yep, they care about their customers!
**

Sandman6472 · August 2014

Drove a couple more Foci yesterday and that tranny issue...still there. Hertz has a bunch in their fleet at present time so I have no choice but to drive them whenever the lead driver throws me the keys and funny, I do like the hatch design and would've put it on my short list last year when I purchased my new vehicle. But this tranny issue is crazy annoying and I could never put my hard earned money on an inferior problem like this.

The Sandman

2013 Ford Focus

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