Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2013 Ford Fiesta, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train391
- Engine110
- Unknown or other91
- Structure78
- Electrical system62
- Latches/locks/linkages47
- Vehicle speed control43
- Fuel/propulsion system14
- Air bags13
- Electronic stability control (esc)13
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 9 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 32 2013 Fiesta vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 18 people died inside them, and 6 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2013 Ford Fiesta failed the safety check 2.85% of the time — 20% more often than the average 2013 passenger car (2.38%). Median odometer at inspection: 95,482 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2013
286,672 new Ford Fiesta cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2013; the largest markets were the United Kingdom (120,873), Germany (45,177), Italy (32,902).
- Average mass
- 1,112 kg
- Average power
- 66 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Petrol 77% · Diesel 20% · LPG 2.6%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Engines
The most common engines in 2013 Ford Fiesta cars on Dutch roads are the 1.0 petrol (74 kW, 99 hp), 1.0 petrol (48 kW, 64 hp) and 1.0 petrol (59 kW, 79 hp), out of 10 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 petrol | 74 kW 99 hp | 3,068 |
| 1.0 petrol | 48 kW 64 hp | 2,808 |
| 1.0 petrol | 59 kW 79 hp | 1,492 |
| 1.2 petrol | 60 kW 80 hp | 890 |
| 1.2 petrol | 44 kW 59 hp | 704 |
| 1.0 petrol | 92 kW 123 hp | 599 |
| 1.6 diesel | 70 kW 94 hp | 556 |
| 1.6 petrol | 134 kW 180 hp | 333 |
| 1.6 petrol | 77 kW 103 hp | 142 |
| 1.5 diesel | 55 kW 74 hp | 30 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
10,659 first registered in 2013 are on Dutch roads; 31% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €17,191.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde6,754
- Band onvoldoende profiel4,048
- Fusee(kogel) te veel speling2,900
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld2,594
- Remlicht werkt niet (goed)2,042
- Band beschadigd1,957
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm1,939
- Richtingaanwijzers kleur wijkt af/niet toegestaan1,661
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
103,868 cars built in 2013 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 3,068 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 114,615 of these cars first registered in 2013 took their annual MOT test. 64% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2013 the figure was 68%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2013 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 16.1% | 12.5% |
| Suspension | 14.8% | 10.4% |
| Tyres | 7.2% | 6.7% |
| Brakes | 4.3% | 6.8% |
| Visibility | 4.1% | 4.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.8% | 2.7% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
2,028 of these cars first registered in 2013 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 141,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
820 2013 cars are on the New Zealand register; 1% arrived as used imports, 97% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 2 variants; 0 of 2 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 Ford Fiesta 4 DR FWD | ★★★★☆ | 14.3 % |
| 2013 Ford Fiesta 5 HB FWD | ★★★★☆ | 14.3 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- 4 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 3 variants: combined 7.1–7.2 L/100 km (about 33 mpg US), CO₂ 163–166 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiesta SFE · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 8.1 | 5.9 | 7.1 |
| Fiesta · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 8.1 | 6.2 | 7.2 |
| Fiesta · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 8.1 | 6.2 | 7.2 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 2013 Ford Fiesta.
| 2019432 27 Aug 2019 | Electrical Issue: On certain cars, water and road debris can enter the battery junction box. This could result in corrosion of some electrical components. If this happens… |
| 2015175 24 Apr 2015 | Structure On certain vehicles, the door latches may have a broken pawl spring tab. This could result in the door not latching correctly. As a result, doors which appear… |
| 2013426 27 Nov 2013 | Label Certain vehicles may not comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 110 - Tire Selection and Rims. The Tire and Loading Information L… |
| 2012332 1 Oct 2012 | Airbag On certain vehicles, the Restraint Control Module will turn OFF the right side air curtain, as well as the front passenger seat-mounted side airbag, when the Oc… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
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.
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.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Ford told its dealers about the 2013 Ford Fiesta: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10254138 | All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicles owner during initial delivery. Unlike the integrated (wired) factory keypad, the accessory keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the vehicle using a diagnostic scan tool. If the wallet card for an accessory keypad is lost, follow these steps to recover the code. Dealer Key Code access is granted through the Dealer Program Enrollment System (DPES); dealership managemen |
| 10237441 | Certain 2011 through 2015 Model Year Fiesta and 2012 through 2016 Model Year Focus Vehicles Equipped with a DPS6 Automatic Transmission Transmission Control Module Extended Warranty Coverage REASON FOR THIS SUPPLEMENT Due to ongoing limited part availability, program terms have been revised. Vehicle pickup & delivery has been added. Labor allowance table has been updated. Additional repairs updated. Added Attachment VI Mobile Repair/Vehicle Pickup and Delivery Record. Added Attachment VII Mobile Repair Assessment. |
| 10235153 | For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommended to order a replacement module using a vehicle identification number (VIN) from a different vehicle. Most modules on these affected vehicles are VIN/vehicle specific and hardware variations between modules do exist. Swapping a module from a vehicle or ordering a module using a different vehicle/VIN can cause ineffective repairs and additional vehicle down time. Make sure all appropriate Workshop Manual (WSM) procedures are |
| 10231028 | Certain 2011-2013 Model Year Fiesta Vehicles Operated in the USA Corrosion States Battery Junction Box Clean and Seal In some of the affected vehicles, the position of the Battery Junction Box (BJB) in the engine compartment is subject to unanticipated direct road water splash while driving. When vehicles are operated in high contamination/corrosion environments associated with road salt use, moisture and debris can enter through the BJB cover and base, potentially leading to corrosion of the relay and fuse terminals, especially at the front of the box. Corrosion in the battery junction box m |
| 10226944 | Certain 2011 through 2015 Model Year Fiesta and 2012 through 2016 Model Year Focus Vehicles Equipped with a DPS6 Automatic Transmission; Transmission Control Module Extended Warranty Coverage REASON FOR THIS SUPPLEMENT Non-Ford Part Usage: Vehicles that are still covered by the 8 years/80,000-mile Emissions warranty coverage MUST be serviced with a NEW Ford Motor Company TCM. Vehicles outside of or exceeding the 8 years/80,000-mile coverage are authorized to use a used Ford Motor Company TCM, a refurbished original Ford TCM, or an aftermarket TCM that will successfully complete the re |
| 10205009 | DPS6 - no satart and/or transmission engagement or loss of power with DTCS u0100, U00101, U1013, U3003 AND/OR P0606 |
| 10204985 | 49 CFR Part 579.5 Monthly Communications - March 2016 |
| 10204977 | Customer satisfaction Program 14M01 - Supplement #5 Certain 2011 thr ough 2014 Model Year Fies ta and Focus vehicles equipped with a DKPS6 Automatic Transmission Transmission Clautch Shudder/Transmission Input Shaft Seal warranty Extension |
| 10199780 | Ford is extending the warranty coverage on the DPS6 automatic transmission TCM to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date of the vehicle, whichever occurs first. This extended warranty coverage will address intermittent symptoms of loss of transmission engagement while driving, no-start, or a lack of power. |
| 10180371 | This customer satisfaction program updates the TCM software in affected vehicles to provide improved detection and over warning of electrical circuit failures in the TCM. As communicated in a previous Customer Satisfaction Program (14M02), electrical circuit failures within the TCM may develop and result in intermittent symptoms of loss of transmission engagement while driving, no-start, or a lack of power. Updating the TCM software will help ensure the vehicle operator is alerted to potential issues with the TCM prior to failure. |
| 10179185 | Some 2011-2019 Fiesta vehicles may exhibit various concerns following IPC replacement. Symptoms may include: no crank, 'Contact Hotline message', odometer displaying incorrect English or Metric units and/or diagnostic trouble code (DTC) U2101 in multiple modules. If programmable module installation (PMI) has been performed on the replacement IPC, disconnect the IPC, start a new session using the appropriate Ford scan tool and perform a PMI on the IPC. Do not reconnect the IPC until after the scan tool states it is unable to communicate with the IPC, then allow the PMI process to complete. This |
| 10172999 | In some of the affected vehicles, moisture and debris containing road de-icing salts may enter the BJB through the BJB cover and base. This could result in corrosion inside the BJB for vehicles operated extensively in the USA corrosion States. Corrosion in the BJB may cause a variety of symptoms including loss of function of exterior lights, vehicle no start or loss of other vehicle functions. |
| 10164620 | Certain 2011 through 2015 Model Year Fiesta and 2012 through 2014 Model Year Focus Vehicles Equipped with a DPS6 Automatic Transmission - Transmission Control Module Service Warranty Coverage |
| 10164615 | Certain 2011 through 2015 Model Year Fiesta and 2012 through 2014 Model Year Focus Vehicles Equipped with a DPS6 Automatic Transmission - Transmission Control Module Extended Warranty Coverage |
| 10164612 | Certain 2011 through 2015 Model Year Fiesta and 2012 through 2014 Model Year Focus Vehicles Equipped with a DPS6 Automatic Transmission - Transmission Control Module Reprogramming for Overt TCM Failure Warning |
| 10164606 | Certain 2011 through 2015 Model Year Fiesta and 2012 through 2016 Model Year Focus Vehicles Equipped with a DPS6 Automatic Transmission - Transmission Control Module Extended Warranty Coverage |
| 10164604 | Certain 2011 through 2014 Model Year Fiesta and Focus Vehicles Equipped with a DPS6 Automatic Transmission - Transmission Clutch Shudder / Transmission Input Shaft Seal Warranty Extension |
| 10164508 | Some 2010-2020 vehicles may exhibit distorted glass with a subtle orange peel pattern or streaking etched into the surface. This is caused by hydrofluoric acid which is used in some car wash solutions as a cleaning agent. Hydrofluoric acid can attack the glass and cause visual distortion and/or discoloration on the outer surface which cannot be removed by further cleaning. If this type of distortion is found, inspect the area of the glass that is covered by the cowl and/or molding. The portion of glass that is covered by the cowl or molding will not be affected by the acid. Hydrofluoric acid d |
| 10164497 | For Ford and Lincoln vehicles that require positive or negative battery terminal replacement, it is not necessary to replace the complete battery cable harness (14300 and 14301) for this concern. Positive battery cable clamp BT4Z-14450-AA and negative battery cable clamp BT4Z-14450-BA are available for this type of repair. Do not cut or shorten the battery cable, instead carefully remove the affected battery cable clamp and clean the cable end as necessary to preserve wire length. Some rework may be necessary for some vehicle environments. Bend the new positive battery cable clamp as needed an |
| 10163594 | Short-Term DPS6 Dealer Customer Handling Direction |
| 10160931 | On vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission it is imperative that the converter pilot hub be greased with Motorcraft Multi-Purpose Grease Spray XL-5-A even if grease was not applied from the factory. Also verify that the engine/transmission alignment dowel pins are present as well as the engine crankshaft dowel pin, if equipped, when installing the transmission. Failure to adequately lubricate the converter hub greatly increases the likelihood of the flexplate cracking in the future. Missing dowels may cause a misalignment issue also resulting in a premature failure. Refer to Workshop |
| 10159489 | Some 2013-2019 vehicles equipped with a EVDC air conditioning (A/C) compressor may exhibit poor A/C performance/improper climate function and/or a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P06A0 in the powertrain control module (PCM). To support the proper diagnosis of this compressor, the EVDC control valve tester has been developed and is available from Rotunda (339-EVDC100). A tester has been provided to each U.S. dealership free of charge with shipments completed 19-Apr-2019 (reference EFC07013 on FMCDealer.com). This tester will help reduce the potential for misdiagnosis and unnecessary compressor re |
| 10148720 | Some 2011-2014 Fiesta and 2012-2014 Focus vehicles equipped with a DPS6 transmission may experience a fluid leak between the engine and transmission. Be aware that the engine oil and DPS6 transmission fluid are similar in color and texture. A transmission fluid leak at the input shaft seal can cause a buildup of fluid in the bell housing; creating the appearance of a rear main seal leak. The rear main seal should only be replaced after a rear main seal failure is confirmed through appropriate diagnostics outlined in the updated online Workshop Manual (WSM) Section 303-00 / Diagnosis and Testin |
| 10144207 | Some 2011-2018 Fiesta vehicles may exhibit various concerns following IPC replacement. Symptoms may include: no crank, Contact Hotline message, odometer displaying incorrect English or Metric units and/or diagnostic trouble code (DTC) U2101 in multiple modules. If programmable module installation (PMI) has been performed on the replacement IPC, disconnect the IPC, start a new session using the appropriate Ford scan tool and perform a PMI on the IPC. Do not reconnect the IPC until after the scan tool states it is unable to communicate with the IPC, then allow the PMI process to complete. This |
| 10144182 | This article supersedes TSB 18-2024 to update the model years. Some 2011-2018 Fiesta vehicles may exhibit a lack of heat resulting from a frozen blower motor. This may be caused by snow entering through the cowl panel grille and screen assemblies. Snow may melt in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) case allowing water to enter the blower motor and freeze during a below freezing overnight soak. Blower motor fuse F4 in the battery junction box (BJB) may also be open and the cabin air filter may be saturated. Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Door Latch Failures
Door Latch Failure
Door Latch Failure
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation