2013 Ford Fiesta Problems, Recalls & Reliability
917 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2013 Ford Fiesta, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 76/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 26,050 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2013 Ford Fiesta sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2017–2019.
Avoid
Where 2013 sits among all Fiesta years
What owners report
“My transmission is slipping had the recall fix about 2 years ago and it is slipping again and it is doing this when i am driving it”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Fiesta
“The vehicle was shuttering when driving. Then the check engine light came on and now the car is saying to service the transmission now. I have only had this car for 2 months!”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Fiesta
“The driver's door will not latch shut. The car was in the drive way and when i tried to close the door it would not close.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Fiesta
“The passenger door came open while the car was in motion in the freeway, there was no passenger riding at the time, and the car door was locked. The latch came loose. The vehicle mileage is about 43,200 miles.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Fiesta
“While driving at night, the low beam headlights stopped working. It appears to be corrosion at the relay. The high beams still function. There is a recall in canada for this problem.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Fiesta
“Door latches keep breaking. I have already paid to fix 2 now a 3rd one is broke. There was a recall for the door latches on the same year, make, model but my vin number was not included.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Fiesta
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 686 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 35,100 miles. Half of those reports fall between 12,000 and 67,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 20V177000.
Led to recall campaign 15V246000.
Led to recall campaign 20E010000.
Technical service bulletins
89 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and engine — are on file for the 2013 Ford Fiesta. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2013 Fiesta TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2013 Ford Fiesta reliable?
The 2013 Ford Fiesta drew 917 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 76/100, scored against the model's worst year (2011).
What are the most common 2013 Ford Fiesta problems?
The top reported problems for the 2013 Ford Fiesta are transmission & drivetrain (393 complaints), engine (113), and other (107).
At what mileage do 2013 Ford Fiesta problems show up?
Owners most often report 2013 Ford Fiesta problems around 35,100 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 12,000 and 67,000 miles.
Does the 2013 Ford Fiesta have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2013 Ford Fiesta. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.