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2013 Ford Focus: transmission slipping

125 of the 2,112 complaints about the 2013 Ford Focus describe transmission slipping.

owner complaints
125
of this car's complaints
6%
typical repair cost reported
$1,200
typical mileage
38,000
recalls
0
Is there a fix? 43 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below

Transmission slipping by model year

What owners say

Filed Sep 9, 2025 · Acceleration, Electrical · MN · crash · 2 injuries

erratic shifting and eratic slipping gears , first happened while on highway and then it wouldnt go in any gear besides reverse and would say transmission overheat wait 5 min . caused another veihcal behind me to slam on there brakes and they ended up getting rear ended from the car behind them ..... all becouse of my cars tcm or transmission issues>!!!! also not too mention ` random unusual noises coming from clutch or shifter when not even start car yet _delayed start and delayed shifting .. i could go on and on this car is a nightmare

Filed Jun 30, 2025 · Engine, Transmission · 126,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the transmission was slipping, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 126,000.

Filed May 6, 2025 · Transmission · 180,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the transmission was slipping, and the vehicle lost motive power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

Filed Sep 10, 2024 · Transmission · 64,000 miles · NJ

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the transmission was slipping and shifted hard. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with failed transmission clutches. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.

Filed Sep 7, 2024 · Electrical, Transmission · AL

Not shifting into gear properly, slipping out of gear into what seems like neutral, downshifting. Also electrical problems, radio not functioning, speakers popping and static sounds even with vehicle completely off.

Filed Oct 23, 2023 · Transmission · OH

I drove this car for intervals and then purchased it on 6/05/23 from a used car lot. It had no problems and ran very well. About a month or two later the transmission started to slip so I contacted the Goodyear shop we take our cars to. They told me that Ford had a recall on a transmission problem so I called the Ford dealer and made an appointment to bring it in for a computer recall on the trans. I am 84 yrs. old and was driving to the gas station for gas and the car stopped and inched into the station. I had it towed to Ford and it sat there until my appt. day and was told the computer on the outside of the trans was under warrenty not the trans and it would cost $9000. for a trans. No other trans shop would repair because all the computers are on backorder. The used car dealer nor I were ever notified about a recall, At least 5 yrs of Focus have this problem. Check all the complaints. It's unsafe and unfair.

Filed Dec 30, 2022 · Transmission · 130,000 miles · OK

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission was slipping. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would fail to respond while attempting to drive from a complete stop or while shifting into gear. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the transmission clutch and the transmission control module (TCM) were replaced twice by the dealer; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

Filed Dec 3, 2022 · Transmission · TX

Loss of power when engaged, transmission slips to lower gear causing u to slow down and will not engage back in to drive then jerks when gas is applied. I have eluded several accidents and cause others to swerve to miss me. Check engine light is on. When taken in to dealer they have changed the TCM 3 or 4 times but is still doing the same thing.

Filed Aug 5, 2022 · Transmission · CA

I was driving 65mph on CA highway 880 in the left carpool lane. Suddenly my transmission slipped and my car ended up in neutral. I was forced to park in whatever space there was between the concrete barrier and the carpool lane. After the car stopped, the transmission would not re-engage for another 3 minutes or so. After that it re-engaged and I was able to drive back home. My understanding this is one of the issues that can be expected with a Ford DPS6 transmission. COMPLETELY UNSAFE. I had two young children in the car.

Filed Mar 31, 2022 · Transmission · 6 miles · PA

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that since owning the vehicle, the transmission would either slip out of gear, hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal, or stall without warning. The contact had previously taken her vehicle to the dealer and had the vehicle serviced under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V515000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, she was recently informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer had been notified of the failure and filed a complaint. The contact was later referred to the federal safety agency for assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 6.

Filed Mar 15, 2022 · Transmission · MO

transmission keeps slipping

Filed Aug 9, 2021 · Transmission · 70,000 miles · OR

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to reverse. The check transmission message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where service was denied. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was bearing slipping, grinding and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. The VIN was not available.

Questions about the 2013 Ford Focus slipping

Is transmission slipping a common problem on the 2013 Ford Focus?

125 of 2,112 owner complaints about the 2013 Ford Focus (6%) mention transmission slipping. The model year with the most reports is 2014.

How much does it cost to fix transmission slipping on the 2013 Ford Focus?

Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,200 (median of 6 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2013 Ford Focus?

There are 0 recalls and 43 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2013 Ford Focus

Stalling 334Shudder 301Jerking 295Hesitation 234Check engine light 219Grinding brakes 121Loss of power 120Transmission failure 96Power steering loss 89Door locks 85Won't shift 64Won't start 59Fuel gauge 47Overheating 39Fuel pump 35Steering lock-up 34Engine failure 32Harsh shifting 31Wipers 29Sudden acceleration 19Misfire 18Fire or smoke 17Seat belt 14No deployment 13Warning lights 8Adaptive cruise 7Knocking 7Tire blowout 6ABS 5Pulling 5

All model years of the Ford Focus

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