2013 Ford Fiesta Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2013 Ford Fiesta has a complaint index of 75, ranking 3rd worst among 9 model years, and carries an Avoid verdict. Transmission & Powertrain problems dominate at 59% of complaints, with 3 recalls including an airbag software issue.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 75/100
- #3 of 9 Fiesta years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 667
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 3
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 12
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 4
- Injuries
- 9
- Top issue
- Transmission & Powertrain
- NHTSA overall rating
- 4 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 32
- 29 city / 37 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 9 / 0
Top 2013 Ford Fiesta problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Transmission & Powertrain391 (59%)
- Engine136 (20%)
- Structure & Body119 (18%)
- Other92 (14%)
- Electrical System67 (10%)
- Brakes24 (4%)
- Fuel System15 (2%)
- Airbags13 (2%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires9 (1%)
- Seat Belts4 (1%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Automatic transmission grinds, hesitates, or lurches forward unexpectedly when accelerating from a stop.
- Transmission clutch problems recur even after repeated shop visits, sometimes leading to a collision when the car hesitates then suddenly takes off.
- Brakes reportedly fail to respond or lock up during braking, in one case leading to a highway collision.
- Frontal airbags failed to deploy during a crash despite significant vehicle damage.
- Engine compartment produced smoke and, in some cases, visible flames while driving at highway speed.
- Vehicle rolled backward at a stop when the driver tried to accelerate.
2013 Ford Fiesta recalls
3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 20V331000Jun 8, 2020Structure & Body2,147,323 vehicles
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
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.
- NHTSA 15V246000Apr 24, 2015Structure & Body456,440 vehicles
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
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.
- NHTSA 12V488000Oct 5, 2012Airbags154,471 vehicles
Air bags
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.
2013 Ford Fiesta fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 29 MPG
- Highway
- 37 MPG
- Combined
- 32 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,050
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2013 compared with other Fiesta years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2013 Ford Fiesta reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2013 Fiesta ranks 3rd worst out of 9 model years, with a complaint index of 75 and an Avoid verdict.
- What are the most common problems with the 2013 Ford Fiesta?
- Transmission & Powertrain issues make up 59% of complaints, followed by Engine problems at 20% and Structure & Body issues at 18%, according to NHTSA data.
- Does the 2013 Ford Fiesta have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2013 Fiesta, covering door latches (Structure & Body) and a software issue that could suppress frontal airbag deployment.
- What year Ford Fiesta should I avoid?
- The 2011 and 2012 Fiesta have higher complaint indexes (100 and 88) than 2013's 75, making all three Avoid-rated years, while 2017 and 2018 rank as Best.
- At what mileage do 2013 Ford Fiesta transmission problems start?
- NHTSA data shows a median mileage of 20,000 miles at failure for Transmission & Powertrain complaints on the 2013 Fiesta.