Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Ford Fiesta owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Ford Fiesta 2013 had a transmission malfunction warning pop up and the car aggressively jerked back then wouldn't accelerate past 25 mph. The warning light stayed on. The car a couple miles after the incident wouldn't accelerate at all even though the engine was on. This type of stopping happened twice. This issue is not related to my driving or accident but due to Ford producing a car with set malfunctions.
The rear passenger side door, where my son sits in his booster, stopped closing one afternoon on our way to his soccer game. I used a piece of rope to tie the door across the car to the door opposite until I could get my car into the Ford dealership the next day. I searched the internet and saw an article regarding other 2013 Ford Fiesta's having the same issue. I took my vehicle the next day to the dealership and since I was there I let them know that my car, which only had 15K miles on it, has a problem with acceleration. When I accelerate I hear an airy sound coming from the engine and I lose power so that I accelerate very slowly. This is a huge safety issue when getting onto the highway. I was advised when I picked up the car that the lock was a recall item as was an issue with the cooling system that they fixed. …
After I had this car about 16 months and around 12000 miles, the transmission started to act up. It would jerk the car and then it wouldn't accelerate. They reset the computer and changed the transmission. It ran OK for about a month or two and driving one day it felt like the whole bottom dropped outta the car and I couldn't go. They reset the computer 2 more times in a 5 month span and said there is nothing else to do bc all the tests come back within Ford specs. I feel like I'll get killed on the highway because if I try and change lanes I cant accelerate to keep up with the flow of traffic. In the city it jerks all around. It seems to work best under 25 MPH as long as I don't hit the gas or brakes. It takes alot to get it up to 65 MPH and as soon as you take your foot off the gas it drops to 45 in seconds and then its hard to get going again. …
Incident occurred 3 times. At highway speeds, with the cruise control engaged, the engine malfunction warning came on. The cruise control immediately disengages and the car slows down. This is dangerous when going up hill at highway speeds. There are no codes stored in the computer. The alarm should not flag without storing a code. Searching the internet shows this has been a problem with the Fiesta for many years. Dealers have made the same repairs several times on the same vehicle with the errors reoccurring. The primary concern is the error flagging without a code present. Ford needs to fix this poor design. In my case the cause of the error is likely a poor connection under the hood. That alone is a problem but if the system logged the error at least it would be easy to find. Many people have had their cars repaired thinking they were OK only to have it happen again. …
I am requesting that NHTSA investigate the severe shake/shudder of the vehicle while accelerating from a stopped position as well as the vehicle either jerking forward or becoming sluggish when accelerating from a stopped position. Also, an investigation needs to be performed on the transmission becoming stuck in gears while driving on the highway at various speeds. These complications have happened many times. Ford confirms that this is normal and that the car needs to be driven differently or that they couldn`t find a problem. The clutch has been replaced multiple times as well as the inner and outer seals and the PCM/TCM has been reprogrammed. Adaptive learning was also performed. This is a safety hazard because it affects my ability to control my speed, acceleration and deceleration which in return could lead to a serious accident.
The transmission has a recall on it. It has been in the shop and replaced 3x. It still is not fixed. It passes the test when its hooked up to the machine but when driven it fails and goes back to the shop. The problem apparently has something to do with Ford and how it is made. Now a engine malfunction light always comes on. The manual says that it should not be driven because it May not shift. I have almost been in countless accidents because the transmission will not shift. It does not accelerate. It jerks, shakes, and grinds. I wrote to Ford and they didn't care. Told me to take it up with the dealership. This has been nonstop since I bought it last year till now and its ongoing. I do not feel comfortable driving my child in this car. Someone needs to be held accountable.
While traveling at 55 MPH on the highway my Ford Fiesta started to not shift up or down and seemed a bit stuck. After taking it to the dealer they reprogrammed the powertrain control module. Only a couple months later the car started to having trouble with gear shifting at low and high speeds and also seems to slip when trying to shift. Car has repeatedly come close to stalling and has lost almost all power at various times. The car dealer now says it needs a new clutch and it will take 16 weeks for it to arrive. Until then I am not to drive it long distances. Very dangerous car, I am afraid I will be hit trying to turn because the engine will lose power at the wrong time.
This vehicle is unsafe and should be recalled. Dual transmission cluch is a serious problem disengaging while driving slow or fast and shutters at all speeds. Its electronic throttle body (ecb) is defective just like 1.6 million 2009-2014 Ford escape and fusion and Mercury mariner and milan vehicles that Ford started a "customer satisfaction program" in lieu of a recall. Of course the ecb is not under warranty (3,000 over) and Ford did not identify the Fiesta as one of the customer satisfaction program cars. $545 plus labor for a car that is 3 years old. No more Ford products for home or work for this cfo.
While driving on a city street or otherwise, my car's engine malfunction light will come on. The car will suddenly jerk and slow down. No matter how hard I press on the gas pedal, it will not go over 30mph. I have almost been slammed into several times due to the sudden loss of speed. I've taken it in twice and had the gas pedal replaced as the computer picks up a problem between the chip and the computer. And both times the new part has failed. I've looked into this and it seems to be a reoccurring problem across the board, and a dangerous one considering Ford is aware of the problem
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. While driving 75 MPH, the rear passenger door flew open without warning. The dealer diagnosed that all door latches needed to be replaced. In addition, the contact stated that after the vehicle was repaired under an unknown manufacturer recall for the transmission, the vehicle accelerated independently without warning. The vehicle was repaired a total of four times, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 55,000.
Acceleration complaints in other Fiesta years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2013 Ford Fiesta?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2013 Ford Fiesta, 6% of the model year's 668 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2013 Ford Fiesta acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2013 Ford Fiesta, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2013 Ford Fiesta acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 15,000 miles, and 59% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.