Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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).
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while making a left turn at the traffic light, with her grandchild in a car seat in the rear passenger seat, the rear passenger's side door opened inadvertently. The contact stopped in the middle of the road. A bystander attempted to close the rear passenger's side door; however, the door failed to closed. The bystander was able to keep the door closed by using a cord. The contact moved her grandchild to the rear middle seat. The contact also stated that while driving on another occasion, the front driver's side and front passenger's side doors inadvertently opened. Additionally, the contact stated while driving on a slight incline, the vehicle inadvertently rolled back. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the failed to respond. …
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the transmission seemed to have slipped out of gear, and the vehicle decelerated to 10 MPH. As the contact depressed the accelerator, the vehicle was bucking into gear. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated and there was an indicator flashing that the transmission had overheated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the TCM needed to be replaced. Additionally, the TCM failure caused damages to the transmission and the transmission needed to be repaired. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact drove the vehicle from the dealer to her residence; however, while driving, the vehicle stalled and was towed to the residence. …
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that the vehicle would surge while driving and the vehicle was making an abnormal clinking sound. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle was surging significantly and started to decelerate independently. The "Transmission Malfunction. Service Now" message was displayed. The contact released the accelerator pedal and depressed the brake pedal. The contact then slowly depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle responded. The contact was able to continue driving at slower speeds. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that they did not have an early availability for diagnostic test. The vehicle was taken to a transmission specialist where it was diagnosed that the Transmission Control Module needed to be replaced; however, the part was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle would jerk and would hesitate to respond. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure recurred while driving from a complete stop, and the vehicle stalled in the middle of the road. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that her husband depressed the accelerator pedal and was able to continue driving; however, the vehicle failed to exceed 20 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the TCM was replaced under Ford Campaign Number: 14M02. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle was shuddering. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. …
The contact's daughter owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while her daughter was attempting to reverse out of a parking spot, the vehicle failed to respond with the engine revving. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that her daughter turned off and restarted the vehicle several times; however, the failure persisted. The contact's daughter shifted into drive(D) and the vehicle responded. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the TCM needed to be replaced and that the failure was related to an unknown extended warranty program that had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on three occasions, the vehicle jerked, lost motive power, and failed to accelerate above 25 MPH. The check engine, oil, and ECM warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and restarted. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where the failure could not be replicated. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the failure persisted. The check engine and ECM warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the Transmission Malfunction message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated to respond and was jerking significantly. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while driving at various speeds. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to dealer several times. The dealer replaced the transmission clutch under warranty. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred 6 years later. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutch needed to be replaced; however, the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
The contact's daughter owns a 2014 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact then stated that that while the accelerator pedal was depressed the vehicle hesitated. No warning lights was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be duplicated; however, the technician found that the clutch was slipping, and the clutch and shift forks failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unintendedly shifted into neutral(N). Additionally, the contact stated that the transmission failed to shift into reverse(R) as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who performed a relearn, a visual inspection, and an adaptation test. No failure was found; however, the contact stated that the failure recurred. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Programs: 15N22 (Transmission Control Module), 19N07 (Transmission Control Module), and 14M02 (Transmission Control Module). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,901.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, and while driving up an incline, the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle was not responding as needed. The contact stated that while at the top of the hill and driving down the hill, the vehicle regained motive power. The contact stated that no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was occurring while driving up an incline. The contact drove the vehicle to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the internal transmission seals were leaking and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,429.
Transmission complaints in other Fiesta years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2013 Ford Fiesta?
NHTSA has 391 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2013 Ford Fiesta, 59% of the model year's 668 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Ford Fiesta transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 20,000 miles, and 54% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to transmission & drivetrain problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.