2013 Ford Fiesta: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
667 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Read the guide
Ford Focus and Fiesta 2011 to 2016: the PowerShift transmission, explained for buyers, including 2013 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 667 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 51.31
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact received the recall notification letter for NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V331000 (latches, locks, and linkages). The contact stated that the passenger-side door opened while driving at 30-35 MPH. While her daughter was driving, the passenger side rear door came ajar. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was able to inspect and …
The vehicle experienced a sudden transmission failure while driving. Before the failure, the car began shuddering and hesitating during acceleration. It then started making loud metal grinding noises from the transmission area and eventually lost the ability to move properly when placed in Drive or Reverse. This created a safety risk because the vehicle could not accelerate normally in traffic and became difficult to…
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, there was a loud rattling sound coming from the vehicle and the vehicle experienced a loss of power and decelerated. The vehicle was driven to a nearby service station. After restarting the vehicle and shifting to drive(D), the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The vehicle was later towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed…
Recalls: 3 campaigns (1 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 12V488000 | 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. |
| 20V331000 | 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… |
| 15V246000 | 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… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a city car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 32 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $1,900
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Power Train391 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Engine109 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other91 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Structure78 complaints · typical job: Body, subframe or corrosion repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,070–$2,920
- Electrical System62 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Latches/Locks/Linkages47 complaints · typical job: Door latch or lock actuator replacement (2.0 h labour + parts)$380–$760
Other Ford Fiesta years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Ford Fiesta?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Power Train (391 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2013 Ford Fiesta a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 47/100, computed from 667 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2013 Ford Fiesta's most common problem?
391 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2013 Ford Fiesta sit in the Power Train group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is transmission service or clutch-pack repair: about 7.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,290–$4,040 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2013 Ford Fiesta cost to run per year?
About $5,224 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $26,122 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2013 Ford Fiesta have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2013 Ford Fiesta, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 05/10/2012. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other economys of about the same age.
What will a 2013 Ford Fiesta really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 667 complaints, 3 recalls on record
- 667 NHTSA complaints on record (51.3/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (23.5/yr)
- 3 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems