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#BS-2013-FORFIE-2DAB2013 Ford Fiesta
Based on reports from 914 owners and 3 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Red Flag
Based on 914 complaints, 19 crashes, 10 fires, and 3 recalls. Complaint rate is 11.7x the class average.
Top reported problems
slipping chugging
24 complaints • Severity 7.8/10
clanging hesitating loses power
23 complaints • Severity 8.3/10
hesitation at first gear
10 complaints • Severity 6.8/10
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
376 owners reported drivetrain issues — failures commonly reported around 30K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (371 reports) • Median: 30K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Drivetrain (376 reports).
Also in your report
Owner Intelligence
AI-synthesized themes from real complaints
Buyer Lot Checklist
Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers
Negotiation Talking Points
Data-backed dollar deductions
Buy / Skip Verdict
Final recommendation with conditions
Where the complaints fall
2013 Ford Fiesta: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Drivetrain Issues
Drivetrain complaints account for 41% of all reports filed for the 2013 Ford Fiesta, with 376 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 30,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 30K-mile mark.
Engine Issues
Engine complaints account for 12% of all reports filed for the 2013 Ford Fiesta, with 112 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Electrical Issues
Electrical complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2013 Ford Fiesta, with 61 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Structure:body Issues
Structure:body complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2013 Ford Fiesta, with 56 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to structure:body-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.
Complaint trend by year
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2013 Ford Fiesta. Recent trend: decreasing.
Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own
Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (3 recalls)
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.
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.
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.
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
The worst model year for the Ford Fiesta is the 2011 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is transmission.
2013 Ford Fiesta vs. Class Average (Subcompact Cars)
This vehicle
914
Class avg
78
11.7x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical subcompact cars vehicles.
Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 914 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 3 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Ford Fiesta Model Years
2013 Ford Fiesta: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Ford Fiesta?
Is the 2013 Ford Fiesta reliable?
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Does the 2013 Ford Fiesta have any recalls?
What mileage do Ford Fiesta problems start?
What’s in the full report?
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Get the Full 2013 Ford Fiesta Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 914 owner reports. Know before you buy.