Automatic Transmission Control Module problems of the 2013 Ford Focus - part 1

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the transmission unexpectedly shifted into neutral(n), and the message “transmission overheated - pull over for 5 minutes” was displayed. The contact coasted to the side of the road and waited before continuing to drive. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start immediately, causing the contact to make several attempts to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was hesitating, and the vehicle was jerking while downshifting. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed failures with dual clutch, engine failure, clutch a failure, and a failure with the transmission control module(tcm). The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 13v523000 (power train). The contact drove the vehicle to work and while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to immediately start, and the vehicle became inoperable. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 13v523000 (power train). The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 169,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal before the vehicle lost automotive power. The vehicle was shifted into park and restarted. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with pcm failure. The contact stated that the pcm had been reprogrammed before. 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 70,000.

Check engine light on and tpms light on. Vehicle exhibits overheating warning light on. Found codes: po7a3 - transmission friction element 'a' stuck on p2872 - clutch 'a' stuck engaged the transmission takes off in 1st okay, stutter felt in 2nd and 3rd when shifting. When shifting from 3rd to 4th there is a long delay engine bogs down before shifting into 4th gear. Same problem in 4-5, 5-6th gear was running properly recommended diagnosis on the engines code and dual clutch assembly then retest clutch travel test failed. Transmission is previously recalled. Ford has Ford's customer satisfaction program that is supposed to replace the transmission control module extended warranty coverage campaign# 14m02 it’s also supposed to repair issues caused by tcm, which is related to the codes showed but the dealership will not fix either issue. On the website chat a guest service member said my car qualified for repairs but the dealership said they won’t replace the tcm unless I replaced the clutch first with a $3700 estimate. Clutch issues are cause by tcm malfunctioning.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving and attempting to stop, the vehicle hesitated and shifted out of gear independently. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000.

The transmission control module (tcm) failed while driving. The car's engine began revving at high rpm while not accelerating and forcing the vehicle to slow down, creating a dangerous driving environment as I tried to get the car to a repair facility. An error message appeared stating that there was a transmission error and to get the vehicle serviced. This is the 5th time that the tcm has been replaced in this car. This car is 11 years old with approximately 60,000 miles. This is the first time it failed while driving. Typically, other symptoms prompt me to take it in. This time, I had no warning other than the message at the time of failure while I was driving in heavy traffic on a highway (speed limit was 55 mph). I somehow got the vehicle to a Ford dealership which diagnosed the problem as a failed tcm.

Vehicle struggles to accelerate from a stop or climb a hill at low speed. Many owners of the same year, make and model have discovered tcm and clutch problems with the same exact systems.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle failed to respond and stopped with the engine running. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to respond when shifted into drive(d). The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission control module and transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to manufacturer customer satisfaction program number: 14m02 tcm extended warranty (power train). The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 154,000.

Ford has a csp for the transmission control module on this vehicle, which will be replace the tcm. My vehicle had a tcm replaced in 2016, but it has still caused the transmission to prematurely fail. I am currently being quoted nearly $4,000 to replace the clutch pack/transmission in my vehicle, even though there were zero issues. My vehicle is currently at a Ford dealership and they are saying that they will replace the tcm, but I am responsible for the rest of the repairs that were caused by the faulty tcm. How can they be only responsible for replacing the easy repair, while completely ignoring the thousands of dollars of damages that were caused by this faulty component?.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that on several occasions, the vehicle shuddered and then stalled. The contact stated that the failure also recurred while reversing. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the failure could be related to the tcm. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

The contact owns 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that within 6 months of purchasing the vehicle brand new, the transmission made an abnormal grinding sound while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, and the tcm was replaced; however, the failure increased. The contact stated that while accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle jerked and hesitated to respond. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving at various speeds. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the two internal clutches needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 5 mph, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate, causing the vehicle to jump. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a faulty transmission control module (tcm). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to call the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

I'm not repeating everything for your website to erase it again. Duel clutch replacement every 20k miles and unsafe bad tcm behavior.

My car will intermittently lose power, such as in the middle of an intersection, or turning in front of another vehicle, which puts me and my children at risk. The transmission is throwing a code for overheating and malfunctioning, and there is an open customer satisfaction bulletin for the transmission control module, but Ford refuses to replace it because it’s not throwing “the correct code “ I have had the clutch replaced three times if not four in the time that I’ve had the vehicle and it’s more than frustrating. It’s dangerous along with losing power. It will intermittently catch the gear that is trying to shift into and cause the car to accelerate rapidly, the transmission, shutter control module and clutch have been an issue in this car, along with a class action lawsuit, and now Ford has had my vehicle for three weeks, and refuses to do the open service campaign for the tcm because of the code issue and it refuses to do the clutch because even though it was replaced three years ago, they state that the warranty is only for 12 months regardless of the fact that it was the fourth clutch that put in the car , I am working with someone at Ford warranty in hopes of getting them covered because I know they have done it in other cases, but I am more than frustrated with the service. I’ve received so far very unprofessional, which is unfortunate because overall I do love my car I would’ve kept it all this time if I didn’t I 10-year-old car should not have had to have the transmission clutch replaced three times or four times in 10 years and under 150,000 miles.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, the vehicle lost motive power. No warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road, restart the vehicle, and drive to the residence. The contact stated that several weeks later after stopping to refuel the vehicle, the vehicle was shifted into drive but failed to respond. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the clutch and tcm were faulty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not under recall. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 mph the vehicle began to shudder and lost forward momentum. The contact stated that the check engine light was illuminated. The contact pulled off of the roadway and the vehicle stalled. The contact did not attempt to restart the vehicle for fear of causing more damage. The contact stated that the vehicle had to be lifted onto a flatbed towing truck. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission control module (tcm) unit had to be replaced. The contact was told that the units were on national back order. The contact had researched online and saw that she had a manufacturer customer satisfaction program related to the failure for the tcm 14m02 (power train). The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

On 5/25/23, I came out of my work’s office building on my lunch break. My car seemed to not accelerate, however I was able to pull out and proceed on to the roadway. Unbeknownst, my car would not accelerate past 5 mph. I tried to turn around as I was entering a busy highway, and I was unable to reverse, leaving my car stuck as I hit a curb, as cars whizzed by me. I kept restarting my car and eventually I was able to push my car over to curb, and proceed at 5 mph (the most my car would go), back to my office parking lot. I have a small child and almost caused a 4-car accident due to Ford’s faulty transmission manufacturing which was confirmed by a mechanic that I had the car towed to. I was informed there is a buy-back and recall for the tcm for this car, and I need to take it to Ford for repair. I was not informed of this when I bought the car. I will be taking my car to Ford tomorrow, towed. The fact this is not a safety recall is absolutely sickening and I just thank god I wasn’t with my child at the time of the transmission failure. I am in disbelief. The average person, would have no idea what was going on with the car, as I didn’t.

My daughter-in-law's 2013 Ford Focus se started experiencing hesitations and slow/no acceleration. As she was driving, the car suddenly would not go above 30mph and the "check engine" light illuminated. Obd codes p2831, p2832, and p287b are present. She is the 2nd owner and the car only has 56,000 miles. The transmission control module (tcm) appears to be the issue and the replacement should be free under Ford customer satisfaction program 14m02 (10yrs/150,000miles). Ford issued a "manufacture communication" about this very serious safety problem instead of a recall, which is why she was not notified of this dangerous problem. The "warranty in service date" on this car is March 2013 which means the car is less than 2 months over the 10 year limit, but is 99,000 miles under the mileage cap. I talked to Ford customer care this morning and they told me that Ford would not cover this because it is 2 months beyond the 10 year cap. I am extremely disappointed that Ford is not willing to stand behind their product and fix this potentially deadly problem that customers do not know about because of Ford's lack of direct communication. Instead she's looking at a $900 repair bill.

While driving at approximately 60 mph on a highway in the passing lane, the engine shut off without warning, and the following lights appeared on the dash: check engine, abs, and traction control. The speedometer needle also went down to zero. I was in the process of passing a tractor trailer, and another tractor trailer was right behind me. I was barely able to maneuver off the highway onto the left shoulder and was almost rear-ended by the tractor trailer. The lack of power steering made it extremely difficult. This is a major safety issue. My family was in the car with me. After sitting on the side of the highway, I was able to start the engine and drive home. I arrived home and tried to back into my driveway, but it would not go into reverse. I took the car to the local Ford dealer and I was told the tcm needs to be replaced for around $750. I asked about the recall and they said that it expired in October of 2022. I did not know that recalls had an expiration date. After reading through many other complaints on the NHTSA website for the 2013 Focus, it seems that I have purchased a lemon. I just bought this vehicle in January at 57000 miles and have only put around 5000 miles on it. I still owe $9700 on the loan and the vehicle is undriveable. The manufacturer needs to buy this vehicle back so that I can purchase a replacement vehicle.

In Jan/Feb 2023, my 16 year old was driving her 2013 Ford Focus which we have had problems after problems… this particular time she was at a red light and it would not go! she quickly put in park and switched back to drive and it went… a day or 2 passed and it did it again and started shifting gears weird and jerking at certain speeds! took it to the mechanic he basically said he wouldn’t touch it because of how crappy and complicated these transmissions are… but he did run codes and to a transmission flush! that didn’t do any good… I started researching and low and be ahold find out that this is a know issue with these cars! and guess what my “extended warranty” expired less than 2 months prior to this! Ford would not help me what do ever! I contacted the manufacturer and the dealerships! they want to charge a diagnostic fee and everything!! then last week I get a letter in the mail stating they would do a one time replacement on the tcm now until 2025! ok that’s fine and all but at this point I don’t know if I even trust this car for my daughter to drive! I have been reading all the horror stories! if I could afford to get her a new one I would but I’m a single mom with one income! I think Ford needs to own up to this and buy back these lemons and make it right!!!.

I've had issues with this vehicle for years. It hesitates when accelerating and occasionally stalls. The problem advanced to where it would no longer shift into drive. Took in for repairs as it is no longer drivable. It was difficult to find a place to evenwork on it. Finally found a place, $3200 later it's repaired with a new tcm. This is a known problem to Ford. I'm a senior on a very limited fixed income, this was very difficult to pay for. The car only has 55,000 miles.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the check engine warning indicator light was illuminated and flashing. While driving, at an undetermined speed the vehicle was misfiring and chugging. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that a pcm replacement was needed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 113,659.

My transmission went out on me and I was stuck right in the middle on the highway. That puts everyone’s safety at risk. These automatic transmission’s are faulty from factory and Ford is refusing to “fix” them. They will only accept to update the tcm and that’s not a fix when it has internal problems. I did get a warning on the screen saying transmission malfunction and a check engine light.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, the rpm revved 6,000 rpm and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated he was unable to shift out of first and second gear however, the transmission independently shifted to fourth gear. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the tcm needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer and was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was informed by the manufacturer that the warranty had expired and would not apply towards the repair. The approximate failure mileage was 184,000.

Transmission control module (tcm) the transmission is a known problem to Ford. Auto shops won’t even look at the vehicle because it’s an unfixable problem. Ford dealers have no answer other then replace tcm and maybe you’ll get some more miles out of the car, but of course the part is backordered, over 77,000 cars waiting, and no idea when part will be available. Car is totally unreliable. Shifts gears inconsistently, at times won’t go into drive, often times vehicle won’t even start. All I can do with it now is to leave it sit parked and not use it. Extremely disappointing that Ford has known of this issue for years and not fixed it or put a buyback into place.

Dual clutch recall with actuators and tcm, Ford won't fix recall because it's on a national back order.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at 35 mph, the vehicle shifted into neutral unintendedly and the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact stated that she was able to restart the vehicle after waiting for 5 minutes. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive to her residence. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module (tcm) had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the part was replaced a month and half later as it was on back order; however, the failure reoccurred while driving a year later. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that transmission control module (tcm) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 45 mph the vehicle would not shift gear and would not accelerate. The hill assist, and parking ad fails warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over on the side on the road and waited for the vehicle to cool down. The vehicle was able to restart, and the contact was able to drive home. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnoses and the dealer stated that the tcm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired because the parts were not available. The manufacturer was contacted, and the manufacturer did not provide any assists. The failure mileage was 53,611.

This message is a complaint about my local car dealership and the car manufacturer of my vehicle. I will try to follow the general guidelines as much as possible. First off, I have a 2013 Ford Focus with numerous recalls. I recently dropped the vehicle off at my local car dealership the have those recalls worked on. . . And only those recalls. The recalls include: - faulty transmission control module (tcm) - canister purge valve (cpv) being stuck open causing the plastic fuel tank to deform, causing incorrect gas tank readings - door latches not being secure - software update of the vehicle's computer. . . To also correct false computer readings. Symptoms I have with the vehicle are as follows: - difficulty with ignition, as I have to turn the key multiple times to start the vehicle; also happens when putting in gas - constant jerking of the vehicle while driving, especially when starting from a stop - stalling of the vehicle, especially when driving uphill - engine light always on - incorrect gas reading; fuel gauge goes up and down. When I dropped my vehicle off at the dealership, I was assured that if the problems were any of the recalls, they would be free of charge. Fast-forward a couple of weeks later and I'm being told that I now owe over $1,000 in labor fees! on top of that I am being told that I owe a $180 diagnostic fee. I was told of two things that were replaced on the vehicle: the canister purge valve (which I already stated is one of the recalls) and some random sensor, which they had no right to replace without my permission. I am being told neither of these things are covered since the car dealership and manufacturer suddenly don't consider these recalls. The excuse I have been given is the "codes" of the vehicle don't give the same information. I am in utter disbelief of everything I am being told. The recall letters clearly state repairs that are part of a recall are free of charge. Absolutely ridiculous.

For some reason the recall doesn't show up on the last page, but my tcm went out. The car failed to sshift at a stop sign. I brought the car to a Ford dealer, who confirmed the part was covered by recall. That was 2 years ago. It's bene sitting in their parking lot ever since. I've emailed them twice. The first time, they seemed to try just reentering the cars ticket, based on emails I was getting. I got several emails saying service has been scheduled. The second time they told me the repair was complete. I drove to Ford where they told me they were stil waiting on th part. That's when I emailed this site, which directed me here. I don't know what a "reasonable amount of time" is, but I feel two years of waiting is excessive.

There's an extended warranty on the tcms on the fiestas and Focuses from Ford from like 2011 to 16. I took advantage of them to replace the tcm but due to the tcm I guess malfunctioning the clutch itself has went out and now that's like dollars so the transmission control module in the clutch I feel should be covered under the customer satisfaction.

I had my engine on in park and it stalled left me stranded and dashboard said engine fault service now when I tried starting the car it would turn over and I heard a bunch of clicking and the lights were flickering the dash and radio had no power and my wipers wouldn’t go off. I had to abandon my car on someone’s private property until I could get it towed they ended up calling the cops and gave me 48 hours to remove my car off there property. In my 2013 Ford Focus se I have experienced reduced engine power, hesitation, engine stalls while driving with no warning front and rear lights flicker and dim random spikes in voltage and inconsistent start-up issues like sometimes the vehicle does not start when turning the ignition on and car suddenly starts or idles down unexpectedly and stutters/lurches when driving. Also sometimes my radio fails to have power. I have replaced relay fuses starter fuses purge valve bought a new battery bought a new alternator I changed O2 sensors spark plugs filters etc I took it to fred martin Ford and they advised me they found intermittent communication failure between pcm and tcm. Performed wire trace on harness found harness frayed that runs along transmission unit. There are wiring harness recalls on certain 2013 and 2014 model year Focus st and escape vehicles equipped with a 2. 0l engine engine wiring splice repair safety recall 14s17 my 2013 Ford Focus se 2. 0l engine does not fall under this recall how come? there are several other customers having the same wiring harness issues.

Check engine light came on Saturday morning on my way to work, when checked it comes up as fault codes p0420, with secondary codes of p144a - evap emission system purge vapor line restricted/blocked, p1450 - unable to bleed up fuel tank vacuum, and p0131 - O2 circuit low voltage (bank 1, sensor 1), and started stalling after putting new gas in only, and now hesitates at lower gears and has a rougher then normal idle with the rps not staying steady, also when doing a VIN check on Fords website, or the NHTSA lookup it does not show up as a recall, however when I do a full VIN check it does show under the recalls page, I'm not sure if they marked it as completed for the VIN of this vehicle or not but its doing literally all the stuff stated in Ford safety recall 18s32 18v735000 or 19s22 19v515000, but when trying to chat Ford about it they deny there is one even though the NHTSA overview states: all of the affected vehicles previously had Ford safety recall 18s32 performed; however, updated powertrain control module (pcm) software was not available at that time. Ford motor company wants to ensure the software is updated to the most current release available. In some of the affected vehicles, the pcm software may not adequately detect a stuck-open canister purge valve (cpv) within the fuel vapor system. If the cpv malfunctions and sticks open, it can lead to excessive vacuum in the fuel vapor system, allowing the plastic fuel tank to deform. This can cause the following symptoms: • illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (mil) with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0420, p1450, p0443, p0452, p0456, p0460 and/or p2196 • inaccurate or erratic fuel gauge indication • inaccurate distance to empty (dte) • engine stall and/or other drivability concerns related to stuck open cpv I have only had the car 2 months as of tomorrow, and am a single dad raising my 6 month old son alone, I cannot have this breakdown completely and risk a accident when it should be covered by recall.

The transmission control module (tcm) failed on my 2013 Ford Focus again. This resulted in me loosing the ability move my car while in an intersection putting my safety and other drivers safety at risk. This required me to get out of my car in an intersection to push it to the side of the road with the assistance of other drivers, further putting our safety at risk. This is not the first time this has happened (loss of driving power in an intersection), and I have had this component and other transmission related components repaired under warranty multiple times by Ford dealerships. There were no check engine lights or warning lamps that indicated the problem was going to occur before the vehicle failed.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the warning light illuminated indicating that the transmission was hot. The contact was forced to stop and allow the transmission to cool down before proceeding whenever the warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle would fail to exceed 50 mph. Additionally, whenever the vehicle was driven for an extended period, the transmission warning light would illuminate. The contact stated that she took the vehicle to the dealer and the tcm was replaced. The contact was also informed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the clutch had been previously repaired under recall however, the vehicle started to experience the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and informed her that she would be responsible for the repair. The failure mileage was 150,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving in a parking garage, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the engine just revved as the vehicle failed to move forward while in drive. The contact stated that the vehicle rolled backwards as she then depressed the brake pedal and attempted to shift to park however, the gear shifter failed to move. The contact waited for a few minutes and was able to shift to park and turn the vehicle off. The contact was able to restart the vehicle however, the shifter was still difficult to move to drive. After a couple more minutes the vehicle was able to shift to drive but the vehicle hesitated and jerked before the contact was able to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed of a transmission recall. The dealer informed her that the transmission module was on backorder. The vehicle was temporally repaired however, the failure recurred several days later. The contact stated that on 8/6/2021 the transmission failure reoccurred while driving on a bridge. The contact stated that the engine revved, rolled forward, and the vehicle finally engaged to resume normal driving. The dealer was notified of the failure again and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. Once again, a temporary fix was performed on the transmission. The contact stated that “service transmission” was displayed once she retrieved the vehicle from the dealer for the second time. The contact called the dealer and was advised not to drive the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.