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2013 Ford Flex

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Flex years

Owner complaints for the 2013 Ford Flex are substantially higher than the model-year median of 139.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

435 reports with mileage · 143 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 200 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Steering. Review the 149 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Structure. Review the 69 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

11 crash reports1 fire reports9 injury reports

What owners actually said

578 reports
Mileage unknown · Jan 31, 2023
Back Over PreventionLane Departure

Rear view camera does not come on in reverse gear. It was looked at about 18 months ago and the dealership service manager said it was the camera that needed to be replaced. they also saw that the camera came on for a few seconds , then went off again. they tried it about five times ,on and off. they wanted to charge me $200.0…

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Rear view camera does not come on in reverse gear. It was looked at about 18 months ago and the dealership service manager said it was the camera that needed to be replaced. they also saw that the camera came on for a few seconds , then went off again. they tried it about five times ,on and off. they wanted to charge me $200.00 to diagnose the problem. so , here i am complaining to nhtsa about my vehicle's problem.

NHTSA ODI #11504806

85,000 miles · Jan 23, 2023
Back Over Prevention

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that the rear-view camera image was displayed inverted on the infotainment screen. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that there were recalls on other Ford model vehicles for the same failure; however, the VIN was not included. The contact called the dealer and the ma…

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The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that the rear-view camera image was displayed inverted on the infotainment screen. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that there were recalls on other Ford model vehicles for the same failure; however, the VIN was not included. The contact called the dealer and the manufacturer and was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN regarding the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

NHTSA ODI #11503136

Mileage unknown · Jan 4, 2023
Electrical System

Vehicle would not start after 3 days of not being started or driven. After having the battery jumped the climate control unit malfunctioned. The heat would not turn off and stayed on full blast. This caused the car to overheat and difficult to drive even with the windows down. When brought to the dealership service center, they…

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Vehicle would not start after 3 days of not being started or driven. After having the battery jumped the climate control unit malfunctioned. The heat would not turn off and stayed on full blast. This caused the car to overheat and difficult to drive even with the windows down. When brought to the dealership service center, they replaced the heater blower. This fixed the issue temporarily. Then the heat stopped working and in single digit temperatures the vehicle was too cold to drive. The dealership replaced the resistor. This again became a temporary fix. The heat came back but then the vehicle battery kept draining. Having some type of electrical issue put the vehicle at a possible risk for short circuiting, catching fire etc. This is an ongoing issue with ALL YEARS of the Ford Flex. When the vehicle is jump started this causes an electrical short affecting the climate control system but also the entire communication system. .

NHTSA ODI #11500074

84,000 miles · Dec 7, 2022
Latches/locks/linkages

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that she attempted to close the rear passenger’s side door however, the door failed to latch. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the latch failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The cont…

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The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that she attempted to close the rear passenger’s side door however, the door failed to latch. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the latch failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact then stated that while closing the front driver’s side door, the door failed to latch securely. Due to the failure, the contact had to drive holding the door closed. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the latch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided the number to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000. The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI #11496459

170,000 miles · Nov 7, 2022
Latches/locks/linkages

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that on several occasions while stopped or attempting to drive over 10 MPH, the door ajar warning light illuminated, indicating that the front and rear passenger’s side doors were open however, the doors were closed. The contact then stated that while attempting to lock all t…

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The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that on several occasions while stopped or attempting to drive over 10 MPH, the door ajar warning light illuminated, indicating that the front and rear passenger’s side doors were open however, the doors were closed. The contact then stated that while attempting to lock all the doors, the doors unlocked instead and activated the interior lighting. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the door sensors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000

NHTSA ODI #11492641

116,211 miles · Sep 15, 2022
Steering

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist with the Power Steering Assist Fault message displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of …

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The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist with the Power Steering Assist Fault message displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 116,211.

NHTSA ODI #11484594

100,000 miles · Sep 9, 2022
Vehicle Speed Control

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly. The failure was intermittent. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that they coul…

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The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly. The failure was intermittent. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI #11483623

Mileage unknown · Sep 5, 2022
Electrical System

The 2013 Flex has an issue with door ajar switch within the door latch mechanism failing. This results in the car incorrectly identifying the door as “ajar” when it is closed. The result is that the automatic door locking does not activate when the car is in motion. This means that the door remains unlocked unless manually lo…

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The 2013 Flex has an issue with door ajar switch within the door latch mechanism failing. This results in the car incorrectly identifying the door as “ajar” when it is closed. The result is that the automatic door locking does not activate when the car is in motion. This means that the door remains unlocked unless manually locked by the passenger. This can pose a safety hazard as the door could come open in an accident or be opened while in motion by a passenger. This problem has been well described on the web with multiple work around including disabling the mechanism or wiring a different switch in. It also described as typically happening around 69,000 miles. In conclusion Ford has created a faulty door ajar sensor that negatively affects the safety of the occupants in the vehicles and has resulted in numerous work arounds that could further negatively impact the safety of the occupants. Thank you for your time.

NHTSA ODI #11482892

Mileage unknown · Aug 30, 2022
Steering

Power steering completely went out as we were driving jerking the wheel out of our hands , and almost causing an accident. An indicator on the dashboard says “power steering assist failure” . Shortly after that the traction control light/abs light came on as well. There were no warnings lamps, messages, or symptoms before thi…

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Power steering completely went out as we were driving jerking the wheel out of our hands , and almost causing an accident. An indicator on the dashboard says “power steering assist failure” . Shortly after that the traction control light/abs light came on as well. There were no warnings lamps, messages, or symptoms before this occurred and the power steering has been out ever since. This seems to be a Ford Flex recall problem and somehow ford doesnt want to cover the cost to repair/fix it because my VIN is not included in the recall.

NHTSA ODI #11481916

142,000 miles · Aug 23, 2022
Steering

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was shuddering. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the front ball joints, front control arms, and front struts were replaced; however, the failure persisted…

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The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was shuddering. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the front ball joints, front control arms, and front struts were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated while driving to the dealer, the steering wheel seized inadvertently and would not turn to the right. The steering could be turned to the left, almost causing a crash. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and was able to continue driving; however, the failure recurred the same day. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion and the electronic gear box needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). A case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 142,000.

NHTSA ODI #11480743

Official recalls

6

20V072000 · Suspension:rear

Feb 10, 2020

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Lincoln MKT and Ford Flex and Taurus vehicles with the Police Interceptor or SHO Performance Pack. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. Remedy parts are not currently available. Owners were notified about the recall on March 3, 2020. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts become available, which is currently expected to be the end of September 2020. The recall began October 28, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or Lincoln customer service at 1-800-521-4140. Ford's number for this recall is 20S04.

16V621000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

Aug 25, 2016

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI Ecoboost engines and 2013-2015 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor vehicles. A component within the fuel pump electric module (PEM) may overheat causing a loss of electrical power to the fuel pump.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A loss of power to the fuel pump will cause the engine to stall or prevent the vehicle from starting, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel PEM part number and replace the fuel PEM, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S31.

15V812000 · Fuel System, Gasoline

Dec 2, 2015

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013 Explorer, Explorer Police Utility, Taurus, Taurus Police Interceptor, Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the fuel delivery module may crack, allowing fuel to leak.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel delivery module, free of charge. The recall began on December 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 13S04-S1.

15V340000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System

Jun 2, 2015

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine and 2013 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with any available engine. The affected vehicles have electric power steering assist systems that may shut down as a result of a steering motor sensor fault.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC). If dealers find any loss of steering assist DTCs, the steering gear will be replaced, free of charge. If, no codes are found during the PSCM inspection, the PSCM software will be updated, free of charge. The recall began on July 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S18.

14V393000 · Power Train:axle Assembly:axle Shaft

Jul 2, 2014

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles manufactured September 2, 2010, to November 30, 2013; 2013-2014 Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured August 25, 2011, to November 30, 2013; and 2013-2014 Ford Flex and Lincoln MKT vehicles manufactured September 12, 2011, to November 30, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the halfshaft retention circlip may not have been properly installed, and as a result, the halfshaft may move outward and disengage from the linkshaft while driving and without prior warning.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the halfshaft and linkshaft become disengaged while driving, power will no longer be transmitted to the wheels, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. Additionally, if the parking brake is not applied before exiting the vehicle, the vehicle may roll away despite the transmission being placed in 'Park', increasing the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles to make sure that the halfshaft is properly retained. If it is not, dealers will replace the linkshaft and also replace the halfshaft if it shows evidence of spline damage, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S10.

13V227000 · Fuel System, Gasoline

May 31, 2013

Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Explorer, Taurus, Flex, Fusion, Police Interceptor Sedan and Police Interceptor Utility vehicles; and certain model year 2013 Lincoln MKS, MKT, and MKZ vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the fuel delivery module may develop a crack, allowing fuel to leak.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel delivery module, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2013. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall campaign number is 13S04.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.