2013 Ford Flex Problems and Recalls (576 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2013 Ford Flex is Steering (24% of 576 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Steering — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 576 complaints · 6 recalls
What problems show up on the 2013 Ford Flex?
139 of 576 filings named Steering (24% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Electrical (136 reports).
There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Transmission / driveline, Steering, Fuel system, and Suspension. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The previous year is not published here. Use the year list to jump around.
What owners reported
System named most often: Steering 139 complaints · 24.1% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 11
- Fires 1
- Injuries 13
- Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering (STEERING) | 139 | 24.1% | 6 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 136 | 23.6% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 57 | 9.9% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 40 | 6.9% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) | 36 | 6.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 17 | 3.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 14 | 2.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) | 9 | 1.6% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 8 | 1.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 154 | 26.7% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 15V340000 was reported 306 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 16V621000 was reported 1,127 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 20V072000 was reported 1,659 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 26 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 26 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 21 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 13V227000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V393000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V340000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V812000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 16V621000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V072000 |
Safety Recalls (6)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Transmission / driveline, Steering, Fuel system, and Suspension.
-
Recall campaign 13V227000
Safety recall 13V227000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 14V393000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 15V340000
Steering
- Report date
- Component:
- Steering (STEERING)
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 15V812000
Safety recall 15V812000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 16V621000
Fuel system
- Report date
- Component:
- Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 20V072000
Suspension
- Report date
- Component:
- Suspension (SUSPENSION)
- 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.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Showing 4 of 576 complaints · page 1 of 24
CrashFireInjuryDeath
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? INTERNAL WATER PUMP/ TIMING CHAINS/ VVT SOLENOIDS/ CAM PHASERS/ CAM SENSORS/ RELATED SEALS How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? ENGINE FAILURE - SUDDEN STOP OF VEHICLE Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? YES, IS AWARE AND HAS ACKNOWLEDGED VIA SERVICE AND TECH BULLETINS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN AND REPEATED ISSUE. ISSUE IS KNOWN AND COMMON WITH ALL 3.7L AND 3.5L FORD ENGINES. MANUFACTURER HAS HAD PETTY AND CLASS ACTION SUITS RELATED TO THIS FAILURE AND IS NOT TAKING ANY ACTION TO REMEDY ASIDE FROM A "EXTENDED WARRANTY" FOR CERTIAN COUNTRIES BUT SAID WARRANTY DOES NOT HELP THOSE WHO PURCHASED VEHICLES USED AND HAVE NO VEHICLE HISTORY TO SEE IF THE "SERVICE INTERVALS" WERE MET LEAVING THOUSANDS OF OWNERS WITH REPAIR BILLS THAT COST AT MINIMUM OVER FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? YES. MULTIPLE TECHNICIANS ON MY VEHICLE AD WELL AS THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ACROSS THE WORLD. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? NO LAMPS. ONLY POSSIBLE WAY YOU CAN EVEN TELL IS BY THE TIME ITS TOO LATE AND THE COOLANT AND OIL MIX RESULTING IN MILKY LIKE MIXTURE ON DIPSTICK OR IN OIL PAN OR ENGINE FAILURE.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? MULTIPLE DRIVER AID FUNCATIONS IN-OP. DRIVER DOOR LOCKS WILL NOT LOCK OR UNLOCK, DRIVER DOOR LOCK AND UNLOCK SWITCH WILL NOT OPERATE ANY LOCKS, PASSENGER DOOR MIRROR WILL NOT MOVE, SEAT MEMORY WILL NOT SAVE, REAR VIEW MIRROR WILL NOT AUTO DIM AND THERE IS NO MANUAL OPTION TO ADJUST THE MIRROR RESULTING IN IMPACTED NIGHT VISABLITY, REAR VIEW CAMERA DOES NOT DISPLAY ON SCREEN BUT WILL BEEP WHEN CLOSE TO AN OBJECT. NOT CODES OR DASH WARNINGS DISPLAYED TO STORED. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? IMPACTED VISIBLY WHILE DRIVING. UNABLE TO ADUST PASSENGER MIRROR TO SEE BLINK SPOT OR ALONG PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE. UNABLE TO LOCK OR UNLOCK DRIVER DOOR, IF LOCKED ITS NOT ALLOWING ME TO ENTER THE VEHICLE AND HAVE TO ENTER VIA PASSENGER DOOR. AUTO DIM IMPACTS VISABLITY WITH DRIVING AT NIGHT. REAR BACK UP CAMERA IN-OP IS DAMGEROUS IN NUMEROUS ASPECTS. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? PROBLEM IS CONSTANT. NOT TAKING TO A DEALER DUE TO RIDICULOUS PRICES AND DIAG FEES. I'M A TECH AND TRIED TO DIAGNOSE ISSUES WITH NO ANSWERS. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? NOT YET. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? UNKNOWN. PURCHASED PRIVATE PARTY WITH ISSUES (05/01/2026). LOOKED AT 3 OTHER FORD FLEXS FROM THIS GENERATION THAT ALL HAD THE SAME ISSUES WHEN LOOKING TO PURCHASE A VEHICLE AND NO ONE HAD A SOLUTION FOR IT.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, with the power steering fault warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure reoccurred, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering rack and steering angle and torque sensors had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and several cases were filed. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for a recall repair. The contact stated the dealer declined to perform the recall repair because the vehicle was unable to be started. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V072000 (SUSPENSION). The vehicle was currently at the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 127,000.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2013 Ford Flex?
Owners named Steering most often — 139 of 576 reports (24%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2013 Ford Flex?
NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Transmission / driveline, Steering, Fuel system, and Suspension. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2013 Ford Flex?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for play in the wheel, noises on lock and whether it tracks straight. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.