2013 Ford F-150 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other F-150 years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 33 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 2,989 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Ford F-150. That is the most of any F-150 model year in the database (33 years). The most reported problem area is power train (1,342 complaints, 45%), typically at around 94,000 miles. Complaints mention 78 crashes, 35 fires, 64 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
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- 2,989owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 78complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2013 Ford F-150 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 1,342 | 45% | 94,000 | “first gear” (22%) | $1,350 |
| Engine problems | 548 | 18% | 55,500 | “ecoboost engine” (5%) | $3,550 |
| Electrical System problems | 324 | 11% | 67,000 | “rear window” (11%) | — |
| Service Brakes problems | 321 | 11% | 52,000 | “brake fluid” (37%) | $1,100 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 302 | 10% | 69,074 | “1st gear” (14%) | $1,350 |
| Unknown or Other | 225 | 8% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Steering problems | 216 | 7% | 74,500 | “steering assist” (20%) | $2,550 |
| Visibility/wiper problems | 146 | 5% | 56,000 | “rear window” (49%) | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 130 | 4% | 67,000 | “fuel pump” (25%) | — |
| Visibility problems | 50 | 2% | 38,700 | “window shattered” (38%) | — |
| Structure | 48 | 2% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 44 | 1% | 116,465 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 39 | 1% | 76,750 | — | — |
| Wheels | 39 | 1% | 66,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 29 | 1% | 13,900 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 28 | 1% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 20 | 1% | 92,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 20 | 1% | 16,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 17 | 1% | 38,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 11 | 0% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 10 | 0% | 122,500 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 8 | 0% | 108,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 7 | 0% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 5 | 0% | 156,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 4 | 0% | 20,040 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 3 | 0% | 140,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 2 | 0% | 6,600 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 2 | 0% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2013 Ford F-150 recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013 F-150 vehicles equipped with 5.0L or 6.2L gasoline engines, that previously had the powertrain control module (PCM) software reprogrammed under recall 19V-075. The software used to reprogram the PCM did not have the necessary updates to prevent the transmission from unexpectedly downshifting into first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
Risk: Unexpectedly downshifting into first gear may result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 24, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S19.
Power train:automatic transmission; power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2013 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The transmission may unexpectedly downshift into first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
Risk: Unexpectedly downshifting into first gear may result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began March 4, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S07.
Service brakes, hydraulic:fluid
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 F-150 vehicles manufactured August 1, 2013, to August 31, 2014 equipped with 3.5L engines. The master cylinder rear cup seal may roll, resulting in brake fluid leakage from the primary reservoir into the brake booster.
Risk: Loss of brake fluid from the primary reservoir results in a complete loss of front brake function, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake master cylinder and, if necessary, the brake booster, free of charge. The recall began on October 28, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S24.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Unexpected Transmission Downshift (RQ17010) — opened Dec 25, 2017, closed Oct 22, 2019, led to recall 19V075000.
- Master Cylinder External Leak (PE16003) — opened Feb 29, 2016, closed Jul 26, 2016, led to recall 16V345000.
- Reduced power during hard acceleration (PE13018) — opened May 22, 2013, closed Apr 7, 2014.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The truck randomly hard downshifts and the gauges stop working and it wont shift back out of third gear. I can stop the truck and shut it off and when I turn it back on it still will be in third gear. If I turn it to manual sometimes I can get it to go down to second but it is a hard shift and then…
Truck will not shift into the correct gears when driving, would jump from 1st to a higher gear, it would shift weird and would lose the dash gauges when the truck was shifting.
I am submitting this complaint because my 2013 Ford F-150 3.5L EcoBoost developed a serious and potentially life-threatening engine defect that placed me and my family in immediate danger. While traveling on a major interstate/highway, the engine warning light and wrench light illuminated, and the…
My truck is shifting erratically going from 5/6th gear down to 1st/2nd. It looses power. My battery light comes on, the wrench comes on, check engine light comes on but no codes come up. I have already put in a new transmission at my cost.
Vehicle Information: 2013 Ford F-150 SuperCrew 3.5L V6 EcoBoost (VIN: [XXX]) While operating the vehicle, experienced a severe and sudden degradation of brake hydraulic pressure. The brake pedal travels abnormally deep and requires the driver to "double-pump" (fully let off the brake pedal and…
Other Ford F-150 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 F-150 | 0 | 1 |
| 2026 F-150 | 12 | 5 |
| 2025 F-150 | 107 | 13 |
| 2024 F-150 | 193 | 11 |
| 2023 F-150 | 413 | 13 |
| 2022 F-150 | 597 | 23 |
| 2021 F-150 | 1,028 | 29 |
| 2020 F-150 | 736 | 11 |
| 2019 F-150 | 1,336 | 9 |
| 2018 F-150 | 2,318 | 18 |
| 2017 F-150 | 1,449 | 17 |
| 2016 F-150 | 2,074 | 13 |
| 2015 F-150 | 1,729 | 13 |
| 2014 F-150 | 1,537 | 8 |
| 2013 | 2,989 | 3 |
| 2012 F-150 | 1,783 | 4 |
| 2011 F-150 | 2,191 | 6 |
| 2010 F-150 | 843 | 1 |
| 2009 F-150 | 324 | 2 |
| 2008 F-150 | 369 | 1 |
| 2007 F-150 | 488 | 2 |
| 2006 F-150 | 585 | 4 |
| 2005 F-150 | 1,112 | 3 |
| 2004 F-150 | 2,029 | 5 |
| 2003 F-150 | 423 | 4 |
| 2002 F-150 | 821 | 2 |
| 2001 F-150 | 1,236 | 8 |
| 2000 F-150 | 1,075 | 6 |
| 1999 F-150 | 1,044 | 7 |
| 1998 F-150 | 1,381 | 8 |
| 1997 F-150 | 2,758 | 14 |
| 1996 F-150 | 324 | 2 |
| 1995 F-150 | 626 | 2 |
See all Ford F-150 problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Ford F-150?
Owners most often report power train, engine, electrical system problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 1,342 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2013 Ford F-150?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2013 Ford F-150 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other F-150 model years, the 2013 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.