2013 Ford F-150 Visibility Problems

Source: NHTSA · Updated Oct 13, 2026 · 50 complaints analyzed

Owners have filed 50 complaints with NHTSA about visibility problems on the 2013 Ford F-150, 2% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 38,700 miles. The words owners use most often: “window shattered” (38% of reports).

50visibility complaints
38,700median miles at failure
0mention a crash
1mention an injury
0related recalls
45%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph

What owners describe

Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.

Window shattered: mentioned in 19 of 50 complaints (38%)
Driver side: mentioned in 16 of 50 complaints (32%)
Rear defroster: mentioned in 10 of 50 complaints (20%)
Heard loud: mentioned in 7 of 50 complaints (14%)

At what mileage do visibility problems happen?

Based on 43 complaints that reported the odometer reading.

Under 10k miles2 · 5%

10k–25k miles10 · 23%

25k–50k miles10 · 23%

50k–75k miles10 · 23%

75k–100k miles8 · 19%

100k–150k miles2 · 5%

150k+ miles1 · 2%

How serious are the reports?

Of 50 complaints, 1 an injury.

Ford F-150 visibility complaints by model year

Peak: 2004, with 841 complaints

n = 2,074 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Model year	Visibility complaints	Share of that year	Median miles
2024 F-150	2	1%	29,850
2023 F-150	12	3%	30,000
2022 F-150	22	4%	21,000
2021 F-150	78	8%	44,000
2020 F-150	38	5%	38,000
2019 F-150	13	1%	111,500
2018 F-150	31	1%	49,980
2017 F-150	16	1%	52,000
2016 F-150	40	2%	56,000
2015 F-150	21	1%	62,000
2014 F-150	30	2%	40,000
2013 F-150	50	2%	38,700
2012 F-150	34	2%	49,900
2011 F-150	56	3%	54,000
2010 F-150	96	11%	45,924
2009 F-150	4	1%	53,000
2008 F-150	8	2%	19,079
2007 F-150	5	1%	35,783
2006 F-150	17	3%	40,000
2005 F-150	260	23%	50,000
2004 F-150	841	41%	64,065
2003 F-150	16	4%	62,750
2002 F-150	28	3%	60,000
2001 F-150	23	2%	69,000
2000 F-150	27	3%	82,650
1999 F-150	81	8%	41,679
1998 F-150	66	5%	61,761
1997 F-150	147	5%	100,000
1996 F-150	4	1%	170,000
1995 F-150	8	1%	121,423

When owners reported it

Peak: 2015, with 12 complaints

n = 50 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Related recalls (0)

No safety recall lists visibility for the 2013 Ford F-150. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.

What owners report

Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.

On my way to work I turned on the rear defrost and heard a loud bang after 15 minutes. I pulled over to see what had happened and the read driver side windshield pain had shattered. it remained in the laminate but I got a replacement quote and its almost $1000 dollars. After doing research this is…
Received Mar 10, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11511239

The rear glass on the drivers side shattered for no reason.
Received Feb 17, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11507791

Driver side rear window shattered with no impact. Vehicle had been remote started with rear defroster on. Approximately 30 seconds after driving, I heard a loud pop and stopped vehicle. After inspecting, the driver side rear glass of the vehicle had âspider webbedâ and shattered.
Received Feb 13, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11506959

Frequently asked questions

Do all 2013 Ford F-150s have visibility problems?

No. NHTSA has 50 owner complaints about visibility for the 2013 Ford F-150 (2% of the 2,989 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.

Was there a recall on the 2013 Ford F-150 visibility?

No recall currently lists visibility for this vehicle.

At what mileage do visibility problems start?

The median reported mileage is 38,700 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.

What do owners say about visibility problems on the 2013 Ford F-150?

The most frequent phrase is “window shattered”, in 19 of 50 complaints, followed by “driver side” (16).