2013 Ford F-150 Visibility/wiper Problems

Source: NHTSA · Updated Oct 13, 2026 · 146 complaints analyzed

Owners have filed 146 complaints with NHTSA about visibility/wiper problems on the 2013 Ford F-150, 5% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 56,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “rear window” (49% of reports).

146visibility/wiper complaints
56,000median miles at failure
0mention a crash
1mention an injury
0related recalls
33%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.

Rear window: mentioned in 72 of 146 complaints (49%)
Heard loud: mentioned in 38 of 146 complaints (26%)
Drivers side: mentioned in 26 of 146 complaints (18%)
Remote started: mentioned in 16 of 146 complaints (11%)

At what mileage do visibility/wiper problems happen?

Based on 132 complaints that reported the odometer reading.

Under 10k miles5 · 4%

10k–25k miles11 · 8%

25k–50k miles39 · 30%

50k–75k miles44 · 33%

75k–100k miles19 · 14%

100k–150k miles12 · 9%

150k+ miles2 · 2%

How serious are the reports?

Of 146 complaints, 2 a fire, 1 an injury.

Ford F-150 visibility/wiper complaints by model year

Peak: 2013, with 146 complaints

n = 1,038 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Model year	Visibility/wiper complaints	Share of that year	Median miles
2025 F-150	6	6%	—
2024 F-150	4	2%	20
2023 F-150	17	4%	—
2022 F-150	25	4%	13,000
2021 F-150	56	5%	33,230
2020 F-150	25	3%	4,732
2019 F-150	25	2%	2,200
2018 F-150	54	2%	19,000
2017 F-150	39	3%	40,894
2016 F-150	107	5%	45,000
2015 F-150	77	4%	40,000
2014 F-150	117	8%	51,500
2013 F-150	146	5%	56,000
2012 F-150	95	5%	60,000
2011 F-150	91	4%	64,500
2010 F-150	104	12%	73,000
2009 F-150	1	0%	186,000
2008 F-150	4	1%	90,000
2006 F-150	2	0%	110,000
2005 F-150	9	1%	114,000
2004 F-150	23	1%	82,750
2003 F-150	4	1%	103,500
2002 F-150	2	0%	145,000
2001 F-150	2	0%	149,390
1999 F-150	2	0%	45,250
1997 F-150	1	0%	200,000

When owners reported it

Peak: 2019, with 35 complaints

n = 146 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Related recalls (0)

No safety recall lists visibility/wiper 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.

Was running the rear defrost and the passenger side of the rear window made a loud popping noise and shattered on the inside. Window stayed in one piece but cracked everywhere.
Received Mar 13, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11724097

Turned on my rear defroster to melt ice and snow. As I was sitting in a drive-thru, just 15 minutes later, I saw smoke coming from the bottom edge of the rear window. At first I thought it was the exhaust but then realized that it was too thick. Within 30 seconds there was a pop, like a gunshot…
Received Dec 14, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11704923

Rear view mirror camera system. The camera continuously will turn on then go to a blue screen while in reverse. It may show the rear of the truck at times but again turns back to a blue screen while reversing. It is a safety concern while reversing the vehicle.
Received Oct 17, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11694173

Frequently asked questions

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

No. NHTSA has 146 owner complaints about visibility/wiper for the 2013 Ford F-150 (5% 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/wiper?

No recall currently lists visibility/wiper for this vehicle.

At what mileage do visibility/wiper problems start?

The median reported mileage is 56,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.

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

The most frequent phrase is “rear window”, in 72 of 146 complaints, followed by “heard loud” (38).