2013 Ford Flex Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Flex years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 6 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 580 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Ford Flex. That is the most of any Flex model year in the database (11 years). The most reported problem area is electrical system (201 complaints, 35%), typically at around 55,283 miles. Complaints mention 11 crashes, 1 fire, 13 injuries. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 580owner complaints
- 6safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 11complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2013 Ford Flex 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System problems | 201 | 35% | 55,283 | “door ajar” (48%) | $510 |
| Steering problems | 149 | 26% | 100,000 | “steering assist” (30%) | $2,700 |
| Unknown or Other | 78 | 13% | 63,500 | — | — |
| Structure problems | 69 | 12% | 56,000 | “door ajar” (49%) | $690 |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 59 | 10% | 66,000 | “fuel pump” (59%) | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 37 | 6% | 53,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 33 | 6% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 24 | 4% | 56,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 21 | 4% | 63,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 17 | 3% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 12 | 2% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 12 | 2% | 46,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 11 | 2% | 58,561 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 9 | 2% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 7 | 1% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 6 | 1% | 71,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 5 | 1% | 39,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 5 | 1% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 5 | 1% | 17,629 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 1% | 14,050 | — | — |
| Wheels | 4 | 1% | 37,851 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 1% | 63,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 2 | 0% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 0% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 1 | 0% | 18,200 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | 58,000 | — | — |
| 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 Flex recalls (6)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Suspension:rear
Problem: 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.
Risk: A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Fuel system, gasoline
Problem: 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.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Fix: 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.
Steering:electric power assist system
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Power train:axle assembly:axle shaft
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Fuel system, gasoline
Problem: 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.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Fix: 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.
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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
My car randomly over heated ON XXX around 3:23 pm and when I pulled over to a parking lot there was antifreeze pouring out of the bottom front passenger side. I tried to allow it to cool down so that I could safely get it to the shop .5 mile away and the vehicle started to shake and stall and the…
UNKNOWN So we bought the car used from the dealer exactly how they received it, and it was working normally but then a few weeks or a month or two we were going somewhere and one of the headlights would go out and we'd have to turn the switch off and back on to get it to turn back on, and it was…
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…
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…
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…
Other Ford Flex years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 Flex | 254 | 4 |
| 2018 Flex | 68 | 3 |
| 2017 Flex | 42 | 4 |
| 2016 Flex | 98 | 3 |
| 2015 Flex | 113 | 4 |
| 2014 Flex | 249 | 4 |
| 2013 | 580 | 6 |
| 2012 Flex | 64 | 2 |
| 2011 Flex | 144 | 2 |
| 2010 Flex | 139 | 1 |
| 2009 Flex | 181 | 1 |
See all Ford Flex problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
Similar Ford models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Ford Flex?
Owners most often report electrical system, steering, unknown or other problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 201 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2013 Ford Flex?
Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2013 Ford Flex a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Flex model years, the 2013 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.