2013 Ford F-150 Engine Problems

Subject: Vehicle Safety Complaint – 2013 Ford F-150 Flex Fuel Transmission Failure I am submitting this complaint regarding my 2013 Ford F-150 Flex Fuel due to a serious and costly transmission failure that I believe warrants investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). I purchased this vehicle in 2020, and since that time it has experienced ongoing transmission problems. The transmission has progressively worsened and now slips during operation, creating a safety concern when accelerating, merging into traffic, or crossing intersections. The vehicle does not consistently respond as expected, increasing the risk of a crash. After having the vehicle inspected, I was informed that the transmission requires complete replacement at a cost of more than $7,000. This is an excessive repair expense for what appears to be a known issue affecting Ford F-150 trucks. I am aware that Ford has issued recalls and service actions involving transmission problems on other model-year Ford F-150s. Given the nature of the transmission failure in my 2013 F-150 and the widespread complaints from other owners, I believe the 2013 Ford F-150 should also be investigated for similar transmission defects. This failure is more than an inconvenience—it is a safety issue. A slipping transmission can result in unexpected loss of power, delayed acceleration, or failure to properly engage gears, placing drivers, passengers, and others on the roadway at risk. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate transmission failures in the 2013 Ford F-150 Flex Fuel and determine whether this model should be included in any existing or future safety recalls or other corrective actions. Owners should not be responsible for thousands of dollars in repairs when the failure may be the result of a widespread defect. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

NHTSA ID

11747623

Incident

Jan 1, 2022

The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and the vehicle unintendedly decelerated. The orange wrench symbol was displayed. The contact pulled over for five minutes, and the computer was reset. After the vehicle was restarted, the vehicle operated normally. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the vehicle was not under recall or warranty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired; however, the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the failure was associated with the wheel speed sensor. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 141,000.

NHTSA ID

11746248

Incident

May 28, 2026

Mileage

141,000 mi

Diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P0720 stands for “Output Speed Sensor Circuit Malfunction.” It is stored when the ECM/PCM/TCM perceives a problem with the output speed sensor or its circuit. If, for example, the engine speed and input shaft speed are at a certain RPM but the output shaft speed is erratic or not what the computer expects, P0720 will be stored. There may also be a P0500 code stored on some platforms. T

NHTSA ID

11734464

Incident

Apr 6, 2026

I have reported the same exact issue that Ford recalled April 14,2026 with my vehicle. I almost had an accident by it changing from automatic to the gears & it comes to a sudden stop when it do it. I guess someone or me gonna have to lose a life before some look at my issue. It showing a recall was on my truck in 2019 Before I brought the truck. The recall HAS NOT BEEN DONE ON MY TRUCK. PLEASE HELP B4 someone get hurt. Thank you

NHTSA ID

11732125

Incident

Apr 16, 2026

The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed on the highway, the vehicle became disabled. A diagnostic scan tool indicated a cam phaser failure. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the engine was loud and was shaking. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with timing chain failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 143,100.

NHTSA ID

11726433

Incident

Feb 4, 2026

Mileage

143,100 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford F150. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the speedometer went to zero unexpectedly. In addition, the transmission failed to properly shift gears. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road, turned off, and minutes later, it was restarted. After the vehicle was restarted, the wrench warning light illuminated. The contact moved the shift lever to reverse(R), then to drive(D). The contact test drove the vehicle around the parking lot at the apartment complex, and the vehicle functioned as intended. The contact's son-in-law took the vehicle to the dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that DTC: P0722 (Powertrain Control Module (PCM) was receiving "no signal" from the transmission Output Speed Sensor (OSS), P1500 (Intermittent Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS) signal detected by the Powertrain Control Module (PCM), and P2195 (Powertrain Control Module (PCM) detected that the Bank 1 Sensor 1 oxygen (O2) sensor signal was stuck lean). The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while the vehicle was turned and when the contact placed the shift lever into reverse(R) the wrench warning light illuminated. The contact parked the vehicle and had not been driven since due to safety concerns. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 166,398.

NHTSA ID

11723677

Incident

Mar 2, 2026

Mileage

166,398 mi

Vacuumed pump replacement oil leakVacume Brake fluid leaked into power booster Complete brake failure . Complete Brake failure while pulling 6000 lb trailer Family in vehicle . Coolant leaks, water pump,heater hoses, exaust turbos ,and blow off valve.

NHTSA ID

11715825

Incident

Jul 9, 2025

While driving the truck it suddenly shifts down gears, and shoots up rpms, causing the truck to slow down drastically and causing a loss of control in the truck. Potentially causing a severe accident. This issue could seriously cause harm to myself and to others especially going at highway speeds. When turned off the truck won’t start up again without clearing codes.

NHTSA ID

11714050

Incident

Jan 28, 2026

Faulty molded transmission leadframe. There was a customer satisfaction program for this, that expired 3 years ago. My vehicle is now experiencing the issues with this faulty part consistently. It won't drive past 2nd gear and drops to 1st and stays there. The dealer won't repair it for the faulty part.

NHTSA ID

11713632

Incident

Jan 23, 2026

"recall" (as described on Ford's website) no. 19N01 is not actually a recall. It's a "Customer Satisfaction Program" that extends warranty on the transmission of my truck to 150000. I was just over that amount of miles when my leadframe became faulty and did exactly what this covers. I was going 70mph and it suddenly dropped into 1st gear and I came to a screeching halt and was thrown into the steering wheel. Luckily nobody was behind me and there were no injuries. Why this isn't a full recall as it is INCREDIBLY dangerous is beyond me. I don't think it's right that this wasn't covered for ALL vehicles with these problems no matter what time or number of miles. I am looking for compensation for the replaced leadframe because Ford KNEW about the problem but chose not to issue a full recall, even though they called it a recall. This put many people in such dangerous situations and my truck still shifts hard to this day. Why is Ford not helping me just because I was just over 150,000 miles.

NHTSA ID

11713310

Incident

Oct 16, 2023

Truck would randomly go into limp mode while driving. Highways, country roads, middle of town, making it difficult to pull off the road with no ability to accelerate to safely merge off the roadway. The cause was from the lead frame in the transmission which was under an “expired” recall 19N01. Dealership charged me $1,500 to fix this. How is this not a safety issue that should have been taken care of by the dealership at no charge. I just bought the truck mid December 2025 and am not happy to have to shell out $1,500 to fix a known issue like this.

NHTSA ID

11711357

Incident

Jan 7, 2026

2013 f150 EcoBoost ,cam phasers Ford truck and timing chain are known to go out on these trucks have not been recalled and yet should be.

NHTSA ID

11709273

Incident

Jan 5, 2026

Driving on Interstate Highway. Entered a tunnel at 65 MPH. Near the end of the tunnel traffic started to slow down. I applied the brakes and the engine started to accelerate. I had full pressure on the brake pedal but the vehicle kept accelerating. There was a loud fan noise. Fortunately the vehicles ahead started to accelerate up to the speed limit - and beyond. I took my foot off the brake and turned on cruise control. The fan sound stopped and the truck maintained cruise control setting. I had heard the fan speed up twice before but I was parking each time1 and turned off the engine within seconds of hearing the fan motor speed up. I returned to my home and heard the fan motor speed up once more. I took the vehicle in to my local Service Station. They were able to recreate the problem. "Bad thermostat causing engine cooling fan to come, increasing idle speed. Replaced thermostat"

NHTSA ID

11700518

Incident

Oct 12, 2025

The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormally high-pitched whistling sound coming from the engine bay. The contact was mechanically inclined. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the exhaust manifold studs were fractured, causing a gap between the engine block and the exhaust manifold. Additionally, the contact noticed that the exhaust was pulling away from the manifold through the gasket. The contact purchased the parts and personally repaired the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was making an abnormal rattling sound on cold starts. The contact determined that the sound was coming from the cam phasers. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ID

11697367

Incident

Nov 4, 2024

Mileage

100,000 mi

Transmission shifted into 1st gear while doing 65 mph on the freeway. The rear tires locked up as a result and the truck spun out in front of on coming traffic putting myself and my 6 month old nephew in a life threatening situation. This is not okay. I was told the most recent recall done on this vehicle was done to not allow this to happen. This issue has been an on going problem with these trucks and Ford has still yet to rectify the problem. This can cause serious bodily harm to myself and others around these vehicles. I feel Ford needs to do something about this issue.

NHTSA ID

11695467

Incident

Oct 24, 2025

My truck is making a ticking and whistling noise once it is cranked and running. Ford issued a recall on f150’s for a manifold exhaust leak with the same noises I am hearing. The recall # is 19S32. My truck has the same problem and issue as described in the recall. My year and model truck needs to be covered under the recall.

NHTSA ID

11689904

Incident

Sep 26, 2025

My truck has been randomly downshifting while driving. I see there is a recall for my year and make of truck for the same problem i am having, but my truck is not coming up for the recall. I am so afraid that if I am on the freeway if this downshifts, it put me in harms way. What can I do? I took it in for repair at a independent repair shop and it is still happening, they di not know about the module on recall.

NHTSA ID

11686460

Incident

Aug 17, 2025

Truck has 91,200 miles and was well maintained. Truck has a loud rattle (like rocks in a can) on dry start up after sitting for several days. Rattle goes away after starting and is consistent with worn CAM PHASERS, as shown in many videos on the internet describing this known problem with the Ford 3.5L ecoboost engine. Ford issued a customer reimbursement program for repairing this known defect but it does not apply to this vehicle, even though it was built with the defective cam phasers and is showing signs they are destroying themselves, which can lead to catastrophic engine failure. Ford redesigned the cam phasers to a better version after learning of the originally defective design. The repair is very expensive $3k to $5k.

NHTSA ID

11679124

Incident

Jul 1, 2025

While driving my vehicle speedometer goes to zero which no recognition of speed. If brought to a stop I can’t get out of first gear. Ford issued a “Customer Satisfaction Program 19N01” related to the 6R80 transmissions, Sudden Transmission Downshift. This “Customer Satisfaction” should have been a non expiring recall. The check engine sometimes flicks on but does not stay on or show a code. Issue is intermittent and lasts 10-15 min until vehicle recognizes it’s not incapable of shifting. Given this severely limiting malfunction I highly recommend the recall be extended indefinitely to make sure these vehicles are fixed properly.

NHTSA ID

11677485

Incident

Apr 5, 2025

The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and accelerating, the vehicle started to lose motive power and unexpectedly downshifted to 1st or 2nd gear. The wrench warning light was illuminated, and the message “Service Vehicle Soon” was displayed. Additionally, instrument cluster failed to display safety information. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road, and the contact waited for a while before restarting the vehicle. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and retrieved a code for the control shift sensor fault. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000.

NHTSA ID

11675856

Incident

Jun 24, 2023

Mileage

131,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that at the initial start, there was a loud rattling sound coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The first time the failure occurred, the rattling sound ceased after driving for a while. The failure occurred a second time but continued while driving. The contact stated that after inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware that the cam phasers were causing the rattling sound. The dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

NHTSA ID

11672215

Incident

Jun 25, 2025

Mileage

63,000 mi

WRENCH displayed today, transmission was hard shifting trying to go in and out of gear

NHTSA ID

11670637

Incident

Jul 1, 2025

*transmission downshifted while traveling 15 mph *Unsafe condition traveling on roadway *Temporary loss of control *WRENCH appeared, shifted hard into first gear

NHTSA ID

11670360

Incident

Jun 30, 2025

The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, there was a rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the wrench icon was displayed on the instrument panel before the vehicle stalled. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact stated that undisclosed diagnostic trouble codes from the vehicle indicated an engine failure. The contact stated that the engine was previously replaced after a similar failure with similar diagnostic trouble codes. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 180,000.

NHTSA ID

11670229

Incident

Jun 1, 2025

Mileage

180,000 mi

*transmission DOWNSHIFTS while driving at normal traffic speeds *Sudden stops in traffic *WRENCH appeared on dash, lost all digital numbers, I e. Speed...as soon as downshift

NHTSA ID

11670154

Incident

Jun 23, 2025