2013 Ford Flex Owner Complaints

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 problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? YES, IS AWARE AND HAS ACKNOWLEDGED VIA SERVICE AND TECH BULLETINS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN AND REPEATED ISSUE. ISSUE IS KNOWN AND COMMON WITH ALL 3.7L AND 3.5L FORD ENGINES. MANUFACTURER HAS HAD PETTY AND CLASS ACTION SUITS RELATED TO THIS FAILURE AND IS NOT TAKING ANY ACTION TO REMEDY ASIDE FROM A "EXTENDED WARRANTY" FOR CERTIAN COUNTRIES BUT SAID WARRANTY DOES NOT HELP THOSE WHO PURCHASED VEHICLES USED AND HAVE NO VEHICLE HISTORY TO SEE IF THE "SERVICE INTERVALS" WERE MET LEAVING THOUSANDS OF OWNERS WITH REPAIR BILLS THAT COST AT MINIMUM OVER FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? YES. MULTIPLE TECHNICIANS ON MY VEHICLE AD WELL AS THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ACROSS THE WORLD. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? NO LAMPS. ONLY POSSIBLE WAY YOU CAN EVEN TELL IS BY THE TIME ITS TOO LATE AND THE COOLANT AND OIL MIX RESULTING IN MILKY LIKE MIXTURE ON DIPSTICK OR IN OIL PAN OR ENGINE FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

11736541

Incident

May 1, 2026

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 NOT SAVE, REAR VIEW MIRROR WILL NOT AUTO DIM AND THERE IS NO MANUAL OPTION TO ADJUST THE MIRROR RESULTING IN IMPACTED NIGHT VISABLITY, REAR VIEW CAMERA DOES NOT DISPLAY ON SCREEN BUT WILL BEEP WHEN CLOSE TO AN OBJECT. NOT CODES OR DASH WARNINGS DISPLAYED TO STORED. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? IMPACTED VISIBLY WHILE DRIVING. UNABLE TO ADUST PASSENGER MIRROR TO SEE BLINK SPOT OR ALONG PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE. UNABLE TO LOCK OR UNLOCK DRIVER DOOR, IF LOCKED ITS NOT ALLOWING ME TO ENTER THE VEHICLE AND HAVE TO ENTER VIA PASSENGER DOOR. AUTO DIM IMPACTS VISABLITY WITH DRIVING AT NIGHT. REAR BACK UP CAMERA IN-OP IS DAMGEROUS IN NUMEROUS ASPECTS. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? PROBLEM IS CONSTANT. NOT TAKING TO A DEALER DUE TO RIDICULOUS PRICES AND DIAG FEES. I'M A TECH AND TRIED TO DIAGNOSE ISSUES WITH NO ANSWERS. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? NOT YET. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? UNKNOWN. PURCHASED PRIVATE PARTY WITH ISSUES (05/01/2026). LOOKED AT 3 OTHER FORD FLEXS FROM THIS GENERATION THAT ALL HAD THE SAME ISSUES WHEN LOOKING TO PURCHASE A VEHICLE AND NO ONE HAD A SOLUTION FOR IT.

NHTSA ID

11736539

Incident

May 1, 2026

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 vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering rack and steering angle and torque sensors had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and several cases were filed. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

NHTSA ID

11732762

Incident

Apr 21, 2026

Mileage

140,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for a recall repair. The contact stated the dealer declined to perform the recall repair because the vehicle was unable to be started. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V072000 (SUSPENSION). The vehicle was currently at the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 127,000.

NHTSA ID

11721838

Incident

Mar 3, 2026

Mileage

127,000 mi

On Sunday, February 22, 2026, I was driving my 2013 Ford Flex with the driver’s seat heater activated. After a period of use, I began to notice an unusual electrical burning smell inside the vehicle. There were no dashboard warning lights or system alerts. I turned the seat heater off immediately once I detected the smell. I did not initially notice an injury at that time. The following day, I experienced significant pain and discovered burns on my buttocks in the area consistent with seat contact. I sought medical evaluation three days later and was diagnosed with second- to third-degree burns. Prescription treatment was provided. The vehicle has not yet been inspected for the cause of the overheating or odor. Based on the location and pattern of injury, and the timing of the electrical smell while the heated seat was activated, the burn appears to have resulted from a malfunction of the seat heating element.

NHTSA ID

11720492

Incident

Feb 22, 2026

Rear view camera has failed. The screen goes black and has a “contact dealer” message.

NHTSA ID

11716037

Incident

Dec 31, 1969

While driving, the power steering warning light illuminated and steering assist was lost. The steering became extremely hard, especially at low speeds. The vehicle makes grinding/whining noises when turning, and the car vibrates while in Drive. This creates a serious safety concern, especially during turns and parking maneuvers. Issue appears to be electric power steering (EPAS) failure.

NHTSA ID

11706474

Incident

Dec 22, 2025

Power steering. While I was driving in my neighborhood the power steering went out and I could not make a turn. It locked up while driving. I could have got into a head on collision/accident becasue the road turns. Yes, I reported it to Ford and they told me my flex did not have a recall despite the ford website stating that some 2013 ford flex are affected. The description of 15s18 sterring recall matches my same issue and it poses a serious safety hazard. Yes, i took it to a mechanic at an auto shop and her is telling me that he can't fix recalls. At the time of the accident, i got No pre warning just the message that states: "Steering Lock Malfunction Service Now: The steering lock system has detected a condition that requires service." This happened on or around 11/23/25. I am requesting that Ford pay for my power steering to be fixed.

NHTSA ID

11702594

Incident

Nov 23, 2025

Backup Camera not working

NHTSA ID

11698163

Incident

Jan 1, 2024

THE REAR- VIEW BACK UP CAMERA DOES NOT OPERATE PROPERLY WHEN VEHICLE IS PUT IN REVERSE. IT WORKS INTEMITTEDLY. SOMETIMES IMAGE IS BLACK, SOMETIMES UPSIDE DOWN, SOMETIME, WORKS PROPERLY, SOMETIME IMAGE FREEZES, AND SOMETIMES SHOWS ERROR CAMERA NOT WORKING CONTACT DEALERSHIP. REDUCES THE THE ABILITY TO SEE WHAT IS BEHIND THE VEHICLE WHEN BACKIN UP AND INCREASES THE RISK OF CRASH.

NHTSA ID

11698035

Incident

Oct 15, 2025

Rear view camera on my 2013 Ford Flex failing in same manner as other models recalled by Ford for failed rear view cameras. Initial failure was a few years ago after original mfr warranty period, however it is my understanding that the recalled models have extended warranty to 15 years. As such, since this is the same type of component, it is clear that my 2013 flex should also be recalled and covered through the 2028 calendar year. Undoubtedly, the root cause of this failure is inherent in the design and manufacture of all generations of backup cameras deployed by Ford and not limited to certain manufacturing dates. NHTSA should not allow itself to be misled by Ford into a narrower scope of recall.

NHTSA ID

11695037

Incident

Jun 15, 2022

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact recently purchased the vehicle. When the vehicle was purchased, the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle had a failure with the steering wheel. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. The message "Service Advancetrac" was displayed on the instrument panel, and an unknown message about the steering was displayed. In addition, while in reverse(R), the contact used force to turn the steering wheel. Most recently, the contact stated that when the turn signal lever was activated, the turn signal lever failed to stay down as intended. The contact had to hold the turn signal lever down to signal a right or left turn. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that the dealer related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (STEERING). However, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 131,785.

NHTSA ID

11691920

Incident

Sep 27, 2025

Mileage

131,785 mi

Rear camera stopped working years ago. Will only work briefly after collision warning alert goes off which goes off randomly even when there are no other vehicles in the area

NHTSA ID

11690085

Incident

Sep 26, 2025

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the "Power Steering Assist Fault" and "Service Advancetrac" messages were displayed. The contact stated that the power steering assist had failed to operate as needed and excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle. The contact also stated that the turn signals failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the mechanic was not equipped with the tools to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 213,300.

NHTSA ID

11685918

Incident

Jul 1, 2025

Mileage

213,300 mi

I Repaired 1 door ajar DSF under warranty Had to pay for 2 doors PSF & PSR due to out of warranty Now there’s a recall but I’m over 250,000 miles ,so Ford refuses to to cover the door handle sensor recall

NHTSA ID

11685408

Incident

Jul 1, 2025

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, and the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure occurred two to three times per week. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (STEERING); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 125,000.

NHTSA ID

11683179

Incident

Jul 26, 2025

Mileage

125,000 mi

The steering failed while driving. Steering assist was shut down and almost impossible to turn the wheel.

NHTSA ID

11679765

Incident

Dec 4, 2024

MY 2013 FORD FLEX ONLY HAS 109,600 MILES ON IT. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY AT THE MECHANIC SHOP. THE PROBLEM I AM HAVING IS WITH THE POWER STEERING ASSIST. SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS, WHEN I AM REVERSING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT SUDDENLY THE POWER ASSIST WARNING COMES ON AND THE CAR IS UNCONTROLLABLE. I HAVE HAD TO TOW IT TWICE. I AM NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO MANEUVER THE CAR WHEN IT LOCKS UP LIKE THAT. THERE WAS NO OTHER WARNING UNTIL I MADE THE ATTEMPT TO BACK UP THEN A WARNING MESSAGE CAME ON. THE MECHANIC WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM . HE MADE SOME OTHER REPAIRS TO THE WHEEL HUB BEARINGS, SO WHEN I PICKED UP MY CAR AND IT DROVE FINE FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS, I THOUGHT IT WAS FIXED. BUT IT FROZE UP AGAIN UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS--TRYING TO BACK OUT OF A PARKING SPOT. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE MECHANIC AND ONCE AGAIN THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, BUT HE SAID THERE WAS A RECORD OF THE WARNINGS IN THE SYSTEM. MY SAFETY AS WELL AS THE SAFETY OF OTHER DRIVERS IS AT RISK, BECAUSE IF THIS GOES OUT WHILE IN TRANSIT, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR. I ENJOY MY FLEX, BUT THE REPAIRS HAVE BEEN SO MUCH LATELY. ONE OF THE RECENT REPAIRS WAS THE EMERGENCY BRAKE COSTING 1,200. THE WHEEL HUB BEARINGS WERE 1,400 AND NOW THIS POWER STEERING ASSIST REPAIR IS ESTIMATED TO BE QUITE PRICEY. I AM PARTIALLY HANDICAPPED, RETIRED AND LIVING ON A VERY LIMITED INCOME. THESE EXPENSES ARE OUTRAGEOUS FOR SUCH A NICE CAR WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE. DOES THIS MODEL HAVE ISSUES? I KEEP UP THE MAINTENANCE AND THE OIL CHANGES AND WHATEVER ELSE NEEDS TO BE DONE, BUT THESE EXPENSES ARE HITTING ALL AT ONCE AND PUTTING ME IN DEBT. IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT THERE IS A GLITCH IN THE MECHANICAL SYSTEM? I LOOKED UP RECALLS AND IT DOES SAY THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE POWER STEERING ASSIST. I AM CONTACTING TO VERIFY THAT INFORMATION. PLEASE CONFIRM FOR ME SO I KNOW HOW TO PROCEED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NHTSA ID

11676515

Incident

Jul 4, 2025

My electric power steering went out while driving. Everywhere online says the 2013 flex has a recall for this but when I enter my vin it says no recall. There has been several claims of this on my model year and accidents and dangers reported. I want to know my my vehicle isn’t showing up for the recall when it’s never been replaced by ford so it should be replaced by Ford.

NHTSA ID

11674816

Incident

Jul 18, 2025

Power Steering Assist Default. Power steering has intermittently gone out several times and when the vehicle is powered off and back on it would worked properly. July 15, 2025 121,471 miles it went out and will not reset. Fortunately, this happened at the car wash and not while driving. It could have been a very dangerous situation while driving. Had it towed home. I have reported to Ford Case# CXH-04975179 July 16, 2025 and was told to take it to the dealer for evaluation and the dealer may assist $ with the repair. The (Power Steering Assist Fault) appeared on the dash. This has happened intermittently over the past several months and gone away but not it will not go away and the vehicle in inoperable.

NHTSA ID

11673937

Incident

Jul 15, 2025

I went to drop my children off at school, backed out of the driveway fine everything was good. I went to turn the corner and my steering went really, really stiff. Thankfully I only live 2 blocks from the school and wasn't going over 15 mph. If I had been I'm scared of what could have happened.

NHTSA ID

11671829

Incident

Mar 18, 2025

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the message “Power Steering Failure” was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact also stated that a handheld diagnostic reader retrieved DTC: U3000, 49-48, U300096C8, and BID2368-48. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA ID

11670332

Incident

Jun 27, 2025

Mileage

150,000 mi

Back-up camera shows blank screen, wiggle lines throughout, states to contact dealer for service, or shows up upside down and backwards. I took my vehicle to the Bill Brown Ford dealership 04Sep18. I paid $112 to be told camera was failing and was quoted a minimum of $650 to replace. I declined as the vehicle was only 5 years old and was hoping for a recall. I now see many newer vehicles were just recalled for the same issue.

NHTSA ID

11667934

Incident

Sep 4, 2018

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was drifting in different directions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a failed rack and pinion. The contact was informed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 142,000.

NHTSA ID

11667738

Incident

Mar 18, 2025

Mileage

142,000 mi

There is a recall on models in this year but not the one I currently have. While driving on the highway my advancetrac warning lit up, the roads where dry and the was nothing to indicate why this was happening. So, I began to continue to drive on the highway and my steering wheel began to feel "jiggly". I kept two hands on the wheel the remaining drive and stayed within the min driving limit as any bump I experienced allowed for the car to be redireced even with two hands on the wheel. Once I made it off the highway to my destination I received three warning messages one system fault, one power steering service and one advancetrac. At this point when turning the car off and back on again the steering wheel became hard to turn. The red power steering message popped up again along with the advancetrac message. Because this issue happened while the car was in motion I find it hard to believe that this model is not apart of the recall. Now I have to foot the bill along with feeling like at any moment I could have crashed and lost my life during my time driving on the highway. My only hope for writing this is to ensure another look at the 2013 models that were not included in this recall so that other lives can be saved. I would not have a problem allowing this issue to be inspected. My safety and those along the highway were in danger because I could have lost control of the vehicle. The problem still remains, I have set an appointment for this issue. This happened 6/5/25. The warnings first appeared while driving the vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11665650

Incident

Jun 5, 2025