2013 Ford Flex Steering Problems

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

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

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

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

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

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

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH, there was a beeping sound coming from the vehicle with the messages "Electronic Power Steering Assist failure", "Service Advance-trac", and "Power steering assist fault" displayed. Additionally, the traction control warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that simultaneously the steering wheel became extremely firm. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the electronic rack and pinion steering needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000.

NHTSA ID

11651709

Incident

Mar 29, 2025

Mileage

131,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving and making turns, the steering wheel was sticking and required to be turned in the opposite direction and back to the intended direction for the vehicle to respond as needed. Additionally, the contact stated that the steering wheel failed to return to center after making a turn. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Big Brand Tire and Service, where the contact was informed that the failure might be related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 155,077.

NHTSA ID

11645088

Incident

Feb 12, 2025

Mileage

155,077 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The traction control warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the power steering control module. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 125,000.

NHTSA ID

11624841

Incident

Nov 12, 2024

Mileage

125,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds, after coming to a stop and then attempting to switch lanes, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The power steering assist message was displayed. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle started operating as designed. The contact called an independent mechanic and was informed about NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 163,000.

NHTSA ID

11621067

Incident

Oct 18, 2024

Mileage

163,000 mi

There is a power steering assist fault. Mine failed. This is a known issue That was recalled for the model year of my car, but my car apparently falls outside of the recall.

NHTSA ID

11619445

Incident

Oct 11, 2024

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The "Power Steering Assist Fault" message was displayed on the instrument panel. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering control module needed to be replaced. The contact researched and was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.

NHTSA ID

11617691

Incident

Apr 27, 2024

Mileage

165,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving at highway speeds, the front end of the vehicle was shaking and vibrating, and the steering wheel was difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall on the VIN. There was no assistance provided. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11612857

Incident

May 1, 2020

While driving down the highway the power steering system failed without any indication lights. Upon slowing down I noticed the steering was stiffer than usual. After pulling into a parking lot and restarting the car it showed a power steering failure and traction control failure.

NHTSA ID

11609156

Incident

Aug 17, 2024

The contact's client owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while her and her client were driving at approximately 60 MPH, the steering wheel became stiff, and the vehicle failed to steer as intended. The vehicle was taken to a parking lot and turned off. The vehicle was restarted after a while and a “Service Power Steering Now” message displayed, and the steering wheel seized and would not turn as needed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer but was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11594785

Incident

Jun 14, 2024

Steering locked up lower control arm snapped at the ball joint where it's connected to cv axel. Sent my car into the rails and nearly.killed me and my passenger.

NHTSA ID

11594309

Incident

May 16, 2023

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering assist fault warning light illuminated. In addition, the vehicle was difficult to steer. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed steering control module failure. The contact stated that the steering control module needed to be replaced. The contact provided diagnostic codes: U3000'49-48 and U3000'96-C8. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000. The contact stated there was a recall, but his vehicle does not have this recall associated with the VIN.

NHTSA ID

11589100

Incident

May 9, 2024

Mileage

65,000 mi