2013 Ford Flex problems, complaints & recalls

2013 Ford Flex recalls (6)

• Recall 20V072000Feb 10, 2020211,207 vehicles
  SUSPENSION:REAR

  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.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 16V621000Aug 25, 201677,502 vehicles
  FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

  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.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 15V812000Dec 2, 2015868 vehicles
  FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

  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.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 15V340000Jun 2, 2015393,623 vehicles
  STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

  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.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 14V393000Jul 2, 201483,250 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT

  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.

  Remedy: 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.

• Recall 13V227000May 31, 2013390,783 vehicles
  FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

  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.

  Remedy: 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.

Recent 2013 Ford Flex complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

1. Filed Sep 28, 2026VAEngine

   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 check engine light came on. I had it towed and inspected at Featherstone Auto, 14523 Richmond Hwy, Woodbridge VA 22191 where I was informed by [XXX] that this is a common issue with…

   NHTSA complaint #11767503 · source
2. Filed Sep 24, 2026INElectrical SystemLighting

   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 one for a few weeks but then it started turning them both off, and then it eventually got to the point that we would turn the headlights on anf the passenger side headlight wouldn't…

   NHTSA complaint #11766599 · source
3. Filed May 8, 2026WIEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11736541 · source
4. Filed May 8, 2026WIElectrical SystemSeats & Seat BeltsVisibility & Wipers

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11736539 · source
5. Filed Apr 21, 2026140,000 miMASteering

   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.…

   NHTSA complaint #11732762 · source
6. Filed Mar 3, 2026127,000 miAZSuspension

   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 complaint #11721838 · source
7. Filed Feb 25, 2026MT1 injuredSeats & Seat Belts

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11720492 · source
8. Filed Dec 22, 2025FLSteering

   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 complaint #11706474 · source

Compare the 2013 Ford Flex with another vehicle →

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 10, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology