Reliable Auto DB

2013 Ford F-150 reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2013 Ford F-150 has 2,981 complaints with NHTSA after 14 years, or 113 per year. That is more complaints per year than most F-150 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 90. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Automatic transmission, Transmission control module, and Hydraulic brakes, fluid.

2009 Ford F-150 XLT
Photo by IFCAR, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons Public domain
Complaints

2,981

Per year

113

Recalls

3

Years on the road

14

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (1,310 of 2,981), then Engine (547) and Service brakes (320). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 74,500 miles, and the middle half falls between 43,000 and 111,000 miles. Those filings include 77 that report a crash, 35 that report a fire, 53 that report an injury, and 2 that report a death.

Next to 2012 and 2014

The 2012 F-150 has 1,781 complaints, 133 per year, and the 2014 has 1,531 complaints, 70 per year. The 2013 has fewer complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2013 Ford F-150. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall powertrain, automatic transmission 2019-06-10 · NHTSA campaign 19V433000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013 F-150 vehicles equipped with 5.0L or 6.2L gasoline engines, that previously had the powertrain control module (PCM) software reprogrammed under recall 19V-075. The software used to reprogram the PCM did not have the necessary updates to prevent the transmission from unexpectedly downshifting into first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 24, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S19.
Vehicles affected 107,857
Recall powertrain, automatic transmission, transmission control module 2019-02-11 · NHTSA campaign 19V075000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2013 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The transmission may unexpectedly downshift into first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began March 4, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S07.
Vehicles affected 1,263,051
Recall hydraulic brakes, fluid 2016-05-24 · NHTSA campaign 16V345000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 F-150 vehicles manufactured August 1, 2013, to August 31, 2014 equipped with 3.5L engines. The master cylinder rear cup seal may roll, resulting in brake fluid leakage from the primary reservoir into the brake booster.
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake master cylinder and, if necessary, the brake booster, free of charge. The recall began on October 28, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S24.
Vehicles affected 225,012

NHTSA's count is every vehicle in that campaign. A campaign can cover other model years and other models.

Complaints by component (2981 total)

Powertrain
1310
Engine
547
Service brakes
320
Electrical system
297
Speed control
296
Steering
212
Visibility and wipers
146
Fuel and propulsion system
130
Air bags
39
Structure, body
38
Wheels
37
Hydraulic brakes
32
Electronic stability control (ESC)
28
Automatic transmission
26
Fuel system, gasoline
22
Suspension
19
Engine and engine cooling
16
Exterior lighting
15
Rear window
15
Side or rear glass
14
Fuses and circuit breakers
11
Sunroof
11
Brake master cylinder
8
Fuel pump
7
Instrument cluster
7
Tires
7
Latches, locks, and linkages
6
Seat belts
6
Structure
6
Wheel speed sensor
6
Transmission control module
5
Visibility
5
Back-over prevention
4
Defroster and HVAC
4
Latch
4
Seats
4
Accelerator pedal
3
Control module, software
3
Lug nuts
3
Shaft, output
3
Speedometer and odometer
3
Adaptive and mobility equipment
2
Adaptive cruise control
2
Automatic emergency braking
2
Column
2
Exhaust system
2
Frame
2
Heating element
2
Ignition
2
Rear automatic braking
2
Steering rack
2
Temporary spare tire
2
Throttle
2
Traction control
2
Tread
2
Windshield
2
12V/24V/48V battery
1
ABS warning light
1
Bead
1
Blind spot detection
1
Buckle
1
Cables
1
Camera
1
Camera system
1
Door
1
Electronic latch
1
Engine control module, software
1
Exterior
1
Filler pipe and cap
1
Forward collision avoidance
1
Gears
1
Headlights
1
Hood
1
Hoses and fittings
1
Interior
1
Lamp
1
Latch connector
1
Linkages
1
Pump
1
Rotor
1
Sidewall
1
Transfer case
1
Warnings
1
Water heater
1
Wheel bearing
1
Wiring
1
Show 78 more Show less
Crash-flagged

77

Fire-flagged

35

Injury reports

53

Death reports

2

Of the 2,216 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 74,500 miles. The middle half fall between 43,000 and 111,000 miles.

Complaints filed per year

1201213320131002014106201523320162292017418201847420191712020157202117220221732023253202424220251192026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, the transmission violently downshifted, causing the rear wheels to lose traction and the contact almost lost control of the…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-09-17
  • "Driver side brake hose failure at upper crimp on the hose caused loss of brake fluid and spongy peddle"
    Service brakes · filed 2026-09-10
  • "Known issues with design and life expectancy of the exhaust manifolds and bolts thousands of owners are replacing manifolds due to warping and shearing of bolts when exhaust overheats. I’m currently getting quotes to…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-02
  • "I have a 2013 Ford 150 King Ranch 4X4 with the 6R80 transmission and approximately 125k miles on it. This morning, I was stopped at a red light and upon accelerating my truck would not shift out of first gear. The…"
    Speed control, Electrical system, Powertrain · filed 2026-08-28
  • "I have experienced several downshifts at high speed to low gear while driving. This defect can cause sudden downshifts at highway speeds, creating a serious risk of loss of control, skidding, or collision. The vehicle…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-08-27

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2013 Ford F-150 Regular Cab PU/RC 4x2 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2013 Ford F-150 Regular Cab PU/RC 4x4 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 3 stars
2013 Ford F-150 Super Crew PU/CC 4x2 4 stars 3 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2013 Ford F-150 Super Crew PU/CC 4x4 4 stars 3 stars 5 stars 3 stars
2013 Ford F-150 Supercab PU/EC 4x2 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2013 Ford F-150 Supercab PU/EC 4x4 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 3 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
F-150 pickup two-wheel drive 6.2L, 8-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Rear-wheel drive 13 18 15 MPG $4300
F-150 pickup two-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 16 22 18 MPG $3600
F-150 pickup two-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Rear-wheel drive 16 22 18 MPG $3600
F-150 pickup two-wheel drive flex-fuel 3.7L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Rear-wheel drive 17 23 19 MPG $3400
F-150 pickup two-wheel drive flex-fuel 3.7L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 17 23 19 MPG $3400
F-150 pickup two-wheel drive flex-fuel 5L, 8-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Rear-wheel drive 15 21 17 MPG $3800
F-150 pickup two-wheel drive flex-fuel 5L, 8-cyl Automatic 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 15 21 17 MPG $3800
F-150 pickup four-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Part-time four-wheel drive 15 21 17 MPG $3800
F-150 pickup four-wheel drive 6.2L, 8-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Part-time four-wheel drive 12 16 13 MPG $5000
F-150 pickup four-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed Part-time four-wheel drive 15 21 17 MPG $3800
F-150 pickup four-wheel drive flex-fuel 5L, 8-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Part-time four-wheel drive 14 19 16 MPG $4050
F-150 pickup four-wheel drive flex-fuel 3.7L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed Part-time four-wheel drive 16 21 18 MPG $3600
F-150 pickup four-wheel drive flex-fuel 3.7L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Part-time four-wheel drive 16 21 18 MPG $3600
F-150 pickup four-wheel drive flex-fuel 5L, 8-cyl Automatic 6-speed Part-time four-wheel drive 14 19 16 MPG $4050
F-150 Raptor pickup four-wheel drive 6.2L, 8-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Part-time four-wheel drive 12 16 13 MPG $5000

Specs and fitment

12th generation, 2009–2014
Body styles Pickup truck
Oil 5W-20 (3.7L V6, 5.0L V8, 6.2L V8 Raptor/Harley); 5W-30 (3.5L EcoBoost, from 2011) , 6 qt capacity
Tire size 235/75R17 to 275/45R22
Towing capacity 11,300 lbs

Known issues for this generation

Peak filing years around 2013 center on the six-speed automatic. Recall 19V-075 (Ford 19S07) covers certain 2011-2013 F-150 trucks with that transmission: the gearbox may unexpectedly downshift into first gear regardless of speed, which can cause loss of control; dealers reprogram the powertrain control module. Separately, the 3.5L EcoBoost V6 introduced for 2011 had early-production issues: TSB 13-8-1 covered intermittent stumble or misfire on 2011-2012 trucks from condensation in the charge-air-cooler tubes in humid weather (NHTSA closed its inquiry after the bulletin). Investigation EA15-006 also found moisture entering the electric vacuum pump on 2011-2012 trucks could corrode the pump and raise cold-start brake-pedal effort; Ford extended pump warranty to 10 years/150,000 miles under CSP 15N05 rather than a recall.

Compare

Previous year 2012 Ford F-150 Next year 2014 Ford F-150 See every Ford F-150 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Ford F-150 reliable?

The 2013 Ford F-150 has 2,981 complaints with NHTSA after 14 years, or 113 per year. That is more complaints per year than most F-150 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 90. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Automatic transmission, Transmission control module, and Hydraulic brakes, fluid.

What are common problems with a 2013 Ford F-150?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (1,310 of 2,981), then Engine (547) and Service brakes (320). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 74,500 miles, and the middle half falls between 43,000 and 111,000 miles. Those filings include 77 that report a crash, 35 that report a fire, 53 that report an injury, and 2 that report a death.

Is the 2013 Ford F-150 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2012 F-150 has 1,781 complaints, 133 per year, and the 2014 has 1,531 complaints, 70 per year. The 2013 has fewer complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

Has the 2013 Ford F-150 been recalled?

The 2013 Ford F-150 has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2013 Ford F-150?

Owners have filed 2981 complaints about the 2013 Ford F-150 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 Ford F-150 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 Ford F-150 is 16.7 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is my Ford F-150?

2009-2014 is the 12th generation, 2015-2020 is the 13th generation (first all-aluminum body), and 2021-present is the 14th generation.

Does the towing capacity apply to every F-150 trim?

No. The listed figure is the generation's best-equipped maximum (specific engine, cab, and Max Trailer Tow Package); a base XL or Raptor will tow significantly less.

Is the F-150 Lightning included in this data?

No, the F-150 Lightning EV is tracked as a separate model in this catalog; this page covers only the conventional gas and hybrid F-150.