2013 Ford Flex reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2013 Ford Flex holds 578 complaints after 14 years, a rate of 31 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 8 Flex years on this site. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Rear, Fuel pump, and Fuel system, gasoline.

2011 Ford Flex Limited — Photo by IFCAR, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons Public domain

Complaints

578

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (200 of 578), then Steering (149) and Structure (69). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 65,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 45,000 and 90,000 miles. Those filings include 11 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 9 that report an injury.

Next to 2012 and 2014

The 2012 Flex has 64 complaints, 4 per year, and the 2014 has 249 complaints, 10 per year. The 2013 has more 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 Flex. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (6)

Recall suspension, rear 2020-02-10 · NHTSA campaign 20V072000

Summary 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.

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.

Vehicles affected 211,207

Recall Fuel pump 2016-08-25 · NHTSA campaign 16V621000

Summary 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.

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.

Vehicles affected 77,502

Recall Fuel system, gasoline 2015-12-02 · NHTSA campaign 15V812000

Summary 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.

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.

Vehicles affected 868

Recall Electric power steering 2015-06-02 · NHTSA campaign 15V340000

Summary 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.

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.

Vehicles affected 393,623

Recall powertrain, axle assembly, axle shaft 2014-07-02 · NHTSA campaign 14V393000

Summary 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.

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.

Vehicles affected 83,250

Recall Fuel system, gasoline 2013-05-31 · NHTSA campaign 13V227000

Summary 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.

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.

Vehicles affected 390,783

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

Complaints by component (578 total)

Electrical system

200

Steering

149

Structure

Fuel and propulsion system

Exterior lighting

Engine

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Latches, locks, and linkages

Suspension

Fuel system, gasoline

Seat belts

Powertrain

Visibility and wipers

Seats

Service brakes

Air bags

Back-over prevention

Tires

Engine and engine cooling

Wheels

Speed control

Adaptive and mobility equipment

Diesel fuel system

Forward collision avoidance

Interior lighting

Lane departure

Show 18 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Of the 435 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 65,000 miles. The middle half fall between 45,000 and 90,000 miles.

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"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…"
Powertrain, Engine · filed 2026-05-08
"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…"
Electrical system, Seats, Visibility and wipers · filed 2026-05-08
"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,…"
Steering · filed 2026-04-21
"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…"
Suspension · filed 2026-03-03
"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…"
Seats · filed 2026-02-25

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2013 Ford Flex SUV AWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	4 stars
2013 Ford Flex SUV FWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	4 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
Flex all-wheel drive	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	17	23	19 MPG	$3400
Flex all-wheel drive	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	16	22	18 MPG	$3600
Flex front-wheel drive	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	18	25	20 MPG	$3250

Specs and fitment

1st generation, 2009–2019

Body styles SUV

Oil 5W-20 (3.5L V6); 5W-30 (3.5L V6 EcoBoost) , 6 qt capacity

Tire size 235/60R17 (SE) to 255/45R20 (Limited EcoBoost)

Towing capacity 4,500 lbs

Known issues for this generation

2011-2013 Flex crossovers built between September 2010 and February 2012 are covered by Ford's 2015 recall of the electric power-assist steering (EPAS) system (NHTSA campaign 15V-340, Ford reference 15S18); for the 2011 and 2012 model years only vehicles with the 3.5L GTDI engine are affected. An intermittent electrical connection inside the steering gear motor, caused by conformal coat contamination and ribbon cable pin misalignment, can cause loss of the motor position sensor signal and loss of power steering assist. The mechanical linkage between the steering wheel and the road is maintained at all times and the system defaults to manual steering, but steering effort rises, especially at lower speeds; drivers are alerted by an audible chime and a power steering assist fault message in the instrument cluster. Ford's no-charge remedy checked the Power Steering Control Module for diagnostic trouble codes, updating the module software if none were present and replacing the steering gear if they were.

Compare

Previous year 2012 Ford Flex Next year 2014 Ford Flex See every Ford Flex model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Ford Flex reliable?

What are common problems with a 2013 Ford Flex?

Is the 2013 Ford Flex more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2012 Flex has 64 complaints, 4 per year, and the 2014 has 249 complaints, 10 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

Has the 2013 Ford Flex been recalled?

The 2013 Ford Flex has 6 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 Flex?

Owners have filed 578 complaints about the 2013 Ford Flex with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 Ford Flex get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 Ford Flex is 19 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2016 Ford Flex?

1st generation (2009-2019); the Flex was never redesigned into a 2nd generation.

How much can a Ford Flex tow?

Up to 4,500 lbs with the factory Class III Trailer Tow Package per Ford's official towing guide, on both the base 3.5L V6 and the 3.5L EcoBoost engine.