Power steering no longer works. Getting message on dash as well. I see a recall for my year truck but my vin apparently is not one included. It’s our only transportation and my daughter, my fiancé and myself all have multiple weekly therapy/dr appointments. Please consider adding my vin to the recall. As far as electrical my alarm will randomly go off while it’s not running/parked. Thinks doors are open when they are not. Thank you
2013 Ford Flex complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2013 record →
There seems to be a fuel leak on my vehicle's fuel tank. When the tank is half full and more there is a noticable fuel smell around my car and fuel dripping under my car. When the fuel is less than half full, the fuel seems to stop leaking. I believe the seam in the gas tank is leaking. I have heard of other people with my same year and vehicle having the same issues so I figured it was worth reporting.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the message "Power Steering Failure" was displayed, and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure was linked to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 141,000.
Was driving and the power steering went out. Lost control of steering and almost went off the road. Called the dealer and was told that my vehicle is not part of the recall yet. There is curently a recall on 2011-2013 Ford Flex of power steering failure. Mine should be added to the recall because of the same safety risks.
While driving, the radio turns off and the climate control system malfunctions causing the heater to engage to high with no way to turn the system off. All controls are disabled and there is no way to turn the system off. Unplugged the battery for 30 minutes as suggested, removed fuses to the radio and climate control module which temporarily fixes the issue, but issue happens randomly and creates excessive heat in the cabin. This is the 5th time this has happened. It is the 3rd time while on long trips (3hrs or longer). Others online have mentioned the same. We had to ride with the windows and moonroof open to let the heat escape. First time occurred in 2019 in early December. Navigation still worked, but all other systems would not function.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced several electrical failures, including that door erroneously locking and unlocking and the Lane Departure safety feature malfunctioning. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who determined that the electronic body control module was faulty. After removing and reinstalling the module, the vehicle was repaired. Additionally, while the vehicle was in for service, the mechanic discovered that the water pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.
2013 Ford Flex lost power steering, had to tow the vehicle home. Called Ford my vehicle was not covered under the recall, paid over $2000 to have it repaired.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed; after coming to a complete stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle rolled backwards unintendedly. After depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle responded as designed and was safely driven to the destination. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with a failed fuel pump. The contact was informed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted and made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V621000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while reversing, the back over prevention camera was blank with a message displayed. The contact was unsure what the message stated. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The dealer was made aware of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacture was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
I called the dealer to let them know of steering issue, not being able to turn wheel, then message came on dash board of "power steering assit fault". Dealer said my 2013 Flex was not covered under recall. Dealer said I could need to pay out of pocket, estimated $600.00.
Front tires look and stay really low no matter how much air is put in. It's leaking brake fluid. The emergency brake barley lock. Also transmission is horrible.
Message came on the dash when driving in downtown traffic that says “power steering assist fault” and the steering wheel is FAR worse than the old cars with manual steering. Almost caused a wreck. I researched that there have been several recalls for that make, model, and problem with recall number 15S18. I called ford recall phone number and they said yes many have been recalled but it’s VIN specific and mine does not qualify because of either where it was built or what company made the component that has failed some have been recalled and some have not. Regardless of where it was made or who built the component if they are having problems and recalling most of them, I feel that my near accident caused by fords “power steering assist fault” that has done the exact same thing should be considered. If their product that they built can not be safely operated without causing accident bodily harm, and/or death and they refuse to correct the problem, maybe they shouldn’t be building vehicles. It’s not like the A/C quit working, it literally almost caused an accident with my wife and kids in the car and is absolutely not drivable…..AT ALL! I had to trailer it home. Only goes straight. Has 125k miles for a 2013
Power steering failure while driving. Looks like issue that is common for Ford Flex. Recall 15S18. My Fled was built in April 2013.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while making a left turn driving 10 MPH, the traction control, power steering, and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact used excessive force to steer the vehicle to the destination. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) which was linked to the failure. The dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the contact heard an alert, and the message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed before the steering wheel became firm. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not under recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) and provided no additional assistance. The failure mileage was 183,156.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that the vehicle performed as designed; however, the vehicle failed to restart. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V621000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.
Power steering fault message comes on and vehicle loses steering. Had vehicle diagnosed with local Ford dealer and found DTC C200D Found steering gear failure.
Have difficulty fueling vehicle. “Fuel fill inlet” warning stays on dash. Strong fuel mixture smell in cabin. Fuel will overspill if you try to pump gas at full force. Smells like fuel is leaking. Concerned about possible explosion. Many other drivers having the same issues. Strange clicking sounds from front end.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "check fuel filler inlet" was displayed. The contact stated while refueling, gasoline spilled back out of the filler inlet. Additionally, while operating the vehicle, there was a strong fuel odor present inside the cabin of the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V812000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 222,000.
I my 2013 Dorf Flex after stopping at a store and when I turned the vehicle on the steering wheel jerked my wheels straight. Then a error came up saying power steering assist reduced. I turned the vehicle off and started it back up a few minutes later and the problem when away. I am concerned that there is an issue with this and Ford is not addressing it based on google searches and other peoples experiences. There have been multiple reports saying that they almost got into an accident while going down the road and this had happened. We do not feel safe driving this vehicle in its current condition. I reached out to Ford and they say this vehicle based on the vin number does not have a current recall on it.
Electronic steering going in and out while driving. Dealer checked for codes no codes other models around the same year were recalled for the same issue. For some reason this one was not included but I have the same problems.
The rear power lift gate will at times unexpectedly come down on you while you’re standing under it and won’t go back up… it has hit me in my head multiple times… and may be the cause of the compressed disc in my cervical spine… it happens mostly when it’s cold, but now that it’s 65° (Los Angeles) it’s still doing it
Rear view camera does not come on in reverse gear. It was looked at about 18 months ago and the dealership service manager said it was the camera that needed to be replaced. they also saw that the camera came on for a few seconds , then went off again. they tried it about five times ,on and off. they wanted to charge me $200.00 to diagnose the problem. so , here i am complaining to nhtsa about my vehicle's problem.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that the rear-view camera image was displayed inverted on the infotainment screen. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that there were recalls on other Ford model vehicles for the same failure; however, the VIN was not included. The contact called the dealer and the manufacturer and was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN regarding the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
Vehicle would not start after 3 days of not being started or driven. After having the battery jumped the climate control unit malfunctioned. The heat would not turn off and stayed on full blast. This caused the car to overheat and difficult to drive even with the windows down. When brought to the dealership service center, they replaced the heater blower. This fixed the issue temporarily. Then the heat stopped working and in single digit temperatures the vehicle was too cold to drive. The dealership replaced the resistor. This again became a temporary fix. The heat came back but then the vehicle battery kept draining. Having some type of electrical issue put the vehicle at a possible risk for short circuiting, catching fire etc. This is an ongoing issue with ALL YEARS of the Ford Flex. When the vehicle is jump started this causes an electrical short affecting the climate control system but also the entire communication system. .
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that she attempted to close the rear passenger’s side door however, the door failed to latch. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the latch failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact then stated that while closing the front driver’s side door, the door failed to latch securely. Due to the failure, the contact had to drive holding the door closed. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the latch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided the number to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000. The VIN was unavailable.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that on several occasions while stopped or attempting to drive over 10 MPH, the door ajar warning light illuminated, indicating that the front and rear passenger’s side doors were open however, the doors were closed. The contact then stated that while attempting to lock all the doors, the doors unlocked instead and activated the interior lighting. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the door sensors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist with the Power Steering Assist Fault message displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 116,211.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly. The failure was intermittent. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The 2013 Flex has an issue with door ajar switch within the door latch mechanism failing. This results in the car incorrectly identifying the door as “ajar” when it is closed. The result is that the automatic door locking does not activate when the car is in motion. This means that the door remains unlocked unless manually locked by the passenger. This can pose a safety hazard as the door could come open in an accident or be opened while in motion by a passenger. This problem has been well described on the web with multiple work around including disabling the mechanism or wiring a different switch in. It also described as typically happening around 69,000 miles. In conclusion Ford has created a faulty door ajar sensor that negatively affects the safety of the occupants in the vehicles and has resulted in numerous work arounds that could further negatively impact the safety of the occupants. Thank you for your time.
Power steering completely went out as we were driving jerking the wheel out of our hands , and almost causing an accident. An indicator on the dashboard says “power steering assist failure” . Shortly after that the traction control light/abs light came on as well. There were no warnings lamps, messages, or symptoms before this occurred and the power steering has been out ever since. This seems to be a Ford Flex recall problem and somehow ford doesnt want to cover the cost to repair/fix it because my VIN is not included in the recall.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was shuddering. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the front ball joints, front control arms, and front struts were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated while driving to the dealer, the steering wheel seized inadvertently and would not turn to the right. The steering could be turned to the left, almost causing a crash. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and was able to continue driving; however, the failure recurred the same day. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion and the electronic gear box needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). A case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 142,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.
While driving, just as I turned my steering wheel; it got very stiff to turn. If I was not able to turn, I easily could have drove into someone's house, pedestrians or hit other vehicles both parked and driving on the road. Especially if I were going very much faster and didn't have as much strength as I do. A week before this happened, I got a quick flash of a message twice that read "AdvanceTrack needs service". But after that ine trip a week ago, it never popped back up and still hasn't. Other than that, no warning lights or codes xan be found. I made it home (less than a half mile away). After having it checked by 2 different mechanics, both said it was the electric steering and told me to check the recalls for my 2013 Ford Flex SEL. I found that my particular VIN did NOT have the 2 recalls that affected numerous Ford vehicles with Electric Steering, including THE SAME YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL of my Ford Flex. The recall is for the power steering. I've also seen numerous other posts on fordflex.net where this has affected many Ford Flex vehicles from 2009 to 2018 with electric steering. The other issue I had is a known recall for other Ford Flex vehicles, but not my VIN, just like the previous. I was driving on the highway when my dash starts beeping and flashing at me wiyh an overheating issue. I had to do my best to get off the highway. Thankfully I was stopped when this happened and not far from the turn I needed to get me and my car to safety. Turned out to be the interna
Wrench light came on and car felt like it was losing power and began to shake. I pulled over and it went dead.
Ever since I purchased this vehicle, the power steering would stop working, warning lights: power train and another one would appear after it happens. I would shut my vehicle off and restart it, which would clear the issue and I would have no problems. This has happened several times, sometimes 2-3 times a week. However, two weeks ago, the power steering stopped altogether working and will not clear, even with restarting the vehicle.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the power steering assist fault and service advance track warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with power steering failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 182,000.
The power steering assist stopped working while I was driving. It caused me to get into an accident. If other cars were around me I could have killed someone. I was driving just fine and then “POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT” showed up on my cluster and the steering wheel locked up. It now won’t work. This came without warning.
The front drivers door latch. When the door is shut their is an alarm stating that the door is ajar. Per Ford their is a Customer Satisfaction Program 19N09 for it. I bought this vechicle Monday June 20, 2022. Per Ford they notified me of this issue as well but they will not fix it as it is past the 84,000 miles/7 years as well as the 120,000 miles and July 31, 2020. This vechile per the records has been services at Thoroughbred Ford in Kansas City, MO since the day it was bought and yet it has not been fixed? And now they are not willing to fix it.
The front passenger door is showing that the door is NOT closed when I close it. Later as the car sits in my driveway, the alarm goes on. I believe the door is unlatching and therefore dangerous if this occurs when I'm driving. The dealership looked at it and states that the latch assembly needs to be replaced. However, I do remember a past recall for this same issue. If this door were to unlatch while driving this could be fatal. I believe this needs to be repaired by the dealership.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start-up occasionally. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel inlet needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 103,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated that the power steering fault message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 183,000.
My 2013 Ford Flex had the same issues as many that have been recalled. Ford states that the vehicle is not covered under the recall. My electronic power steering assist is no longer working and the service traction control is on. This has been reported from many other Ford Flex owners but it seems like ford is trying to skimp on by with this by saying it’s not covered. All Ford Flex’s 2013 year model should be recalled to replace / inspect the power steering rack assembly
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated that the power steering assists warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park on the side of the road and waited 30 minutes before restarting the vehicle and driving to her destination. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the steering gear module to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated she had experienced the failure two additional times. The contact towed the vehicle to two different independent mechanics and was informed that the steering gear module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while driving at 15 MPH, the power steering assist failed as the power steering assist warning message appeared on the instrument panel. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure occurred again soon after the restart. The contact then called her husband who used excessive force to drive the vehicle back to the residence. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 237,000.
My back up camera is all fog. I see that other years for the ford flex have a recall for fog camera. I believe that it is a safety issue and my auto should have a recall for the camera also.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while coming out of a complete stop, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated that the power steering assists warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer to be inspected. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was 88,396
On 10/17/21 I was driving near my home and during a turn, the steering locked up and the dash read "power steering assist failure". I pulled over, called a tow truck. When they got there, they started it and the steering was working fine. They said to check the power steering fluid. I drove it home, and found it does not have power steering fluid. Ford told me it is not under any recall. It is now operating just fine. Not sure what happened.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while making various turns at slow speeds, the steering wheel would lock mid turn as the vehicle would shut-off. The contact then stated that the service advance-trac message appeared on the instrument panel. The vehicle would restart soon after failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer to be serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V072000 (Suspension) however, he was informed that his vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) which he linked to the failure. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and provided the contact with the same information about the recall. The contact was then referred to NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.
Right rear passanger "Door Ajar" comes on all the time when the door is fully closed. In the beginning was able to get it to stop by opening and closing the door several times, now its continual. The interior lights stay on, causing Hazardous condition while driving, due to inability to see what is in the Rearview Mirrow, Chimes continuously.
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NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
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