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#BS-2013-FORFLE-4573

2013 Ford Flex

Based on reports from 769 owners and 6 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
769
Crashes
20
Fires
1
Recalls
6
TSBs
71
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 769 complaints, 20 crashes, 1 fires, and 6 recalls. Complaint rate is 2.1x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

door ajar light stays on

35 complaints • Severity 7.6/10

$X,XXX
2

door ajar alerts even when door is closed

17 complaints • Severity 7.2/10

$X,XXX
3

engine failure

3 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the ElectricalHIGH

198 owners reported electrical issues — failures commonly reported around 62K miles.

!Inspect the SteeringMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

51
0–30K
200
30–60K
190
60–90K
66
90–120K
45
120–150K
25
150K+

Peak failure range: 30–60K miles (200 reports) • Median: 62K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Electrical (198 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Electrical198 (26%)
Steering145 (19%)
Other78 (10%)
Fuel System70 (9%)
Structure:body58 (8%)
Lights36 (5%)
Engine35 (5%)
Stability Control24 (3%)

2013 Ford Flex: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 26% of all reports filed for the 2013 Ford Flex, with 198 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 62,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 62K-mile mark.

Steering Issues

Steering complaints account for 19% of all reports filed for the 2013 Ford Flex, with 145 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to steering-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Fuel System Issues

Fuel System complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2013 Ford Flex, with 70 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to fuel system-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Structure:body Issues

Structure:body complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 2013 Ford Flex, with 58 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to structure:body-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

1
12
15
13
21
14
99
15
129
16
119
17
109
18
82
19
48
20
42
21
21
22
29
23
23
24
30
25
1
26

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2013 Ford Flex. Recent trend: decreasing.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (6 recalls)

13V227000Jul 2013

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.

14V393000Aug 2014

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.

15V340000Jul 2015

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.

15V812000Dec 2015

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.

16V621000Dec 2016

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.

+ 1 more recall in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Ford Flex is the 2010 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is electrical.

2013 Ford Flex vs. Class Average (Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD)

This vehicle

769

Class avg

366

2.1x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical standard sport utility vehicle 2wd vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 769 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 6 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Ford Flex Model Years

20192018201720162015201420132012201120102009
View all Ford Flex years →

2013 Ford Flex: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2013 Ford Flex?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2013 Ford Flex is related to the electrical, with 198 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2013 Ford Flex reliable?
The 2013 Ford Flex has 769 complaints, 20 crash reports, and 1 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 2.1x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 2013 Ford Flex problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2013 Ford Flex have any recalls?
Yes, the 2013 Ford Flex has 6 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Ford Flex problems start?
Based on 577 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 62,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 30–60K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 769 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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