There are 19 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2013 Ford Flexin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that on several occasions while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,050.
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.
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.
WATER PUMP FAILED IN THE INTERNAL ENGINE PART ON 2013 FORD FLEX. A KNOWN PROBLEM BY FORD MOTOR CO FOR YEARS AND FORD REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL. BECAUSE THE WATER PUMP IS AN INTERNAL PART OF THE MOTOR, THE COST TO REPAIR IS OVER $2000 .
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND HAD IT TOWED BACK TO HER HOME. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO FILL UP THE FUEL TANK AND NOTICED FUEL LEAKING UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE FUEL INLET WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. RON CARTER FORD (8837 3005, FM 528 RD, ALVIN, TX 77511, (281) 715-7318) WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT JUST BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED THREE MONTHS AGO. THE MANUFACTURER ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE WRENCH WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD OVERHEAT. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE WATER PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO ASSIST. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO EVERGREEN FORD LINCOLN (1500 18TH AVENUE NW, ASSAQUAH, WA 98027) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING BELT WAS STRETCHED. SINCE THE TIMING BELT WAS DIRECTLY LINKED TO THE WATER PUMP, A NEW ENGINE WAS RECOMMENDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.
CAR OVERHEATS AND COOLANT LEAKS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD FLEX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED THREE TIMES WITHOUT WARNING. ADDITIONALLY, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE CONTACT CALLED A LOCAL DEALER (MCDONALD FORD, 6790 MIDLAND RD, FREELAND, MI 48623) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE AND OPENED CASE NUMBER: CAS13638921. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT IF THE VEHICLE FAILED, THE CONTACT SHOULD TAKE IT TO A LOCAL DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.
TONIGHT WAS THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED. WHILE I WAS DRIVING, THANK GOODNESS I WAS NOT DRIVING FAST AND WAS STILL ON OUR DRIVEWAY THAT THE ENGINE JUST STALLED FOR NO REASON. I TRIED RESTARTING THE CAR BUT IT WOULD NOT START. I HAD TO TRY STARTING IT MANY TIMES AND AFTER AWHILE IT FINALLY STARTED AGAIN.
WHEN I PUT GAS IN THE GAS EITHER FILL UP OR EVEN JUST A CAP OFF ON THE GAS TANK, STARTING THE ENGIN IS DIFICULT. IT HESITATES, WHEN TRYING TO START, AND HAS A ROUGH VERY ROUGH IDLE. ACCELARATION IS NOT A PROBLEM ONCE WE GET GOING, BUT IT IS THE INITIAL STARTING OF THE VEHICLE THAT IS A PROBLEM.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON CITY STREET, A MAINTENANCE INDICATOR LIT UP ON THE DASH AND THERE WAS NO POWER (ACCELERATION.) VEHICLE DID NOT SHUT OFF, BUT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WOULD NO LONGER OPERATE OR REV THE ENGINE. COASTED TO SIDE OF ROAD AND TURNED OFF. UPON RESTART VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY. TURNED AROUND TO HEAD HOME. PULLED OUT FROM SIDE STREET AND IT HAPPENED A SECOND TIME. THIS TIME WITH A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AS WELL. HAD THERE BEEN TRAFFIC COMING A SEVERE ACCIDENT COULD HAVE OCCURRED. AGAIN, TURNING OFF AND RESTARTING RESOLVED (TEMPORARILY) THE ISSUE. IN THE NEXT 3 MILES TO GET HOME, IT OCCURRED 3 MORE TIMES. FORD DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED IT TO BE A FAULTY THROTTLE BODY, PARTS ARE BACK ORDERED. FORD KNOWS THIS IS AN ISSUE AND HAS "COVERED" SOME MODELS, BUT STILL IGNORES THE DANGER.
THERE IS A DEAD SPOT IN THE ENGINE WHEN YOU TAKE OFF OR WHEN YOU ACCELERATE TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE OR WHEN YOU WANT TO GET ONTO THE HIGHWAY.(DEAD SPOT AKA NO RESPONSE FROM THE GAS PEDAL). I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO PREMIER FORD LINCOLN DEALER SHIP IN BROOKLYN NY TWICE AND THE SAID THE COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM.
UPON HARD ACCELERATION EXHAUST FUMES ENTER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. GO TO HTTP://FORDFLEXFORUM/TOPIC/596-FUMES-IN-CABIN/PAGE-2 FOR ACTUAL CARBON MONOXIDE CONCENTRATIONS TEST RESULTS PERFORMED BY A FIRE DEPARTMENT. *TR
THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED APRIL/2014 WHILE MY FLEX WAS IDLING IN THE DRIVEWAY AND SHUT OFF AND WOULD NOT START FOR ABOUT SIX HOURS. I DID NOTHING TO DIAGNOSE OR TROUBLESHOOT, IT JUST STARTED AFTER SITTING FOR THAT TIME FRAME. IT DID NOT GO TO THE SHOP. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED JUNE 11, 2014 WHILE I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 5 MINUTES FROM MY HOME. THE ENGINE SHUT OFF WHILE I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 30 MPH, I COASTED TO A HALT IN A TRAFFIC LANE AND IT WOULD NOT START. IT WOULD CRANK, BUT NOT TURN OVER JUST LIKE THE FIRST INCIDENT. IT WAS TOWED TO A SHOP WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE FUEL PUMP WAS NOT GETTING POWER, BUT BEFORE IT COULD BE ISOLATED THE VEHICLE STARTED. THE TECH ADVISED SINCE IT STARTED THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING FURTHER. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE BATTLEFIELD FORD DEALER AND TOLD THEM THE ISSUE. IT WAS DUE FOR A RECALL WHICH WOULD SWITCH OUT THE FUEL PUMP AND FUEL PUMP CONTROL MODULE AND WAS ADVISED THAT SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE WAS PERFORMED. ON JUNE 26, 2014 MY WIFE GOT IN THE VEHICLE IN THE MORNING AFTER IT HAD SAT IN THE DRIVEWAY ALL NIGHT, AND WHEN SHE HIT THE START BUTTON IT TOOK MANY MORE CRANKS THAN USUAL FOR THE VEHICLE TO START. AS SOON AS SHE TURNED FROM THE DRIVEWAY IT STARTED SPUTTERING AND FLUTTERING AND THE ENGINE SHUT OFF DOWN THE BLOCK FROM OUR HOME. SHE COASTED TO A HALT, THE VEHICLE DID START AGAIN AND SHE PARKED IT IN OUR DRIVEWAY. IT WOULD CRANK AND CRANK BUT WOULD TURN OVER. I CALLED THE DEALER AND HAD IT TOWED THERE, FORTUNATELY I HAVE AAA. MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY TO DUE TO MILEAGE. AS IT STANDS NOW THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE. WE LIVE IN NORTHERN VA AND TRAVEL I-95 FREQUENTLY AND IF THE VEHICLE WOULD TURN OFF WHILE TRAVELING THERE IT COULD BE TRAGIC. WE DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR ANYMORE AND WILL MORE THAN LIKELY TRADE IT ONCE THE DEALER FIDDLES WITH IT. *TR
MY VEHICLE MOTOR QUIT ABOUT A MILE FROM MY HOME AND I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TRIED TO RESTART THE MOTOR. THE SMELL OF GAS BECAME VERY STRONG AND I GOT OUT AND COULD SEE WHERE A STREAM OF GAS HAD STARTED 50 YARDS BACK ON THE STREET AND A PUDDLE WAS UNDER THE GAS TANK. I GOT THE HECK OUT OF THERE AND CALLED FORD ROAD ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE FORD DEALER.THE SAFETY RECALL 13S04 FOR REPLACING THE FUEL PUMP HAD BEEN PERFORMED ABOUT A MONTH AGO AND 1000 MILES AGO. THE DEALER HAD NOT INSTALL THE O RING SEAL PROPERLY. THEY DID IT AGAIN AND SAY IT IS GOOD TO DRIVE. I AM NOT SO SURE. *TR
WHILE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH, ON CRUISE CONTROL, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO KNOCK AND THEN THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD TWICE AND BEGAN TO SHAKE PRETTY BAD. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND CALLED THE DEALERSHIP. AFTER HOLDING UP THE CELL PHONE TO THE ENGINE, I WAS TOLD TO "TURN THAT ENGINE OFF NOW!". THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND I WAS LATER TOLD THERE WAS A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO AN CYLINDER WITHIN THE INTERNAL PISTON THAT BROKE FREE AND PUT A WHOLE IN THE ENGINE BLOCK, REQUIRING THE ENGINE TO BE REPLACED. THE SERVICE MANAGER GAVE ME THE MANGLED CYLINDER AND STATED HE THOUGHT THE BALL BEARINGS HAD FAILED AND CAUSED THE CYLINDER TO WREAK HAVOC WITH THE ENGINE. AFTER SEEING THE PIECE THAT BROKE OFF. I FEEL THAT WE WERE VERY LUCKY IT DID NOT COME THROUGH INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT; IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS INJURY, IF IT HAD. FORD HAS AGREED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, SAYING THIS TYPE OF FAILURE ONLY HAPPENS "1 IN A MILLION". I DO NOT HAVE ANY CONFIDENCE THAT THE SAME TYPE OF ENGINE FAILURE WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN IF THE BALL BEARINGS AND OR CYLINDER ARE INFERIOR. I HAVE PICTURES AVAILABLE IF NEEDED. *LN
ON 7/20/13 I DROPPED OFF THE FLEX AT THE DEALER FOR THE TIMELY SERVICE AND ALSO TO HAVE THE A/C CHECKED. FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS A TERRIBLE ODOR HAS BEEN COMING FROM THE A/C AND AFTER THE CAR WAS UNUSED FOR A DAY, THE ODOR WAS UNBEARABLE WHEN WE TURNED ON THE CAR A/C. ON 7/22/13 AT THE END OF THE WORK DAY, THE SERVICE DEPT CALLED STATING ALL WORK WAS COMPLETED, THAT THE A/C WAS WORKING PROPERLY AND THAT THERE WAS NO A/C PROBLEMS TO REPAIR. WHEN I AGAIN INFORMED THEM ABOUT THE TERRIBLE ODOR, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE FLEX HAS A PROBLEM WITH MILDEW IN THE A/C BUT THAT THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I DID NOT PICK UP MY CAR FROM SERVICE AND CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER TO INFORM HIM/HER OF WHAT I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR.THE SERVICE MANAGER AGREED THAT THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE FORD FLEX A/C, THAT FORD WAS AWARE OF THIS A/C ISSUE AS OF A YEAR AGO, BUT THAT THERE WAS NO SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE. I WAS INFORMED THAT A REGIONAL REP WOULD CALL ME IN TWO DAYS. I SAID THAT I COULD NOT PICK UP THE CAR AS MY DAUGHTER SUFFERS FROM UPPER RESPIRATORY AILMENTS AND THAT I WOULD NOT PICK UP THE CAR UNTIL THE MOLD AND MILDEW WAS REMOVED AND THE PROBLEM FIXED. I INFORMED THEM THAT I NEEDED A CAR IN THE MEANTIME TO GHETTO WORK, ETC. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT GIVE ME A LOANER AND THAT I SHOULD GET A RENTAL CAR AT MY OWN EXPENSE AND THAT THERE MAY, OR MAY NOT, BE A POSSIBILITY OF A REFUND FOR THE RENTAL EXPENSE. I AM CURIOUS IF ANYONE ELSE HAS HAD THIS A/C PROBLEM WITH FORD AND IT WAS CORRECTED? *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026