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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 9
Injuries / Deaths:
5 / 0
Average Mileage:
52,838 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2013 Ford F-150 engine problems

engine problem

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2013 Ford F-150 Owner Comments (Page 1 of 26)

problem #507

Jan 092025

F-150

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Due to an unresolved issue that Ford motor company is aware of with the Transmission -??Molded Lead Frame-?? the truck will drop down into 1st gear from highway speeds and causes a huge safety concern if there should be someone traveling behind me. The speedometer will stop working as well as the mileage will disappear off the screen/all other information will go blank. I will have to stop the truck, turn it off and back on again and it will drive normal. When I bring to dealer; they state ford should be covering this issue: when I contact ford I am offered no assistance or remedies. They referred me to bring this safety issue to your attention. It is very concerning and I cannot afford another car at the moment.

- Beacon Falls, CT, USA

problem #506

Dec 262024

F-150

  • 147,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at 55 MPH the wrench symbol illuminated and the vehicle lost motive power and went into LIMP Mode. The contact coasted to the side of the road and turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle returned to normal functionality. The failure occurred a total of three times; however, during the third failure, the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the output speed sensor module had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact of an undisclosed Customer Satisfaction Program however, the 10-year limitation had been exceeded. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer transferred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.

- Clinton, MI, USA

problem #505

Sep 012024

F-150

  • 213,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while accelerating from a complete stop, the speedometer was inoperable, the RPM was significantly high, and the vehicle failed to shift into gear as designed. The power train and the check engine warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred intermittently. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop at a traffic light, the vehicle failed to shift out of first gear. The contact stated that upon pulling to the side of the road and restarting the vehicle several times, the vehicle responded as needed on several occasions; however, the vehicle remained stuck in first gear on other occasions. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train), which the contact related to the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 213,000.

- Beaumont, TX, USA

problem #504

Dec 022024

F-150

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Vehicle was going around 55 mph and dropped out of gear and into limp mode or 1st gear. Happened yesterday as well around 55 mph with cruise control on. Used a scan tool and no codes given.

- Pataskala , OH, USA

problem #503

Nov 142024

F-150

  • miles
Since I purchased the vehicle I have found numerous it-??s that are claimed as recommended fixes as the dealer has told me. And now that I keep seeing the rear camera show up for recalls is what made me mad enough to write this. My vehicle has the rear camera that will go off and either not show anything as if I was not in reverse which I am at the time, or it just shows a blue screen. And I have seen other people complain about this on YouTube for my model/year. Also the transmission lead frame which they did end up actually saying when it went that there was a recall for this, BUT if a certain code supposedly didn-??t show up on the code reader it was not covered under the warranty. Which of course mine did not have the correct code so I had to pay out of pocket. But coincidentally when I picked it up they said they gave me a discount which everyone knows when a dealer states something they are charging there is no change in the price, but that went from $1150 to $850 I believe. Also the timing chain is known to jump and cause engine failure. Next this stuff may not have to do with safety so I-??m sure you will also deny responsibility for is the rear main seal is known to leak. The turbo leaks behind the passenger side front tire. And the driverside back split power heated window is known to shatter. Can anyone tell me how all these can be on the internet as problems and -??recommended fixes-?? then now the new ones get recalls for the same issues and mine is not covered and the new ones are. Yes you can look them all up and see them for yourself. When I found the back window one I was looking to find out how to replace it myself when the first video that showed up was a guy saying he did the same thing looking for how to fix it, and seen videos of people saying that it is a recommended fix for ford. The only receipts I may have, I will look is for the transmission lead frame and the one for the back window. I will look for them. The other problems still

- Mckees Rocks, PA, USA

problem #502

Oct 122024

F-150

  • 115,900 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH and hauling a travel trailer, the vehicle unintendedly decelerated to 35-40 MPH temporarily. The power train warning light was illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump fuse socket had failed. The dealer relocated the wiring from the fuel pump to an unused fuse socket in the fuse box. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 115,900.

- South Chesterfield, VA, USA

problem #501

Oct 112024

F-150

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Vehicle have been parked for 5days and no power when returned to open door or start vehicle.No power on dash.Installed new battery, had it programmed to vehicle and started.1 month later and same issue again.No power, remote won't work either.

- Douglasville, GA, USA

problem #500

Oct 082024

F-150

  • 139,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The -??WRENCH-?? symbol was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that a software update was needed, and that the lead frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.

- Sinton, TX, USA

problem #499

Sep 162024

F-150

  • 80,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 60-65 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was unable to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the residence. The contact stated that the vehicle later restarted; however, the failure recurred while driving. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after 30 minutes. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that a fuse box where the sensors were attached to had melted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #498

Sep 302024

F-150

  • 42,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was a loud ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the timing chain. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who confirmed the diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 18-2305. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.

- Doylestown, PA, USA

problem #497

Aug 312024

F-150

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

One year ago I experienced my truck down shift to 1st gear suddenly, my truck shut off and a yellow wrench appeared on the dash. I restarted the truck and it ran fine for a week before this happened again. I found a notice from Ford that the NHTSA had required Ford to fix this issue. I took my truck to the local Ford dealer, but they couldn't find the associated code for the problem. They did replace a transmission module. This past week, while driving 65 mph, my truck suddenly down shifted to 1st gear and nearly caused an accident with the vehicles behind me. The same yellow wrench appeared and my truck turned off. This time, at the Ford dealer, they found the code that matched up to the NHTSA alert but they said the repair requirement had expired. I paid $1350 for a lead frame replacement. This is exactly the repair required, but Ford would not stand behind the required repair. Do I have any recourse through NHTSA?

- Mason, IL, USA

problem #496

Jul 092020

F-150

  • 74,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle did not accelerate as intended and only reached 3 MPH. The power train warning light illuminated and an unknown warning message appeared. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that a leak located in the engine coming from the timing cover about the A/C compressor and the electronic throttle body and engine timing cover gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

- Fort Collins, CO, USA

problem #495

Aug 082024

F-150

  • miles
Transmission issue? Vehicle is not shifting correctly. Shifting is very rough and we are afraid to drive the vehicle. Local dealer said we can schedule an appointment... it would be 3-4 weeks. No warning lights or messages. (We just had a recall taken care of on our 2014 F150 for a shifting issue but had no symptoms.)

- Farmington, NY, USA

problem #494

May 302024

F-150

  • miles
Faulty leadframe and transmission filter.

- Orem, UT, USA

problem #493

Aug 042024

F-150

  • miles
Chain guide and tensioners are made not strong enough and the chain gets lose and rattle wen starting

- Cicero, IL, USA

problem #492

Jan 012024

F-150

  • 190,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The transmission and check engine warning lights were intermittently illuminated, while the air bag warning light remained illuminated. Additionally, the transmission was stuck in third gear while driving. Additionally, the speedometer and odometer were inoperable. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle several times to correct the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the lead frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: RQ17010 (Power Train). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

- Oak Grove, LA, USA

problem #491

Jul 072024

F-150

  • miles
I had all the recalls done to my vehicle that pertains to a problem with my vehicle suddenly shifting to first gear at freeway speeds. This was done about two years ago. On July 7th, 2024 my vehicle suddenly shifted to first gear while traveling at a rate of 55 miles per hour. My rear tires suddenly locked up and I lost control of my vehicle. Luckily I avoided an accident. I-??m reporting this information because Ford-??s recall to this problem did not solve the issue and this can cause accidents.

- San Jose, CA, USA

problem #490

Jul 102024

F-150

  • miles
My 2013 Ford F-150 King Ranch suddenly downshifted while traveling at highway speeds. It downshifted into 5th gear, not 1st, luckily. This has occurred twice and I will take my truck to my local dealer tomorrow morning. A few years ago, I had transmission work completed because my truck was stuck in first gear and required tuning off the engine to get it back to shifting properly. At that time, I was unaware of the 2019 recall for the transmission control module and speed sensor, and spent money on the repair because my local ford dealer denied that this was part of the recall. I now suspect that was not true.

- Mcalester, OK, USA

problem #489

Feb 012024

F-150

  • 86,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted to second gear, veered into another lane, and became uncontrollable. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle was surging. The RPM had increased to high, and the wrench symbol was displayed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the transmission leadframe needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was contacted and referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

- Springfield, IL, USA

problem #488

Jul 082024

F-150

  • miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, prompting the contact to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway to turn the vehicle off. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the molded lead frame. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N01. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Georgetown, KY, USA

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