Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (air conditioning, heater, defroster, HVAC controls).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Driving down the road at 40mph on the way to work this morning. Turned on the rear window defroster and about 2 minutes later, the driver side panel of the back tempered glass window spontaneously shattered. There is no evidence of any obvious defect to either side of the window. An impact wouldn't be possible given I was driving forward at 40 mph. I have looked online and seen message boards full of similar reports but don't see any recalls. I wanted to add my report to the numbers as this is ridiculous and I now have to pay $800 to have something replaced that definitely appears to be a known manufacturer defect.
On my way to work I turned on the rear defrost and heard a loud bang after 15 minutes. I pulled over to see what had happened and the read driver side windshield pain had shattered. it remained in the laminate but I got a replacement quote and its almost $1000 dollars. After doing research this is a major problem with the defrost mechanism on these trucks with no known fix. I'm glad it stayed in take but the glass is continuously cracking as I drive and i cannot get the repair done until Thursday and the dealer said they can do nothing except replace the glass and hope it doesn't happen again.
This morning I was driving down the road and I heard a pop from the rear window. I looked in the rear view mirror and saw the right side of the rear window was shattered. I thought it might have been something from the road, however I didn't see and visible evidence of something hitting the window. Not long before this happened I did turn on the rear defrost. After a Google search, I see the rear defrost has been a common problem for these trucks. Not cool because the window is $1000 to replace now!
During the start up of my 2013 Ford f-150 king ranch, I proceeded to utilize the rear defroster to get the ice off the rear window. The rear window is comprised of 3 panels of glass, one on each side and the sliding window in the center. The panel behind the drivers side then proceeded to crack and spider across the entire window. The initial sound LED me to believe it was another issue as it was a loud bang, but I then looked in my rear view and noticed the cracked glass. It renders the entire window useless and a safety hazard as it distorts and skews my vision and ability to see out of it safely until I can attempt to have Ford rectify this issue. After looking online, it appears as if this is a common issue, that really should not happen to begin with.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Ford f-150. The contact stated that the rear driver's side window defogger was inoperable a year ago. The defogger began working again this year and shattered the rear window. The contact called holiday Ford at [phone] (located at 390 n rolling meadows dr, fond du lac, wi 54937) and was informed that there was no recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000. Consumer stated rear defroster stopped working sometime last year. This winter consumer tried it again and started working. Drivers side rear window shattered and consumer stopped using it. This is a common problem revealed in the internet.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Ford f-150. While the temperature outside was 50 degrees, the contact activated the rear window defroster for approximately five minutes. The contact heard a banging sound and the rear driver's side window shattered. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that it probably had a chip in the window, which caused the damage with the temperature change. The failure was under review. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure occurred while driving 20 MPH. The approximate failure mileage was 37,430.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Ford f-150. Ten minutes after the contact activated the rear defroster, a loud noise was heard from the rear of the vehicle. The contact discovered that the rear window had shattered. The vehicle was taken to a local window repair shop who indicated that the failure was due to a faulty rear defroster. The vehcile was repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer (legacy Ford, 27225 southwest fwy, rosenberg, tx) were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 57,900.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Ford f-150. While driving at unknown speeds, the contact heard an abnormal banging noise and the rear windshield shattered without impact. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact called the local dealer (jenkins Ford, 8 billingsley dr, buckhannon, wv 26201, [phone]) and was informed to schedule a diagnostic appointment. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and did not assist. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Ford f-150. While driving less than 10 MPH, the contact heard a loud boom and the rear window shattered. The contact stated that the rear defroster became activated, potentially, and the intense heat caused the window to shatter. Fair oaks Ford Lincoln (2055 ogden ave, naperville, il 60540, [phone]) was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 74,500.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Ford f-150. While at a stop light with the auto defrost engaged, there was an abnormal banging noise and the rear driver's side window shattered without warning. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 94,000. The consumer stated that she used auto defrost to warm up the car prior to driving the vehicle. The temperature was 31 degrees that morning. The window was replaced.
AC & Heater complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are ac & heater problems on the 2013 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the a/c & heater of the 2013 Ford F-150, 1% of the model year's 2,990 complaints. The component named most often is defroster/defogger/hvac system › rear window (15 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Ford F-150 ac & heater problems?
No. NHTSA lists no a/c & heater recall for the 2013 Ford F-150, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2013 Ford F-150 ac & heater problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.