Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Ford Flex owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The passenger-side front door latch sensor is defective. The door latches securely when closed, but the door AJAR warning light remains illuminated. This leads to several issues including: - interior lights don't turn off for a very long time after the door is closed (i.e. on the order of 30 minutes after parking and 5 minutes when driving), - the alarm system goes off randomly and frequently when the vehicle is parked and locked (sometimes multiple times per hour), - the feature that auto-locks the doors when the vehicle is in motion does not work, - if one locks the doors while the vehicle is in motion, they will immediately unlock themselves. …
Repeated problems with door latch system in 2013 Ford Flex. Door is interpreted as being ajar, despite being closed. Two warning lights/messages to this effect persist, interior lights will not turn off (which drains the battery), doors will not automatically lock while driving in this condition and as I understand it, if an accident occurred, the airbags would NOT deploy due to the doors not being 'locked'. This is a serious safety issue and causes continual drain on the battery if left in this condition. The only way to sometimes get it to recognize the door being shut is to repeatedly close the door, often having to slam the door shut; this can take up to 15 attempts. Driver's door has been cycled & subsequently replaced six months later. We are taking it in now for a likely 2nd replacement on this door alone. …
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 right rear door keeps showing that it's open on the dash when its physically closed. The alarm goes off at night when the vehicle is locked because the door will randomly show it's open when its actually closed. I was told by Ford that the parts were $450 plus dollars to fix the problem and that's not including labor. Ive also found out that I'm not the only Flex owner dealing with this issue that should be covered under warranty.
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
I was turning a corner and something popped and the car would not steer. The only thing that stopped the car was the curve, as I was making the turn, and that caused a lot of damage. Sutton Ford Lincoln in matteson, il said they would not repair the damages caused by the lemon-Ford-Flex that was sold to me because the vehicle was 300 miles out of the warranty. Sutton Ford Lincoln in matteson, il than said it would have to be reported to insurance. So I reported it to insurance and the repair shop, that was repairing the damages, said they found damage to the radiator (1,500 dollars worth of damages) which could not have been caused by the car hitting the curve. And that it looked like sutton Ford Lincoln in matteson, il raised the car inappropriately and caused the radiator damage. …
For the past year my Ford Flex has an illuminated warning on the cluster that says that my passenger front door is not closed. This results in features of my vehicle not operating along with my interior lights coming on and the theft alarm going on when the vehicle is just sitting. This drains the battery resulting in a no-start. Now my driver's door also comes on as not closed. The cluster tells me to turn the car off each time I brake the vehicle. I contacted Ford last year and was told that there was no recall for this issue even though it is viral on the internet. I was waiting for them to do the right thing and my car is starting to leave me stranded. My Ford fcsd person that I last spoke to told me to fix it on my own and keep receipts in case Ford decides to recall. She said it will be safer to have it fixed. …
The door sensor on my 2013 Ford Flex continuously says the door is "ajar" even though it May not be. This causes all of the interior lights to come on, as well as the doors to unlock. This is a huge safety concern as I travel daily 80-90 miles with two toddlers in my vehicle. Sometimes you can shut the door 4-5x and the door ajar sensor will go off, but most of the time, you have to just deal with it.. Unsafe and all. Also, the door ajar sensor when the car is off and parked causes the alarm on the vehicle to go off at random times...usually all through the middle of the night! This is a daily occurrence that has been happening for approximately 10 months. Ford will not cover this as they say my vehicle is out of warranty and the cost is estimated $600 to repair. I should not have to pay for something of this nature when I am not the only person this particular problem. …
This 2013 Ford Flex has experienced several electrical, mechanical, and lighting issues. All 5 door latches, door sensors, car's alarm system, and battery has failed. The car's BCM has reported intermittent door ajar alarms. This effects the car's door locks as well as the car's dome light and car's alarm system. At no point will the car's doors lock while the car is in drive. So any child can open up a door while the car is in motion. The dome light comes on causing a vision glare at night. Twice my wife has almost pulled out in front of oncoming motoris at night, do to the light glare within the car. Because the car's dome light comes on intermittently, the car's battery drains down while parked. You cannot set the car's alarm without the door sensors setting the car's alarm system off. …
Right front door doesn't recognize that that it is closed. This has occurred intermittently for approximately 6 months and has resulted in all of the following problems numerous times (listed in order of my greatest to least safety concern): 1) unable to lock doors whether the vehicle is in motion or not. This problem concerns me the most as it could result in one of my small children opening the door and falling out at highway speed (or any speed for that matter). 2) battery drain. When the vehicle is off and the door doesn't recognize that it's closed, all interior lights remain on. Because the vehicle has no way of disabling the interior lights, this has resulted in a dead battery on more than one occasion. 3) factory alarm sounding. …
Body complaints in other Flex years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2013 Ford Flex?
NHTSA has 69 complaints about the body & structure of the 2013 Ford Flex, 12% of the model year's 580 complaints. The component named most often is body (58 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Ford Flex body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2013 Ford Flex, though it has 6 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 Flex body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 57,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.