Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
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 contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that she attempted to close the rear passenger's side door however, the door failed to latch. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the latch failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact then stated that while closing the front driver's side door, the door failed to latch securely. Due to the failure, the contact had to drive holding the door closed. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the latch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided the number to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000. The VIN was unavailable.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that on several occasions while stopped or attempting to drive over 10 MPH, the door ajar warning light illuminated, indicating that the front and rear passenger's side doors were open however, the doors were closed. The contact then stated that while attempting to lock all the doors, the doors unlocked instead and activated the interior lighting. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the door sensors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000
I had a recall for the driver door latch to be replaced. The very day that it was replaced, I get in, start my vehicle and the passenger door light comes on showing that it's open but it wasn't. I immediately go back inside to ask the service department since they literally just replaced the recalled drivers door latch. They stated that "it's a coincidence " and that it would cost to fix it. I drove it for as long as I could but my alarm would randomly go off and lights start blinking. I was afraid I'd come out oand my vehicle not start due to the battery being dead because of the alarm and lights going off. I broke down and paid to have the passenger door light fixed which the Ford service department told me it would. The EXACT same thing happened and now my back passenger door light keeps coming on!! Alarm randomly goes off and lights blink. I can't afford to gix this again. …
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that upon opening the front passenger's and driver's side doors, a loud grinding sound was coming from the dashboard. The contact also stated that both doors would intermittently fail to unlock upon depressing the unlock button. The contact also noticed that the vehicle was consuming fuel soon after refueling. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the Vin was not under recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
I have a safety concern on my 2013 Ford Flex VIN# [redacted] I had a recall replaced in November 2020 for front driver side door latch. Customer satisfaction program 19n09 as soon as I got in my car after the replaced recall, the passenger door light came on saying it was open even though it wasn't. I went back inside and asked about it. The service department told me that it wasn't covered under the warranty, that only the driver side was. It was very strange that it happened to pop up directly after getting the recall for the driver side replaced. As soon as I save enough money, I will get it fixed but if the driver side had a warranty, I feel that the passenger side should too. Thank you
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that the passenger's side rear door lock latched securely however, the door ajar warning light remained illuminated. The contact stated that doors failed to lock when the vehicle was shifted into drive with the door ajar warning light illuminated. Additionally, the interior dome light and parking light remained illuminated. The contact called johnson city Ford (3519 bristol hwy, johnson city, tn 37601), and informed the dealer of the failure. The contact was informed that the driver's front door latch would be repaired however, the other doors were not covered under the warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but offered no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 82,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, all the vehicle doors failed to lock. The contact also stated that the dome light was constantly illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that passenger side door module failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the battery to the vehicle had to be replaced twice due to the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, they filed a complaint with the manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000. The VIN was invalid.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that the doors would constantly unlock and the door ajar sensor illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the latch assembly needed to be replaced the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000. Updated 06/13/17 the consumer stated the door would not unlatch. Also, the door sensor malfunctioned. When the doors were closed, the sensor would show the door as open. This would cause the car alarm to go off during the night. Updated 09/07/2017
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that the front passenger side door latch failed to lock and the door ajar warning indicator illuminated. The contact was concerned that her child would be able to open the door while the vehicle was in motion. The vehicle was taken to century Ford of mt. Airy (302 century dr, mt airy, md 21771, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that all four door latches needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and was advised to call NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 96,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that the front passenger's side door latch failed to lock the door securely. The contact stated that while driving the front passenger side door unlocked independently. The vehicle was taken to salerno duane Ford located at 267 broad st, summit, nj 07901, who diagnosed that the door latch was defective. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified but no assistance was offered. The contact indicated that a similar failure previously occurred on the front driver side door. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Door Lock & Latch complaints in other Flex years
Frequently asked questions
How common are door lock & latch problems on the 2013 Ford Flex?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the locks & latches of the 2013 Ford Flex, 4% of the model year's 580 complaints. The component named most often is doors › latch (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Ford Flex door lock & latch problems?
No. NHTSA lists no locks & latches 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 door lock & latch problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 66,000 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.