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).
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. …
-passenger door, rear passenger door, and hatch door ajar signal stays on when door is closed. -interior light stays on -alarms goes off in the middle of the night -faulty latch -ignition key switch dings until I put key in and turn key back and forth and then take out again. Dome light stays on and creates a night driving hazard. Creates a safety hazard when the dome lights stays on and I am sitting in a public area at night. False door ajar signal prevents me from recognizing a real door ajar situation, which is very dangerous. Doors sometimes May or May not not lock, nor will the trunk open sometimes- causing a safety hazard/possible dangerous situation when I am trying to get my groceries out of the trunk at night. These same issues happened to our vehicle in 2013, jan.2014, aug 2014, and now in 2015.
-passenger door, rear passenger door, and hatch door ajar signal stays on when door is closed. -interior light stays on -alarms goes off in the middle of the night -faulty latch -ignition key switch dings until I put key in and turn key back and forth and then take out again. Dome light stays on and creates a night driving hazard. Creates a safety hazard when the dome lights stays on and I am sitting in a public area at night. False door ajar signal prevents me from recognizing a real door ajar situation, which is very dangerous. Doors sometimes May or May not not lock, nor will the trunk open sometimes- causing a safety hazard/possible dangerous situation when I am trying to get my groceries out of the trunk at night. These same issues happened to our vehicle in 2013, 2014, 2015, and now again in 2016.
-passenger door, rear passenger door, and hatch door ajar signal stays on when door is closed. -interior light stays on -alarms goes off in the middle of the night -faulty latch -ignition key switch dings until I put key in and turn key back and forth and then take out again. Dome light stays on and creates a night driving hazard. Creates a safety hazard when the dome lights stays on and I am sitting in a public area at night. False door ajar signal prevents me from recognizing a real door ajar situation, which is very dangerous. Doors sometimes May or May not not lock, nor will the trunk open sometimes- causing a safety hazard/possible dangerous situation when I am trying to get my groceries out of the trunk at night. These same issues happened to our vehicle in 2013, 2014, 2015, and now again in 2016.
-passenger door, rear passenger door, and hatch door ajar signal stays on when door is closed. -interior light stays on -alarms goes off in the middle of the night -faulty latch -ignition key switch dings until I put key in and turn key back and forth and then take out again. Dome light stays on and creates a night driving hazard. Creates a safety hazard when the dome lights stays on and I am sitting in a public area at night. False door ajar signal prevents me from recognizing a real door ajar situation, which is very dangerous. Doors sometimes May or May not not lock, nor will the trunk open sometimes- causing a safety hazard/possible dangerous situation when I am trying to get my groceries out of the trunk at night. These same issues happened to our vehicle in 2013, 2014, 2015, and now again in 2016.
-passenger door, rear passenger door, and hatch door ajar signal stays on when door is closed. -interior light stays on -alarms goes off in the middle of the night -faulty latch -ignition key switch dings until I put key in and turn key back and forth and then take out again. Dome light stays on and creates a night driving hazard. Creates a safety hazard when the dome lights stays on and I am sitting in a public area at night. False door ajar signal prevents me from recognizing a real door ajar situation, which is very dangerous. Doors sometimes May or May not not lock, nor will the trunk open sometimes- causing a safety hazard/possible dangerous situation when I am trying to get my groceries out of the trunk at night. These same issues happened to our vehicle in 2013, and earlier in 2014.
Repeated steering failures. Initial failure (spring 2016) occurred several months after collision repair (December 2015) done at dealer service department. Repaired vehicle came back with tighter steering than previously experienced. Failure in spring 2016 involved complete loss of power steering upon startup of vehicle. Shut down and restart did not restore power steering operation. Steering gear replaced by dealer service department. Second failure (spring 2017) involved loss of traction control, stability control, cruise control due to failure of power steering control module. Power steering control module replaced by dealer service department. Third failure (November 28, 2017) is loss of power steering gear upon vehicle startup. Shut down and restart restored power steering operation.
Ford Flex 2013 door ajar light remains illuminated after doors are shut. After several attempts at closing door tightly and door appears firmly shut, the light still indicates open. Also, doors do not auto lock when car is parked for some time and doors do not auto lock while driving. Very dangerous safety issue with children traveling with me everyday in the back seats. I hate to think what might happen if I have an accident and the air bags don't deploy because the sensors indicate the door is open. My car has 28,000 miles ' well under the factory warranty of 36,000 but Ford will not cover the replace part because I am second owner with the car having pasted it's 3yr marker. This is a well known issue for Ford and should be handled as a safety recall.
Service advancetrac and collision warning not available notifications present when driving, specifically occurring when turning. Ford dealership indicated the power steering control module (pscm) was detecting a motor position sensor fault and recommended replacement of electronic steering gear. I spoke with Ford customer service and the grand ledge michigan Ford dealership regarding recall safety recall 15s18 and both indicated that my VIN was not included in the recall. I would like to find out if my VIN May have been improperly excluded from the recall if the recall states Ford Flex models 2011-2013 assembled in oakville for all engines.
Drivers side door ajar alarm sounds when door closed. The dash shows a picture of the car with the drivers door open. The interior lights stay on, door alarm chimes. The car electrical stability system does not recognize that the door is closed. Been happening for days. Happens as soon as I get in and shut the door. Try several times to close the door hard, softly, quickly, and it stays on more and more. Now the car alarm sounds a couple times a day when car is parked and off.
Traction Control complaints in other Flex years
Frequently asked questions
How common are traction control problems on the 2013 Ford Flex?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the stability & traction control of the 2013 Ford Flex, 4% of the model year's 580 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2013 Ford Flex traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control 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 traction control problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 59,000 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.