There are 50 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2013 Ford Flexin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
My back up camera show upside down or sometimes it shows a black screen. People have a habit of walking behind me when I’m backing up and I can’t see them. The warning beep sounds but I can’t tell if it a car or person behind me. When it first happen months ago I tried resetting camera, it didn’t work. Not sure if my extended warranty covers this.
The backup camera went out, but first it went upside down. Not inverted, just upside down. It's definitely a safety issue as I can't see fully behind me. I've seen the later models have the same issue and recall for them but not the older models with the same issue.
While driving, the radio turns off and the climate control system malfunctions causing the heater to engage to high with no way to turn the system off. All controls are disabled and there is no way to turn the system off. Unplugged the battery for 30 minutes as suggested, removed fuses to the radio and climate control module which temporarily fixes the issue, but issue happens randomly and creates excessive heat in the cabin. This is the 5th time this has happened. It is the 3rd time while on long trips (3hrs or longer). Others online have mentioned the same. We had to ride with the windows and moonroof open to let the heat escape. First time occurred in 2019 in early December. Navigation still worked, but all other systems would not function.
Have difficulty fueling vehicle. “Fuel fill inlet” warning stays on dash. Strong fuel mixture smell in cabin. Fuel will overspill if you try to pump gas at full force. Smells like fuel is leaking. Concerned about possible explosion. Many other drivers having the same issues. Strange clicking sounds from front end.
The 2013 Flex has an issue with door ajar switch within the door latch mechanism failing. This results in the car incorrectly identifying the door as “ajar” when it is closed. The result is that the automatic door locking does not activate when the car is in motion. This means that the door remains unlocked unless manually locked by the passenger. This can pose a safety hazard as the door could come open in an accident or be opened while in motion by a passenger. This problem has been well described on the web with multiple work around including disabling the mechanism or wiring a different switch in. It also described as typically happening around 69,000 miles. In conclusion Ford has created a faulty door ajar sensor that negatively affects the safety of the occupants in the vehicles and has resulted in numerous work arounds that could further negatively impact the safety of the occupants. Thank you for your time.
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.
Vehicle would not start after 3 days of not being started or driven. After having the battery jumped the climate control unit malfunctioned. The heat would not turn off and stayed on full blast. This caused the car to overheat and difficult to drive even with the windows down. When brought to the dealership service center, they replaced the heater blower. This fixed the issue temporarily. Then the heat stopped working and in single digit temperatures the vehicle was too cold to drive. The dealership replaced the resistor. This again became a temporary fix. The heat came back but then the vehicle battery kept draining. Having some type of electrical issue put the vehicle at a possible risk for short circuiting, catching fire etc. This is an ongoing issue with ALL YEARS of the Ford Flex. When the vehicle is jump started this causes an electrical short affecting the climate control system but also the entire communication system. .
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. The above issues lead to several safety concerns including: - the interior lights being on makes it difficult to see while driving at night, - the interior being illuminated after the vehicle is parked and locked creates a security exposure, - the child safety lock features do not function as intended as the doors cannot lock while the vehicle is in motion, - the alarm system repeatedly triggering is annoying as there is no way to turn off the alarm system. That is, if the car is locked, then the system is armed and will trigger in time. The rear passenger-side door had this same issue a few years ago. Ford has a Customer Satisfaction Program recall for this issue (19N09), but it only applies to the driver door and only for cars less than 7 years old.
Right rear passanger "Door Ajar" comes on all the time when the door is fully closed. In the beginning was able to get it to stop by opening and closing the door several times, now its continual. The interior lights stay on, causing Hazardous condition while driving, due to inability to see what is in the Rearview Mirrow, Chimes continuously.
Door ajar sensor for left rear door stays on, despite the door being fully closed. The dome lights remain on for a few minutes after starting the vehicle. And the dome lights stay on after you lock the vehicle. The dome lights staying on runs down the battery and is also a distraction and hazard while driving at night. Online forums indicate that this is a very common problem with Ford Flexes, and the repairs are apparently $300-$350 per door, with repairs at the dealership lasting for about a year.
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. They told me it would fix the problem yet once they replaced the recalled door latch this has now happened with other doors.
2013 FORD FLEX ISSUES WITH DOOR SENSORS READING DOOR OPEN WHEN DOORS ARE CLOSED. DOME LIGHTS STAY ON, ALARM WILL NOT GO ON AND PANIC ALARM GOES OFF ON ITS OWN. DRIVE DOOR LOCK NO LONGER WORK & NEITHER DOES THE RIGHT BACK PASSENGER DOOR.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD FLEX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS AT STAND STILL AND STATED WHILE SHE WAS CHARGING HER CELLPHONE BY USING THE MIDDLE USB PORTAL, WHEN SHE NOTICED THE WIRING WAS MELTED. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED AS OF YET. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 124,000.
PASSENGER DOOR AJAR LIGHT ILLUMINATES. LOCK WON'T ENGAGE AND DOME LIGHTS REMAIN ON FOR AWHILE.
DOOR AJAR WARNING SENSOR PREVIOUSLY FAILED ON FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR TWICE. REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY, N/C. NOW THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE DOOR AJAR SENSOR PERIODICALLY INDICATES THE DOOR IS AJAR WHEN IT'S NOT AFTER OPENING OR CLOSING THE DOOR. DOME LIGHTS STAY ON. HAVE TO REPEATEDLY OPEN AND CLOSE DOOR, HARD, TO GET THE SENSOR TO CORRECT. OUT OF WARRANTY, 147,000 MILES ON FLEX.
RECEIVED LETTER FROM FORD ADVISING THEY WOULD REPLACE DRIVER DOOR SENSOR DUE TO ISSUES THAT RESULT IN IT READING DOOR AJAR, RESULTING IN DOME LIGHTS STAYING ON AND BATTERY DRAIN. THE SAME ISSUE OCCURS ON OTHER DOORS, SPECIFICALLY ON MINE THE BACK DRIVER SIDE DOOR. THIS HAPPENS SPORADICALLY, WHILE DRIVING, WHILE PARKED, EVEN WHEN THE DOOR IS NOT UTILIZED.
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND OUT OF NOWHERE MY VEHICLE STARTED STALLING AS IF VEHICLE HAD NO GAS. GAS TANK WAS FULL AND VEHICLE SHOWED ME A WRENCH SIGN AS I WAS LOOKING AT MY DASHBOARD
LEFT PASSENGER DOOR AJAR ALARM COMES ON RANDOMLY AND CAUSES THE DOME LIGHT TO STAY ON AND DRAIN THE BATTERY WHEN THE CAR IS STATIONARY. UNSAFE WHEN IT HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT AS IT IS HARD TO SEE THE ROAD AND CAUSES STRESS TO THE DRIVER AND TO PASSENGERS, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN AS THE DOORS WILL NOT LOCK WHOLE MOVING.
HAVE HAD MULTIPLE DOOR LATCH/SENSOR ASSEMBLIES FAIL WHICH RESULTS IN: DOOR AJAR MESSAGE CONSTANTLY BEING GIVEN. THIS RESULTS IN DOME LIGHTING STAYING ON WHILE DOOR IS CLOSED AND DEPLETING THE BATTERY CAUSING AN UNMONITORED ELECTRICAL USE. IT ALSO IS A DISTRACTION TO THE DRIVER DUE TO BOTH THE WARNING LIGHT BUT ALSO THE AUDIO ALERT THAT PLAYS WHEN UNDER A CERTAIN SPEED TELLING YOU TO PARK AND CLOSE THE DOOR. THIS TAKES AWAY FROM OTHER POSSIBLE ALERTS THE CARS COULD GIVE YOU DUE TO OVERLY ALERTING THE DRIVER.
FRONT PASSENGER DOOR SENSOR THINKS THAT THE DOOR IS OPEN WHEN IT IS CLOSED. THE SENSOR HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR DOOR. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM ON THE 2013 FORD FLEX AS EVIDENT WHEN SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS. THIS SENSOR CAUSES THE LIGHTS TO REMAIN ON AND DRAIN THE BATTERY. IT IS ALSO AFFECTING THE CAR ALARM.
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026