2013 FORD F-150 Complaints

The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormally high-pitched whistling sound coming from the engine bay. The contact was mechanically inclined. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the exhaust manifold studs were fractured, causing a gap between the engine block and the exhaust manifold. Additionally, the contact noticed that the exhaust was pulling away from the manifold through the gasket. The contact purchased the parts and personally repaired the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was making an abnormal rattling sound on cold starts. The contact determined that the sound was coming from the cam phasers. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Vehicle: 2013 Ford F-150 SuperCrew Cab Component: Rear Defroster / Rear Window Assembly Summary of Issue: Rear window glass shattered while driving when rear defroster was in use. Detail of Incident: On November 2, 2025, at approximately 5:00 AM, I was driving my 2013 Ford F-150 SuperCrew Cab at approximately 65 mph on the highway near Mogadore, Ohio. The vehicle had been operating for around 45 minutes without issue. The outside temperature was about 43°F. I had the rear window defroster and side mirror defrosters activated. Without any impact, warning lights, prior cracks, or outside interference, the rear glass pane directly behind the driver’s seat shattered suddenly and completely while I was driving. There were no vehicles near me, and I inspected the glass immediately afterward and found no evidence of anything striking the vehicle. The failure occurred instantaneously and with a loud sound, which created a risk of driver distraction and could have resulted in loss of control or injury from breaking glass. After researching, I found that this issue is widely reported by other owners of Ford F-150 models online, particularly involving the rear defroster causing excessive localized heating and thermal stress, which leads to spontaneous glass failure. Many owners report similar conditions: cold ambient temperature + rear defroster activated. The glass was replaced at my own expense, approximately $800. Receipts and photographs are available upon request. The issue was not covered by recall, warranty, or insurance. The problem has not been addressed by Ford despite multiple consumer reports. Safety Concern: This defect presents a serious safety hazard because the sudden shattering is loud, distracting, and may send glass fragments into the cabin. It could easily lead to loss of vehicle control or injury to occupants. The failure occurred under normal and intended use of the rear defroster system. Request: I am submitting this report to request that NHTS

I was sold a 2013 Ford F150 XLT with a serious documented safety issue. The issue is a Transmission Molded Lead Frame failure. This specific component defect is classified as a known, safety-critical issue by Ford (Customer Satisfaction Program 19N01). The car dealership that sold me this vehicle is Township Auto Line 442 Delsea Drive Sewell, NJ 08080. I was able to get the truck repaired, however the business that sold me the Truck is unwilling to reimburse me for the repairs for the safety-critical Molded Lead Frame repair. This is a matter of selling a vehicle with a known, active safety hazard. I can provide the Ford repair invoice upon request to verify the diagnosis and repair cost.

at speeds around 50-65 mph my truck dropped down to first gear, this shook me and my passenger as you can imagine. It was a none safety recall in 2019 that I have missed as this was around the time I bought this truck. I paid for the repair myself not knowing Campaign 19N01

Put the truck in reverse [from park] and when I braked the pedal went to the floor and took many seconds to stop the vehicle. Checked the brake fluid, very low, filled it, pumped the brakes until it was no longer to the floor, checked the fluid again and filled it again. Parked it then tested it 20 minutes later, brakes were to the floor. Took it to mechanic who added brake fluid and looked everywhere underneath for leaking, found no brake fluid leak anywhere. Checked online for recall on defective braking system and found this. Reference MFR Campaign Number: 16S24, Defect Summary: Loss of brake fluid from the primary reservoir results in a complete loss of front brake function, increasing the risk of a crash. That's the problem. I have an appointment 11/3/25 with Russ Milne Ford who says they will replace the brake booster, fill the brake fluid & replace the master cylinder, if necessary, as per usual with this recall.

Transmission shifted into 1st gear while doing 65 mph on the freeway. The rear tires locked up as a result and the truck spun out in front of on coming traffic putting myself and my 6 month old nephew in a life threatening situation. This is not okay. I was told the most recent recall done on this vehicle was done to not allow this to happen. This issue has been an on going problem with these trucks and Ford has still yet to rectify the problem. This can cause serious bodily harm to myself and others around these vehicles. I feel Ford needs to do something about this issue.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted from fourth gear to first gear. The contact stated that the air bags and the check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle restarted. In addition, the air bags and the check engine warning lights were no longer illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the failure had occurred twice. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed lead frame. The contact was informed that the lead frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure description; however, the contact was informed that the recall had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 227,588.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a blue screen while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, preventing the driver from safely operating the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 66,776.

Vehicle component that appears to be failing is the transmission, car can run and be diagnosed and inspected. It can put me or people around me at risk, vehicle was running fine and then it downshifted to 1st gear making the rear wheels brake at a high speed, after that truck won’t go up from first gear. Before going into a dealer and having this checked I made a research about this similiar problem on similar make and model of my truck, and it seems there has been a recall regarding the lead frame on the transmission of this Ford F150 models. I did get a check engine light.

The contact called on behalf of the owner of a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while his father-in-law was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unintendedly downshifted from 6th to 1st gear. The father-in-law pulled over to the side of the road, turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle returned to normal functionality. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, after the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle shifted into first gear. The vehicle then went into LIMP Mode. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.