Electrical & 12V system200 complaints tagged to ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
USED-CAR BUYER MODE · RISK RADAR2013 Ford Flex
2013 Ford Flex
reported issues, recalls & what to inspect
This report uses official federal safety records plus VeroRoad’s vehicle × tool evidence. It is a screening tool, not a reliability grade or prediction that your specific car will fail.
578 unique complaint records6 recall campaigns returned0 complaint rows with usable mileage10 local vehicle/tool evidence rows
NHTSA complaints are consumer-submitted allegations, not verified failures. Raw complaint totals are not failure rates because vehicle sales/exposure are not normalized here. A recall is an official safety campaign, but your VIN may or may not be included.
REPORTED-ISSUE RADAR
Which systems appear most often in the complaint record?
Use this to prioritize inspection effort, not to label the vehicle “good” or “bad.”
11 crash-tagged1 fire-tagged13 reported injuries0 reported deaths
Steering149 complaints tagged to STEERING
UNKNOWN OR OTHER78 complaints tagged to UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Body & structure69 complaints tagged to STRUCTURE
Engine & powertrain59 complaints tagged to FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
EXTERIOR LIGHTING36 complaints tagged to EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Engine & powertrain32 complaints tagged to ENGINE
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)24 complaints tagged to ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
MILEAGE TIMELINE
Where were mileage-at-failure values reported?
NHTSA did not return enough usable mileage values for a timeline.
SAFETY RECALLS
Decode VIN first →Official campaigns returned for this model-year query
Open the exact VIN before purchase to determine whether a campaign applies and whether the remedy was completed.
16V621000FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI Ecoboost engines and 2013-2015 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor vehicles. A component within the fuel pump electric module (PEM) may overheat causing a loss of electrical power to the fuel pump.
Why it matters: A loss of power to the fuel pump will cause the engine to stall or prevent the vehicle from starting, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel PEM part number and replace the fuel PEM, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S31.
Reported 25/08/2016 · Verify exact VIN applicability.15V812000FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013 Explorer, Explorer Police Utility, Taurus, Taurus Police Interceptor, Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the fuel delivery module may crack, allowing fuel to leak.
Why it matters: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel delivery module, free of charge. The recall began on December 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 13S04-S1.
Reported 02/12/2015 · Verify exact VIN applicability.15V340000STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine and 2013 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with any available engine. The affected vehicles have electric power steering assist systems that may shut down as a result of a steering motor sensor fault.
Why it matters: If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC). If dealers find any loss of steering assist DTCs, the steering gear will be replaced, free of charge. If, no codes are found during the PSCM inspection, the PSCM software will be updated, free of charge. The recall began on July 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S18.
Reported 02/06/2015 · Verify exact VIN applicability.14V393000POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles manufactured September 2, 2010, to November 30, 2013; 2013-2014 Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured August 25, 2011, to November 30, 2013; and 2013-2014 Ford Flex and Lincoln MKT vehicles manufactured September 12, 2011, to November 30, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the halfshaft retention circlip may not have been properly installed, and as a result, the halfshaft may move outward and disengage from the linkshaft while driving and without prior warning.
Why it matters: If the halfshaft and linkshaft become disengaged while driving, power will no longer be transmitted to the wheels, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. Additionally, if the parking brake is not applied before exiting the vehicle, the vehicle may roll away despite the transmission being placed in 'Park', increasing the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles to make sure that the halfshaft is properly retained. If it is not, dealers will replace the linkshaft and also replace the halfshaft if it shows evidence of spline damage, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S10.
Reported 02/07/2014 · Verify exact VIN applicability.13V227000FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Explorer, Taurus, Flex, Fusion, Police Interceptor Sedan and Police Interceptor Utility vehicles; and certain model year 2013 Lincoln MKS, MKT, and MKZ vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the fuel delivery module may develop a crack, allowing fuel to leak.
Why it matters: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel delivery module, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2013. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall campaign number is 13S04.
Reported 31/05/2013 · Verify exact VIN applicability.20V072000SUSPENSION:REAR
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Lincoln MKT and Ford Flex and Taurus vehicles with the Police Interceptor or SHO Performance Pack. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.
Why it matters: A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. Remedy parts are not currently available. Owners were notified about the recall on March 3, 2020. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts become available, which is currently expected to be the end of September 2020. The recall began October 28, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or Lincoln customer service at 1-800-521-4140. Ford's number for this recall is 20S04.
Reported 10/02/2020 · Verify exact VIN applicability.PRE-PURCHASE INSPECTOR
What I would inspect before money changes hands
The highest reported component groups are converted into inspection tasks. They are not diagnoses.
Electrical & 12V system
200 owner complaints in the leading component signal intersect this system.
- 12V resting and charging voltage
- Module communication scan
- Battery age and terminal condition
- Unexpected warning lights or intermittent electrical behavior
Steering
149 owner complaints in the leading component signal intersect this system.
- Steering warning lights
- Straight-line tracking and steering effort
- Steering-angle data/calibration if relevant
- Noise or binding during lock-to-lock movement
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
78 owner complaints in the leading component signal intersect this system.
- Inspect the affected system carefully
- Scan all modules before clearing codes
- Review service history and previous repair records
Body & structure
69 owner complaints in the leading component signal intersect this system.
- Panel gaps and evidence of collision repair
- Door/latch operation
- Water intrusion or damaged seals
- Body-control warning messages
Engine & powertrain
59 owner complaints in the leading component signal intersect this system.
- Cold-start behavior and idle quality
- Acceleration under light and moderate load
- Current, pending and permanent DTCs
- Freeze-frame and fuel/engine live data where available
SCAN INTEGRITY CHECK
Make it harder for a recently cleared warning light to fool you.
A clean dashboard is not the same as a clean scan. Readiness monitors, pending codes and permanent codes provide useful context during a pre-purchase inspection.
- Run a full-system scan before clearing anything
- Read current, pending and permanent powertrain codes
- Check readiness monitors; multiple “Not Ready” monitors can be consistent with a recently cleared ECU or disconnected battery
- Save freeze-frame data for any stored emissions/powertrain fault
- Scan ABS, SRS, transmission and body modules when the tool supports them
- Check 12V battery / charging condition because low voltage can create misleading module faults
TSBs & MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATIONS
Look beyond recalls.
Manufacturers submit service bulletins, warranty extensions, repair instructions and other communications to NHTSA. These documents can reveal service procedures and known conditions that are not necessarily safety recalls.
SCANNER × VEHICLE EVIDENCE
Run the full vehicle finder →Tools that intersect this inspection path
These recommendations use VeroRoad’s existing exact vehicle/function evidence. Fit comes before price.
0 stronger-evidence functions · 48/100 avg
Autel MaxiCOM MK900-BT
Intersects 6 functions used in this inspection path.
0 stronger-evidence functions · 48/100 avg
XTOOL D8 (2026)
Intersects 6 functions used in this inspection path.
0 stronger-evidence functions · 48/100 avg
Autel MaxiCOM MK900-TS
Intersects 6 functions used in this inspection path.
0 stronger-evidence functions · 48/100 avg
TOPDON ArtiDiag900 Lite
Intersects 6 functions used in this inspection path.
INSPECTION KIT
Useful supporting equipment
A scanner cannot replace physical inspection and measurement. These tools cover common gaps.
Battery & resistance testerTOPDON BT600 Plus
Professional battery and resistance testing with sequence testing for higher-volume work.
Check price on Amazon →Professional handheld thermal cameraTOPDON TC005
Useful for locating abnormal heat in electrical, mechanical and EV-related troubleshooting without assuming it is mandatory for every job.
Check price on Amazon →Multimeter/current-clamp accessory kitAutel MaxiBAS BTAK
Adds multimeter and current-clamp measurements for deeper electrical troubleshooting when paired with supported MaxiBAS tools.
Check price on Amazon →TPMS diagnostic/programming tabletAutel MaxiTPMS TS900
Dedicated TPMS workflow plus diagnostics and service functions; strong fit when TPMS is a frequent shop job.
Check price on Amazon →COMPARE NEARBY MODEL YEARS
Ford Flex Risk Radar by year
SOURCE TRANSPARENCY
Where these signals come from
Federal data are fetched from NHTSA’s public APIs. VeroRoad aggregates the records into screening signals and keeps complaints separate from confirmed recalls.