Owners have filed 2,796 safety complaints about the 2013 Ford F-150 with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.
Complaints for this vehicle report 74 crashes, 31 fires, 60 injuries, 1 death.
Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2013 Ford F-150, power train / transmission issues stand far above everything else.
"The truck drops from sixth gear to fourth gear randomly while at high speeds. I took it in and they told me it was not covered by the recall that was done a couple years ago for this very same reason. I took it into five star Ford in Plano Texas. They told me that recall expired. I took it in then and they supposed changed out faulty parts."
"The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently downshifted. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 178,000."
For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2013 Ford F-150 peaked later than usual, in 2019.
Across the Ford F-150 model years we track, the 2013 has the most complaints on file.
3 recalls apply to some or all 2013 Ford F-150 vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 F-150 vehicles manufactured August 1, 2013, to August 31, 2014 equipped with 3.5L engines. The master cylinder rear cup seal may roll, resulting in brake fluid leakage from the primary reservoir into the brake booster.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2013 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The transmission may unexpectedly downshift into first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013 F-150 vehicles equipped with 5.0L or 6.2L gasoline engines, that previously had the powertrain control module (PCM) software reprogrammed under recall 19V-075. The software used to reprogram the PCM did not have the necessary updates to prevent the…
Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →
NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.
As of July 14, 2026, owners have filed 2,796 complaints about the 2013 Ford F-150 with NHTSA. The most-reported system is power train / transmission.
The 2013 Ford F-150 has 3 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.
NHTSA gives the 2013 Ford F-150 an overall crash rating of 4 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.
All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved July 14, 2026.
Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.
This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.