2013 Ford F-150 — Problems, Recalls & VIN Check
Owners filed 2,796 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Ford F-150, and 1,212 of them name power train. Here is what that record shows, what to inspect because of it, and how to check the one car you are actually looking at.
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Quick Answer
- Does the 2013 Ford F-150 have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2013 Ford F-150 — the earliest on file covers power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm). Whether they were performed on a particular F-150 is a per-VIN question, not a per-model one.
- What do owners complain about most on the 2013 Ford F-150?
- Power Train — 1,212 of the 2,796 complaints filed with NHTSA, about 43% of the file, ahead of engine at 531. A complaint is an owner’s report, not a confirmed defect.
- How do I check a specific 2013 F-150 before buying it?
- Run its 17-character VIN. This page describes the model year in aggregate; a VIN check reads NMVTISfor that one car’s title brand, salvage and total-loss records and reported odometer readings. Free on this page, $14.99 for the full report.
What the Record Actually Says
This is the largest complaint file of any vehicle covered here by a wide margin, and it is concentrated: power train swamps every other category combined.
Here the two record sets agree rather than diverge, which is itself the finding: the recalls and the complaints point at the same subsystem. When a vehicle's recall list and its owner reports converge on one area, that area is the purchase decision.
What to Check on a Used 2013 F-150
Written against this model year's own complaint pattern rather than a generic used-car checklist.
Drive it cold, and drive it long enough to reach operating temperature twice. Power train complaints are overwhelmingly about behaviour that appears under load or at a specific shift, which a five-minute test drive around a lot will not reproduce.
Ask for transmission service records specifically, and be sceptical of a truck presented with none. Two of the three recall campaigns on this year are power train campaigns, so whether they were performed is a question with a documented answer — ask for it.
Engine and brakes are the next two categories. Look for fluid weeping at the front of the engine and check for a firm pedal that does not sink while held at a stop.
What NHTSA Has on File for the 2013 Ford F-150
Two federal record sets cover this vehicle, and they answer different questions. Recall campaigns are actions a manufacturer was required to take. Complaints are what owners reported on their own. Both were pulled on 2026-09-09.
Across those complaints owners recorded 60 injuries and 1 death. Those figures come from the complaint forms themselves; NHTSA publishes them without adjudicating whether the vehicle caused the outcome.
Recall Campaigns on the 2013 Ford F-150
Every campaign NHTSA lists for this model year. A campaign applies to a range of vehicles — whether it was performed on the one you are looking at is answered by that car's VIN, not by this table.
| Component | Campaign | Remedy |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Control Module (tcm/Pcm/Tecm) | 19V075000 | Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began March 4, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at… |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 19V433000 | Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 24, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at… |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Fluid | 16V345000 | Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake master cylinder and, if necessary, the brake booster, free of charge. The recall began on October 28, 2016. Owners… |
What This Page Cannot Tell You
Everything above describes roughly 2,796 reports about the 2013 Ford F-150 as a model year. None of it describes the car in the advert.
Whether this particular car carries a branded title — salvage, flood, junk, lemon-law buyback or rebuilt. Two identical trucks can differ entirely on this, and it is the finding that most often ends a sale.
Whether an insurer ever declared it a total loss, or whether it passed through a salvage auction.
Whether the odometer reading climbs consistently across its title transfers and inspections, or stalls and drops.
How many owners it has had and which states it lived in — a long chain of quick out-of-state transfers is its own warning.
Those come from NMVTIS, the federal title database, and they are keyed to the VIN rather than to the model. Running the number is free on this page.
Check the F-150You’re Looking At
Title brand, salvage and total-loss records, reported odometer readings, open recalls — for that one VIN, not for the model year.
Where These Records Come From
Both federal, both public domain, both pulled on 2026-09-09. Figures change as new reports are filed — check the source before relying on one.
Other Model Years We Have Records For
Each one is built from its own NHTSA file, so the patterns differ.
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Check Any VIN Free
This page covers the 2013 model year. Enter a VIN to check the individual F-150 — title, brand, odometer and open recalls — then pay $14.99 only if you want the full history.
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