Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
The 2013 Ford F-150 has 2,989 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most for transmission and drivetrain at 1,342. Its EPA rating is 13 to 19 mpg combined, with a 5-year fuel cost of $17,100 to $24,990 at U.S. average prices. NHTSA gives it 4 overall stars. It has 3 recall campaigns, covering transmission and drivetrain and brakes, which may apply to this car.
Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.
Fuel economy
13–19 mpgcombined; city 12–17, highway 16–23; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$17,100–$24,990U.S. average; Ohio $15,280–$22,330 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
Owners have filed 2,989 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 F-150. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Power train
1,342
25
4
29
Engine
548
4
9
5
Electrical system
324
2
16
6
Service brakes
321
30
1
14
Vehicle speed control
302
6
1
4
Unknown or other
225
4
8
5
Steering
216
7
0
4
Visibility/wiper
146
0
2
1
Fuel/propulsion system
130
1
3
0
Visibility
50
0
0
1
Structure
48
6
0
5
Service brakes, hydraulic
44
0
1
0
19 more parts
Air bags
39
13
1
10
Wheels
39
1
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
29
0
2
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
28
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
20
0
0
0
Suspension
20
1
0
0
Exterior lighting
17
0
0
0
Tires
11
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
10
0
0
0
Back over prevention
8
0
0
0
Seat belts
7
2
0
3
Forward collision avoidance
5
1
0
1
Seats
4
0
0
0
Service brakes, air
3
0
0
0
Equipment adaptive/mobility
2
0
0
0
Traction control system
2
0
0
0
Child seat
1
0
0
0
Equipment
1
0
0
0
Lane departure
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2013 F-150 over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Power train: automatic transmission; Power train: automatic transmission
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 transmission from unexpectedly downshifting into first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
Risk: Unexpectedly downshifting into first gear may result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S19.
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.
Risk: Unexpectedly downshifting into first gear may result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S07.
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.
Risk: Loss of brake fluid from the primary reservoir results in a complete loss of front brake function, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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 may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S24.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 141 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2013 F-150, the latest on Apr 29, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (38), power train (29), electrical system (26), engine and engine cooling (23), engine (15).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Recall query RQ17010 Unexpected Transmission Downshift · covers 2 makes
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2013 F-150.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: standard pickup trucks. EPA greenhouse gas score: 2–4 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
F150 Rear-Wheel Drive
3.7 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
17 / 23 / 19
F150 Rear-Wheel Drive
3.7 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline or E85
17 / 23 / 19
F150 Rear-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
16 / 22 / 18
F150 Rear-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
16 / 22 / 18
F150 Part-time 4-Wheel Drive
3.7 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
16 / 21 / 18
F150 Part-time 4-Wheel Drive
3.7 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline or E85
16 / 21 / 18
F150 Rear-Wheel Drive
5.0 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
15 / 21 / 17
F150 Rear-Wheel Drive
5.0 L, 8 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline or E85
15 / 21 / 17
F150 Part-time 4-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 21 / 17
F150 Part-time 4-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
15 / 21 / 17
F150 Part-time 4-Wheel Drive
5.0 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
14 / 19 / 16
F150 Part-time 4-Wheel Drive
5.0 L, 8 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline or E85
14 / 19 / 16
F150 Rear-Wheel Drive
6.2 L, 8 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
13 / 18 / 15
F150 Part-time 4-Wheel Drive
6.2 L, 8 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
12 / 16 / 13
F150 Raptor Part-time 4-Wheel Drive
6.2 L, 8 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
12 / 16 / 13
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data