2013 Ford F-250 problems & reliability
95 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Ford F-250. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2013 Ford F-250 vehicles were involved in 64 fatal crashes with 18 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension → | 48 | 51% |
| Steering → | 37 | 39% |
| Engine | 9 | 9% |
| Unknown OR Other | 8 | 8% |
| Wheels | 8 | 8% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 7 | 7% |
| Structure | 5 | 5% |
| Air Bags | 3 | 3% |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 3% |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 78,000 miles (middle 50% between 51,000 and 121,000 miles), based on 65 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Truck has just turned 20,000 miles. After having the def system serviced at the ford dealership truck has to go thu the particulate filter regen sooner and sooner. Now every 75 miles. Which causes truck too lose power and produce excesive exhaust temperatures which can potentully cause a fire. Ford is telling me the…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Jan 28, 2026
“Component/System: Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) – frontal airbags and crash sensors. Vehicle is in insurance/salvage custody and available for inspection upon request. On or about December 17, 2025, at approximately 0600, the reporting party was operating a 2013 Ford Super Duty F-250 Lariat Crew Cab 4WD (VIN…”
Air Bags · filed Jan 2, 2026
“Terrible exhaust fumes in the truck cab when using the heat or ac probably due to the extremely common exhaust manifold issues with these trucks. It could kill me and my child”
Engine · filed Nov 15, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Vehicle Commanded Engine Shutdown
Recall Query RQ14005 · opened Jan 13, 2015 · closed Mar 15, 2016 · led to recall 15V175000
Technical service bulletins
15 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2013 Ford F-250. The 10 most recent:
Certain 2011-2022 Model Year Super Duty Vehicles Equipped with 6.7L Engine - Emission Control Information Label Update for Qualified Vehicles
24L05 · Other · issued Sep 24, 2025
The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a…
SSM 46085 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 21, 2016
Touchscreen navigation system - arabic language - blank screen
TSB160066 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 20, 2016
Some 2012-2016 vehicles equipped with a touchscreen navigation system and the language set to Arabic may exhibit a blank screen. This may be the result of the ribbon cables not being fully seated inside the front…
16-0066 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 20, 2016
In monitoring our technical service inquiries and technical service bulletins from Ford, there is the potential for moderate to severe steering wheel oscillation (wobble) to occur. After extensive testing and outside…
PC-01.12.2016 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 12, 2016
Ford: 2011-2014 f-super duty vehicles equipped with 6.7l diesel engine may experience a running rough or misfire during exhaust regeneration process *cn
TSB15-0124 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 10, 2015
Ford: no service action is recommended for this condition. Please use at your discretion. Various 2010-2015 vehicles may experience a turbulence noise, similar to an helicopter noise, at highway speeds when the rear…
44863 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2015
Ford: on some trucks, the binding/sticking of front/rear brake caliper and would need to be remove and replace, except brake pads on caliper bracket assembly, complete caliper assembly (caliper bracket, brake pads…
ASI-44442 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2014
Ford: some model vehicles manual for powertrain control/emission diagnostic (pc/ed) has been updated regarding improved cooling fan circuit due to a lack of air conditioning, a malfunctioning indicator lamp (mil) and…
ASI-44451 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2014
Ford: diagnostic trouble code (dtc) c101a:62 appears, n some vehicles, when red brake warning indicator illuminates and an error in anti-lock brake (abs) module for vacuum pressure sensor signal. Model 2013 f-250…
TSB-13-6-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 27, 2013
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2013 Ford F-250 in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2013 Ford F-250?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 78,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.