Home · 2013 Ford F-250 (super Cab) · Complaints

What 116 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Ford F-250 (super Cab)

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (116)Crash / fire / injury (4)Suspension (53)Steering (40)Engine (16)Fuel system (10)Wheels (8)Airbags (5)Body & structure (5)Electrical system (5)Brakes (4)Fuel System, Diesel (4)

5 of 116 complaints match · Electrical system · clear filters

Jun 18, 2018Electrical systemEngineFire

TRAVELLING NORTH ON I25 IN NEW MEXICO. GOING 60 MPH PULLING A 5TH WHEEL TRAILER. LOW FUEL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON AND LOST POWER STEERING. SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER HOOD. THEN ALL WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND COASTED TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. BY THE TIME I STOPPED, THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS FULLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. TRIED TO RELEASE THE HOOD BUT CABLE MELTED. EXITED THE VEHICLE AND CALLED 911. PASSER BY LOANED ME FIRE EXTINGUISHERS BUT FIRE TOO HOT. FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED WITHIN MINUTES AND EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. TRUCK TOWED TO A HOLDING YARD.

NHTSA ODI 11102396

Apr 28, 2015Electrical system

I HAVE A 2013 F-250 SD. HERE IS THE PROBLEM, RANDOMLY WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING ALL OF THE GAUGES ON THE DASHBOARD GO DEAD. IN ADDITION, ALL THE ALERT LIGHTS (CHECK ENGINE, TRACTION, ETC.) LIGHT UP. FURTHERMORE, THE MESSAGE DISPLAY READS "SERVICEADVANCETRAC". IF THE TRUCK IS TURNED OFF WHILE IN THIS STATE, THE TRUCK WILL NOT START AGAIN FOR AT LEAST 12 HRS. I HAVE HAD IT IN FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND SERVICE TO TWO DIFFERENT FORD DEALERS FOR A TOTAL OF FOUR TIMES SINCE NOVEMBER. YET, THE PROBLEM IS STILL NOT FIXED. IT IS AN ONGOING ISSUE AND FORD CANNOT SEEM TO TELL ME WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10713352

Apr 27, 2015Fuel System, DieselElectrical systemSpeed controlEquipment

2013 FORD F-250 SUPER DUTY. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE RADIO WOULD SOMETIMES COME ON WITH THE KEY AND WOULD ONLY WORK ON ONE AM CHANNEL AND ON FM CHANNEL AND IT WOULD NOT TURN OFF. THE ONLY WAY TO TURN OFF THE RADIO, WAS TO TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND RE-START IT. THE STEREO SYSTEM HAD A BAD RECEPTION. THE FUEL GAUGE WAS STUCK ON 1/4 TANK AND HE TOOK SEVERAL TRIES SHUTTING THE VEHICLE ON AND OFF TO GET IT TO WORK THE DOOR ALARM WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. THE DASH LIGHTS COME ON AND GO OFF INTERMITTENTLY AT NIGHT, THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, THE DEF NOTICE DASH DISPLAY CAME ON LAST WEEK AND ALERTED THE CONSUMER HE HAD 500 MILES LEFT UNTIL HE NEEDED TO FILL UP AGAIN.*JB

NHTSA ODI 10712776

Dec 24, 2014Electrical systemLightsEngine

THE INNER CORE OF THE IGNITION SWITCH IS BAD WHICH WHEN MOVED UP OR DOWN BY MOVEMENT OF THE TRUCK GOING DOWN THE ROAD CAUSES THE DASH LIGHTS ,GPS, RADIO AND ANY OTHER ELECTRICAL PART TO STOP WORKING , ALSO IF YOU HAVE A MEMORY ADJUST SEAT IT WILL START GOING FORWARD AND BACK SPORADICALLY WHICH IN TURN TIGHTENS UP THE SEAT BELT TO EXTREME PRESSURE , WHICH IS VERY DISTRACTING TO THE DRIVER , WHICH IN TURN COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT . DISCUSSED THIS WITH FORD AND THE RESPONSE WAS IT WAS NOT BROKEN SO THEY WERE NOT GOING TO FIX IT. SOMEONE HAS TO BE KILLED BEFORE THEY DO ANYTHING FOR A $2.00 ITEM OR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAS TO CATCH ON FIRE BEFORE THEY WILL DO ANYTHING . SOME ONE NEEDS TO FORCE THEM INTO FIXING THERE PRODUCTS *TR

NHTSA ODI 10668118

Mar 10, 2014Electrical systemLightsBody & structure

THE FORD F250 HAS NO PROVISION FOR ILLUMINATING THE DASHBOARD INSTRUMENTS IN DAYLIGHT. ALL OF THE CONTROLS FOR HEADLIGHT, PARKING LIGHT, ETC. REQUIRE THE SENSOR ON THE DASHBOARD TO BE REPORTING DARK CONDITIONS SIMILAR TO NIGHT TIME. THIS OBSERVATION WAS CONFIRMED BY FORD SERVICE PERSONNEL WHO ADDED THAT THEY HAVE HAD MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS CONDITION. EVEN ON BRIGHT DAYS, THE SHADOWS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CAN BE DEEP ENOUGH TO PREVENT THEIR BEING READ. THESE INSTRUMENTS INCLUDE THE SPEEDOMETER, TEMPERATURE AND FUEL GAGES, AND ON-BOARD WARNING/DISPLAY. THIS IS A DELIBERATE DESIGN CHANGE FROM EARLIER MODELS. FORD SERVICE PERSONNEL SAID, " I CAN'T IMAGINE WHY THEY WOULD DO THIS". THE INSTRUMENT LIGHTS CAN BE MADE TO LIGHT DURING DAYLIGHT ONLY BY BLOCKING THE DASHBOARD LIGHT SENSOR. A CRUMPLED BLACK PLASTIC BAG IS EFFECTIVE. THERE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A VALID REASON FOR KEEPING THE INSTRUMENT LIGHTS OFF WHENEVER ANY OF THE HEADLAMPS ARE ON. THE INABILITY TO READ THE INSTRUMENTS IS A CONSTANT DISTRACTION AND REDUCES THE DRIVER'S EFFECTIVE VIEW OF THE ROAD.

NHTSA ODI 10568472

Working with the data? Download all 116 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 15, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2013 Ford F-250 (super Cab) verdict →