2013 Ford Flex: doors won't lock, open or latch

Filed May 8, 2026 · Electrical, Seats · WI

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Multiple driver aid funcations in-op. Driver door locks will not lock or unlock, driver door lock and unlock switch will not operate any locks, passenger door mirror will not move, seat memory will not save, rear view mirror will not auto dim and there is no manual option to adjust the mirror resulting in impacted night visablity, rear view camera does not display on screen but will beep when close to an object. Not codes or dash warnings displayed to stored. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Impacted visibly while driving. Unable to adust passenger mirror to see blink spot or along passenger side of vehicle. Unable to lock or unlock driver door, if locked its not allowing me to enter the vehicle and have to enter via passenger door. Auto dim impacts visablity with driving at night. Rear back up camera in-op is damgerous in numerous aspects. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Problem is constant. Not taking to a dealer due to ridiculous prices and diag fees. I'm a tech and tried to diagnose issues with no answers. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Not yet. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Unknown. Purchased private party with issues (05/01/2026). Looked at 3 other ford flexs from this generation that all had the same issues when looking to purchase a vehicle and no one had a solution for it.

Filed Sep 5, 2025 · MN

I Repaired 1 door ajar DSF under warranty Had to pay for 2 doors PSF & PSR due to out of warranty Now there’s a recall but I’m over 250,000 miles ,so Ford refuses to to cover the door handle sensor recall

Filed Apr 11, 2024 · Body · MI

Repeated problems with door latch system in 2013 Ford Flex. Door is interpreted as being ajar, despite being closed. Two warning lights/messages to this effect persist, interior lights will not turn off (which drains the battery), doors will not automatically lock while driving in this condition and as I understand it, if an accident occurred, the airbags would NOT deploy due to the doors not being 'locked'. This is a serious safety issue and causes continual drain on the battery if left in this condition. The only way to sometimes get it to recognize the door being shut is to repeatedly close the door, often having to slam the door shut; this can take up to 15 attempts. Driver's door has been cycled & subsequently replaced six months later. We are taking it in now for a likely 2nd replacement on this door alone. The rear right passenger door & front passenger door have each been replaced as well. The first two repairs/replacement on the driver's door were under warranty, the remaining 2 replacements (and upcoming additional replacement) have been and will be at our own cost. This same door latch system has been recalled on three different occasions on other Ford models, yet not on the Flex. There should be a recall on this 2013 Ford Flex and we should get refunds for our out-of-pocket costs for this repeated and known problem.

Filed Sep 5, 2022 · Electrical · CA

The 2013 Flex has an issue with door ajar switch within the door latch mechanism failing. This results in the car incorrectly identifying the door as “ajar” when it is closed. The result is that the automatic door locking does not activate when the car is in motion. This means that the door remains unlocked unless manually locked by the passenger. This can pose a safety hazard as the door could come open in an accident or be opened while in motion by a passenger. This problem has been well described on the web with multiple work around including disabling the mechanism or wiring a different switch in. It also described as typically happening around 69,000 miles. In conclusion Ford has created a faulty door ajar sensor that negatively affects the safety of the occupants in the vehicles and has resulted in numerous work arounds that could further negatively impact the safety of the occupants. Thank you for your time.

Filed Jun 23, 2022 · Body, Electrical · MO

The front drivers door latch. When the door is shut their is an alarm stating that the door is ajar. Per Ford their is a Customer Satisfaction Program 19N09 for it. I bought this vechicle Monday June 20, 2022. Per Ford they notified me of this issue as well but they will not fix it as it is past the 84,000 miles/7 years as well as the 120,000 miles and July 31, 2020. This vechile per the records has been services at Thoroughbred Ford in Kansas City, MO since the day it was bought and yet it has not been fixed? And now they are not willing to fix it.

Filed Aug 19, 2021 · Body, Electrical · TX

The passenger-side front door latch sensor is defective. The door latches securely when closed, but the door AJAR warning light remains illuminated. This leads to several issues including: - interior lights don't turn off for a very long time after the door is closed (i.e. on the order of 30 minutes after parking and 5 minutes when driving), - the alarm system goes off randomly and frequently when the vehicle is parked and locked (sometimes multiple times per hour), - the feature that auto-locks the doors when the vehicle is in motion does not work, - if one locks the doors while the vehicle is in motion, they will immediately unlock themselves. The above issues lead to several safety concerns including: - the interior lights being on makes it difficult to see while driving at night, - the interior being illuminated after the vehicle is parked and locked creates a security exposure, - the child safety lock features do not function as intended as the doors cannot lock while the vehicle is in motion, - the alarm system repeatedly triggering is annoying as there is no way to turn off the alarm system. That is, if the car is locked, then the system is armed and will trigger in time. The rear passenger-side door had this same issue a few years ago. Ford has a Customer Satisfaction Program recall for this issue (19N09), but it only applies to the driver door and only for cars less than 7 years old.

Filed Jun 7, 2021 · Electrical, Locks · TN

I had a recall for the driver door latch to be replaced. The very day that it was replaced, I get in, start my vehicle and the passenger door light comes on showing that it's open but it wasn't. I immediately go back inside to ask the service department since they literally just replaced the recalled drivers door latch. They stated that "it's a coincidence " and that it would cost to fix it. I drove it for as long as I could but my alarm would randomly go off and lights start blinking. I was afraid I'd come out oand my vehicle not start due to the battery being dead because of the alarm and lights going off. I broke down and paid to have the passenger door light fixed which the Ford service department told me it would. The EXACT same thing happened and now my back passenger door light keeps coming on!! Alarm randomly goes off and lights blink. I can't afford to gix this again. They told me it would fix the problem yet once they replaced the recalled door latch this has now happened with other doors.

Filed May 2, 2021 · Electrical · 58,000 miles · FL

2013 ford flex issues with door sensors reading door open when doors are closed. Dome lights stay on, alarm will not go on and panic alarm goes off on its own. Drive door lock no longer work & neither does the right back passenger door.

Filed Jan 13, 2021 · Locks · 91,722 miles · TN

I have a safety concern on my 2013 ford flex VIN# [xxx] I had a recall replaced in november 2020 for front driver side door latch. Customer satisfaction program 19n09 as soon as I got in my car after the replaced recall, the passenger door light came on saying it was open even though it wasn't. I went back inside and asked about it. The service department told me that it wasn't covered under the warranty, that only the driver side was. It was very strange that it happened to pop up directly after getting the recall for the driver side replaced. As soon as I save enough money, I will get it fixed but if the driver side had a warranty, I feel that the passenger side should too. Thank you information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

Filed Sep 7, 2020 · Body · 85,000 miles · LA

Door adjar. Door opened while driving. Door randomly unlocks and sets alarm off. Has caused a dead battery. Will lock & unlock while traveling.

Filed Aug 19, 2020 · Electrical · AL

The door latches do not work I've had them replaced twice and the electrical panel that controls the AC does not work it blows out heat cannot turn heat off because the touch screen does not work it is completely shut down and it flickers on and off and this does not happen all the time but periodically

Filed Jul 17, 2020 · 135,000 miles · IL

Ford recalled door latch assembly on driver door and is not acknowledging that the same assembly in other doors should be covered in the recall. Why would you cover the assembly in a driver door and not the passenger door. If the assembly is faulty, it should be fixed regardless of the door it is in. The sensor in the door latch thinks the door is open when it is closed, causing the dome lights to stay on and the warning to constantly sound until you can close it and the sensor catches. It has been happening on the passenger door for several months.