2013 Ford E-350: common problems

Owners of the 2013 Ford E-350 filed 13 complaints with NHTSA, most often about suspension and tires. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 13
involving a crash: 1

What fails most often

1 Suspension 54% of all complaints
2 Tires 46% of all complaints
3 Service brakes 38% of all complaints
4 Wheels 38% of all complaints
5 Engine 15% of all complaints
6 Steering 15% of all complaints
7 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
8 Engine and cooling 8% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Suspension: 7 complaints (54% of all).
Tires: 6 complaints (46% of all).
Service brakes: 5 complaints (38% of all).
Wheels: 5 complaints (38% of all).
Engine: 2 complaints (15% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 13 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

A/C or heater1 · 8%
door locks, latches, handles1 · 8%
smoke, burning smell, fire1 · 8%
tires: bulges, blowouts1 · 8%
transmission slipping1 · 8%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Suspension	7	0
Tires	6	0
Service brakes	5	0
Wheels	5	0
Engine	2	0
Steering	2	0
Electrical system	1	0
Engine and cooling	1	0
Structure	1	0
Vehicle speed control	1	1
Other	1	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

I was stopped at a stop sign, with my foot on the brake pedal, the engine began to roar. The vehicle acclerated foward. I attemped to stop the vehicle by pressing the brake as hard as I could. The van would not stop. Approximately 250 feet from stop sign, I hit a tree head on to insure I didn't injure anybody.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2013-08-31 · NHTSA complaint #10538198
Oddly enough almost EVERY Ford Model from this year has a recall for the same door latches-but not this model. I'm not sure why this hasn't been recalled except that maybe because there are less of these model Fords on the road-less reports have been made.
Structure · 2022-10-17 · NHTSA complaint #11489538
After install, I have had to undergo four alignments with no resolution. Multiple mechanics have confirmed that the kit is defective. I have been in contact with the manufacturer but they have stopped responding to me.
Suspension · 2022-08-16 · NHTSA complaint #11479610
Consumer writes in regards to melted exhaust flange and concern about potential for fire caused by excessive exhaust heat build up.
Engine · 2019-02-26 · NHTSA complaint #11175611
While driving approximately at 55 mph, the rear passenger side tire blew out without warning. The contact stated that the dealer (jack schmitt chevrolet of wood river, [address], wood river, [ZIP]) were aware the tires were not for the vehicle when it was sold to the contact. The manufacturer was contacted.
Tires · 2018-01-16 · NHTSA complaint #11063035
Both front steer tires showing severe positive camber, causing a severe safety issue to steer the passenger vehicle (shuttle bus) and excessive tire wear for a low number of miles. Front wheel alignment was performed with shims installed to correct the severe positive camber condition.
Suspension · 2014-10-01 · NHTSA complaint #10640647
Another issue is the transmission feels as though it is slipping, ford also says this is normal when a vehicles transmission gets hot. I am afraid of all these things with the steering, braking and the transmission.
Suspension · 2013-12-17 · NHTSA complaint #10556428

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20132
20145
20151
20182
20191
20222

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 9,843 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 27% most complained about).

On average one model year of the E-350 has 27 complaints (44 years in the data). This year has 13, below average.

What to check before buying

Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2013 Ford E-350?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: suspension, tires, service brakes. Total complaints: 13. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: A/C or heater (8%), door locks, latches, handles (8%), smoke, burning smell, fire (8%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2013 Ford E-350?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2013 Ford E-350 from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2013 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.