
Introduction 9
Child Safety 17
Child seats...........................................19
Child seat positioning...................................19
Booster seats.........................................21
Installing child seats with lap and shoulder belts................24
Installing child safety seats with lower anchors and tethers for
children.............................................29
Installing child safety seats with tether straps..................31
Safety Belts 36
Fastening the safety belts................................38
Safety belt height adjustment.............................41
Safetybeltwarninglightandindicatorchime..................42
Safety belt-minder.....................................42
Rear inflatable safety belt................................45
Child restraint and safety belt maintenance...................47
Personal Safety System 48
Supplementary Restraints System 49
Driver and passenger airbags..............................51
Front passenger sensing system............................53
Side airbags..........................................56
Safety canopy curtain airbags.............................58
Crash sensors and airbag indicator..........................60
Airbag disposal........................................61
Keys and Remote Control 62
General information on radio frequencies.....................62
Remote control........................................63
Keys...............................................63
Replacing a lost key or remote control.......................69
Table of Contents1
2013 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

Seats 163
Sitting in the correct position............................163
Head restraints.......................................164
Manual seats.........................................167
Power seats.........................................168
Memory function......................................169
Heated seats.........................................170
Heated and cooled seats................................172
Rear seats..........................................174
Universal Garage Door Opener 184
HomeLinkwireless control system........................184
Auxiliary Power Points 189
Storage Compartments 192
Center console.......................................192
Overhead console.....................................194
Starting and Stopping the Engine 195
Ignition switch.......................................196
Keyless starting......................................196
Engine block heater...................................199
Fuel and Refueling 201
Fuel quality.........................................202
Running out of fuel....................................203
Refueling ...........................................204
Fuel consumption.....................................206
Transmission 210
Automatic transmission.................................210
All-Wheel Drive 216
All wheel drive.......................................216
4Table of Contents
2013 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

Adjusting the headlamps................................324
Changing a bulb......................................325
Vehicle Care 330
Cleaning products.....................................330
Cleaning the exterior...................................330
Waxing.............................................332
Repairing minor paint damage............................332
Cleaning the engine...................................332
Cleaning the windows and wiper blades.....................333
Cleaning the interior...................................333
Cleaning the instrument panel and instrument cluster lens.......334
Cleaning leather seats..................................335
Cleaning the alloy wheels...............................335
Vehicle storage.......................................336
Wheels and Tires 339
Tire care...........................................341
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)....................358
Changing a road wheel.................................362
Technical specifications.................................368
Wheel lug nut torque..................................368
Capacities and Specifications 370
Engine specifications...................................370
Maintenance product specifications and capacities.............371
Part numbers........................................375
Vehicle identification number.............................375
Vehicle certification label................................376
Transmission code designation............................377
Accessories 378
Accessories..........................................378
Table of Contents7
2013 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

Collision Repairs
We hope that you never experience a collision but, accidents do happen.
Genuine Ford replacement collision parts meet our stringent
requirements for fit, finish, structural integrity, corrosion protection and
dent resistance. During vehicle development we validate these parts
deliver the intended level of protection as a whole system. A great way
to know for sure you are getting this level of protection is to use genuine
Ford replacement collision parts.
Warranty on Replacement Parts
Genuine Ford and Motorcraft replacement parts are the only replacement
parts that benefit from a Ford Warranty. Damage caused to your vehicle
as a result of the failure of non-Ford parts may not be covered by the
Ford Warranty. For additional information, refer to the terms and
conditions of the Ford Warranty.
SPECIAL NOTICES
New Vehicle Limited Warranty
For a detailed description of what is covered and what is not covered by
your vehicle’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty, refer to theWarranty
Manualthat is provided to you along with your Owner’s Manual.
Special Instructions
For your added safety, your vehicle is fitted with sophisticated electronic
controls.
WARNING:Please read theSupplementary Restraints System
chapter. Failure to follow the specific warnings and instructions
could result in personal injury.
WARNING:Front seat mounted rear-facing child or infant seats
shouldNEVERbe placed in front of an active passenger airbag.
Introduction15
2013 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

GENERAL INFORMATION
See the following sections for directions on how to properly use safety
restraints for children.
WARNING:Always make sure your child is secured properly in a
device that is appropriate for their height, age and weight. Child
safety restraints must be purchased separately from the vehicle. Failure
to follow these instructions and guidelines may result in an increased
risk of serious injury or death to your child.
WARNING:All children are shaped differently. The
recommendations for safety restraints are based on probable child
height, age and weight thresholds from NHTSA and other safety
organizations, or are the minimum requirements of law. Ford
recommends checking with a NHTSA Certified Child Passenger Safety
Technician (CPST) and consult your pediatrician to make sure your
child seat is appropriate for your child, and is compatible with and
properly installed in the vehicle. To locate a child seat fitting station
and CPST, contact the NHTSA toll free at 1-888-327-4236 or on the
internet at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov. In Canada, check with your local
St. John Ambulance office for referral to a CPST or for further
information, contact your provincial ministry of transportation, your
local St. John Ambulance office at http://www.sfa.ca, or Transport
Canada at 1–800–333–0371 (http://www.tc.gc.ca). Failure to properly
restrain children in safety seats made especially for their height, age,
and weight may result in an increased risk of serious injury or death to
your child.
Child Safety17
2013 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

Recommendations for Safety Restraints for Children
Child size, height, weight, or ageRecommended
restraint type
Infants
or
toddlersChildren weighing 40 lb (18 kg) or less
(generally age four or younger).Use a child safety
seat (sometimes
called an infant
carrier, convertible
seat, or toddler seat).
Small
childrenChildren who have outgrown or no longer
properly fit in a child safety seat
(generally children who are less than
4 feet 9 inches (1.45 meters) tall, are
greater than age four (4) and less than
age twelve (12), and between 40 lb
(18 kg) and 80 lb (36 kg) and upward to
100 lb (45 kg) if recommended by your
child restraint manufacturer).Use a belt-positioning
booster seat.
Larger
childrenChildren who have outgrown or no longer
properly fit in a belt-positioning booster
seat (generally children who are at least
4 feet 9 inches (1.45 meters) tall or
greater than 80 lb (36 kg) or 100 lb
(45 kg) if recommended by child restraint
manufacturer).Use a vehicle safety
belt having the lap
belt snug and low
across the hips,
shoulder belt
centered across the
shoulder and chest,
and seatback upright.
•You are required by law to properly use safety seats for infants and
toddlers in the U.S. and Canada.
•Many states and provinces require that small children use approved
booster seats until they reach age eight, a height of 4 ft 9 in.
(1.45 meters) tall, or 80 lb (36 kg). Check your local and state or
provincial laws for specific requirements regarding the safety of
children in your vehicle.
•When possible, always properly restrain children twelve (12) years of
age and under in a rear seating position of your vehicle. Accident
statistics suggest that children are safer when properly restrained in
the rear seating positions than in a front seating position.
18Child Safety
2013 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

CHILD SEATS
Use a child safety seat (sometimes
called an infant carrier, convertible
seat, or toddler seat) for Infants,
toddlers or children weighing 40 lb
(18 kg) or less (generally age four
or younger)
CHILD SEAT POSITIONING
WARNING:Airbags can kill or injure a child in a child seat.
NEVER place a rear-facing child seat in front of an active airbag.
If you must use a forward-facing child seat in the front seat, move the
vehicle seat all the way back. When possible, all children age 12 and
under should be properly restrained in a rear seating position. If all
children cannot be seated and restrained properly in a rear seating
position, properly restrain the largest child in the front seat.
WARNING:Always carefully follow the instructions and warnings
provided by the manufacturer of any child restraint to determine
if the restraint device is appropriate for your child’s size, height, weight,
or age. Follow the child restraint manufacturer’s instructions and
warnings provided for installation and use in conjunction with the
instructions and warnings provided by the vehicle manufacturer. A
safety seat that is improperly installed or utilized, is inappropriate for
your child’s height, age, or weight or does not properly fit the child may
increase the risk of serious injury or death.
WARNING:Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap
while the vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the child
from injury in a collision, which may result in serious injury or death.
WARNING:Never use pillows, books, or towels to boost a child.
They can slide around and increase the likelihood of injury or death
in a collision.
Child Safety19
2013 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

WARNING:Always restrain an unoccupied child seat or booster
seat. These objects may become projectiles in a collision or
sudden stop, which may increase the risk of serious injury.
WARNING:Never place, or allow a child to place, the shoulder
belt under a child’s arm or behind the back because it reduces
the protection for the upper part of the body and may increase the risk
of injury or death in a collision.
WARNING:Do not leave children, unreliable adults, or pets
unattended in your vehicle.
Restraint
TypeChild
WeightUse any attachment method as indicated
below by X
LATCH
(lower
anchors
and
top
tether
anchor)LATCH
(lower
anchors
only)Safety
belt
and
top
tether
anchorSafety
belt and
LATCH
(lower
anchors
and top
tether
anchor)Safety
belt
only
Rear
facing
child seatUp to
48 lb
(21 kg)XX
Forward
facing
child seatUp to
48 lb
(21 kg)XXX
Forward
facing
child seatOver
48 lb
(21 kg)XX
Note:The child seat must rest tightly against the vehicle seat. It may be
necessary to lift or remove the head restraint. See theSeatschapter for
information on head restraints.
20Child Safety
2013 Flex(471)
Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing
USA(fus)