82 of the
2,511 complaints filed about the Ford Flex
are about the braking system —
3% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2009.
Wile driving 40 mph, the right rear tire locked up and I had to counter steer aggressively to avoid spinning out and hitting oncoming traffic. The car was flat bed delivered to Ford and they recommended the following repairs. "Control Arm- Rear: rear suspension lateral links. The rear upper and lower control arms not only provide suspension travel but also secure the rear end to the vehicle." "*Tires - 4: passenger rear inner sidewall damaged."
NHTSA complaint #11740622 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have had this vehicle since about August 2025, the brakes and wheel bearings have failed twice, the strut failed, the power steering system has messed up repeatedly, the coolant came FLYING out of the car (while parked) FOR ABSOLUTELY NO REASON! There have been multiple warning lights on since I got the vehicle and I have been told they are just sensors from multiple mechanics and that they don't mean anything. As it relates to the issues, the brakes, calipers, and wheel bearings have given out twice WHILE DRIVING without any sort of warning up until they seized! The strut on the front passenger side has broken for no known reason and the power steering system has been non stop eating power steering fluid with no leaks. Since I have gotten this vehicle, I have put OVER 7,000 dollars worth of work into it. This went to fixing the brake calipers, brakes, rotors, all the steering mechanisms (tie rods, sway bars, etc.) and wheel bearings twice, trying to figure out why coolant flew out of the vehicle for no known reason, trying to figure out where the power steering fluid is going, all to no avail. I have had multiple mechanics look at and check all the components of the vehicle, and they can't even figure out what is going on other than things just fail without warning non stop. There is something wrong with these vehicles, EVERY SINGLE OWNER OF A 2011 FORD FLEX THAT I HAVE SPOKEN TO HAS SAID THE SAME EXACT THING, THEY ARE DEALING WITH THE SAME EXACT ISSUES AS I AM, AND NO ONE KNOWS WHY! THESE VEHICLES NEED TO BE RECALLED AND A CHECK FOR THE PRICE OF A PERFECT 2011 FORD FLEX GIVEN TO EVERY 2011 FORD FLEX OWNER, THEN THEY NEED TO BE TAKEN OFF THE STREETS AS THEY ARE A DANGER TO THE PEOPLE DRIVING THEM AND ALL OTHER DRIVERS AS WELL AS PASSENGERS IN THE FLEX AND ANY OTHER VEHICLE! A 2011 FOR FLEX IN PERFECT CONDITION IS WORTH APPROXIMATELY $15,000, FORD SHOULD BE SUED FOR THIS! My vehicle is available for inspection when necessary, thank you!
NHTSA complaint #11736911 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
There is serious safety trouble occurring with the power steering components, and the brake system. I went to the Ford dealership and they said the recalls weren’t fixed back in 2015. And those recalls are the same issues that are occurring with my 2012 Ford Flex SE now. I just bought this vehicle and there is grinding noise when steering my vehicle and the ABS brake system comes on as soon as I crank up the vehicle and the brake goes down to the floor too loosely. The dealership says these potential recalls were noted for this 2012 Ford Flex in 2015. But the owner at the time didn’t have them fixed then because not all 2012 Ford Flex received the recalls at the same time. And the power steering components and brake system problems are very unsafe while I’m driving the vehicle and as I was told could cause a fatal car accident if not fixed.
NHTSA complaint #11707935 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had frightened him because a pedestrian was nearly struck by the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the RPM was elevated and then lowered. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 35,000.
NHTSA complaint #11699431 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My brakes locked up suddenly on the rear end causing me to get stuck in the middle of the road and unable to move it, even to tow it. I had to take 2 days almost to fix it in the middle of the road, since yesterday morning. They also began locking up suddenly on the front end, the wheel bearing, CV Joint, Tie Rods, CV Axles, CV Boots, and sway bars began failing out of nowhere as well. The brakes may or may not be able to be replicated, as they are partially fixed and yes my entire front end can be replicated. The danger is my brakes locked up as I was driving, in the middle of the road at that. I have not been able to get the front end fixed as it is expensive, however the danger of this is the tires falling off or the front end failing all together. ALL of the other people who drive these that I have talked to and met have had the same problem and yes they are factory parts! Even the people who have only 30 to 60000 miles on their 2011 Ford Flex Titaniums have these issues! Not only this but also the sensors go bad almost immediately off the lot, which can cause the car to brake without warning, stop running out of nowhere, make the power steering module fail, make your vehicle stutter because ALL of the sensors are bad. These vehicles need to be recalled and fixed, or recalled and replaced with better vehicles (from $60,000 up to $95,000) with any mileage any year. Please recall these and please help! I just got mine, this isn't right!
NHTSA complaint #11694344 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving in a 35mph zone, a complete loss of braking was experienced while coming up to an intersection. The vehicle was unable to stop, not even emergency brake function worked. An independent service center did a postmortem of the brake caliper and confirmed the fastener failure of the caliper bracket. The caliper fasteners sheared off inside the caliper resulting in the caliper piston falling apart while driving. This resulted in complete brake malfunction, and brake fluid leakage. There was no warning or message for this failure. The brakes experienced complete failure without warning.
NHTSA complaint #11663134 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Flex. While the contact's husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle independently accelerated instead of stopping. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
NHTSA complaint #11662303 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Flex. The contact stated that after releasing the parking brake, the parking brake failed to return to the original position. The contact stated that the “Parking Brake Engaged” warning light was illuminated. The contact went to the local dealer and purchased an upgraded replacement part to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 43,039.
NHTSA complaint #11636326 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brakes seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was unable to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that the vehicle responded as needed after waiting for a while. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the brake master cylinder, the brake booster, the vacuum pump, the brake calipers, the brake check valve, the brakes lines, and the brake pedal sensor were replaced. Additionally, the ECM was replaced and reprogrammed; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the failure occurred when the brake fluid was hot after driving 15-20 miles. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.
NHTSA complaint #11578032 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. The contact coasted to the side of the roadway and had the vehicle towed. The failure occurred intermittently. The contact would make several attempts to start the vehicle to regain normal functionality; however, the failure would recur within several hours or several days. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH in a School Zone from a stop, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that the traction control, engine, battery, and ABS warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the power steering box had failed and needed to be replaced. The mechanic had not repaired the vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and it was confirmed the VIN was not under recall, nor were the repairs covered under warranty. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 125,436.
NHTSA complaint #11566270 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Front tires look and stay really low no matter how much air is put in. It's leaking brake fluid. The emergency brake barley lock. Also transmission is horrible.
NHTSA complaint #11539283 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Flex. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the odor of fuel was present coming from the vehicle. After parking inside the garage, there was fuel leaking from the seam of the fuel tank on the passenger’s side. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. Also, while attempting to stop the vehicle, the brake pedal would extend to the floor and the vehicle would not immediately stop. The contact determined that the brake booster was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and an unknown dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
NHTSA complaint #11425398 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WHEN I PRESS ON GAS IT JERKS AND FEELS LIKE ITS STRAING TO KICK UP.DRAGGING NO GAS ITS PULLING. AND WHEN I BREAK THE PEDDLES PUSH BACK AND MAKE WEIRD NOISES.IT SOMETIMES DON'T STOP .THE RADIO BUTTONS DOESN'T WORK NONE OF THEM.I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE 08/15/2020
NHTSA complaint #11365397 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE BRAKES MAKE GRINDING NOISE AND SLIPPING HARD TO STOP MY BRAKE PADS AND ROTES PRETTY NEW WENT AND GOT NEW BRAKE PADS STILL SAME PROBLEM ESPECIALLY DURING HARDER BRAKING CAR NOT STOPPING THERE IS BRAKE FLUID AND EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE IN TOP SHAPE BUT CAR WILL NOT BRAKE PROPERLY AND MAKE GRINDING NOISE
NHTSA complaint #11338438 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
BREAKS AND ROTORS HAVE BEEN WORKED ON 3 TIMES WITHIN 1 YEAR BY CARMAX. IN ADDITION, BEARINGS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. ADDITIONALLY, THE VEHICLES COMPUTER MODULE FAILED. ALSO, THE FUEL PUMP.
NHTSA complaint #11278874 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
CAR STALL AND WOULD NOT START. REPLACED FUEL PUMP AND WORKING AGAIN BUT MY BIN WAS NOT LISTED UNDER THE RECALL FROM WHAT I CAN SEE RODORS WARPED 3 TURNS. REPLACED BREAKS TWICE WITHIN 10,000 MILES.
NHTSA complaint #11267764 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2014 FORD FLEX HAS A FEW RECALLS; MY CAR DIDN'T GET THE NOTIFICATION BUT ARE EXPERIENCING RECALL PROBLEMS. MY CAR WON'T START DUE TO FUEL MODULE (FUEL PUMP) THAT HAS BEEN RECALLED. ONE THING WE ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT IS GAS MILEAGE THE CAR LOST 20%-30% SINCE 2017. FORD MOTOR MANDATED US TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE FORD DEALER ONLY. FORD STATED THEY WOULD PAY ALL COSTS 9/19/19; I ALSO HAD TO PAY TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE LOCATION. NOW FORD MOTOR COMPANY STATED THEY WILL ONLY PAY A SMALL PORTION OF THE AMOUNT. THE DEALER HAS CONTACTED ME AND STATED THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY WILL NOT PAY ANYTHING. THE PART HAS BEEN RECALLED ON OVER 75,000 2014 FORD FLEX. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER AND THEY ARE PUTTING PRESSURE ON ME TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. A REPAIR HAS NOT BEEN MADE. GREG JOHNSON AT FRITTZ FORD RIVERSIDE IS THE CONTACT PERSON THERE ‭+1 (951) 687-2121‬; FORD MOTOR COMPANY ‭+1 (800) 392-3673‬. WE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH DEFECTIVE BREAKS THAT ALSO HAVE RECALLS BUT SUPPOSEDLY OUR CAR WAS NOT AFFECTED BUT EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUES AS THE PEOPLE WHO RECEIVED RECALLS NOTICES FOR THEIR VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #11245495 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I RECENTLY EXPERIENCED A BRAKE FAILURE ON OUR 2010 FORD FLEX. THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE HOSE FAILED DUE TO CONTACT WITH THE TIRE. THIS RESULTED IN THE BRAKE PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR AND A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN BRAKING PERFORMANCE. THE BRAKE HOSE FAILURE WAS THE RESULT OF IMPROPER ROUTING OF THE BRAKE LINE THAT HAPPENED WHEN THE CALIPER WAS REPLACED. THE ISSUE HERE IS THAT THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT NEVER ACTIVATED EVEN AFTER THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR SEVERAL TIMES. I HAVE CHECKED THE BULB BY PUTTING THE CAR IN THE RUN POSITION AND FOUND THAT THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT DOES ILLUMINATE AT THAT TIME. THIS HAPPENED DURING NORMAL CITY DRIVING (NO HEAVY TRAFFIC, SPEEDS BETWEEN 0 AND 45 MPH, STOPPING AT RED LIGHTS AND SLOWING FOR TURNS)
NHTSA complaint #11190211 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE AND COASTED OFF THE ROAD. WHEN THE DRIVER RESUMED DRIVING, A GRINDING NOISE OCCURRED FROM THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING HOME, THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN TO GARBER FORD (3380 US-17, GREEN COVE SPRINGS, FL 32043, (904) 264-2442) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT A FAILURE CODE COULD NOT BE LOCATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.
NHTSA complaint #11176494 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TWICE NOW THE TRANSMISSION AND BRAKES HAVE FAILED GOING DOWN OUR DRIVEWAY. WHEN OUR FLEX HAS BEEN GOING DOWN OUR DRIVEWAY AND THE CAR IS IN DRIVE, THE TRANSMISSION MAKES A GRINDING SOUND AND THE BRAKES DO NOT RESPOND AT ALL. ONCE ABOUT A MONTH AGO WE WERE ABLE TO STOP THE CAR USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE BEHICLE BEFORE IT ENTERED THE STREET. TODAY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS NOT USED BY A YOUNGER DRIVER AND THE CAR ENTERED THE STREET AT FULL SPEED GOING OVER A CURB AND HITTING A MAILBOX AFTERWHICH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS DEPLOYED. THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF THEN BACK ON AND EVERYTHING WAS BACK TO NORMAL. IT IS INCREDIBLY UNSAFE TO HAVE BRAKES AND TRANSMISSION FAIL IN UNISON.
NHTSA complaint #11129475 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.