Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Ford Flex - part 1

The car kept misfiring and it completely stoped on me 2 times in the street it also overheated due to the cooling system.

See all problems of the 2016 Ford Flex 🔎.

I am submitting a formal complaint regarding multiple premature and potentially safety-related failures on my 2019 Ford Flex, purchased new on 11/25/2019. These include: ?? 1. Rear suspension / rear toe link concern although my vehicle is not included in Ford’s rear toe link recall (20s62), it is experiencing the same symptoms: rear-end instability and drifting uneven or premature rear tire wear clunking or loose feeling from the rear suspension I have an appointment scheduled for August 6, 2025 to inspect the rear toe bar links, as I suspect they are defective or misaligned — the exact condition the recall addresses. ?? 2. Water pump failure the engine water pump failed before 100,000 miles, requiring a full replacement. This is a known issue in several Ford engines, and repair was required out-of-pocket despite the vehicle being well maintained. ?? 3. Exterior trim detachment multiple exterior trim pieces detached from the vehicle while driving, posing a road hazard to myself and others. These parts did not appear to be securely fastened from the factory. ?? 4. Premature tire wear rear tires wore out far earlier than expected — possibly linked to suspension or alignment issues, including the toe link concerns mentioned above. ? 5. Ongoing electrical failures since August 2022, I have had to return to the dealership multiple times for electrical system issues: 8/3/2022 11/2/2022 2/14/2024 these included battery/electrical drain issues and warning system malfunctions, which affect the vehicle’s reliability and safety. These problems began less than 3 years after purchasing the car new. These issues raise serious concerns about the overall build quality and long-term safety of the 2019 Ford Flex. I am concerned that my vehicle may have: been excluded from critical recalls, despite showing identical failure patterns undergone multiple early mechanical and electrical repairs developed safety-related defects that compromise both driver & public safety.

See all problems of the 2019 Ford Flex 🔎.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Flex. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check coolant warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the engine had experienced coolant intrusion and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 163,000.

Coolant intrusion - water pump leaked inside the engine, causing engine failure. The engine has to be replaced. This has been a known problem with this model and has been fixed/covered by the warranty.

The water pump and timing cover gaskets are faulty. The water pump is internal and causes major engine malfunction when it breaks.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds; the vehicle lost automotive power and the steering wheel was pulling to the left and was difficult to turn in either direction. No warning light was illuminated. An appointment with the local independent dealer was scheduled to inspect the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the year, make, and model being outside the selected VIN range. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to an unidentified NHTSA campaign; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 130,400.

See all problems of the 2014 Ford Flex 🔎.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford focus. The contact stated that on several occasions while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,050.

See all problems of the 2013 Ford Flex 🔎.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started shaking excessively and the vehicle briefly hesitated. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the water pump, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 50,000.

There is far to much to list.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced several electrical failures, including that door erroneously locking and unlocking and the lane departure safety feature malfunctioning. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who determined that the electronic body control module was faulty. After removing and reinstalling the module, the vehicle was repaired. Additionally, while the vehicle was in for service, the mechanic discovered that the water pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Flex. The contact stated that occasionally, while attempting to reverse, the image on the back over prevention camera was displayed upside down. Additionally, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

The contact owns a 2010 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, the steering wheel became firm, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and was able to restart the vehicle after 3 attempts. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to the oil mixing with the coolant. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the vehicle was not under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 148,000.

See all problems of the 2010 Ford Flex 🔎.

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.

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 was the repairs covered under warranty. The contact was referred to NHTSA hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 125,436.

See all problems of the 2011 Ford Flex 🔎.

The contact's grandmother owns a 2011 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 mph, the steering wheel seized. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who replaced the rack and pinion, and power steering pump. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 176,000.

Driving down road at 45mph, vehicle lost power, motor quite running. Due to being on 4 lane divided road, and cars all around, I quickly hit my hazard lights, put it in neutral and coasted best I could and was able to turn on a side road to safety. This was very dangerous. Dash lights were on, no warning lights, messages before, during or after event. Tried restarting vehicle and it cranked away. Figured out had to repush the push start button to keep it from cranking away longer. Towed to local Ford dealer. They determined cause to be fuel pump driver module failed, (explains engine stop since there was no fuel supply, and needed replacement. In addition I had another issue, they found water pump was leaking out weep hole. I then discovered they built the water pump into the engine block, behind the timing chain. It takes 13 hours to replace, and if you don't replace, the water goes into the engine oil. Very bad design, knowing it would need to be replaced. Cost over $2500 and 1 week to change a water pump! ridiculous. I know a class action lawsuit has been filed-while not a safety issue directly, I think many people will not change it (due to expense), and then the engine blows up while driving creating a safety hazard.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the garage, there was fluid leaking underneath. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the water pump assembly and timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Ford hid the fact that some of its vehicles may suffer a sudden internal water pump failure that poses significant safety risks to drivers including sudden catastrophic engine failure. From 2007 through at least 2020, Ford has incorporated the cyclone engine—containing a faulty internal water pump—into thousands of vehicles. Internal water pumps should last for the useful life of the engines without the need for any service, maintenance, or repair. Despite knowing for more than a decade that its' vehicles incorporating the "duratec engine", contain a defect in design that can cause the internal water pump to prematurely fail well before the end of the useful life of the engine. The issue has lead to a repair estimate of $2700 usd or could lead to catastrophic engine failure due to the water pumps' placement inside the engine block (poor design). In the past, Ford has also represented that the water pump will not need to be serviced or maintenance, but the internal location of the water pump in the engine conceals it from view and inspection when other routine services are being performed. The water pump is in line with the crankshaft and located over the main body of the engine, it reportedly allows coolant to leak from the water pump into the oil pan. Making matters worse, mixed coolant and oil can lead to engine failure, too.

While driving at 65mph, vehicle started to accelerate funny and cel came on. Was getting on the freeway and the vehicle overheated and cel light came on. I was able to safely pull over before the vehicle died. Got vehicle towed to my home and when engine oil was checked, it was discovered that there was coolant in the oil. Took to a local shop where it was determined that the water pump had failed and dumped all of the coolant into the oil pan. Estimated cost of repair with labor is $5,000. Failure mileage was ~192,000. The oil was in good standing and gold in color 12 hours prior and was only driven ~45 miles at highway speeds before the failure happened. From what I can tell, this was a catastrophic failure of the water pump bearing seal that happened almost instantaneously. This needs to be looked into, as the repair bill does not match the issue. A water pump repair should not cost more than the vehicle.

Approximately 2 months ago car would not start. Towed to dealer on Friday. Dealer evaluated it on Monday but car resumed starting. Retrieved car. This morning problem returned. Having already done a lot of research on this apparently common issue it seems most of the time it is the fuel pump control module located behind the plastic trim on the passenger side b pillar. A replacement part was acquired from a Ford parts dealer and installed into the car. Car starts and runs fine now.

In September 2022 was going down the highway at 70 miles an hour for my vehicle to shut off with no warning lights everything locked up even the steering wheel get it to the side of the road sat there for about 20 minutes the car lights on the inside came back on started it got it home to find out that my coolant or water pump was missing all fluids took it to a repair shop by the name of superior auto repair for them to tell me there was a defect with the water pump but they weren’t going to break down the engine for the adjuster to come out to inspect I have found that the type of engine that I do have did have recalls on it for the water pump being faulty causing the engine to seize up and basically having to be replaced.

My 2010 Ford Flex began inadvertently surging forward in acceleration without me making it do this exactly 3 months after I purchased the vehicle. The Ford dealer was unable to re-produce the problem on several occasions and said my vehicle was fine. No error messages reported in the computer. This has continued to happen sporadically since ownership. I have had another Ford dealership (as well as an independent mechanic) try and reproduce and diagnose the problem with no luck. Several weeks ago I was driving my vehicle in my residential neighborhood when all of a sudden my car surged forward with great acceleration with no warning. I had to swerve into a driveway and cut the vehicle off to get the vehicle under control. I am 82 and have a heart condition. This safety issue is critical as someone could get hurt or killed. Ford has several complaints of this happening with several models. I believe it is a Ford design flaw in the vehicles electronic throttle system. Ford corporate was put on notice of these events after the latest safety event. Please, I urge the NHTSA to issue a recall before lives are lost. I can no longer drive this vehicle as I am concerned someone is going to get hurt. It is being towed to the ravenel Ford dealership for inspection and diagnosis again. . . . .

While driving, just as I turned my steering wheel; it got very stiff to turn. If I was not able to turn, I easily could have drove into someone's house, pedestrians or hit other vehicles both parked and driving on the road. Especially if I were going very much faster and didn't have as much strength as I do. A week before this happened, I got a quick flash of a message twice that read "advancetrack needs service". But after that ine trip a week ago, it never popped back up and still hasn't. Other than that, no warning lights or codes xan be found. I made it home (less than a half mile away). After having it checked by 2 different mechanics, both said it was the electric steering and told me to check the recalls for my 2013 Ford Flex sel. I found that my particular VIN did not have the 2 recalls that affected numerous Ford vehicles with electric steering, including the same year, make and model of my Ford Flex. The recall is for the power steering. I've also seen numerous other posts on Fordflex. Net where this has affected many Ford Flex vehicles from 2009 to 2018 with electric steering. The other issue I had is a known recall for other Ford Flex vehicles, but not my VIN, just like the previous. I was driving on the highway when my dash starts beeping and flashing at me wiyh an overheating issue. I had to do my best to get off the highway. Thankfully I was stopped when this happened and not far from the turn I needed to get me and my car to safety. Turned out to be the internal water pump. It cost me around $2,000. 00 to get it fixed.

About 5 miles from home with no warning. The car went from regular temp to hot then stopped. Water mixed with the oil. The tech said the water pump just failed. I did not have any problems with it running hot or anything.

See all problems of the 2009 Ford Flex 🔎.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start-up occasionally. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel inlet needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 103,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Flex. The contact stated that upon her husband starting the vehicle, the vehicle entered limp mode as he exited the driveway. Her husband then drove the vehicle back into the driveway and turned the vehicle off. The next day, her husband started that vehicle and was temporarily able to resume normal driving; however, the vehicle entered limp mode while in traffic as the power train warning light illuminated. Her husband was able to coast the vehicle back home while in limp mode and had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The dealer initially diagnosed the vehicle with a defective throttle body; however, the failure persisted after the part was repaired. The contact made numerous trips back to the dealer; however, the failure persisted after each visit. The contact was then informed to take the vehicle back once the wrench light had illuminated. Once the wrench light illuminated, the contact began to drive the vehicle to the dealer. While driving, she heard an abnormal clunking sound coming from the vehicle as the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle entered limp mode. The contact made it to the dealer as antifreeze began leaking from the vehicle. The contact was then informed by the mechanic that the radiator fluid had begun to leak out of the vehicle as a result of the water pump, which was previously replaced. The mechanic also discovered that the radiator fluid had leaked out of the rear main seal of engine which caused engine failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided the contact with a case number. The vehicle remained at the dealer and was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the engine temperature gauge would increased and air conditioner would not blow cool air. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who discover the engine coolant levels were extremely low and the engine water pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Recently while driving the vehicle suddenly lost automotive power and would not properly accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local service center who diagnosed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 65,000.

We were on the way back from the grocery store on September 4th, 2021. We were traveling on the freeway at about 60mph when the car suddenly lost power. The only warning light was a wrench on the display. All electrical power remained on but there was no engine power and no acceleration. We were fortunate there was a shoulder where I was able to pull over. I coasted the car down the exit and onto a street away from traffic. I waited about 10 minutes, turned the car off and turned it back on and it started. The wrench light on the display was off. I called the local Ford dealership and the service advisor said there were no recalls and that I would need to pay for a diagnostic check. The issue has not reoccurred.

See all problems of the 2015 Ford Flex 🔎.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at unknown speed, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the spark plugs needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the canister purge valve and throttle body assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact to contact NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 122,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Flex. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed and repaired however, the failure recurred and persisted. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was informed of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 126,828.

See all problems of the 2012 Ford Flex 🔎.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Flex. The contact stated while his wife was driving at 65 mph and the vehicle stated to overheat. The contact's wife was able to pull over safety. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop where they stated that the water pump needed to be replaced and that water was detected in the engine of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and they stated that there where no recall under the VIN and advised to contacted NHTSA. The failure mileage was 146,000.

My Flex has repeatedly lost power while driving. I can feel the car lose power, and the yellow wrench light comes on. After reading up on it, I learned that you have to turn the vehicle off, wherever you are, and restart it after a few minutes. The wrench light turns off, and the car runs as normal, with no records of codes. This is talked about over and over in online forums. The safety issue is that it has happened on the freeway several times while traveling at a high rate of speed. The car loses power, and you cannot accelerate. You have to find a way to stop immediately, put the car in park (and listen to the transmission clunk) and turn it off. This last instance put me in harms way on the freeway. The car lost power while traveling 70mph. I immediately lost speed and had to cross 3 lanes of traffic to pull over to turn the car off. All of the forums talk about the throttle body, but everyone says that’s not the issue. The oss and tss sensors are also discussed. The dealerships cannot find out what’s wrong because once the car is turned off and restarted, any codes are erased. The issue persists, and the car keeps losing power wherever and whenever. I am referencing the most recent incident on this form, however, this has happened at least 12 times since September, 2020. Please, please force a recall on this issue!.

Last night, I went to back the car out of the garage and while in reverse, the engine started revving up uncontrollably and even though I had my foot on the brakes, it kept moving in reverse. I quickly put it in neutral and the revving came down. Shut down the car, restarted it and this time, I put it in drive and the same thing happen again only to start lunging forward even while braking. If I were in traffic or at a stop light or sign, I would have surely hit the person(s) in front or behind me. Later my wife explained to me this happened while driving on the interstate and she had a hard time controlling the speed, due to revving, even while using the brake. She managed to take an exit ramp into a large parking lot using extreme braking (forceful) and shut the car off. She was able to make it home shortly thereafter. I waited until after 8pm to drive when there was little or no traffic to drive to the closest car repair shop to drop it off and there happened to be a mechanic leaving as I was pulling up. I described the problem and he mentioned that it was a definitely a safety issue and advised not to drive it until it got diagnosed & repaired. I've owned a lot of cars in my life and experiencing uncontrollable revving whilst the transmission is engaged is a frightening experience. Luckily we kept our wits and were able to recover. I also see where this has already been reported on this site. This is a real safety issue and I'm thankful no one was injured last night, including my wife and children. Please, please check into this as this is not normal behavior and a serious safety concern.

When vehicle in motion on major roadway, loss of power and goes into limp mode. Yellow wrench lights up. Vehicle does not respond to throttle. I have to shut off vehicle and turn it back on . There is no dtc code when checked. I was almost rear ended with my children in the vehicle at time of incident. Car loses power and rapidly decelerates within 5 seconds. There is zero time to pull off the road which put us at high risk of being rear ended. This is a life/road safety hazard.

Throttle body has been diagnosed on my 2012 Ford Flex. Looking at vehicle history, the same throttle body has recalls for different models. Yesterday, 9/252020, I had my Flex die on me three times on the interstate during traffic. The milage is under 100k miles. Every time the vehicle dies is when im under 30 mph.