2014 Ford FLEX

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2014 Ford FLEX has 323 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 4.0x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is steering problems (20% of all complaints), specifically: tl* the contact owns a 2014 ford flex. while driving approximately 20 mph, the steering wheel locked up and made a loud grinding noise while being turned. there were no warning indicators. the vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and recommended that the steering module needed . ⚠️ 3 fire reports filed.

3 fire reports 11 crash reports 9 injuries

323

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

4.0x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

STEERING

66 complaints

20%

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND MADE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE WHILE BEING TURNED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE STEERING MODULE NEEDED
• AN INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL CONNECTION IN THE STEERING GEAR DISABLES ELECTRIC POWER-STEERING ASSIST WHILE DRIVING, MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. RECEIVED A "STEERING ASSIST FAULT-SERVICE REQUIRED" WARNING. THIS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING N ABOUT 50 MPH ON I-95 IN JARRETT, VA. ON MAY 27, 2016.
• POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING AND WE HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE. *TR

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND MADE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE WHILE BEING TURNED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE STEERING MODULE NEEDED ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

56 complaints

17%

• MY PREGNANT WIFE WAS PUTTING OUR 20 MONTH OLD SON IN VEHICLE. SHE PLACED HER PURSE WITH THE KEYLESS ENTRY FOB INTO CAR AND CLOSED THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR. SHE FOUND THE VEHICLE NOW ENTIRELY LOCKED AT ALL DOORS AND WOULD NOT OPEN DESPITE THE KEY FOB BEING INSIDE THE VEHICLE. IT IS BELOW FREEZING OUTS
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD FLEX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF
• ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE EQUIPMENT THAT IS SUPPOSED TO REVEAL THE MILES PER GALLON HAS FROZEN. THE FIRST TIME, IT FROZE AT 19.4 MPH REGARDLESS OF DRIVING SPEED AND ON ANOTHER OCCASION, AFTER A SERVICE CALL, IT FROZE AT 21.1 MPH. *TR

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 1 crashes

“MY PREGNANT WIFE WAS PUTTING OUR 20 MONTH OLD SON IN VEHICLE. SHE PLACED HER PURSE WITH THE KEYLESS ENTRY FOB INTO CAR AND CLOSED THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR. SHE FOUND THE VEHICLE NOW ENTIRELY LOCKED AT ALL DOORS AND WOULD NOT OPEN DESPITE THE KEY FOB BEING INSIDE THE VEHICLE. IT IS BELOW FREEZING OUTS”

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

49 complaints

15%

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD FLEX. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, IT FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP DRIVER MODULE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,539.
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE POWER SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V621000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER
• I'VE HAD MY FUEL PUMP REPLACED TWICE AND IT COST ME $970. $830 FOR FUEL PUMP AND $140 FOR BATTERY THAT DIED AS A RESULT OF THE FUEL PUMP ISSUE. I DON'T GET HOW MY CAR, WITH A REAL MALFUNCTION, NOT SOMETHING THAT "MAY" HAPPEN, ISN'T BEING INCLUDED IN THE FUEL PUMP RECALL. I WAS DRIVING WHEN IT HA

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD FLEX. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, IT FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP DRIVER MODULE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,539.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

28 complaints

• VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON SIDE OF ROAD, ON AN INCLINE FACING UPHILL, WITH ENGINE RUNNING. 2 ADULT PASSENGERS IN VEHICLE. WITHOUT NOTICE VEHICLE BEGAN ROLLING BACKWARDS. PASSENGER TURNED WHEEL IN AN ATTEMPT TO STOP VEHICLE ON CURB. CENTER CONSOLE PREVENTED PASSENGER FROM BEING ABLE TO ACCESS VEHICLE
• I WAS TRAVELING 70 MPH ON A TOLL WAY IN BUSY MORNING TRAFFIC. WITHOUT ANY WARNING THE VEHICLE LOST ENGINE POWER. PRESSING THE GAS GAVE NO ACCELERATION AND NO POWER TO MOVE THE CAR. THANKFULLY I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE AND HAD ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO GET TO THE LEFT SHOULDER. AT THIS POINT A WRENCH LIGHT CAM
• NO, THERE WASN'T A FIRE (YET). BUT YOUR SYSTEM WOULDN'T ALLOW ME TO SEND THIS W/O PICKING ONE OF THE THREE INCIDENT OPTIONS. BAD RAW FUEL SMELL AFTER EVERY ENGINE SHUTOFF. CAR TAKEN TO FORD DEALER WHO TOLD US THERE WAS A TSB# 14-0091 FOR THIS ISSUE. NO PARTS AVAILABLE, AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports💥 1 crashes

“VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON SIDE OF ROAD, ON AN INCLINE FACING UPHILL, WITH ENGINE RUNNING. 2 ADULT PASSENGERS IN VEHICLE. WITHOUT NOTICE VEHICLE BEGAN ROLLING BACKWARDS. PASSENGER TURNED WHEEL IN AN ATTEMPT TO STOP VEHICLE ON CURB. CENTER CONSOLE PREVENTED PASSENGER FROM BEING ABLE TO ACCESS VEHICLE ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

28 complaints

• SHORTLY AFTER I PURCHASED MY FORD FLEX WE NOTICED A HORRIBLE EXHAUST SMELL INSIDE THE VEHICLE AS WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE WE BOUGHT IT TO BE LOOKED AT AND THEY DID SEVERAL THINGS AND TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T FIX IT AND DIDN'T KNOW HOW AND THAT THERE WERE SEV
• BEGINNING IN EARLY MAY, MY VEHICLE WOULD LOSE ALL POWER AND GO INTO "LIMP" MODE WHILE DRIVING. THE "WRENCH" WARNING LIGHT APPEARED AND I PULLED OVER INTO THE NEAREST PARKING LOT. THE OWNER'S MANUAL INDICATE IT WAS A POWERTRAIN PROBLEM AND NEEDED TO BE TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP. WHEN I STARTED THE VEHI
• I WAS DRIVING ALONG AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE DRIVE WOULDN'T GO HIGHER THEN 20 MILES AN HOUR ENGINE IS REVING UP CAN'T SWITCH GEARS FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE TRANSMISSION IS GONE BOUGHT THIS IN MAY 2016 I HAVEN'T EVEN HAD IT 2 YEARS DEALER WON'T HELP ME BOUGHT IT FROM IMPERIAL IN MENDON MA DOESN'

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“SHORTLY AFTER I PURCHASED MY FORD FLEX WE NOTICED A HORRIBLE EXHAUST SMELL INSIDE THE VEHICLE AS WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE WE BOUGHT IT TO BE LOOKED AT AND THEY DID SEVERAL THINGS AND TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T FIX IT AND DIDN'T KNOW HOW AND THAT THERE WERE SEV”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

STEERING(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 323 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
STEERING: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND MADE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE WHILE BEING TURNED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE STEERING MODULE NEEDED
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: MY PREGNANT WIFE WAS PUTTING OUR 20 MONTH OLD SON IN VEHICLE. SHE PLACED HER PURSE WITH THE KEYLESS ENTRY FOB INTO CAR AND CLOSED THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR. SHE FOUND THE VEHICLE NOW ENTIRELY LOCKED AT ALL DOORS AND WOULD NOT OPEN DESPITE THE KEY FOB BEING INSIDE THE VEHICLE. IT IS BELOW FREEZING OUTS
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
FUEL SYSTEM: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD FLEX. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, IT FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP DRIVER MODULE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,539.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON SIDE OF ROAD, ON AN INCLINE FACING UPHILL, WITH ENGINE RUNNING. 2 ADULT PASSENGERS IN VEHICLE. WITHOUT NOTICE VEHICLE BEGAN ROLLING BACKWARDS. PASSENGER TURNED WHEEL IN AN ATTEMPT TO STOP VEHICLE ON CURB. CENTER CONSOLE PREVENTED PASSENGER FROM BEING ABLE TO ACCESS VEHICLE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)