U.S. public vehicle records

2011 Ford FLEX problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

144 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

73,500 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2011 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 117 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Steering is the most frequently named component, appearing in 56 of 144 complaints (38.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Steering behavior	57	39.6%
Braking behavior	13	9.0%
Engine operation	12	8.3%
Transmission and shifting	10	6.9%
Electrical and battery issues	7	4.9%
Fuel system concerns	2	1.4%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Steering

Engine

Power Train

Unknown Or Other

Electrical System

Service Brakes

Seats

Engine And Engine Cooling

Steering: 56; Engine: 25; Power Train: 16; Unknown Or Other: 11; Electrical System: 9; Service Brakes: 8; Seats: 7; Engine And Engine Cooling: 5

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 20; 25,000 to 49,999: 15; 50,000 to 74,999: 25; 75,000 to 99,999: 10; 100,000 to 149,999: 35; 150,000 and above: 12

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (35). 27 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2010: 1; 2011: 11; 2012: 4; 2013: 4; 2014: 12; 2015: 18; 2016: 11; 2017: 12; 2018: 13; 2019: 17; 2020: 8; 2021: 6; 2022: 7; 2023: 9; 2024: 5; 2025: 4; 2026: 2

Pattern summary

Steering leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 57 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 13 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 12 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10362759 · 2010-10-28 (October 28, 2010)

CAR SHUT OFF COMPLETELY WHILE DRIVING. IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE ONCE ON THE HIGHWAY AND ONCE ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET WHILE MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN BOTH TIMES POWER STEERING WAS GONE. TOOK CAR TO DEALER AND THEY CANNOT FIND ANYTHING BECAUSE IT DID NOT LEAVE A SIGNATURE. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN THE DEALERSHIP SHOP FOR TWO WEEKS NOW. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 40 miles reported. Look up ODI 10362759 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10418452 · 2011-08-10 (August 10, 2011)

INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF ELECTRIC POWER STEERING ASSIST. THIS HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES IN A 6 MONTH PERIOD. FAILURES ON INITIAL VEHICLE START, TRACTION/STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURE IS INDICATED. STEERING WHEEL IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN DUE TO LACK OF POWER ASSIST. TURNING CAR OFF AND RESTARTING WILL CLEAR FAILURE INDICATION. REPORTED TO FORD DEALER, FORD WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE INTERMITTENT ISSUE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 9,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10418452 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10448247 · 2012-02-16 (February 16, 2012)

ON AUGUST 8, 2011 AND FEBRUARY 8, 2012, MY NEW FLEX SHUT DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS FLASHED ON, AND THE VEHICLE TURNED OFF - TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE - COULDN'T ACCELERATE OR BRAKE - HAD TO PAINFULLY PULL CAR OFF THE ROAD. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER. FORD DEALER PERFORMED DIAGNOSTICS TO NO AVAIL, AS WHEN THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN, I TURNED THE KEY OFF, THEN BACK ON AGAIN - THIS DESTROYED THE DATA. SEEMS LIKE A FUNDAMENTAL DATA SYSTEM FLAW. NONETHELESS, I DROVE AWAY FROM THE DEALERSHIP IN FEAR, ONLY TO HAVE THE INCIDENT RECUR SI…

Owner-reported narrative. 9,063 miles reported. Look up ODI 10448247 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10537648 · 2013-08-22 (August 22, 2013)

CPSC: I1380138A. 2011 FORD FLEX. CONSUMER STATED THAT THE CHEMICALS USED TO MELT ICE AND SNOW CAUSES BRAKES ROTORS TO ROT. STATED AT 23,000 MILES HIS REAR BRAKES HAD TO BE REPLACED. ALSO AT 32,000 MILES ALL THE ROTORS WERE ROTTEN AGAIN. *LN

Owner-reported narrative. 23,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10537648 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10501912 · 2013-03-07 (March 7, 2013)

WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY-NO RAIN OR INCLEMENT WEATHER. AT 70MPH HAD TOTAL LOSS OF POWER (NO LIGHTS, NO POWER STEERING, NOTHING) WITH NO PREVIOUS WARNING. ABLE TO GET TO SIDE OF ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. CAR RESTARTED AND HAD NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED MY FORD DEALER AND HAD THE CAR SERVICED AFTER WE RETURNED HOME FROM VACATION. I ALSO HAD THIS HAPPEN DURING MY FIRST WEEK OF OWNERSHIP OF THE CAR ABOUT OCT, 20 WHEN I LOST TOTAL POWER AGAIN, BUT AT A MUCH LOWER SPEED (30MPH) I ALSO CALLED FORD AND HAD MY CAR SERVICED AFTER TH…

Owner-reported narrative. 45,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10501912 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10564768 · 2014-02-18 (February 18, 2014)

OUR 2011 FORD FLEX WE BOUGHT "NEW" IN OCTOBER OF 2010. IT HAS ALL THE BELLS & WHISTLES & HAD A STICKER PRICE OF ALMOST $51,000 DOLLARS! THIS CAR DOESN'T LIKE TO GET WET! IT STALLS IN THE SNOW, RAIN, CAR WASH & EVEN PUDDLES! IT JUST "SHUTS DOWN" IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION.....IT WILL "PUTT PUTT" & ALMOST STALL ON HIGHWAYS. WE CAME SOOO CLOSE TO GETTING KILLED! UGH....WE HAVE TAKEN THIS CAR IN TO (METRO FORD IN RAYNHAM) AT LEAST "4" TIMES. THE LAST TIME WAS JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO & IT WAS THERE FOR "4 WEEKS"! THEN THIS WAS IT.........…

Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10564768 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10393125 · 2011-03-28 (March 28, 2011)

MY VEHICLE WILL ACT AS IF IT IS IN NEUTRAL WHEN I PULL AWAY FROM A STOP. THE ENGINE REVS WITH NO FORWARD MOVEMENT THEN THE TRANSMISSION "BANGS" INTO GEAR AND THE VEHICLE PROCEEDS. THE HESITATION COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS FROM OTHER OWNERS ON THE FORDFLEX.NET FORUM ABOUT THIS, FORD HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO HELP ME RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 8,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10393125 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10395999 · 2011-04-15 (April 15, 2011)

Owner-reported narrative. 4,550 miles reported. Look up ODI 10395999 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10713051 · 2015-04-27 (April 27, 2015)

FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THE ELECTRICAL ON MY DASHBOARD WENT OUT. I WAS TOLD IT WAS CALLED THE FRONT INTERFACE. IT HAS NEVER BEEN MISTREATED, ABUSED NOR HAS IT EVER BEEN EXPOSED TO MOISTURE OR LIQUIDS. I CAN'T USE OR ADJUST THE RADIO, SATELLITE, CD PLAYER, NOR THE HEAT AND AIR. HOWEVER, THE HEAT IS ON FULL BLAST AND THE FORD DEALERSHIP I VISITED ABOUT THE PROBLEM SAYS THEY CAN'T TURN THE HEAT OFF. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A FRONT INTERFACE PROBLEM. THIS IS A $600-$700 PROBLEM THAT I DON'T FEEL IS THE CONSUMERS'. MY CAR IS NOT THAT OLD...IS TAKEN …

Owner-reported narrative. 99,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10713051 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11423512 · 2021-07-05 (July 5, 2021)

Fuel pump failure shut down engine in seconds on the freeway and left us stranded on the freeway with highspeed traffic. Problem confirmed by the dealer. Vehicle inspected by the manufacturer. No warning, engine just lost power on the freeway.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11423512 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11560232 · 2023-12-15 (December 15, 2023)

Gas tank is leaking gas while parked and running

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11560232 at NHTSA ↗