2014 Ford FLEX: complaints, problems and recalls

I LOADED TWO BOXES IN THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE AND CLOSED THE BACK HATCH DOOR. THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW EXPLODED FROM THE VIBRATION CAUSED BY CLOSING THE BACK HATCH DOOR. COULD HAVE BEEN A SAFETY ISSUE IF SOMEONE HAD BEEN NEAR THE GLASS. IF IT HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY, COULD HAVE BEEN A DISTRACTION. FORD HAS DENIED ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE GLASS EXPLODING. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10563669 at NHTSA ↗

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 BRAKES OR PARKING BRAKE. VEHICLE ENDED UP STRIKING ANOTHER VEHICLE BEFORE IT CAME TO REST. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO INJURIES AS HILL ENDS IN CUL-DE-SAC WITH LARGE DROP OFF. I REQUESTED LOCAL FORD DEALERS INSPECT POWERTRAIN SYSTEM AS A CAR IN PARK SHO…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10565206 at NHTSA ↗

MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING ON A 2-LANE HIGHWAY IN OUR VEHICLE AT THE APPROXIMATE SPEED OF 55 MPH. OUR FORD FLEX WAS EQUIPPED WITH A FACTORY SUNROOF, WHICH WAS IN THE CLOSED POSITION, AND THE SUNSHADE WAS OPEN. AS WE WERE TRAVELING DOWN THIS ROAD, WITH NO TRAFFIC COMING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, OR IN FRONT OF US, WE HEARD A SHOTGUN SOUND COME FROM ABOVE OUR HEADS AND GLASS FLEW EVERYWHERE IN OUR VEHICLE, INCLUDING IN THE BACK WHERE OUR 5-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS SITTING. OUR SUNROOF AND LITERALLY EXPLODED!!!! WE CLOSED THE SUNSHADE AND IMMEDI…

Owner-reported narrative. 7,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10606988 at NHTSA ↗

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 OUTSIDE AND OUR SON IS NOW LOCKED INTO THE CAR AND GETTING COLDER. MY WIFE CALLED ME. I HAD HER CALL 911. I CALLED FORD ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND EXPLAINED THE EMERGENCY WE HAD. FORD ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND SUGGESTED I C…

Owner-reported narrative. 7,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10661941 at NHTSA ↗

I WENT TO THE LOCAL KFC FOR DINNER DURING MY LUNCH BREAK AND WHEN I CAME BACK TO MY VEHICLE AFTER GETTING MY FOOD INSIDE I STARTED MY CAR AND PROCEEDED TO PUT IT IN REVERSE. AS SOON AS I PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE IT PROCEEDED TO GO FORWARD INSTEAD. SO I CHECKED TO MAKE SURE I PUT IT IN REVERSE AND PUT THE VEHICLE BACK IN PARK AND THEN RE-ENGAGED REVERSE AND IT WENT FORWARD AGAIN. THIS TIME THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY ADVISED ME TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND TH…

Owner-reported narrative. 7,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10668235 at NHTSA ↗

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 CAME ON SAYING CHECK MANUAL. THE CAR WAS UNDER NO POWER OF ITS OWN IN 70 MPH TRAFFIC. VERY DANGEROUS! SAT ON THE LEFT SHOULD OF THE SPEEDING TOLL ROAD UNTIL A TOW TRUCK ARRIVED AND TOOK IT TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP. THEY RAN DIAGNOSTICS AND WERE VERY SU…

Owner-reported narrative. 34,304 miles reported. Look up ODI 10669446 at NHTSA ↗

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 THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 34,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10671857 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD FLEX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE IMPACTED THE CURB AND STARTED TO JERK UNCONTROLLABLY. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE AXLE FRACTURED AND THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES AND MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT REQUIRED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE MILEAGE WAS 2…

Owner-reported narrative. 22,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10679123 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2014-07-02 (July 2, 2014)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles manufactured September 2, 2010, to November 30, 2013; 2013-2014 Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured August 25, 2011, to November 30, 2013; and 2013-2014 Ford Flex and Lincoln MKT vehicles manufactured September 12, 2011, to November 30, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the halfshaft retention circlip may not have been properly installed, and as a result, the halfshaft may move outward and disengage from the linkshaft while driving and without prior warning.

Consequence: If the halfshaft and linkshaft become disengaged while driving, power will no longer be transmitted to the wheels, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. Additionally, if the parking brake is not applied before exiting the vehicle, the vehicle may roll away despite the transmission being placed in 'Park', increasing the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles to make sure that the halfshaft is properly retained. If it is not, dealers will replace the linkshaft and also replace the halfshaft if it shows evidence of spline damage, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S10.

Reported: 2014-11-07 (November 7, 2014)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014 Ford F-150 and Flex vehicles manufactured March 1, 2014, to May 31, 2014. The affected vehicles were manufactured with a reduced clearance between the seat frame and the seat track assembly. This can cause the Occupant Classification System (OCS) to inaccurately register passenger weight and improperly suppress the passenger front airbag when the passenger seat is occupied by an adult passenger. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Consequence: Improper suppression of the passenger airbag increases the risk of an injury to the seat occupant in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front passenger airbag.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will widen the gap between the seat frame and seat track assembly and recalibrate the seat OCS, free of charge. The recall began November 25, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14C10.

Reported: 2016-08-25 (August 25, 2016)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI Ecoboost engines and 2013-2015 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor vehicles. A component within the fuel pump electric module (PEM) may overheat causing a loss of electrical power to the fuel pump.

Consequence: A loss of power to the fuel pump will cause the engine to stall or prevent the vehicle from starting, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel PEM part number and replace the fuel PEM, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S31.

Reported: 2020-02-10 (February 10, 2020)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Lincoln MKT and Ford Flex and Taurus vehicles with the Police Interceptor or SHO Performance Pack. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.

Consequence: A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. Remedy parts are not currently available. Owners were notified about the recall on March 3, 2020. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts become available, which is currently expected to be the end of September 2020. The recall began October 28, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or Lincoln customer service at 1-800-521-4140. Ford's number for this recall is 20S04.