2015 Ford FLEX: complaints, problems and recalls

I WAS ENTERING AT CARPOOL LANES WHEN A DEBRIS HIT THE UNDERBODY OF THE VEHICLE, I JUST HEARD A BIG HIT UNDERBODY AND CONTINUE DRIVING AFTER TWO MILES ANOTHER DRIVER NOTICE FLUIDS WERE DRAINING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE AND URGE ME TO CHECK WHEN I STOPPED I FIND OUT THE DEBRIS HAD MAKE A HEAVY DAMAGE TO THE GAS TANK AND GASOLINE WAS IN EFECT DRAINING FAST. I STOPPED AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND A FRIEND OF MINE HELP ME TAKE THE DAMAGE VEHICLE TO MY HOUSE WHERE THE THE REST OF THE GASOLINE DRAIN OUT. I PUT SAND INTO THE DRAIN GASOLINE AND TRY…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,983 miles reported. Look up ODI 10762895 at NHTSA ↗

WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR 6-21-16 AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WHEN SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY THE CAR LOST POWER. SHE WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR OFF THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT BUT COULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED. DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION/REDUCED POWER ICON WAS DISPLAYED ON INSTRUMENT PANEL. CAR WAS TOWED TO NEAREST FORD DEALERSHIP BUT NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND. I PICKED THE CAT UP AND DROVE IT UNTIL THE MORNING OF 6-26-16 AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME. I GOT OFF THE ROAD, PUT THE CAR IN PARK, TURNED THE SWITCH OFF AND PULLED THE KEY OUT. I WAITED A FEW MINUTES, …

Owner-reported narrative. 12,440 miles reported. Look up ODI 10876758 at NHTSA ↗

VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO IN REVERSE WHEN PUT IN REVERSE. ALSO, WHEN THE NEW PART WAS DELIVERED TO FIX THE VEHICLE, THEY DELIVERED A DAMAGED PART AND HAD TO SEND IT BACK AND RE-ORDER A FUNCTIONAL PART.

Owner-reported narrative. 5,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10881542 at NHTSA ↗

REGARDING NHTSA COMPLAINT NO. 10876758. HAD THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP THIS MORNING AND NOTHING WAS FOUND. THEY THINK IT IS THE THROTTLE BODY BUT CAN'T REPAIR IT WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY. SERVICE WRITER SAID HE WOULD CALL ME IF AND WHEN HE GOT AUTHORIZATION (NO IDEA WHEN THAT MIGHT BE). NO OFFER WAS MADE TO LEAVE CAR UNTIL REPAIRS WERE MADE AND REPLACE WITH A LOANER. I DROVE THE CAR BACK HOME APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES ONE WAY. THIS AFTERNOON I DROVE IT TO THE GROCERY STORE WITH MY WIFE RIDING ALONG AND UPON RETURNING HOME I WAS…

Owner-reported narrative. 12,752 miles reported. Look up ODI 10881799 at NHTSA ↗

JULY 1 I WAS DRIVING THE CAR RUNNING SOME ERRANDS (BANK, POST OFFICE, GROCERY STORE) WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER TURNING ACROSS ONCOMING TRAFFIC ON A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY. THIS WAS ONE DAY AFTER I HAD THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR MORE DIAGNOSTIC WORK AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITHOUT THE CODE. I LEFT THE CAR RUNNING AFTER MAKING IT HOME AND CALLED FORD ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FOR A TOW TO THE DEALERSHIP. WHEN WRECKER DRIVER ARRIVED AFTER A TWO HOUR WAIT HE SAID HE COULD NOT TOW CAR WITH ENGINE RUNNING (AGAINST DOT RULES AND REGULATI…

Owner-reported narrative. 12,763 miles reported. Look up ODI 10882744 at NHTSA ↗

PURCHASED MY 2015 FORD FLEX ON MAY 11, 2016 WITH 54 MILES. ON SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2016 THE WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AND THE CAR SHUT-DOWN. I WAS ABLE TO GET IT STARTED AND DROVE HOME, WHICH WAS LESS THAN 5 MILES AWAY. THE CODE PER THE MANUAL, POWERTRAIN FAILURE. ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AS WELL. I NOTICED IT WOULD MOVE A LITTLE SLUGGISH WHEN GOING UP A HILL AND ALSO NOTICED THE SOUND OF THE TRANSMISSION TAKING A FEW SECONDS TO SWITCH GEARS. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TOWED IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY ARE SAYING THE THROTTLE BODY WAS DEFECTIVE AND…

Owner-reported narrative. 6,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10882770 at NHTSA ↗

APPARENTLY MY "THROTTLE BODY" ELECTRONICS WENT BAD AND CAUSED MY ENGINE TO STOP WHILE I WAS IN FAST LANE OF FREEWAY...BARELY MADE IT TO THE SHOULDER. NO WARNING UNTIL AFTER CAR WAS OFF. DEALER WAS "AWARE" OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THIS 2015 FORD ENGINE ALTHOUGH FORD HASN'T DONE ANYTHING TO WARN CUSTOMERS OR RECALL TO FIX..IT IS NOTICED HOWEVER IN SAFETY ISSUES WITH ORGS. IT IS INEXCUSABLE THAT THE CARE WILL NOT WARN OF PENDING PROBLEM, AND TURNS OFF ON ITS ON (OR SLOWS DOWN TO CRAWL) AND FORD HAS NOT TAKEN ACTION ON PROBLEM THEY ARE AWARE OF.

Owner-reported narrative. 9,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10884925 at NHTSA ↗

VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AT HIGHWAY SPEED WHEN IT SUDDENLY DECELLERATED AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO STEER/COAST TO SIDE OF ROAD. ENGINE WAS RUNNING, BUT VEHICLE HAD NO ACCELERATION. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER AND DEALER REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY PART. DEALER INDICATED DEFECTIVE THROTTLE BODY PARTS WERE NOT UNCOMMON ON FORD VEHICLES. SUDDEN DECELLERATION COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RISK HAD TRAFFIC BEEN HEAVIER AND/OR LESS SKILLED DRIVER.

Owner-reported narrative. 12,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10893707 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2015-07-24 (July 24, 2015)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, and Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 23, 2015, Lincoln MKT vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 21, 2015, and 2015-2016 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 23, 2015. The affected vehicles have a parking brake that may not fully engage when applied. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."

Consequence: If the parking brake does not fully engage and the transmission is left in a gear other than 'Park' while on a slope, the vehicle may roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will test the operation of the parking brake system, and if necessary, replace the parking brake control assembly, free of charge. The recall began on September 4, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C07.

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.

Reported: 2025-10-13 (October 13, 2025)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.

Consequence: A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.