2009 Ford Flex

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH WHEN THE FLEX TOTALING SHUT DOWN. SHE HAD NO POWER STEERING, BRAKES OR LIGHTS. IT STARTED BACK UP AFTER A COUPLE OF HOURS AND WAS GIVING BOGUS MESSAGES ON THE DISPLAY. FORD DEALER SAYS THERE ARE NO CODES SHOWING UP, SO THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THIS. WE CANNOT DRIVE ANYMORE WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT HAPPENED, SINCE IT MIGHT HAPPEN AGAIN AND WOULD BE VERY DANGEROUS IF GOING OVER A MOUNTAIN PASS AT THE TIME IT HAPPENS. WE LIVE IN MONTANA.

WE BOUGHT OUR USED FLEX IN MARCH 2015, AND INITIALLY LOVED IT. ONCE HOT WEATHER HIT AND WE NEEDED TO USE THE AC, WE NO LONGER LOVE THIS CAR. WHEN SITTING STILL AT A RED LIGHT, THE AIR CONDITIONER IMMEDIATELY FAILS AND BEGINS TO BLOW WARM AIR. I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND THIS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. AS I CAN'T AFFORD TO TAKE IT FOR THE REPAIR, I BECAME USED TO TURNING OFF THE AIR AT EVERY INTERSECTION. LAST WEEKEND (JULY 25, 2015), WE WERE STUCK IN VERY SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC ON THE PARKWAY - GOING NO MORE THAN 10MPH AT MOST FOR APPROX. 30 MINS, SO OF COURSE WE HAD TO TURN THE AIR CONDITIONER OFF IN THE 90+ DEGREE HEAT. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE NORMALLY RUNS AROUND THE HALF WAY POINT. IT WAS NOT A GRADUAL RISE, BUT A SUDDEN ONE TO WHERE THE GAUGE WAS PEGGED AT "H" AND THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. WE HAD A CAR FULL WITH MY HUSBAND AND MYSELF, AND 4 CHILDREN - IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC IN THE MIDST OF CONSTRUCTION. WE TURNED THE HEAT UP TO 90 AND TURNED THE FANS FULL BLAST TO RELIEVE SOME HEAT OF THE ENGINE. THAT WAS NOT PLEASANT WHEN THE OUTSIDE TEMP WAS ALREADY OVER 90! ONCE WE CLEARED THE CONSTRUCTION AND GOT BACK TO REGULAR SPEED, THE GAUGE DROPPED BACK TO NORMAL LIKE NOTHING HAD EVER HAPPENED. WE'VE HAD IT LOOKED AT SINCE, AND FOUND THAT THE FANS ON THE RADIATOR NEVER KICK ON. EVER. DURING NORMAL OPERATION, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE CAR IS HOT, IT SHOULD KICK OFF AND ON OFTEN. THE FANS NEVER COME ON. THIS IS A HUGE AND DANGEROUS ISSUE WITH THIS CAR! THIS SHOULD'VE BEEN A RECALL AND TAKEN CARE OF BY FORD. THIS IS NOT LIKELY TO BE A "CHEAP" FIX. FORD NEEDS TO STAND BY THEIR VEHICLES AND COVER SUCH A MAJOR ISSUE THAT IS NOT ISOLATED TO JUST A FEW CARS.

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN MAY, 2014 AS A USED VEHICLE W/WARRANTY (POWERTRAIN). WHILE TRAVELING FROM ST.LOUIS, MISSOURI IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, THE CAR OVERHEATED. AFTER SPEEDING UP TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC IT SUDDENLY COOLED BACK OFF. NOW, DURING THIS SAME TIME, THE AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED BLOWING COOL AIR UNTIL WE SPED UP TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC. AFTER THAT, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN UNTIL I WAS STUCK IN TRAFFIC. SAME PROBLEM. THE FANS STOPPED WORKING. HERE RECENTLY, I WAS STUCK IN TRAFFIC AND THE CAR OVERHEATED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ONLY THIS TIME, WHEN I SPED UP THE CAR DIDN'T COOL DOWN. THE COOLANT WAS FINE BUT THE CAR STILL OVER HEATED. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TODAY AND WAS TOLD THAT IT IS THE COOLING FAN MODULE AND IT SHOULD BE REPLACED. NOW, I'VE READ IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT PLACES THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH 2008-2012 FORD FLEX VEHICLES. A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR THE 2011-2012 SERIES BUT NOT EARLIER MODELS. OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FAULTY MATERIALS USED TO MAKE THESE VEHICLES. THE SAME RECALL THAT WAS AFFORDED TO THE 2011-2012 MODELS SHOULD ALSO BE AFFORDED TO OWNERS OF EARLIER MODELS. THE DEALERSHIP WANTS $600 TO REPAIR THIS BECAUSE MY WARRANTY ONLY COVERS POWERTRAIN. PLEASE ADDRESS THIS ASAP. I HAVE 6 CHILDREN AND CANNOT AFFORD TO SPEND $600 ON SOMETHING THAT IS NOT EVEN MY FAULT OR THE FAULT OF NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. *TR

UPON MODERATE TO HEAVY ACCELERATION THE CABIN FILLS WITH CARBON MONOXIDE (EXHAUST FUMES) POST CATALYTIC CONVERTER. IF CABIN IS NOT QUICKLY VENTILATED BY OPENING ALL WINDOWS THE EYES ARE IRRITATED AND A VERY STRONG ROTTEN EGG SMELL RESULTS INDICATIVE THAT THE EXHAUST IS ENTERING THE CABIN AREA AFTER THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED BY TWO FORD DEALERSHIPS WHO REPLACED THE CABIN VENT BAFFLES. THIS HOWEVER DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. FORD CONCEDES IT IS A PROBLEM THAT STILL EXISTS ON 25% OF ALL FLEX MODELS BUT REFUSES TO MITIGATE THE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH UNDER WARRANTY. THE DANGER OF THIS AMOUNT OF EXHAUST GASES POSES A HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUE HOWEVER FORD ENGINEERS HAVE YET TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE AND IT STILL EXISTS ON LATER MODELS.