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2009 Ford Flex

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2009 Ford Flex do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 139.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

150 reports with mileage · 31 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

7 crash reports2 fire reports5 injury reports

Wheels complaints

5 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jul 17, 2026
Wheels

On February 26, 2026, I purchased a used 2009 Ford Flex VIN from Header’s Auto Sales. At time of delivery, the vehicle was equipped with tires that did not meet the manufacturer’s required load rating for this vehicle. A licensed mechanic provided a safety assessment confirming the tires were improperly load-rated and unsafe to…

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On February 26, 2026, I purchased a used 2009 Ford Flex VIN from Header’s Auto Sales. At time of delivery, the vehicle was equipped with tires that did not meet the manufacturer’s required load rating for this vehicle. A licensed mechanic provided a safety assessment confirming the tires were improperly load-rated and unsafe to carry the vehicle load. We were not informed of this issue at sale. To make the vehicle safe to drive, I replaced all 4 tires at my cost. Improper load-rated tires can result in tire failure, loss of vehicle control, and crash. Dealer sold vehicle "as-is" without disclosure of this safety defect.

NHTSA ODI #11750984

Mileage unknown · Jan 4, 2016
SteeringWheels

WHEELS GET STUCK AND IT SEEMS LIKE I'M DRIVING IN AN ICY ROAD. ALSO IT TURNS OFF ALL OF A SUDDEN WHEN I'M DRIVING.

NHTSA ODI #10817725

50,000 miles · May 19, 2015
Wheels

WHEEL BEARING FAILED BEFORE 60,000 MILES AND NOW AT LEAST ONE OTHER IS FAILING. IF THE WHEEL SEIZES, CONTROL OF THE CAR COULD BE LOST. I BELIEVE FORD HAS PURCHASED POOR QUALITY FAULTY BEARINGS AND SHOULD REPLACE THEM FOR SAFETY OF DRIVERS AND OTHERS ON ROAD.

NHTSA ODI #10717279

40,000 miles · Aug 31, 2013
Wheels

WHILE DRIVING DOWN OUT OF AN APPROACH, MAKING A RIGHT TURN, GOING MAYBE 5 MPH, VEHICLE COMES TO SCREECHING HALT, MAKING A TERRIBLE GRINDING NOISE. ENGINE DOES NOT GO OFF, NO STALLING. FEELS LIKE SOMETHING IS INTERFERING WITH WHEELS. HAPPENED MONTHLY, ALWAYS OUT OF A SLIGHTLY DOWN-FACING DRIVEWAY, TURNING RIGHT. THEN ABOUT A WEEK…

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WHILE DRIVING DOWN OUT OF AN APPROACH, MAKING A RIGHT TURN, GOING MAYBE 5 MPH, VEHICLE COMES TO SCREECHING HALT, MAKING A TERRIBLE GRINDING NOISE. ENGINE DOES NOT GO OFF, NO STALLING. FEELS LIKE SOMETHING IS INTERFERING WITH WHEELS. HAPPENED MONTHLY, ALWAYS OUT OF A SLIGHTLY DOWN-FACING DRIVEWAY, TURNING RIGHT. THEN ABOUT A WEEK AGO, IT HAPPENED WHILE MAKING A NORMAL LEFT HAND TURN ONTO A FLAT STREET AT AN INTERSECTION GOING A LITTLE FASTER. VEHICLE LURCHES TO A COMPLETE STOP, HORRIBLE GRINDING NOISE, AND I CAN'T GO UNTIL I CAN STEER WHEELS STRAIGHT WHICH IS REALLY HARD TO DO. THANK GOODNESS NO ONE WAS BEHIND ME. TOOK ONCE TO A MECHANIC WHO COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. BEEN DOING THIS EVER SINCE WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. NOW AFTER THE LAST INCIDENT, I AM REALLY SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR! &JS

NHTSA ODI #10538215

27,000 miles · Dec 5, 2011
Wheels

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH AND TOWING A TRAILER, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL SEIZED AS THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL UNTIL THE WHEEL REGAINED NORMAL OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH AND TOWING A TRAILER, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL SEIZED AS THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL UNTIL THE WHEEL REGAINED NORMAL OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,000.

NHTSA ODI #10438635

Official recalls

1

16V247000 · Air Bags:frontal

Apr 26, 2016

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 Ford Flex, 2008 and 2010-2012 Ford Taurus, 2008-2009 Ford Taurus X, 2008 Mercury Sable, 2009 and 2011 Lincoln MKS vehicles. The driver frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the driver's frontal air bag module, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on June 13, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C06.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.