2010 Ford Flex

WHILE DRIVING HOME THE SERVICE POWER STEERING/SERVICE ADVANCETRAK WARNING CAME ON. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE ADDITIONAL 5 MILES OR SO TO GET HOME WITHOUT HAVING ANY MAJOR STEERING ISSUES. THE STEERING FELT DIFFERENT, BUT WAS STILL CONTROLLABLE. UPON ARRIVING HOME, I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON. I WAS SEEING IF THE WARNING DISAPPEARED, BUT NOW IT SAID SERVICE POWER STEERING NOW. AT THIS POINT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS ALMOST IMMOVABLE. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE DOWN TO THE STREET, WHERE I HAD IT TOWED TO THE CLOSEST FORD DEALERSHIP. I RECEIVED A CALL STATING THAT THE RACK AND PINION STEERING GEAR WAS IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN THE FALL 2015 WITH ABOUT 78000 MILES ON IT. CURRENTLY WE HAVE ABOUT 94000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE NEWER MODEL YEARS WITH THE SAME ENGINE HAVE HAD A SIMILAR DEFECT PROMPTING A RECALL. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT A SIMILAR PROBLEM COULD HAVE OCCURRED WITH THE EXACT SAME SCENARIO. THE DEALERSHIP HAS RESPONDED WITH AN ESTIMATE FOR $2200+. WITH THE VEHICLE HAVING LESS THAN 100000 MILES AND NOW REQUIRING SUCH A MAJOR REPAIR, I PERSONALLY FEEL AS THOUGH FORD HAS SOME RESPONSIBILTY. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME WITH MY VEHICLE, BUT IF I HAD TO HAVE DRIVEN ANY FURTHER AWAY WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED? PLEASE HELP NOT JUST ME BUT OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME MY2010 VEHICLES.

2010 FORD FLEX SEL WITH ECOBOOST, 87K MILES. ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING WENT OUT ON MY ON MY WAY HOME. I WAS ON MY STREET, SO WHEN I GOT HOME, I TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED THE CAR, POWER STEERING WAS FINE. A WEEK LATER THE POWER STEERING FAILED RIGHT WHEN I STARTED THE CAR, AND NO AMOUNT OF RESTARTING HAS BROUGHT IT BACK TO LIFE. APPARENTLY I'M LOOKING AT AROUND $1000 FOR A NEW SAS AND STEERING GEAR. IT SEEMS THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 2011-2013 FLEXES, BUT NOT THE 2010S, WHICH TO MY KNOWLEDGE HAVE THE SAME ELECTRONIC STEERING SYSTEM. I SEE OTHERS ON FORUMS COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS ISSUE AS WELL, AND WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE A RESOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD FLEX. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALER FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED A TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND ADVISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION TRANSFER CASE BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000.

POWER STEERING WENT OUT. TOWED TO FORD DEALER. THEY REPLACED THE STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY ($2,145.00). TWO HUNDRED MILES LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. TOWED TO THE SAME FORD DEALER, AFTER TWO DAYS THEY TELL ME THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS LOW. I DON'T BELIEVE IT BUT WILL DRIVE SOME MORE. WHEN THESE INCIDENTS OCCURRED WE WERE DRIVING ON STATE HIGHWAYS AT 40 MPH +/- PULLED OVER AND STOPPED AND LOWER SPEEDS THE VEHICLE WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. VEHICLE MILEAGE 72997 AND WE ARE ORIGINAL OWNER. *JS

WHILE WAITING AT A LIGHT IN MY 2010 FORD FLEX THE ENGINE WAS IDLING ROUGH, AFTER THE SIGNAL TURNED GREEN THE POWER SEEMED LOW AND SLUGGISH AS I ACCELERATED. WHEN I WAS AT ABOUT 45 MPH THE ENGINE POWER RETURNED AND SEEMED MORE NORMAL, SUDDENLY WITHOUT NOTICE THE ENGINE TURNED OFF AND ALL DASH LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO A DRIVE WAY BUT WAS VERY HARD AS THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP SAFELY. ONCE STOPPED THERE WAS A VERY STRONG SMELL OF COOLANT. I OPENED THE HOOD AND FOUND A LARGE AMOUNT OF COOLANT ON RIGHT SIDE OF ENGINE. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO MY HOME TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE ISSUE COULD BE. ON FURTHER INSPECTION IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THE WATER PUMP FAILED WHICH IS INTERNAL TO THE TIMING CHAIN COVER AND THEREFORE DUMPED A LARGE AMOUNT OF COOLANT INTO THE CRANKCASE WHICH THEN CONTAMINATED THE ENGINE OIL AND OVER FILLED THE OIL PAN. I WAS FORTUNATE THAT THIS OCCURRED ON A CITY STREET AND NOT ON THE FREEWAY AS THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT. ON FURTHER RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THIS HAS OCCURRED MANY TIMES. THE ENGINE IN QUESTION IS THE CYCLONE ENGINE AND IS FORDS LATEST V6 FAMILY OF GASOLINE ENGINES INTRODUCED IN 2006, AND IS KNOWN AS THE DURATEC 35 WHICH DISPLACES 3.5 L, THE DURATEC 37 WHICH DISPLACES 3.7L AND THE ECOBOOST 35 WHICH IS A TWIN TURBO CHARGED VARIANT OF THE DURATEC 35, THESE ENGINES ARE INSTALLED IN THE FOLLOWING VEHICLES, 2007'PRESENT FORD EDGE, 2010'2012 FORD FUSION SPORT, 2011'PRESENT FORD MUSTANG, 2009'PRESENT FORD FLEX, 2010'PRESENT FORD TAURUS SHO, 2013'PRESENT POLICE INTERCEPTOR SEDAN, 2011'PRESENT FORD EXPLORER, 2013'PRESENT FORD POLICE INTERCEPTOR UTILITY, 2011'PRESENT FORD F-150, 2015'PRESENT FORD EXPEDITION/EXPEDITION EL, 2014'PRESENT FORD TRANSIT, 2015'PRESENT LINCOLN NAVIGATOR/NAVIGATOR L, 2010'PRESENT LINCOLN MKS, 2010'PRESENT LINCOLN MKT, 2007'PRESENT LINCOLN MKX, 2007'PRESENT MAZDA CX-9(MZI).

ACCELERATED FROM DRIVE MAKING SHARP RIGHT TURN ONTO BUSY STATE ROUTE ROAD. POWER STEERING ABRUPTLY FAILED WHILE ACCELERATING WITH FRONT WHEELS TURNED SHARPLY TO PASSENGER SIDE. STEERING WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO MOVE BACK TO CENTER POSITION IN SPITE OF PULLING WITH ALL MY MIGHT (MUSCULAR BUILD). APPLIED BRAKES SHARPLY; VEHICLE EXITED ROAD AND IMPACTED CURB WITH FRONT TIRES..WIFE, AND TWO SMALL CHILDREN PRESENT IN VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC AT SPEED ON ROAD. ONCE STATIC; STEERING WHEEL LOCKED IN POSITION; COMPLETELY UNABLE TO BUDGE WHEEL WITH VEHICLE STATIC. CONDUCTED RESEARCH; IDENTIFIED FORD RECALL FOR MODEL YEARS 2011 AND ABOVE WITH IDENTICAL PROBLEM. INFORMED FORD DESIGNED FLAWED AND UNSAFE STEERING RACK IN HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VEHICLES; BUT MY 2010 FLEX IS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL. REPAIR REQUIRES COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF ELECTRIC STEERING RACK AND RELATED COMPONENTS. REPAIR COST APPROXIMATED AROUND 3K. VEHICLE PURCHASE NEW IN 2010, ONLY 51K MILES (JUST OUT OF WARRANTY). FORD TELLS ME TO TAKE A HIKE. I AM PHYSICALLY DISABLED AND ON SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY. IT IS WINTER, WE HAVE NO OTHER VEHICLE. THIS IS CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE; WHY HAVE YOU EXCLUDE 2010 AND PRIOR MODEL YEARS IN RECALL WITH IDENTICAL COMPONENT FAILURES? *TR...UPDATED 03-10-16 *BF; 4/27/18*JB *TR