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2011 Ford Flex

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2011 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

117 reports with mileage · 27 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.

  • Steering. Review the 57 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

5 crash reports1 fire reports8 injury reports

Suspension complaints

2 reports
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Mileage unknown · May 10, 2026
Service BrakesSteeringSuspension

I have had this vehicle since about August 2025, the brakes and wheel bearings have failed twice, the strut failed, the power steering system has messed up repeatedly, the coolant came FLYING out of the car (while parked) FOR ABSOLUTELY NO REASON! There have been multiple warning lights on since I got the vehicle and I have been…

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I have had this vehicle since about August 2025, the brakes and wheel bearings have failed twice, the strut failed, the power steering system has messed up repeatedly, the coolant came FLYING out of the car (while parked) FOR ABSOLUTELY NO REASON! There have been multiple warning lights on since I got the vehicle and I have been told they are just sensors from multiple mechanics and that they don't mean anything. As it relates to the issues, the brakes, calipers, and wheel bearings have given out twice WHILE DRIVING without any sort of warning up until they seized! The strut on the front passenger side has broken for no known reason and the power steering system has been non stop eating power steering fluid with no leaks. Since I have gotten this vehicle, I have put OVER 7,000 dollars worth of work into it. This went to fixing the brake calipers, brakes, rotors, all the steering mechanisms (tie rods, sway bars, etc.) and wheel bearings twice, trying to figure out why coolant flew out of the vehicle for no known reason, trying to figure out where the power steering fluid is going, all to no avail. I have had multiple mechanics look at and check all the components of the vehicle, and they can't even figure out what is going on other than things just fail without warning non stop. There is something wrong with these vehicles, EVERY SINGLE OWNER OF A 2011 FORD FLEX THAT I HAVE SPOKEN TO HAS SAID THE SAME EXACT THING, THEY ARE DEALING WITH THE SAME EXACT ISSUES AS I AM, AND NO ONE KNOWS WHY! THESE VEHICLES NEED TO BE RECALLED AND A CHECK FOR THE PRICE OF A PERFECT 2011 FORD FLEX GIVEN TO EVERY 2011 FORD FLEX OWNER, THEN THEY NEED TO BE TAKEN OFF THE STREETS AS THEY ARE A DANGER TO THE PEOPLE DRIVING THEM AND ALL OTHER DRIVERS AS WELL AS PASSENGERS IN THE FLEX AND ANY OTHER VEHICLE! A 2011 FOR FLEX IN PERFECT CONDITION IS WORTH APPROXIMATELY $15,000, FORD SHOULD BE SUED FOR THIS! My vehicle is available for inspection when necessary, thank you!

NHTSA ODI #11736911

73,500 miles · Dec 13, 2017
Suspension

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD FLEX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS UNEVEN TIRE TREAD WEAR TO THE TIRES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SET OF TIRES WERE REPLACED TWICE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A MECHANICAL DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE'S SUSPENSION SYSTEM, WHICH CAUSED THE UNEVEN WEAR OF THE TIRES. THE CONTACT …

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD FLEX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS UNEVEN TIRE TREAD WEAR TO THE TIRES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SET OF TIRES WERE REPLACED TWICE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A MECHANICAL DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE'S SUSPENSION SYSTEM, WHICH CAUSED THE UNEVEN WEAR OF THE TIRES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM WAS POORLY DESIGNED THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE TIRES TO REMAIN BALANCED OR ALIGNED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TOM HOLZER FORD DEALER LOCATED AT: 39300 W 10 MILE RD, FARMINGTON HILLS, MI 48335, (248) 474-1234, WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO FIND A FAULT OR EVEN A FAILURE WITH THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE UNEVEN WEAR WITH THE TIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER REFERRED THE CONTACT TO CALL NHTSA TO FILE A COMPLAINT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,500.

NHTSA ODI #11054476

Official recalls

2

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.

15V340000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System

Jun 2, 2015

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine and 2013 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with any available engine. The affected vehicles have electric power steering assist systems that may shut down as a result of a steering motor sensor fault.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC). If dealers find any loss of steering assist DTCs, the steering gear will be replaced, free of charge. If, no codes are found during the PSCM inspection, the PSCM software will be updated, free of charge. The recall began on July 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S18.

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.