2011 Ford Flex

THE EXHAUST MUFFLER HOLDING HOOK IS SEVERLY RUSTED. PART WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER IN 05/03/11. REPLACED PART IS SEVERLY RUSTED AGAIN. VEHICLE HAS 7500 MILES ONLY. THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN TO A MINIMUM DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. THIS IS A POTENTIAL HAZARD SINCE THE MUFLER COULD FALL OFF THE CAR WHILE DRIVING DUE TO EXECIVE RUST OF THE SUPPORTS. *TR

ON AUGUST 8, 2011 AND FEBRUARY 8, 2012, MY NEW FLEX SHUT DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS FLASHED ON, AND THE VEHICLE TURNED OFF - TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE - COULDN'T ACCELERATE OR BRAKE - HAD TO PAINFULLY PULL CAR OFF THE ROAD. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER. FORD DEALER PERFORMED DIAGNOSTICS TO NO AVAIL, AS WHEN THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN, I TURNED THE KEY OFF, THEN BACK ON AGAIN - THIS DESTROYED THE DATA. SEEMS LIKE A FUNDAMENTAL DATA SYSTEM FLAW. NONETHELESS, I DROVE AWAY FROM THE DEALERSHIP IN FEAR, ONLY TO HAVE THE INCIDENT RECUR SIX MONTHS LATER. NOW I AM DRIVING WITH A DATA FLIGHT RECORDER FOR A MERE TEN DAYS, THE BUTTON OF WHICH I MUST PUSH, IF AND WHEN THE CAR SHUTS DOWN AGAIN. WITHOUT RECORDED DATA, THOUGH FORD BELIEVES MY REPORT, I SEEM TO HAVE NO RECOURSE WITH FORD. I NOW AM DRIVING IN FEAR FOR MY OWN AND OTHERS' LIVES. HAS THIS HAPPENED TO ANYONE ELSE? *TR

THERE WAS NO SPECIFIC INCIDENT; THE PROBLEM RECURS SPONTANEOUSLY, WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE SUPER LATCH BELT LOOSENS SIGNIFICANTLY ON ITS OWN AFTER BEING CORRECTLY AND TIGHTLY INSTALLED. IT HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES WHILE INSTALLED REAR-FACING IN TWO DIFFERENT CARS. REINSTALLATION DID NOT HELP, SO THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED TO GET A NEW LATCH BELT. I'VE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW LATCH BELT. UNFORTUNATELY, THE SEAT DOES NOT INSTALL WELL WITH A SEAT BELT BECAUSE OUR CARS HAVE STEMS ON THE FEMALE PART OF THE BELTS, CAUSING IT TO INTERFERE WITH THE BELT PATH ON THE CHILD RESTRAINT. THIS CHILD RESTRAINT IS THEREFORE UNUSABLE FOR US. (RELATED VEHICLE INFORMATION: MODEL YEAR=2011, MAKE=FORD, MODEL=FLEX). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD FLEX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN ONE OF HER CHILDREN ACCIDENTALLY PRESSED THE BUTTON TO AUTOMATICALLY FOLD DOWN THE THIRD ROW PASSENGER SEAT. WHILE THE SEAT WAS FOLDING DOWN, ANOTHER CHILD'S LEG GOT STUCK BETWEEN THE SEAT AND FLOORBOARD. AS A RESULT, THE CHILD SUFFERED BRUISES AND CARPET BURNS. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED SERIOUS CONCERN THAT THE SEAT CONTINUED TO FOLD DOWN FORCEFULLY WHEN THE CHILD WAS STUCK. THE CONTACT ALSO EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS TO FREE THE CHILD ONCE THE CHILD'S LEG WAS WEDGED BETWEEN THE SEAT AND FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,439. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF ELECTRIC POWER STEERING ASSIST. THIS HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES IN A 6 MONTH PERIOD. FAILURES ON INITIAL VEHICLE START, TRACTION/STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURE IS INDICATED. STEERING WHEEL IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN DUE TO LACK OF POWER ASSIST. TURNING CAR OFF AND RESTARTING WILL CLEAR FAILURE INDICATION. REPORTED TO FORD DEALER, FORD WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE INTERMITTENT ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD FLEX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER ACCELERATING TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE, FUMES WOULD EMIT INTO THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE WITH THE VENTS CLOSED AND THE WINDOWS OPEN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE ONLY OCCURRED WHEN ACCELERATING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE CONTACT WOULD EXPERIENCE NAUSEA AND BURNING OF THE EYES WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES BEFORE DETERMINING THAT THE TRANSMISSION FILLER CAP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THAT THE O-RING WAS TOO BIG FOR THE VEHICLE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 9,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD FLEX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE RACK THAT WAS MOUNTED ON THE ROOF DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT WAS TRAVELING BEHIND THE CONTACT. AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND AN APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 9,100. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER ACTIVATED THE CONTACT NOTICED A SMELL SIMILAR TO PETROLEUM TAR COMING FROM THE VENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT TESTED THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE WITH A CARBON MONOXIDE TESTER AND THE LEVEL OF CARBON MONOXIDE INCREASED WHILE ACCELERATING. A TEST WAS ALSO PERFORMED WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CARBON MONOXIDE READER AND THE LEVEL INCREASED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50.

HANKOOK OPTIMA 19" TIRE SIDEWALL FOR FORD FLEX. I PURCHASE A BRAND NEW 2011 FORD FLEX ON 5/5/11 WITH 19" HANKOOK OPTIMA TIRES. 2 DAYS AGO, MY SIDEWALL BUSTED AS I ENTERED MY DRIVEWAY, WHICH RAISED, BUT THAT I HAVE DRIVEN OVER HUNDREDS OF TIMES WITH MY INFINITY FX35 TIRES WITHOUT A PROBLEM. I DON'T BELIEVE THE BRAND NEW SIDEWALL SHOULD BUST IF YOU GO OVER A BUMP WRONG. *TR