IllustrationBad design of water pump , under parts would fail one day , but the water pump is a bad design. It failed too soon and hurt the engine. Also lots of work to fix it. But even if it get fixed the problem is still there...bad water pump
2012 Ford Flex
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 2012 Ford Flex are lower than the model-year median of 139.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Flex years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
80–25K
1125–50K
650–75K
575–100K
12100–150K
4150K+
46 reports with mileage · 18 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 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports1 fire reports4 injury reports
Unknown Or Other complaints
5 reportsThe water pump has faliure and is causing expensive repair. It seems to be a know defect. We some pending law suits.
WHILE DRIVING WITH FAMILY INCLUDING A FOUR YEAR OLD CHILD WITH REAR AIR CONDITIONING UNIT ENGAGED RECIRCULATION BUTTON ON HAD TO MERGE UNTO ENTRANCE RAMP QUICKLY. IMMEDIATELY THERE WAS A OVER POWERING ODOR/SMELL OF RAW EXHAUST /BURNT HAIR ENGULFED THE ENTIRE CABIN AREA! HAD TO QUICKLY OPEN ALL WINDOWS, MOON ROOF FOR US TO BREA…
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WHILE DRIVING WITH FAMILY INCLUDING A FOUR YEAR OLD CHILD WITH REAR AIR CONDITIONING UNIT ENGAGED RECIRCULATION BUTTON ON HAD TO MERGE UNTO ENTRANCE RAMP QUICKLY. IMMEDIATELY THERE WAS A OVER POWERING ODOR/SMELL OF RAW EXHAUST /BURNT HAIR ENGULFED THE ENTIRE CABIN AREA! HAD TO QUICKLY OPEN ALL WINDOWS, MOON ROOF FOR US TO BREATHE! FULLY BAFFLED, I INCREASED SPEED ONCE AGAIN THE SULFUR LIKE ODOR BECAME PRESENT EVEN WITH ALL WINDOWS DOWN! PERFORMED A FEW PROCESS OF ELIMATIONS WHILE STILL DRIVING AND CAME TO A CONCLUSION THAT ISSUE WAS PRESENT ONLY WHEN REAR AC UNIT WAS ENGAGED, RECIRCULATING BUTTON ON AND ACCELERATING! DID NOT USE REAR AC FOR REMAINDER OF VAC TRIP. UPON COMPLETION OF OUR ROAD TRIP REACHED OUT TO FORD CUSTOMER REP IN DETROIT ONLY FOR HIM TO TAP DANCE AWAY FROM MY QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS YET DIRECTED ME TO CONTACT MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP. I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT AT WHICH POINT I WAS DIRECTED TO GET BACK WITH DETROIT FORD REP. I EVEN PROVIDED THE BAND AID TSB! HE THEN SAID IT WAS UP TO FORD TO CORRECT OR FIX. TRAVELING WITH A SMALL CHILD OR ANY HUMAN OR PET IS TOTALLY UNSAFE. FEW DAYS AGO BREAKING NEWS REGARDING THE FORD EXPLORER RECALL HAVING THE SAME UNSAFE EXHAUST SYSTEM IN CABIN CONCERNS!
WHILE STOPPED AND IN PARK THE VEHICLE STARTED ROLLING, I ATTEMPTED TO JUMP IN THE VEHICLE BUT COULD NOT PULL MYSELF ALL THE WAY IN. I WAS ABLE TO YANK THE KEYS FROM THE IGNITION AND THEN I COULD NO LONGER RUN ALONG SIDE THE VEHICLE AND I FELL ON THE ASPHALT. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED ROLLING UNTIL IT BECAME HIGH CENTERED O…
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WHILE STOPPED AND IN PARK THE VEHICLE STARTED ROLLING, I ATTEMPTED TO JUMP IN THE VEHICLE BUT COULD NOT PULL MYSELF ALL THE WAY IN. I WAS ABLE TO YANK THE KEYS FROM THE IGNITION AND THEN I COULD NO LONGER RUN ALONG SIDE THE VEHICLE AND I FELL ON THE ASPHALT. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED ROLLING UNTIL IT BECAME HIGH CENTERED ON A LARGE ROCK. FOUR WITNESSES CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK AND THE KEYS WERE OUT OF THE IGNITION.
THE RIGHT REAR DOOR SENSOR SAYS THAT THE DOOR IS OPEN WHEN IT IS NOT. TRIED TO CLOSE IT A FEW TIMES BUT THAT DIDN'T WORK. NOW I CAN'T LOCK MY CAR AT NIGHT BECAUSE MY CAR ALARM WILL GO OFF THINKING THAT SOMEONE IS TRYING TO BREAK IN. IT HAS NOW HAPPENED APPROXIMATELY SIX OR SEVEN TIMES NOW. I SEE THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED…
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THE RIGHT REAR DOOR SENSOR SAYS THAT THE DOOR IS OPEN WHEN IT IS NOT. TRIED TO CLOSE IT A FEW TIMES BUT THAT DIDN'T WORK. NOW I CAN'T LOCK MY CAR AT NIGHT BECAUSE MY CAR ALARM WILL GO OFF THINKING THAT SOMEONE IS TRYING TO BREAK IN. IT HAS NOW HAPPENED APPROXIMATELY SIX OR SEVEN TIMES NOW. I SEE THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THE SAME ISSUE. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL.
Official recalls
216V247000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.