2012 Ford Flex

WE HAVE A 2012 FORD FLEX NORMALLY ASPIRATED ENGINE. STARTING IN AUGUST, WE HAD AN ISSUE WITH OUR ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY WHICH CAUSED OUR CAR TO SHUT DOWN. WE HAD THE PART REPLACED, SHORTLY AFTER A SIMILAR PROBLEM OCCURRED. THIS WAS DUE TO THE DEALERSHIP FRYING THE COMPUTER. THIS WAS REPLACED, BY THE DEALERSHIP, AFTER CALLING FORD DIRECTLY. IN FEBRUARY, THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY FAILED AGAIN. REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THE SAME ISSUE OCCURRED LAST NIGHT AND THE VEHICLE WILL BE TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. ALL SIGNS POINT TOWARD THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY AGAIN. EVERY TIME THIS ISSUE ARISES, THE CAR GOES INTO A SAFE MODE WHILE TRAVELING DOWN BUSY STREETS. THIS RESULTS IN SPEEDS OF AROUND 5 MILES PER HOUR AND CAN CAUSE MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEMS. THE VEHICLE AND THE PART INSTALLED ARE NO LONGER CONSIDERED SAFE TO DRIVE ANY DISTANCE GREATER THAN FIVE MILES FROM OUR RESIDENCE, IN CASE WE NEED TO GET HOME. TO CLARIFY, THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION .

MY VEHICLE HAS 188,000 MILES ON IT AND IS AN AWD MODEL. IT HAS ALWAYS, UNTIL THE LAST TWO OIL CHANGES EVERY 3000 MILES, BEEN SERVICED BY THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND THE CAR WAS BOUGHT FROM (LEO CAYTES FORD). THE RPMS SKYROCKET TO 3000 - 4000 RPMS WHEN THE CAR IS CONTROLLED BY SPEED CONTROL SUDDENLY, BUT THE CAR DOESN'T SPEED UP. WHEN THE SPEED CONTROL IS RELEASED, THE RPMS DROP TO THE NORMAL SETTING FOR THAT SPEED. THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERY TIME THE SPEED CONTROL IS USED, BUT, MUCH MORE FREQUENTLY AS OF LATE. THE FRONT AWD MECHANISM (BETWEEN THE FRONT WHEELS - PTU????) IS LEAKING AND THE OIL HAS SHAVINGS AND "DIFFERENT COLORS" IN THE FLUID. AND, ON OCCASION THE LEFT INTERIOR FRONT LIGHT ( BY THE REAR VIEW MIRROR) WILL TURN ON BY ITSELF. THESE ARE RECENT EVENTS AND I LOVE MY FLEX AND WOULD BUY ANOTHER ONE IF I COULD AFFORD TO DO SO. IT HAS REALLY GIVEN ME NO PROBLEMS FOR THE MOST PART, AND I WOULD SAY, "ITS THE BEST CAR I'VE EVER OWNED, FOREIGN OR DOMESTIC!!!! ALSO, ON MOST OCCASIONS, THERE HAS ALWAYS, FROM THE BEGINNING OF OWNERSHIP - BOUGHT NEW - BEEN A PROBLEM IN THE WINTER THAT WHEN THE CAR IS STATIONARY (PARKED OR AT A LIGHT) WITH THE HEAT ON, IT BLOWS COLD AIR! THE DEALER HAS TRIED TO FIX THE PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES, BUT, TO NO AVAIL. AS SOON AS THE CAR MOVES, HEAT FUNCTIONS OK!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING 1 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED BACKWARDS RAPIDLY AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES TO THE KNEES, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO RICHMOND FORD LINCOLN (4600 W BROAD ST, RICHMOND, VA 23230) WHERE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FLEX. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE ENCLOSED GARAGE ATTACHED TO HIS HOME, A BURNING ELECTRICAL ODOR WAS NOTICED. THE CONTACT WENT TO THE GARAGE AND NOTICED FLAMES SURROUNDING THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT OPENED THE HOOD AND FLAMES WERE VISIBLE BETWEEN THE REAR OF THE ENGINE AND WINDSHIELD. THE CONTACT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS WERE NOT NOTIFIED. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO CALL HIS AUTO INSURANCE COMPANY. NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHOM DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE AS BEING RELATED TO THE WIRING HARNESS LEADING TO THE POWER STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO TOWED TO CAPITAL FORD LINCOLN OF ROCKY MOUNT (2012 STONE ROSE DR, ROCKY MOUNT, NC 27804 (252) 977-1234) WHERE THE WIRING HARNESS WAS DIAGNOSED AS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AND REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 110,000. CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT RUNNING, NOR WAS THERE A KEY IN THE IGNITION AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE. UPDATED 9/13/18*JB

POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILS; DRIVING AND THE POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING, SOMETIMES UNEXPECTEDLY. VERY DANGEROUS! IT IS SPORADIC--SOMETIMES IT WORKS AND OTHER TIMES IT DOES NOT WORK. USUALLY HAPPENS WHEN STATIONARY, AND TURNING IT ON--POWER STEERING WILL NOT ENGAGE FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. ONCE IT HAPPENED WHEN DRIVING AND I WAS LUCKY TO PULL OVER CAR. TURNED IT OFF AND BACK ON AND IT STARTED WORKING.

DRIVING UP AN ON RAMP TO AN INTERSTATE, SUDDENLY ALL THE LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING ON THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY. I COULD NOT SEE ANY SPEED OR DRIVING INFORMATION. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND IT WOULD NOT RESTART. NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN WHEN I TURNED THE KEY, DASHBOARD LIGHTS STILL FLASHED. CAR RESTARTED AFTER 5 MINUTES AND I DROVE IT DIRECTLY TO THE DEALERSHIP. BY THE TIME I ARRIVED AT GRAPPONE FORD IN CONCORD, NH MY DEALERSHIP THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WERE AGAIN FLASHING AND I COULD NOT SEE ANY DATA.

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!

HAVE A 2012 FORD FLEX WITH 72XXX MILES THATS LEAKING FLUID FROM THE PTU (POWERTAKE OFF UNIT). LEARNED THAT FORD HAS THIS PROBLEM IN MANY VEHICLES FLEX,EDGE, MTX. MY CONCERNS ARE THAT ITS HAS A SMELL FROM TIME TO TIME LEAKING ON THE EXHAUST. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT IF IT GOES COMPLETELY OUT IT WILL OR CAUSE THE CAR TO LOCK UP THE DRIVE TRAIN WHICH PUTS FEAR INTO DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND MAKES ME FEEL PRESSURED. THE COST IS AROUND $1900.00 AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY WILL NOT ISSUES ANY CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE OR RECALLS. FORD IS WELL AWARE THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM AND THEY SHOULD STEP UP AND TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM