2013 Ford Flex

WHILE DRIVING ON I-5 A HEAVY HEAVY RAIN WAS COMING DOWN AND I HAD MY WIPERS ON THE HIGH SETTING AND THEY WORKED FOR A LITTLE BIT AND THEN STOPPED MOVING AT A HIGH SPEED. WHILE ON THE HIGH SETTING THEY WERE GOING SLOWER ACROSS THE WINDOW THEN THE CONTINUOUS SLOW SETTING. I WAS UNABLE TO SEE AND HAD TO SLOW DOWN AND MOVE OVER UNTIL MY WIPERS COULD ALLOW ME TO SEE PROPERLY. THEY CONTINUED THIS FOR THE REST OF MY 150 MILE DRIVE MOVING SLOWER ON THE HIGH SETTING THROUGH THE RAIN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD FLEX. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 20 MPH WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE PASSENGER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RESTRAIN THE CONTACT, WHO WAS DRIVING AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE CONTACT WAS THROWN UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL AND SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE RIBS AS A RESULT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

A 2013 FORD FLEX RENTAL VEHICLE USED FOR A 4-HOUR DRIVE FROM THE SAN DIEGO AREA TO SOUTHERN ARIZONA WAS LEAKING GASOLINE FUMES, WHICH KEPT ENTERING THE CABIN AND MADE ALL PASSENGERS NAUSEOUS, INCLUDING AN ELDERLY FEMALE WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED INSIDE A GARAGE OVERNIGHT AND THE FOLLOWING MORNING ALL THE INTERIOR AREAS OF THE HOUSE, INCLUDING ALL BEDROOMS, WERE SATURATED WITH A VERY POTENT SMELL OF GASOLINE. AFTER INSPECTING THE HOUSE, IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT THE FUMES WERE COMING FROM THE RENTAL 2013 FORD FLEX VEHICLE, AND THE GARAGE HAD AN EXTREMELY POTENT CONCENTRATION OF GASOLINE FUMES. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO EXPLOSION, WE ALL FELT ILL AND TOOK US ABOUT A WEEK TO FULLY RECOVER. WHEN THIS HAPPENED WE WERE IN AN AREA WITHOUT PHONE OR INTERNET ACCESS, BUT I REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO THE RENTAL COMPANY WHEN I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE RENTAL COMPANY, BUT THEY DID NOT APPEAR TO BE TOO CONCERNED. *TR

I RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE ON SATURDAY, 7/27. I AM LEAVING FOR VACATION ON AUGUST, 3, WILL BE GONE FOR 3+ WEEKS AND WILL DRIVE APPROX. 4000 MILES. I CALLED SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS ON MONDAY, 7/29, BUT AM UNABLE TO FIND ANYONE WILLING TO SCHEDULE SERVICE FOR BEFORE 8/9 -- THEY HAVE TO ORDER THE PART AND THEN WILL SCHEDULE ME ONCE IT HAS COME IN. I CALLED FORD'S CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER TWICE AND GOT NO ASSISTANCE. FORD TELLS ME THAT IF I DON'T CURRENTLY SMELL GAS, THE CAR IS CURRENTLY SAFE TO DRIVE. HOWEVER, I AM CONCERNED THAT I WILL BE ON VACATION THOUSANDS OF MILES FROM HOME AND DEVELOP A PROBLEM BUT HAVE NO WAY TO ADDRESS IT. IF THERE IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AND A RECALL NOTICE IS ISSUED, THE DEALERSHIPS SHOULD HAVE PARTS ON HAND AND BE PREPARED TO REPAIR CARS QUICKLY FOR PEOPLE IN MY SITUATION. A RECALL NOTICE ON A POTENTIAL FUEL LINE PROBLEM IS OF NO USE IF DEALERS ARE PREPARED TO DEAL WITH THE SAFETY ISSUE PROMPTLY. *TR

ON 7/20/13 I DROPPED OFF THE FLEX AT THE DEALER FOR THE TIMELY SERVICE AND ALSO TO HAVE THE A/C CHECKED. FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS A TERRIBLE ODOR HAS BEEN COMING FROM THE A/C AND AFTER THE CAR WAS UNUSED FOR A DAY, THE ODOR WAS UNBEARABLE WHEN WE TURNED ON THE CAR A/C. ON 7/22/13 AT THE END OF THE WORK DAY, THE SERVICE DEPT CALLED STATING ALL WORK WAS COMPLETED, THAT THE A/C WAS WORKING PROPERLY AND THAT THERE WAS NO A/C PROBLEMS TO REPAIR. WHEN I AGAIN INFORMED THEM ABOUT THE TERRIBLE ODOR, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE FLEX HAS A PROBLEM WITH MILDEW IN THE A/C BUT THAT THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I DID NOT PICK UP MY CAR FROM SERVICE AND CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER TO INFORM HIM/HER OF WHAT I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR.THE SERVICE MANAGER AGREED THAT THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE FORD FLEX A/C, THAT FORD WAS AWARE OF THIS A/C ISSUE AS OF A YEAR AGO, BUT THAT THERE WAS NO SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE. I WAS INFORMED THAT A REGIONAL REP WOULD CALL ME IN TWO DAYS. I SAID THAT I COULD NOT PICK UP THE CAR AS MY DAUGHTER SUFFERS FROM UPPER RESPIRATORY AILMENTS AND THAT I WOULD NOT PICK UP THE CAR UNTIL THE MOLD AND MILDEW WAS REMOVED AND THE PROBLEM FIXED. I INFORMED THEM THAT I NEEDED A CAR IN THE MEANTIME TO GHETTO WORK, ETC. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT GIVE ME A LOANER AND THAT I SHOULD GET A RENTAL CAR AT MY OWN EXPENSE AND THAT THERE MAY, OR MAY NOT, BE A POSSIBILITY OF A REFUND FOR THE RENTAL EXPENSE. I AM CURIOUS IF ANYONE ELSE HAS HAD THIS A/C PROBLEM WITH FORD AND IT WAS CORRECTED? *TR

ABOUT A MONTH AFTER PURCHASING MY VEHICLE, ONE OF THE INFLATABLE SEATBELT BUCKLES CRACKED AT THE BUCKLE CASING. A FEW WEEKS LATER, THE SECOND SEAT BELT BUCKLE CRACKED. I HAD BOTH BUCKLES REPLACED AND NOW I HAVE A 3RD BUCKLE CRACK. THIS MAKES THE SEATBELTS UNSAFE AND DIFFICULT TO OPERATE. ADDITIONALLY, THE TOP PART OF THE SEAT BELT (WHERE THE INFLATABLE PORTION ORIGINATES) BECOMES TWISTED AND STUCK AT THE TOP, AND MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO PULL OUT THE SEAT BELT AND USE IT. THIS INFLATABLE SEATBELT FEATURE IS IN THE SECOND ROW WHERE MY CHILDREN SIT. THEY ARE UNABLE TO USE THE SEATBELTS UNASSISTED AS THEY ARE HEAVY AND DIFFICULT TO MANIPULATE EVEN WHEN THEY ARE WORKING PROPERLY. THIS NEW FEATURE IS UNSAFE AND MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO BUCKLE EACH AND EVERY TIME THEY ARE USED. I PAID TO HAVE THESE SPECIAL SEATBELTS INCLUDED WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, AND EVEN CHOSE THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THIS NEW SPECIAL FEATURE. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THEM REMOVED AND TO HAVE REGULAR STANDARD SEATBELTS INSTALLED. THANK YOU. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD FLEX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 10 MPH, SHE BECAME INVOLVED IN A CRASH WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING 50 MPH. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 2,400. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.