2014 Ford Flex

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD FLEX. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V072000 (SUSPENSION) AND WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VIN. HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT HAD EXPERIENCED A FAILURE WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE REAR TIRES BELIEVED TO BE WORN OUT FROM THE SUSPENSION. NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT HE HAD TO CHANGE OUT THE REAR TIRES EVERY 4 MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE REAR SUSPENSION AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE REAR SUSPENSION WAS FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. CLONINGER FORD (511 JAKE ALEXANDER BLVD S, SALISBURY, NC 28147 (704) 802-1388) WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THAT NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE TO DUE THE REPAIR. VIN TOOLS CONFIRMED PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD FLEX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN UNIVERSAL JOINT WAS RUSTED. ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AFTER TURNING APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES, ALMOST CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE STEERING COLUMN WAS REPLACED AND THE FAILURE WAS REMEDIED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER SKALNEK FORD LOCATED AT 941 S LAPEER RD, ORION CHARTER TOWNSHIP, MI 48362 WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000. *LN

SUDDEN ELECTRIC ASSIST STEERING LOSS WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. VEHICLE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL, OCCUPANTS IN DANGER OF LOSS OF LIFE FROM CATASTROPHIC CRASH. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY. THEY HAVE RECALLED OTHER YEARS OF ELECTRIC ASSIST ON FORD FLEX, HOWEVER NOT 2014. WE WERE NOT AWARE OF THIS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS PART BEING INSTALLED ON OUR FLEX. FORD MOTOR COMPANY DID NOT CONTACT US WITH ANY WARNING OR RECALL. THEY SIMPLY STATED THAT SOME PARTS FROM EARLIER RECALLED MODELS COULD HAVE BEEN ASSEMBLED ON OUR VEHICLE. SINCE THEY KNEW THAT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN ASSEMBLED ON SOME 2014 VEHICLES, THEYSHOULD'VE INFORMED US OF THE SAFETY HAZARD. WE ARE NOT ALONE. THE FORD FLEX OWNERS FORUM IS FULL OF SCARY DETAILS OF OTHER FAMILIES LOSING STEERING ON THEIR 2014 FLEX WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO DIE BECAUSE FORD HAS NOT TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY & ALERTED ITS CUSTOMERS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD FLEX. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A SECOND NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V072000 (SUSPENSION) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT CALLED AIRPORT MARINA FORD (5880 W. CENTINELA AVE, LOS ANGELES, CA 90045, (888) 368-7755), WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT PARTS WERE NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

FAMILY ROAD TRIP APPROXIMATELY 450 MILES FROM HOME. NO POWER STEERING IMMEDIATELY UPON COLD START - WARNING CHIME AND WARNING DISPLAY ON INSTRUMENT CLUSTER STATING LOSS OF POWER STEERING CONTROL AND TO CONTACT DEALER FOR SERVICE. WIFE SAID THIS SAME WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AFTER COLD STARTING THE VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 3 DAYS BEFORE, BUT TURNING THE IGNITION OFF AND RESTARTING ELIMINATED THE WARNING LIGHT AND SHE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. WE RECALLED THE SAME THING HAPPENING APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS AGO WHILE ON A FAMILY ROAD TRIP AFTER WE COLD-STARTED THE VEHICLE AND DROVE APPROXIMATELY 2-3 BLOCKS BEFORE WE LOST POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 30-35MPH. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE IN A RELATIVELY EMPTY DOWNTOWN AREA WITH VERY LITTLE TRAFFIC WHEN I LOST POWER STEERING IN CONJUNCTION WITH WARNING CHIME AND VISUAL WARNING ON INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. I PULLED TO A STOP, RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND EVERYTHING WAS BACK TO NORMAL. ALSO FORTUNATE THAT I WAS DRIVING WHEN LOSING POWER STEERING WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. NO RECURRENCE OF THIS ISSUE UNTIL THIS PAST WEEK. HAD TO HAVE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALER WHILE ON OUR FAMILY ROAD TRIP YESTERDAY AND HAD TO MAKE THE 450 MILE DRIVE BACK HOME IN A SMALL RENT CAR. THEN, WE RECEIVED THE DREADED CALL FROM THE FORD DEALER SAYING THE DIAGNOSTIC FAULT CODE SAYS WE NEED A NEW POWER STEERING RACK FOR $2,800.00 THIS IS CONCERNING SINCE ITS OBVIOUSLY A KNOWN ISSUE THAT RESULTED IN A LIMITED RECALL FOR THE 2011 THRU 2013 MODEL YEARS. OUR VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN LATE 2013 BUT IS A 2014 MODEL, LEAVING ME TO WONDER IF THE STEERING RACK ON MY WIFE'S CAR WAS DEFECTIVE ALL ALONG. PER THE FORD DEALER AND THE FORD WEBSITE, OUR VIN DID NOT QUALIFY FOR THIS 2015 RECALL.