2015 Ford Flex

POWER STEERING SUDDENLY FAILED. SYSTEM WARNED OF VSC FAULT, THEN STEERING ASSIST FAULT, THEN THERE WAS NO POWER ASSIST, AT 50MPH. I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT ON AN AIRPORT ACCESS ROAD. THE PROBLEM PERSISTED FOR A 2 MILES OR SO, WHEN I WAS ABLE TO GET IT OFF THE ROAD SAFELY. WHEN I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND RE-STARTED A FEW MINUTES LATER, THE PROBLEM WAS GONE, AS WERE THE WARNINGS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH ATTEMPTING TO MERGE ONTO A HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO LOSE ACCELERATION AND HESITATED. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DROVE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY WAS CLOGGED AND NEEDED CLEANING. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT LEAST TWENTY TIMES DURING THE PAST EIGHTEEN MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.

ON JULY 5, 2018 I WAS DRIVING AT 35 MPH ON A CITY ROAD WHEN A WARNING LIGHT WITH THE WORDS "STEERING ASSIST FAULT, SERVICE REQUIRED" SUDDENLY CAME ON AND THE STEERING STOPPED WORKING ALMOST ENTIRELY. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE MANUAL ABILITY TO STEER THE CAR. FORTUNATELY WE WERE ON A VERY WIDE, EMPTY ROAD, SO I WAS ABLE TO USE BOTH LANES AND GET THE CAR TO MY HOUSE. IF THIS HAD OCCURRED ON A BUSY CITY STREET OR NARROW LANE, WITH ANY KIND OF TRAFFIC, WE COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN IN A SERIOUS, EVEN FATAL COLLISION. I HOPE THAT OTHER FORD OWNERS WILL REPORT THIS PROBLEM IF THEY EXPERIENCE IT, SO THAT A RECALL CAN BE INITIATED IF NEEDED. THIS WAS A DANGEROUS SYSTEM FAILURE THAT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED.

I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH UPHILL WHEN SUDDENLY, AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE FLEX DECELERATED TO A COASTING SPEED. I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO A TURN LANE BUT UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. THE WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND TURNED IT BACK ON. THE WRENCH LIGHT WAS ON AND THEIR WAS ABILITY TO ACCELERATE BEYOND CRAWLING. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE NORMALLY TO WORK.

THE REAR WINDOW WASHER HOSE HAS BLOWN APART THREE TIMES. ONCE LAST WINTER SO I COULD NOT REMOVE SLUSH TO SEE OUT REAR WINDOW. TWICE THIS YEAR, AT THE CONNECTION TO REAR HOSE. NEW HOSE INSTALLED AT FORD DEALER MONTH OR SO AGO. SINCE THEN HOSE BLEW APART AT FIRE WALL. I PUSHED CONNECTION BACK INTO FIREWALL. SATERDAY 7-29-17 CAR WAS IN FOR OIL CHANGE I ASKED IF THEY COULD LOOK AT HOSE. THEY COULD NOT,SAID TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT. 8-1-17 FRONT WINDOW HOSE BLEW APART. I COULD NOT CLEAN BUGS FROM WINDOW. WILL SCHEDULE THIRD REPAIR APPOINTMENT TOMORROW. I WAS DRIVING ON EXPRESSWAY FOR ALL REAR HOSE PROBLEMS. 45 MPH CITY STREET WITH FRONT HOSE PROBLEM.

DRIVING ON I75 HEADED SOUTH JUST N OF FORSYTHE GA 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC 75 MPH OR FASTER WRENCH LIGHT COMES ON AND NO POWER. WITH GODS LUCK THERE WAS LIKE A 10 SECOND WINDOW WHERE WE GOT OVER TO TO RIGHT BEEN AND OF THE ROAD. MY WIFE AND GRANDDAUGHTER WERE VERY FRIGHTENED. CAR WAS DEAD NO POWER! WAITED A COUPLE MINUTES AND THE CAR STARTED SO THE AIR WOULD WORK THIS IS JULY 1ST CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FIRST OPERATOR WAS NOT GOOD AND HER ENGLISH WAS TERRIBLE NEXT LADY WAS GREAT BUT TOW WAS 2 HOURS AWAY.TOWED TO FORD DEALER CLOSED TILL MONDAY. MONDAY MORNING FORD DEALER SAYS ITS A THROTTLE ACTUATED STUCK HAVE TO REPLACE THROTTLE BODY. THEY DID A GOOD JOB ON THE ROAD COUPLE HOURS LATER. THIS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.

MY POWER STEERING FAILURE INDICATOR CAME ON (WHILE I WAS DRIVING), INDICATING A NEED FOR IMMEDIATE SERVICE. UPON TESTING, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE STEERING GEAR WAS FAULTY...ON A 2015 VEHICLE!! THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT IF THE GEAR FAILED WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I WOULD NOT EXPECT SUCH A FAILURE IN A 2015 VEHICLE. IT LOOKS LIKE PREVIOUS FORD MODELS HAVE BEEN RECALLED DUE TO A SIMILAR ISSUE. I THINK THERE MUST BE A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING FLAW. GIVEN THAT THIS IS RELATED TO STEERING AND CREATES A HIGH RISK OF INJURY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, I RECOMMEND THAT THIS BE FULLY INVESTIGATED.

VEHICLE LOST ENGINE POWER WHILE DRIVING ON 4 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, ONCE WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. ONLY FAULT INDICATOR SHOWN IS "WRENCH" SYMBOL. UPON SHUTDOWN AND RESTART, ISSUE RESOLVES ITSELF UNTIL IT OCCURS AGAIN. THERE ARE NO SYMPTOMS LEADING UP TO POWER LOSS, AND IT SURPRISES DRIVER SINCE THERE IS NO DRIVELINE POWER, AS WELL AS REDUCED BRAKING AND STEERING CAPABILITY. THIS IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS ON THE HIGHWAY AND AT IN TRAFFIC. DEALER HAS STATED THAT SINCE IT CANNOT BE EASILY REPEATED, THAT THEY CANNOT FIX IT.