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2016 Ford Flex

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2016 Ford Flex do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 139.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

49 reports with mileage · 49 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.

  • Back Over Prevention. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. 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 reports0 fire reports2 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

23 reports
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Mileage unknown · Aug 15, 2026
Electrical System

Radio making crackling noises, screen goes blank, cannot control a/c from touch screen and causes the a/c not to work on front vents. Vehicle inside died while the engine was still running in traffic and was unable to start/stop vehicle from running, a/c ran hot then vehicle stop running.

NHTSA ODI #11757098

Mileage unknown · Jun 28, 2026
Back Over PreventionElectrical System

Rear camera has been bad for six months - hazard to drive. Camera not available, is the prompt that comes up. My brother in law took his 2015 Ford F350 in for inspection and his camera was replace this was months ago.

NHTSA ODI #11746978

Mileage unknown · Jun 3, 2026
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

No incidents yet. My review camera doesn’t work at all.

NHTSA ODI #11741907

Mileage unknown · May 21, 2026
Electrical SystemLane DepartureVisibility/wiper

The failed/malfunctioning components involve the rear backup camera system and related electronic driver assistance/safety systems in this 2016 Ford Flex, including the blind spot warning system and parking collision warning features. The condition is intermittent but ongoing and the vehicle is available for inspection upon requ…

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The failed/malfunctioning components involve the rear backup camera system and related electronic driver assistance/safety systems in this 2016 Ford Flex, including the blind spot warning system and parking collision warning features. The condition is intermittent but ongoing and the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The backup camera intermittently goes blank, freezes, displays improperly, or becomes unavailable while the vehicle is in reverse. At times, the blind spot warning system and parking collision warning features also intermittently fail or become unavailable. These failures create a significant safety risk by impairing rear visibility and reducing driver awareness of nearby vehicles, objects, or pedestrians during backing and parking maneuvers. The problem has been occurring for more than one year. The issue has been reproduced and confirmed by the dealership, which has stated that the vehicle is subject to an open safety recall. However, the dealership reports that parts and/or the final repair remedy are still unavailable, and no repair has been completed despite repeated attempts to obtain recall service. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership/manufacturer representative in connection with the recall condition. No police or insurance inspection was involved because no crash has yet occurred. Prior to and during the failures, warning messages and symptoms intermittently appear, including loss of the camera display and temporary unavailability of driver assistance features. The failures may occur without warning and have been recurring for over one year. The unresolved condition affects the safe operation, usability, and value of the vehicle. Backup cameras and related driver assistance systems are important federally regulated safety features, and the manufacturer has not remedied this safety recall within a reasonable period of time.

NHTSA ODI #11739267

300,000 miles · Apr 28, 2026
Electrical System

Odometer Fraud. The contact recently purchased a 2016 Ford Flex. The vehicle was a dealer sale. The contact was made aware of a mileage discrepancy while attempting to trade the vehicle from a Carfax Report. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was approximately 104,000. However, the Carfax report indicated that the mile…

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Odometer Fraud. The contact recently purchased a 2016 Ford Flex. The vehicle was a dealer sale. The contact was made aware of a mileage discrepancy while attempting to trade the vehicle from a Carfax Report. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was approximately 104,000. However, the Carfax report indicated that the mileage was approximately 300,000.

NHTSA ODI #11734278

220,000 miles · Mar 19, 2026
Back Over PreventionElectrical System

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Flex. The contact stated that after the vehicle was parked, it became inoperable, and the Push-to-Start button failed to function. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts for the recall re…

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The contact owns a 2016 Ford Flex. The contact stated that after the vehicle was parked, it became inoperable, and the Push-to-Start button failed to function. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts for the recall repairs were not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted, and the contact was advised to remove the battery. While attempting to remove the battery, there were sparks coming from the negative terminal. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The contact was concerned that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 220,000.

NHTSA ODI #11725485

Mileage unknown · Oct 22, 2025
Electrical System

Hands free phone and sync will not connect. Not able to enter the correct date. 05/2023.

NHTSA ODI #11695062

Mileage unknown · Oct 16, 2025
Electrical SystemEngineStructure

I am getting a "Transmission Not In Park" error that will also sometimes flash "Door Ajar" while driving. Door appears to be closed - not sure if it's latched, transmission is obviously NOT in park because the car is moving. I'm concerned that this shouldn't be driven and is a safety issue.

NHTSA ODI #11693894

Mileage unknown · Oct 14, 2025
Electrical System

Rear Backup Camera malfunction. Screen goes black or upside down.

NHTSA ODI #11693425

Mileage unknown · Sep 17, 2025
Electrical System

Backup camera is malfunctioning and showing not available. Can't see behind the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI #11687826

Official recalls

3

25V695000 · Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera

Oct 13, 2025

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.

20V072000 · Suspension:rear

Feb 10, 2020

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Lincoln MKT and Ford Flex and Taurus vehicles with the Police Interceptor or SHO Performance Pack. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. Remedy parts are not currently available. Owners were notified about the recall on March 3, 2020. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts become available, which is currently expected to be the end of September 2020. The recall began October 28, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or Lincoln customer service at 1-800-521-4140. Ford's number for this recall is 20S04.

16V925000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline:turbo/supercharger

Dec 22, 2016

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Taurus, 2016-2017 Ford Flex, Lincoln MKT, 2017 Ford Explorer and Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines. Improperly brazed turbocharger oil supply tubes may leak oil on engine components.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An oil leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the turbocharger oil supply tubes, free of charge. The recall began on January 31, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S46.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.