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2018 Ford Flex

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2018 Ford Flex do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 139.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

30 reports with mileage · 35 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.

  • Structure. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Back Over Prevention. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

7 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

What owners actually said

65 reports
Mileage unknown · Sep 4, 2026
Unknown Or Other

There's been a recall for the rear backup camera since October of last year. Although there hasn't been any particular incidents, there's been some close calls because the fix is still not available. Any help would be appreciated

NHTSA ODI #11762278

103,000 miles · Sep 4, 2026
Back Over Prevention

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Flex. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a black image. The vehicle was taken to two dealers, but the veh…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Flex. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a black image. The vehicle was taken to two dealers, but the vehicle was not repaired due to parts not being available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.

NHTSA ODI #11762143

Mileage unknown · Sep 1, 2026
Unknown Or Other

Rear passenger door fails to latch properly. The door falls open on left turn.Warnings are unclear or non-existant

NHTSA ODI #11761319

150,000 miles · Aug 27, 2026
Back Over PreventionStructure

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rearview camera image would appear blank and other times the camera not available warning message would display. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 2…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rearview camera image would appear blank and other times the camera not available warning message would display. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V829000 (Structure) and 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000

NHTSA ODI #11760123

Mileage unknown · May 31, 2026
Electrical SystemLane DepartureUnknown Or Other

Recall has not been remedied, and it has been over six months.I was told it would be remedied by june or ford would be held accountable for compensating for repairs on the.Recall. #25SA9/25v695 The recall addresses the camera for backing up witch is still not functioning in a safety risk.

NHTSA ODI #11741171

Mileage unknown · May 28, 2026
Service BrakesSuspension

Wile driving 40 mph, the right rear tire locked up and I had to counter steer aggressively to avoid spinning out and hitting oncoming traffic. The car was flat bed delivered to Ford and they recommended the following repairs. "Control Arm- Rear: rear suspension lateral links. The rear upper and lower control arms not only pro…

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Wile driving 40 mph, the right rear tire locked up and I had to counter steer aggressively to avoid spinning out and hitting oncoming traffic. The car was flat bed delivered to Ford and they recommended the following repairs. "Control Arm- Rear: rear suspension lateral links. The rear upper and lower control arms not only provide suspension travel but also secure the rear end to the vehicle." "*Tires - 4: passenger rear inner sidewall damaged."

NHTSA ODI #11740622

Mileage unknown · May 27, 2026
Engine

An antifreeze leak is very hard to locate because Ford’s design placed the water pump INside the engine rather than on the OUTside, which would be more the norm. If antifreeze leaks enough, it gets into the oil and the entire engine stands to be destroyed. Our heater quit blowing warm air recently and after intently searching w…

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An antifreeze leak is very hard to locate because Ford’s design placed the water pump INside the engine rather than on the OUTside, which would be more the norm. If antifreeze leaks enough, it gets into the oil and the entire engine stands to be destroyed. Our heater quit blowing warm air recently and after intently searching we discovered that we had an antifreeze leak inside of our engine, and antifreeze was slowly leaking out through a weephole in the engine. The water pump had gone bad and needed replacing. The hours required to replace this water pump are intense and they are long. Almost the entire engine needs to be dismantled in order to perform the work. Not only does the pump need changed, but so does the timing chain, hoses, seals, gaskets, tensioners and other engine parts, all at the same time, making this a VERY costly out-of-pocket expense for us elderly people who have long relied on Ford’s standard of doing what’s right by its people. In our research we found that the water pumps in Flex engines are failing, regularly, once the vehicle is close to having 80,000 miles on it. This repair most DEFINITELY should be covered by recall since it is happening so regularly. We have just been forced to pay for this repair on our own and I would like to please ask for your help in recovering what we’ve had to spend. Will you please provide contact information as to where we can reach out for assistance in this matter? Your help is VERY much appreciated! Thank you!

NHTSA ODI #11740471

60,000 miles · May 18, 2026
Structure

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Flex. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign: 25V732000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver-side B-pillar trim with the Security Key pad had detached and almost str…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Flex. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign: 25V732000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver-side B-pillar trim with the Security Key pad had detached and almost struck nearby vehicles. The contact stated that she managed to pull over on the shoulder of the road; however, the vehicle independently locked, leaving the occupants on the shoulder of the road temporarily. In addition, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed on another occasion, the front Passenger-side B-Pillar trims had detached. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was repaired out of pocket; however, the front Driver-side B-Pillar trim had detached, and upon further inspection, water would intrude through the missing, failed parts. The local dealer was contacted. It was unknown whether the vehicle was diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ODI #11738522

Mileage unknown · May 12, 2026
Lane Departure

The warning shows that the blind spot sensor is not working.

NHTSA ODI #11737389

60,000 miles · May 8, 2026
Back Over Prevention

The contact owns a 2018 FORD Flex. The contact stated while using the back up camera on the vehicle it ends to shutoff randomly causing a back over prevention issue. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: (25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The l…

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The contact owns a 2018 FORD Flex. The contact stated while using the back up camera on the vehicle it ends to shutoff randomly causing a back over prevention issue. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: (25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was/was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 60,000.

NHTSA ODI #11736574

Official recalls

3

25V732000 · Structure:body

Oct 24, 2025

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Flex vehicles. The driver and front passenger B-Pillar door trim may detach while driving.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Door trim that detaches while driving can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will repair or replace the B-pillar trim as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed December 17, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated March 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SB8. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 28, 2025.

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.

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

1

PE25007 · B-Pillar Trim Detachment

Opened Aug 7, 2025 · Closed Aug 5, 2026

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Structure:body:roof And Pillars

On August 7, 2025, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE25007 to investigate instances of B-pillar trim detachment in model year (MY) 2019 Ford Flex vehicles manufactured by Ford Motor Company. During the investigation, MY 2011-2018 Ford Flex vehicles were analyzed as peer vehicles, and subsequently incorporated into the subject population because they use B-pillar trim pieces that are substantially similar to those used on the MY 2019 Ford Flex vehicles. In July 2025, prior to the opening of PE25007, ODI and Ford met to discuss B-pillar trim detachment in Ford Flex vehicles. Ford reported that its warranty analysis indicated that Flex B-pillar trim had a low detachment rate and that Ford did not believe this condition posed an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety. In July 2025, Ford closed its internal investigation. Because ODI’s analysis of complaint data indicated a high failure rate and an increasing failure trend, PE25007 was subsequently opened. In responding to the information request for PE25007, Ford reassessed the warranty search criteria used in its July 2025 internal investigation. The reassessment found the detachment rate to be substantially higher than what Ford had originally determined. Consequently, in October 2025, Ford issued recall 25V732based on the reassessed and accurate high failure rate. This recall instructed dealers to inspect the driver and front passenger B-pillar trim pieces and repair/replace if necessary. The vehicles included in this recall were MY 2017-2019 Ford Flex with production dates between February 17, 2017 and December 2, 2019. In January 2026, Ford issued 25V732 Amendment 1, which updated the remedy to remove the inspection criteria and instead proactively secure the driver and front passenger B-pillar trim with adhesive. The scope of vehicles included in the recall was unchanged by Amendment 1. ODI’s analysis of 25V732 found that both the scope and remedy were insufficient and that an unreasonable safety risk remained despite the recall. MY 2016 Ford Flex was excluded from the recall scope and the rear B-pillar trims on both the driver and passenger side were excluded from the recall. The failure rates of both MY 2016 Ford Flex and rear B-pillar trim pieces were found to be higher than the failure rates in similar trim detachment recalls issued by both Ford and other vehicle manufacturers. Starting in January 2026, ODI and Ford had multiple meetings to discuss Ford’s PE25007 response data and ODI’s concern about the 25V732 scope and remedy. In June 2026, Ford issued 25V732 Amendment 2. This amendment expanded the scope of the recall to add MY 2016-2017 Ford Flex vehicles produced before February 17, 2017. Additionally, this amendment updated the remedy to include removal of and reapplication or replacement of both rear driver and rear passenger B-pillar trim pieces in addition to front driver and front passenger B-pillar trim pieces. This updated remedy applies to all MY 2016-2019 vehicles. Ford expects to complete the mailing of remedy owner notification letters by March 26, 2027. Also, Ford informed ODI that prior model year (MY 2011-2015) vehicles were referred to Ford’s Customer Satisfaction forum for consideration of an extended warranty program. In view of recall 25V732 and its associated amendments, ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation (PE). The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.