What breaks most · 2009 to 2019 model years
FORD FLEX problems by year
Owners have filed 917 safety complaints with NHTSA about the FORD FLEX across model years 2009 to 2019. Three years stand out: 2013 for electrical system complaints, 2009 for electrical system complaints and 2010 for steering complaints. The quietest years are 2017, 2016 and 2015.
- Years to check closely: 2013, 2009, 2010
- Fewest complaints: 2017, 2016, 2015
- Complaints on file
- 9172009 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 2013373 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 318 fires · 39 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 56kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 34Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 159 | 7 | 1 | Electrical system (28) | |
| 106 | 7 | 1 | Steering (24) | |
| 95 | 3 | 2 | Steering (26) | |
| 34 | 3 | 2 | Electrical system (10) | |
| 373 | 4 | 6 | Electrical system (165) | |
| 97 | 5 | 4 | Electrical system (29) | |
| 33 | 0 | 4 | Fuel system (11) | |
| 13 | 1 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (4) | |
| 2 | 1 | 4 | Wheels (1) | |
| 4 | 0 | 3 | Fuel system (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 4 | Wheels (1) |
What fails on the 2013 FORD FLEX
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 44% |
165 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2013 FORD FLEX |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 16% |
58 | 1 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2013 FORD FLEX |
| Unknown or other | 16% |
58 | 0 | — |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 14% |
51 | 2 | Shop steering parts for the 2013 FORD FLEX |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 12% |
46 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2013 FORD FLEX |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 9% |
32 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2013 FORD FLEX |
| Stability controlABS and wheel speed sensors | 6% |
22 | 0 | Shop stability control parts for the 2013 FORD FLEX |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 5% |
20 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2013 FORD FLEX |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Door ajar indicator falsely indicates door is open causing interior lights to remain on while driving as well as an audible alarm. Occurs while stationary and while moving. Interior lights are distracting at night and unnecessary illumination after park causes battery to drain.
-
Engine stall at speed. Merging on to freeway at 50+ mph, engine cut off, no power. Assist brakes and steering disabled. Safety issue. Was not able to restart vehicle immediately. Waited 10 minutes and car was able to restart. Car was towed to dealership for diagnosis.
-
Vehicle was in motion at 75 mph when the electronic power assist failed. The car turned to the right unexpectedly. After that the car was extremely hard to steer. I was able to get the car home with no incident. The power steering rack was replaced
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which FORD FLEX years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2013, 2009, 2010 carry the most filings on the FORD FLEX. The 2013 alone has 373 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common FORD FLEX problem?
On the 2013 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 165 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do FORD FLEX problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all FORD FLEX complaints that include mileage is about 56,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.