2014 Ford Flex

Above average

Owners filed 249 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the steering. It has been recalled 4 times.

When it fails
020k40k60k90k120k200k
65,000 milesMedian miles at failure

163 complaints record an odometer reading. Failures cluster around 75,00090,000 miles.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Steering53
000
Electrical System40
111
Fuel/Propulsion System39
001
Suspension21
200
Unknown or Other18
100
Engine15
010
Structure › Body9
000
Power Train7
201
Service Brakes5
100
Seat Belts5
000

4 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Suspension › Rear20V072000
Filed Feb 10, 2020211,207 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. 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.

Risk. 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.

Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump16V621000
Filed Aug 25, 201677,502 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI Ecoboost engines and 2013-2015 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor vehicles. A component within the fuel pump electric module (PEM) may overheat causing a loss of electrical power to the fuel pump.

Risk. A loss of power to the fuel pump will cause the engine to stall or prevent the vehicle from starting, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel PEM part number and replace the fuel PEM, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S31.

Seats14V710000
Filed Nov 7, 2014113,418 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014 Ford F-150 and Flex vehicles manufactured March 1, 2014, to May 31, 2014. The affected vehicles were manufactured with a reduced clearance between the seat frame and the seat track assembly. This can cause the Occupant Classification System (OCS) to inaccurately register passenger weight and improperly suppress the passenger front airbag when the passenger seat is occupied by an adult passenger. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Risk. Improper suppression of the passenger airbag increases the risk of an injury to the seat occupant in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front passenger airbag.

Remedy. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will widen the gap between the seat frame and seat track assembly and recalibrate the seat OCS, free of charge. The recall began November 25, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14C10.

Power Train › Axle Assembly › Axle Shaft14V393000
Filed Jul 2, 201483,250 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles manufactured September 2, 2010, to November 30, 2013; 2013-2014 Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured August 25, 2011, to November 30, 2013; and 2013-2014 Ford Flex and Lincoln MKT vehicles manufactured September 12, 2011, to November 30, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the halfshaft retention circlip may not have been properly installed, and as a result, the halfshaft may move outward and disengage from the linkshaft while driving and without prior warning.

Risk. If the halfshaft and linkshaft become disengaged while driving, power will no longer be transmitted to the wheels, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. Additionally, if the parking brake is not applied before exiting the vehicle, the vehicle may roll away despite the transmission being placed in 'Park', increasing the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.

Remedy. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles to make sure that the halfshaft is properly retained. If it is not, dealers will replace the linkshaft and also replace the halfshaft if it shows evidence of spline damage, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S10.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Jul 22, 2026KS

Hello, I was driving my Ford Flex at 60mph yesterday with my 15 year old friend helping me move. The engine completely died for several seconds and continued running. That night the engine was idling rough which was a new symptom. Today, I made it to my destination and the car died, then it did not start after cranking. The Fuel pump module Aa8a-9d412-ca was faulty and now I am out $142+ from Ford to replace a part myself that is a known problem on the Ecoboost engines for this vehicle. This is a liability and I am seeking reimbursement for this known issue. Please issue a recall for this fuel pump module, everyone's safety is at risk that still has this faulty part installed that Ford has not addressed. Thank you for your time.

Electrical System
Filed Jul 15, 2026OH

I noticed about 6 months ago, the Backup camera has been cutting out randomly, and has been getting worse. I noticed that there is a recall for 2015 - current models of Ford Flex for this issue. Not sure why the 2014 model isn't a part of the recall, as my car seems to be doing the exact thing described in the recall.

Unknown or Other
Filed Mar 11, 2026FL

BACK UP CAMERA IS DISABLED WHEN BACKING UP. IT IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH BACKING UP MAKING IT A SAFETY CONCERN. THE BEEPING SEEMS TO WORK BUT THE CAMERA WILL BE BLACK.

Steering
Filed Feb 26, 2026KS

I was driving down a main road going 45 MPH when my steering wheel locked up and I got a message on my dash to service advanced steering. I was unable to turn my steering wheel in any direction and had to pull over in order to not be involved in a collision.

Back Over Prevention
Filed Feb 10, 202674,000 milesFL

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while in reverse, the back over prevention camera displayed a black screen, and the message “Camera not Available” was displayed. The contact stated that turning off and restarting the vehicle, and waiting for the cellphone to connect to Bluetooth on the radio, the camera operated as needed and provided an image of the rear of the vehicle while reversing. The failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic and diagnosed with a camera failure. The mechanic performed a troubleshooting of the camera and determined that the camera needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

Electrical SystemFire
Filed Jan 24, 2026CA

After reporting to work on [XXX], I discovered that the front of my vehicle was on fire. Emergency services were immediately contacted, and employees on site attempted to contain the fire using fire extinguishers. The fire department arrived shortly thereafter and successfully extinguished the fire. Despite these efforts, the vehicle was ultimately deemed a total loss. Later that day, my sister advised me to review footage from our Ring camera from that morning. The video shows visible sparks coming from underneath my vehicle prior to my departure. At that time, I drove approximately nine miles to work, unaware of any issue with the vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Unknown or Other
Filed Dec 31, 2025AZ

BACKUP CAMERA FAILED Safety was put at risk because there was no functional camera while the vehicle was in reverse. Dealer confirmed backup camera failure. Dealer inspected the backup camera and determined it needed to be replaced. There were no warnings, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. Mileage 163,483 Replaced 12/31/2024

Structure › Body
Filed Nov 6, 2025SC

I know that the 2015-2019 Ford Flex is being recalled for rear camera issues and "B" pillar mldgs. coming loose. My 2014 Flex has these same issues. What about earlier models?

Steering
Filed Oct 28, 2025TX

Auto “steering assist failure” occurred, very difficult to steer, very dangerous and could have caused wreak if actively driving when it failed. Dash light indicates steering assist failure. Appears this is an ungoing problem with ford flex vehicles since 2010 I do not see recall for my 2014 flex but same issues had recalls for flex up to 2013. I am reporting due that I believe this is a very serious issue on ford flex vehicles and has great potential to cause severe accident if occurring while driving. I believe there should be recalls for this issue requiring Ford to repair the safety risk.

Back Over Prevention › Warnings
Filed Oct 5, 2025TX

The rear backup camera is upside down. The rear backup distance alarm doesn't work. This has been recalled in other years. The price to repair in unreasonable. Its like not having a rear camera. This is a common Problem. Please help.

Back Over Prevention
Filed Sep 22, 2025120,000 milesOH

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Flex. The contact stated that occasionally, while attempting to reverse, the image on the back over prevention camera was displayed upside down. Additionally, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

Electrical System
Filed Sep 11, 2025TX

Rear camera view is inverted or not displayed when reversing. Unsafe to back vehicle due to this failure. Has not been diagnosed/repaired by a service center. Has not functioned properly for 7-8 years.

Suspension
Filed Sep 8, 2025OR

Without warning, the vehicle's power steering stopped working in an intersection while turning. The hazard lights came on automatically and I used my full body strength to steer the car out of the intersection. Inspection showed a computer module failure within the steering rack. Because the computer module is built into the steering rack, the whole steering rack needed to be replaced. This was a critical repair and cost over $3500.

Unknown or Other
Filed Sep 1, 2025CA

The back-up camera is malfunctioning. Either appear blank or will work for about 5 seconds then go blank. Took to mechanic and was confirmed as malfunctioning per codes, but wasn't able to completely diagnose.

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 27, 2025IN

I own a 2014 Ford Flex, and I have been experiencing recurring issues with the rear backup camera. The problems included the camera intermittently going in and out of service, displaying fuzzy or unclear images, and at times showing the video feed upside down. These issues closely resemble known problems covered under existing Ford recalls related to backup camera malfunctions caused by software update errors. Due to ongoing safety concerns, I took my vehicle to an authorized Ford dealership on August 21, 2025, for diagnosis and repair. The dealership confirmed the failure of the backup camera system. To resolve the issue, they diagnosed, replaced the rear backup camera, and reprogrammed the system. The total cost of the service was $638.78. Given the similarity of this failure to the symptoms covered under previous Ford recalls, I believe this issue may be related and warrants further review.

Unknown or Other
Filed Jul 24, 2025IN

Within the last 90-120 days the back up camera on our 1014 Ford Flex has started not working properly. It sometimes works, sometimes only a video with now parking lines, sometimes nothing at all and a blank screen. Sometimes it does all of the above in the same instance.

Unknown or Other
Filed Jul 15, 2025TX

The camera shows upside down and rear parking aid doesn't work. Recall 25v442000 is for the same thing. But ford dealer said it doesn't apply.

Steering
Filed Jul 15, 2025NH

The power steering system failed and requires brute force to turn the wheel. The software system was reflashed but this did not fix the problem. There was a recall for this issue from 2011-2013, but not for our year. There is not a warning light on.

Back Over Prevention
Filed Jul 2, 2025122,000 milesIL

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving and attempting to reverse, the rear-view camera image was upside down or occasionally there was a blank screen. There was no warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V442000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 122,000.

Suspension
Filed Jun 9, 2025OH

I have a 2014 Ford Flex. My axle shaft came undone while driving. My Ford flex was manufactured 07 of 13 my mechanic said that there's a recall for your front axle shaft on the passenger side and it falls within the guidelines of the affected vehicles but Ford says that it's not covered. My vin was never added to the recall and it’s the same exact issue that the others had for that year.

20 of 249 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2013
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2019247400Above average
201865300Routine
201742400Routine
201698300Routine
2015107420Routine
2014 — this page249420Above average
2013578610Above average
201264210Routine
2011144211Fatalities reported
2010139120Routine
2009181120Routine

Compare every Flex year →

Reading this record

Complaint volume is well above typical for a single model year.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Feb 10, 2020. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.