Page 3 of 3 · complaints 101–116 of 116

2015 Ford Flex complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2015 record →

EngineFire
Filed Jul 3, 201727,000 milesAK

DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY AND HEARD A CLUNK AND FELT A SLIGHT LOSS OF POWER AND CONTROL. PULLED OVER TO CHECK VEHICLE AND NOTICED FLAMES COMING UNDERNEATH THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. CAR SOON BECAME ENGULFED AND WAS A TOTAL LOSS. THE ORIGIN AND CAUSE EXPERT HIRED BY OUR INSURANCE COMPANY SUSPECTS AN INJECTOR LINE CAME LOOSE ON THE ENGINE AND SPRAYED FUEL ONTO EXHAUST MANIFOLD.

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Jun 12, 201722,950 milesKY

I WAS DRIVING NORTHBOUND ON US 23 ON 6/10/2017 WHEN MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY DECELERATED AND WOULD NOT RESPOND TO GAS PEDAL. I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FORTUNATELY WITHOUT STRIKING ANOTHER VEHICLE OR THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME REAR ENDING ME. A ORANGE WRENCH APPEARED ON THE DIGITAL SCREEN IN MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND A MESSAGE APPEARED THAT SAID "SEE MANUAL." MANUAL STATED THIS WAS A POWER-TRAIN FAILURE. I TURNED CAR OFF AND RESTARTED AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE ON. ONCE RESTARTED, THE WRENCH SYMBOL DISAPPEARED. ON 6/11/2017, WHILE DRIVING TO WORK, THE VEHICLE DID THE SAME THING ONLY 1.5 MILES AFTER IGNITION. SUDDEN DECELERATION, COAST TO SIDE OF ROAD, VERY LOW ROUGH IDLE AND WOULD NOT RESPOND TO GAS PEDAL DEPRESS. FORTUNATELY NO VEHICLES BEHIND ME. THIS TIME I HAD MY WIFE BRING MY SCAN TOOL TO ME AND I PLUGGED INTO THE OBD2 PORT AND RECEIVED A CODE "P2111 THROTTLE ACTUATOR CONTROL SYSTEM - STUCK OPEN." ONCE AGAIN I TURNED CAR OFF AND BACK ON AND WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE ON. I WENT TO BRUCE WALTERS FORD IN PIKEVILLE, KY ON 6/12/2017 AT 2PM AND ATTEMPTED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE SERVICE ADVISER AS WELL AS SERVICE MANAGER ADVISED ME THEY COULD NOT READ ANY CODE AND THEREFORE COULD NOT DO ANYTHING. I EXPLAINED THAT IT RESETS WHEN YOU TURN OFF AND BACK ON AND THERE IS NO WAY TO DRIVE THE CAR WHEN IT HAPPENS BECAUSE IT IS DISABLED. I WAS ADVISED BY BOTH PEOPLE THAT I JUST NEEDED TO DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL IT BROKE DOWN AND HAVE IT TOWED IN WHILE STILL RUNNING THAT WAY THEY COULD READ THE

Electrical SystemFire
Filed Jun 8, 2017AK

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND A FIRE ERUPTED UNDER THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WHICH WAS ON FIRE. A FIRE INSPECTION REPORT WAS NOT YET CONFIRMED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A YARD. THE DEALER (KENDALL FORD OF ANCHORAGE, 1950 GAMBELL ST, ANCHORAGE, AK 99501,(866) 591-3517) WAS NOTIFIED SEVERAL TIMES, BUT HAD NOT YET RESPONDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE CONTACT WAS WAITING TO DETERMINE IF THEY MAY BE ABLE TO INVESTIGATE WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,000.

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Mar 29, 20179,600 milesWA

OUR CAR HAS STALLED ON US 4 TIMES, ALL WHILE IN TRAFFIC. 1ST TIME AT NIGHT ON A RESIDENTAL STREET MOVING FORWARD, 2ND AND 3RD TIME WHILE ON A 40 MPH ROAD IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, 4TH TIME WHILE GOING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION ON A MAIN ROAD MOVING FORWARD. EACH TIME VEHICLE HAS HAD A 1/2 TANK OR MORE OF GAS. VEHICLE ACTS AS THOUGH IT HAS RAN OUT OF GAS. LIGHT ON THE DASH COMES ON WITH A WRENCH SYMBOL SAYING TO CHECK MANUAL. VEHICLE HAS BEEN BROUGHT INTO WESTLIE FORD IN WASHOUGAL, WA 2 TIMES WITH NO RESOLUTION. THE COMPUTER IS SHOWING NO ISSUE, SO NOTHING HAS BEEN REPAIRED. VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE, AS THIS COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. HAD WE BEEN ON A FREEWAY I HAVE NO DOUBTS IT WOULD HAVE. VEHICLE ONLY HAS APPROXIMATELY 9800K MILES ON IT AND WE HAVEN'T EVEN OWNED IT A YEAR. I RELY HEAVILY ON MY VEHICLE, AND HAVE HAD TO PUT OUT SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS SO FAR ON A RENTAL CAR.

Electrical System
Filed Dec 7, 201624,000 milesMT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD FLEX. WHILE BOTH THE ENGINE AND AIR CONDITIONING WERE ACTIVATED FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT IT WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 24,000.

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Sep 19, 201610,000 milesCA

I WAS DRIVING IN THE HIGHWAY GOING ABOUT 65 MPH WHEN WITHOUT WARNING I STARTED LOOSING SPEED AND ENDED GOING 20MPH. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OF TO THE SHOULDER AND NOTICE A WRENCH ICON APPEAR IN THE DASH BEFORE THE CAR LOST POWER. IT WAS AN EXTREMELY SCARY SITUATION AND I WAS THANKFUL I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT. I TOWED IT TO MY FORD DEALER WHICH IS STILL THERE BEING DIAGNOSE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPEN BUT I BELIEVE ITS A DEFECTION BECAUSE NOTHING WAS DONE TO CAUSE IT. THESE IS A VERY DANGEROUS DEFECTION AND CAN CAUSE THE LIFE OF THE DRIVER AND PASSANGERS. I WANT TO MAKE THE FORD COMPANY AWARE OF THIS SITUATION AND DEMAND IT TAKES ACTION BEFORE A TRAGEDY HAPPENS. I HOPE MY FORD FLEX IS FIXED BUT I WILL NEVER FEEL FULLY SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE AGAIN. I NEVER KNEW THAT MANUFACTURES WOULD BE CARELESS ENOUGH TO PLACE THESE DEFECTIVE CARS ON THE ROAD AND NOW I AM STUCK WITH ONE. PLEASE HAVE A RECALL OF THESE FORD VEHICLES BEFORE LIVES ARE LOST.

Engine
Filed Sep 16, 20168,200 milesNC

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE SPEED SUDDENLY REDUCED TO 20 MPH AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, THE FAILURE OCCURRED A SECOND TIME BEFORE STALLING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,200.

Seats1 injured
Filed Sep 16, 201611,000 milesNJ

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD FLEX. WHILE AS A PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE, THE MIDDLE ROW SEAT ON THE RIGHT INADVERTENTLY MOVED FORWARD. AS A RESULT, THE SEAT COLLAPSED AND THE HEAD REST STRUCK THE CONTACT IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE HEAD AND EYES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,000.

Power Train
Filed Aug 6, 201612,500 milesMO

VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AT HIGHWAY SPEED WHEN IT SUDDENLY DECELLERATED AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO STEER/COAST TO SIDE OF ROAD. ENGINE WAS RUNNING, BUT VEHICLE HAD NO ACCELERATION. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER AND DEALER REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY PART. DEALER INDICATED DEFECTIVE THROTTLE BODY PARTS WERE NOT UNCOMMON ON FORD VEHICLES. SUDDEN DECELLERATION COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RISK HAD TRAFFIC BEEN HEAVIER AND/OR LESS SKILLED DRIVER.

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Jul 14, 20169,800 milesCA

APPARENTLY MY "THROTTLE BODY" ELECTRONICS WENT BAD AND CAUSED MY ENGINE TO STOP WHILE I WAS IN FAST LANE OF FREEWAY...BARELY MADE IT TO THE SHOULDER. NO WARNING UNTIL AFTER CAR WAS OFF. DEALER WAS "AWARE" OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THIS 2015 FORD ENGINE ALTHOUGH FORD HASN'T DONE ANYTHING TO WARN CUSTOMERS OR RECALL TO FIX..IT IS NOTICED HOWEVER IN SAFETY ISSUES WITH ORGS. IT IS INEXCUSABLE THAT THE CARE WILL NOT WARN OF PENDING PROBLEM, AND TURNS OFF ON ITS ON (OR SLOWS DOWN TO CRAWL) AND FORD HAS NOT TAKEN ACTION ON PROBLEM THEY ARE AWARE OF.

Engine
Filed Jul 5, 201612,763 milesNC

JULY 1 I WAS DRIVING THE CAR RUNNING SOME ERRANDS (BANK, POST OFFICE, GROCERY STORE) WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER TURNING ACROSS ONCOMING TRAFFIC ON A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY. THIS WAS ONE DAY AFTER I HAD THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR MORE DIAGNOSTIC WORK AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITHOUT THE CODE. I LEFT THE CAR RUNNING AFTER MAKING IT HOME AND CALLED FORD ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FOR A TOW TO THE DEALERSHIP. WHEN WRECKER DRIVER ARRIVED AFTER A TWO HOUR WAIT HE SAID HE COULD NOT TOW CAR WITH ENGINE RUNNING (AGAINST DOT RULES AND REGULATIONS) SO ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND CODE WAS LOST AGAIN. CAR WAS DELIVERED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND I TOLD THEM TO KEEP THE CAR UNTIL REPAIRS WERE PROPERLY MADE. I ASK FOR A LOANER BUT I WAS TOLD THEY DIDN'T HAVE ONE. NO OFFER WAS MADE FOR A RENTAL. THEY DID GIVE ME A RIDE BACK HOME WHERE I SAT OVER THE JULY 4TH HOLIDAY WITH NO TRANSPORTATION. TOTALLY LOST FOR WHAT TO DO NEXT? ANY SUGGESTIONS?

Power Train
Filed Jul 5, 20166,000 milesGA

PURCHASED MY 2015 FORD FLEX ON MAY 11, 2016 WITH 54 MILES. ON SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2016 THE WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AND THE CAR SHUT-DOWN. I WAS ABLE TO GET IT STARTED AND DROVE HOME, WHICH WAS LESS THAN 5 MILES AWAY. THE CODE PER THE MANUAL, POWERTRAIN FAILURE. ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AS WELL. I NOTICED IT WOULD MOVE A LITTLE SLUGGISH WHEN GOING UP A HILL AND ALSO NOTICED THE SOUND OF THE TRANSMISSION TAKING A FEW SECONDS TO SWITCH GEARS. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TOWED IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY ARE SAYING THE THROTTLE BODY WAS DEFECTIVE AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED; HOWEVER.....IT'S ON BACKORDER FOR WEEKS. ON JULY 5, 2016, I SENT AND EMAIL VIA FORDS WEBSITE AND RECEIVED AN EMAIL RESPONSE FROM MEAGAN, A CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER REP. WITH FORD ON 7/5/16 AT 2:53PM. MEAGAN'S RESPONSE STATED THAT SHE, "ESCALATED MY CASE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MY DEALERSHIP (OF PURCHASE), AND ENSURED THE SERVICE MANAGER WILL USE ALL RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO ASSIST ME." FORD CASE NUMBER: CAS-9974632-S3Q0B3

Engine
Filed Jun 30, 201612,752 milesNC

REGARDING NHTSA COMPLAINT NO. 10876758. HAD THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP THIS MORNING AND NOTHING WAS FOUND. THEY THINK IT IS THE THROTTLE BODY BUT CAN'T REPAIR IT WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY. SERVICE WRITER SAID HE WOULD CALL ME IF AND WHEN HE GOT AUTHORIZATION (NO IDEA WHEN THAT MIGHT BE). NO OFFER WAS MADE TO LEAVE CAR UNTIL REPAIRS WERE MADE AND REPLACE WITH A LOANER. I DROVE THE CAR BACK HOME APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES ONE WAY. THIS AFTERNOON I DROVE IT TO THE GROCERY STORE WITH MY WIFE RIDING ALONG AND UPON RETURNING HOME I WAS TURNING ACROSS TWO LANES OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC ONTO THE ROAD I LIVE ON WHEN THE CAR STALLED AGAIN. DEALERSHIP JUST CALLED AND SAID FORD WILL NOT AUTHORIZE REPAIR WITHOUT THE CODE SHOWING ON THE READER. SO, ON TO THE NEXT STEP.

Power Train
Filed Jun 29, 20165,500 milesNV

VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO IN REVERSE WHEN PUT IN REVERSE. ALSO, WHEN THE NEW PART WAS DELIVERED TO FIX THE VEHICLE, THEY DELIVERED A DAMAGED PART AND HAD TO SEND IT BACK AND RE-ORDER A FUNCTIONAL PART.

Power Train
Filed Jun 27, 201612,440 milesNC

WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR 6-21-16 AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WHEN SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY THE CAR LOST POWER. SHE WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR OFF THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT BUT COULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED. DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION/REDUCED POWER ICON WAS DISPLAYED ON INSTRUMENT PANEL. CAR WAS TOWED TO NEAREST FORD DEALERSHIP BUT NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND. I PICKED THE CAT UP AND DROVE IT UNTIL THE MORNING OF 6-26-16 AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME. I GOT OFF THE ROAD, PUT THE CAR IN PARK, TURNED THE SWITCH OFF AND PULLED THE KEY OUT. I WAITED A FEW MINUTES, PUT THE KEY BACK IN, STARTED THE CAR, PUT THE SHIFTER IN DRIVE AND WAS ABLE TO GET BACK HOME. WAITING ON A CALL BACK FROM THE DEALERSHIP NOW TO SEE WHAT MY NEXT STEP SHOULD BE. DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE!

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Sep 10, 20152,983 milesCA

I WAS ENTERING AT CARPOOL LANES WHEN A DEBRIS HIT THE UNDERBODY OF THE VEHICLE, I JUST HEARD A BIG HIT UNDERBODY AND CONTINUE DRIVING AFTER TWO MILES ANOTHER DRIVER NOTICE FLUIDS WERE DRAINING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE AND URGE ME TO CHECK WHEN I STOPPED I FIND OUT THE DEBRIS HAD MAKE A HEAVY DAMAGE TO THE GAS TANK AND GASOLINE WAS IN EFECT DRAINING FAST. I STOPPED AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND A FRIEND OF MINE HELP ME TAKE THE DAMAGE VEHICLE TO MY HOUSE WHERE THE THE REST OF THE GASOLINE DRAIN OUT. I PUT SAND INTO THE DRAIN GASOLINE AND TRY TO CATCH THE MORE I COULD INTO A SMALL BUCKET, I WAS AFRAID THE CAR COULD CATCH FIRE SO I PUT UNDER A SHADOW THE TEMPERATURE WAS 97 FRTH NEITHER THE GAS GAUGE STARTED MARKING IT WAS GETTING EMPTIER OR A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT SHOW UP AT THE DASH BOARD

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Full record for the 2015 Ford Flex → · Every Flex year → · How the figures are calculated →