← New search

2010 Ford Flex

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2010 Ford Flex do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 139.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

113 reports with mileage · 26 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.

  • Steering. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

9 crash reports2 fire reports4 injury reports

Fuel/propulsion System complaints

12 reports
Clear category filter
Mileage unknown · Sep 14, 2022
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemUnknown Or Other

My 2010 Ford Flex began inadvertently surging forward in acceleration without me making it do this exactly 3 months after I purchased the vehicle. The Ford Dealer was unable to re-produce the problem on several occasions and said my vehicle was fine. No error messages reported in the computer. This has continued to happen sporad…

Read full complaint

My 2010 Ford Flex began inadvertently surging forward in acceleration without me making it do this exactly 3 months after I purchased the vehicle. The Ford Dealer was unable to re-produce the problem on several occasions and said my vehicle was fine. No error messages reported in the computer. This has continued to happen sporadically since ownership. I have had another Ford Dealership (as well as an independent mechanic) try and reproduce and diagnose the problem with no luck. Several weeks ago I was driving my vehicle in my residential neighborhood when all of a sudden my car surged forward with great acceleration with no warning. I had to swerve into a driveway and cut the vehicle off to get the vehicle under control. I am 82 and have a heart condition. This safety issue is critical as someone could get hurt or killed. Ford has several complaints of this happening with several models. I believe it is a Ford design flaw in the vehicles electronic throttle system. Ford Corporate was put on notice of these events after the latest safety event. Please, I urge the NHTSA to issue a recall before lives are lost. I can no longer drive this vehicle as I am concerned someone is going to get hurt. It is being towed to the Ravenel Ford Dealership for inspection and diagnosis again.....

NHTSA ODI #11484426

151,000 miles · Apr 4, 2021
Fuel/propulsion System

LEAKY FUEL TANK. STRONG SMELL OF LEAKY FUEL. WORRIED THAT VEHICLE MIGHT CATCH FIRE. TOOK IT INTO MY LOCAL OIL CHANGE PLACE AND THEY COULD NOT FIND LEAK. I CAN SEE A PUDDLE OF FUEL ON MY DRIVEWAY - ABOUT 2-3 FEET ROUND. BELIEVE FUEL TANK HAS CORRODED. BUT I AM TOLD THE TANK IS MADE OF PLASTIC. LOOKED UP 2 OTHER NHTSA COMPLA…

Read full complaint

LEAKY FUEL TANK. STRONG SMELL OF LEAKY FUEL. WORRIED THAT VEHICLE MIGHT CATCH FIRE. TOOK IT INTO MY LOCAL OIL CHANGE PLACE AND THEY COULD NOT FIND LEAK. I CAN SEE A PUDDLE OF FUEL ON MY DRIVEWAY - ABOUT 2-3 FEET ROUND. BELIEVE FUEL TANK HAS CORRODED. BUT I AM TOLD THE TANK IS MADE OF PLASTIC. LOOKED UP 2 OTHER NHTSA COMPLAINTS WITH SIMILAR FAILURE COMPLAINTS. VEHICLE HAS 152,000 MILES.

NHTSA ODI #11406309

74,000 miles · Aug 12, 2020
Fuel/propulsion System

SUDDEN REPEATED INTERMITTENT STALLS AT HIGHWAY SPEED WITHOUT WARNING

NHTSA ODI #11348920

108,000 miles · Dec 9, 2019
Fuel/propulsion SystemUnknown Or Other

THE CAR'S FUEL GAUGE WILL SUDDENLY DROP TO EMPTY AND THE CAR WILL RUN OUT OF FUEL. BY DOING SOME RESEARCH THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH FORD FLEX AND IT IS VERY DANGEROUS. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES AND THE MOST RECENT WAS THIS WEEKEND WHEN MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND IT DIED IN TRAFFIC. VERY DANGEROUS

NHTSA ODI #11287849

135,000 miles · Jun 28, 2019
Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion System

ACCELERATING ON INTERSTATE RAMP, VEHICLE STALLED AND SHUT OFF. IT WOULD NOT STAY RUNNING. IT SPUTTERS AND DIES AFTER CRANKING. WE HAD AAA TOW IT OFF THE ROADSIDE AFTER 90 MINUTES WAITING.

NHTSA ODI #11223103

127,000 miles · Sep 7, 2018
Fuel/propulsion SystemSteering

2010 FORD FLEX LIMITED ECOBOOST AWD. ELECTRICAL POWER STEERING. INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING WITH NO LIGHTS, NOTIFICATIONS, OR WARNING. FIXED SHORT TERM BY TURNING CAR OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN. VERY DANGEROUS AT LOW SPEEDS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE AND SIZE OF THE TIRES, SPECIFICALLY FOR SMALLER PEOPLE. RECA…

Read full complaint

2010 FORD FLEX LIMITED ECOBOOST AWD. ELECTRICAL POWER STEERING. INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING WITH NO LIGHTS, NOTIFICATIONS, OR WARNING. FIXED SHORT TERM BY TURNING CAR OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN. VERY DANGEROUS AT LOW SPEEDS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE AND SIZE OF THE TIRES, SPECIFICALLY FOR SMALLER PEOPLE. RECALL FROM FORD FOR 2011, WILL NOT HELP AT ALL WITH A 2010 FLEX. HAS ALREADY CAUSED ONE ACCIDENT IN A PARKING LOT RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO REAR DRIVER SIDE QUARTER PANEL AFTER STEERING WHEEL BECAME STUCK WHILE REVERSING. FUEL PUMP ALSO NOT ENGAGING, RESULTING IN STALLS AND THE CAR NOT STARTING (NO TICKS, HUMMING, BUZZING, LIGHTS AND RADIO WORK). OVERALL, A VERY DANGEROUS COMBINATION IF THEY WERE TO OCCUR SIMULTANEOUSLY, ESPECIALLY AT SPEED. CAR WAS PURCHASED AROUND 1 1/2- 2 MONTHS AGO. BOTH ISSUES ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE FREQUENT.

NHTSA ODI #11128114

134,248 miles · Jun 5, 2018
Fuel/propulsion System

GAS TANK LEAKS AT THE SEAM.

NHTSA ODI #11100080

58,189 miles · Oct 30, 2017
Fuel/propulsion SystemSteering

PURCHASED A PRE-CERTIFIED 2010 FORD FLEX AT VERMONT DEALERSHIP 3.07.2014 WITH A PREMIUM EXTENDED WARRANTY PLAN. TRAVEL BETWEEN VERMONT AND NEW YORK. APPROXIMATELY APRIL /MAY 2017 NOTICED POWERFUL SMELL OF GASOLINE AFTER FILLING VEHICLE, COULDN'T CLOSE GARAGE DUE TO SMELL AND PARKED AWAY FROM OTHERS. GARAGE REPLACED ROTTED F…

Read full complaint

PURCHASED A PRE-CERTIFIED 2010 FORD FLEX AT VERMONT DEALERSHIP 3.07.2014 WITH A PREMIUM EXTENDED WARRANTY PLAN. TRAVEL BETWEEN VERMONT AND NEW YORK. APPROXIMATELY APRIL /MAY 2017 NOTICED POWERFUL SMELL OF GASOLINE AFTER FILLING VEHICLE, COULDN'T CLOSE GARAGE DUE TO SMELL AND PARKED AWAY FROM OTHERS. GARAGE REPLACED ROTTED FILL NECK YOKE 5.12.2017. PROBLEM SEEMED TO ABATE BUT PERSISTED , NOW IN GARAGE AND EXTENSIVE WORK TO DROP GAS TANK WHERE THE METAL FLANGE CONNECTING FUEL LINE AND PUMP TO THE TANK IS TOTALLY CORRODED. THERE IS A RECALL ON OTHER FORD VEHICLES FOR SALT CORROSION FROM ROAD SALT TO THE FUEL TANK CAUSING DANGEROUS LEAKS. I COULD HAVE BLOWN UP AND MY HOME FROM THIS !! THAT RECALL TARGETS NORTHERN STATES SUCH AS THE ONE I PURCHASED MY CAR INCLUDING VERMONT AND NEW YORK RECALL NUMBER 15S3. NO FIRE AS A) I WAS VERY LUCKY B) IT'S IN THE GARAGE WITH A HUGE BILL. *JS

NHTSA ODI #11041464

95,000 miles · Jan 13, 2017
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN ABRUPTLY AND ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES FAILED. THE VEHICLE RAN OUT OF FUEL WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYED 62 MILES BEFORE EMPTY PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE ISSUE OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE MANUFACT…

Read full complaint

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN ABRUPTLY AND ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES FAILED. THE VEHICLE RAN OUT OF FUEL WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYED 62 MILES BEFORE EMPTY PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE ISSUE OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.

NHTSA ODI #10945140

Mileage unknown · Dec 4, 2014
Fuel/propulsion System

GAS TANK WILL NOT FILL PROPERLY, WHEN CALLED DEALER, WAS TOLD THERE ARE "PROBABLY SPIDERS IN THE GAS TANK, THEY GET INTO THE FILTER AND BUILD WEBS AND CAUSE THIS PROBLEM, WILL COST YOU $275.00 FOR US TO CHECK, NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY, THIS HAPPENS OFTEN WITH THE CAPLESS GAS TANKS". *TR

NHTSA ODI #10662145

Official recalls

1

16V247000 · Air Bags:frontal

Apr 26, 2016

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 Ford Flex, 2008 and 2010-2012 Ford Taurus, 2008-2009 Ford Taurus X, 2008 Mercury Sable, 2009 and 2011 Lincoln MKS vehicles. The driver frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the driver's frontal air bag module, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on June 13, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C06.

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.