2010 Ford Flex

I WAS DRIVING AT LOW SPEED, AROUND 10 TO 15 MPH, GETTING READY TO MAKE A TURN AND THE CAR DIED. IT WAS OVERCAST AND THE LIGHTS WERE ON. THE WHOLE DASH WENT BLACK AND I HAD NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES. I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT WITHOUT SOMEONE HITTING ME. AFTER STOPPING, I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART AND DRIVE HOME. TODAY, THE DAY AFTER THE CAR DIED, I CALLED MY DEALER. HE STATED THEY CANNOT REPAIR IT IF THE ISSUE CAN'T BE DUPLICATED. THE CAR HAS 103,00 MILES AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT HAS EVER HAPPENED. WE ARE AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR NOW SINCE WE NARROWLY AVERTED AN ACCIDENT YESTERDAY. I WENT ON THE FORD FLEX FORUM AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE TURBOS FAILED AND CAUSED OIL TO BURN THROUGH THE MOTOR. THE FAILURE CREATED AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF SMOKE TO COME THROUGH THE EXHAUST PIPES. HUBLER FORD IN SHELBYVILLE, INDIANA WAS MADE AWARE OF THE RECALL AND STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 110,000.

THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN DURING A LONG-DISTANCE DRIVE RETURNING FROM A VACATION. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP. THE TECHS AT THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED DUE TO A FAULTY (LEAKING) WATER PUMP. THIS WATER PUMP IS INSIDE THE ENGINE BLOCK. THUS, THE LEAK CAUSED CORRUPTION OF OTHER PARTS OF THE ENGINE AND COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. THIS PROBLEM WITH THE INTERNAL WATER PUMP HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF A RECALL FOR OTHER FORD MODELS, BUT NOT THE FORD FLEX. THE NATIONAL DATABASE OF AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIANS, IDENTIFIX, REPORTS LEAKING INTERNAL WATER PUMPS TO BE THE NUMBER 1 PROBLEM WITH THE FLEX. HERE ARE THE SPECIFICS OF WHAT HAPPENED: WE HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR APPROXIMATELY 6 HOURS. I WAS AT CRUISING SPEED OF 75 MPH. AS I APPROACHED LUBBOCK TX, THE TEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE HAD PEGGED ALL THE WAY TO 'HOT'. I REDUCED SPEED AND DROVE TO THE NEXT EXIT (APPROXIMATELY 1-2 MIN AWAY). AS I EXITED THE FREEWAY, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND MOMENTS LATER THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. AT THAT POINT, I LOST POWER STEERING AND THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. WE WERE ABLE TO PUSH THE CAR INTO A PARKING LOT ON THE FRONTAGE ROAD. THIS INCIDENT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE CLAIMS THAT HAVE LED TO THE SAFETY RECALL FOR OTHER FORD MODELS:ESCAPE SUVS FROM THE 2014 MODEL YEAR, PLUS THE 2014 AND 2015 COMPACT FIESTA ST, THE 2013 AND 2014 FUSION MIDSIZE CAR AND THE 2013 THROUGH 2015 TRANSIT CONNECT SMALL VAN (OBTAINED FROM USA TODAY, 1/3/2018). MY INSURANCE WILL NOT COVER THE DAMAGE WHICH HAS RESULTED IN THE CAR BEING "TOTALLED". THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR FORD, AND I BELIEVE MY CAR SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE RECENTLY ANNOUNCED SAFETY RECALL. THIS PROBLEM IN THE FORD FLEX HAS BEEN DISCUSSED FOR YEARS DATING BACK TO AT LEAST 2008 (HTTPS://WWW.FORDFLEX.NET/FORUMS/VIEWTOPIC.PHP?T=17392)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TURBOS FAILED ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURBOS WERE REPLACED ON THE VEHICLE FIVE TIMES WITHIN ONE YEAR, ALONG WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND SOME SENSORS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BLACK SMOKE EXITED FROM THE EXHAUST PIPES IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE TURBOS FAILED. PACIFICA FORD IN PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REPAIRED THE VEHICLE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN.

VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION 45+ MPH OR SO DRIVEN ON A DECLINE LONG WINDING ROAD. VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO FIRST GEAR FROM MUCH HIGHER GEAR CAUSING RAPID DECELERATION AND ALMOST REAR END COLLISION, PULLED IN REST AREA VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND TO GEAR SELECT WHEN STOPPED AND WENT INTO NEUTRAL. TURNED OFF VEHICLE AND PUT INTO PARK LET SIT AND RESTARTED TRANS WORKED NOTICEABLE THUNK WHEN PUTTING INTO REVERSE AFTER LONG DRIVING NOW, VEHICLE IS ALL WHEEL DRIVE.

THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILED IN MY 2010 FORD FLEX WITH LESS THAN 80,000 MILES. THANKFULLY THE FAILURE DID NOT OCCUR WHILE WE WERE DRIVING. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO OUR MECHANIC WHO SAID THAT THE ENTIRE STEERING RACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE PART IS $1600 AND LABOR IS OVER $500. THERE IS AN ACTIVE RECALL OF THE 2011-2013 FORD FLEX MODEL YEARS FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. I CALLED FORD AND TOLD THEM I BELIEVED THERE WAS A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT IN THE 2010 FORD FLEX THAT IS THE SAME AS THE PROBLEM IN THE 2011 MY THAT CAUSED THE RECALL. THE REPRESENTATIVE SAID THAT BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT AN ACTIVE BULLETIN FOR THE 2010 MY, FORD WOULD DO NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM THAT IS PRESENT IN LATER MODEL YEARS. FORD'S REFUSAL TO RECALL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM IS GOING TO KILL SOMEONE. IF THE POWER STEERING HAD GONE OUT WHILE WE WERE DRIVING, THERE SURELY WOULD HAVE BEEN A WRECK.