2010 Ford Flex

ENGINE STALLS OUT, WHILE DRIVING THE CAR AROUND TOWN. HAS OCCURRED TWICE, SEPARATED BY A FEW WEEKS. NO WARNING, OR ENGINE TROUBLE OR INDICATOR LIGHTS PRIOR OR AFTER THE EVENT. OCCURS WHILE DRIVING A LOW TO MODERATE SPEED BOTH TIMES, ABOUT 30 MPH. CAR CAN BE RESTARTED IMMEDIATELY AFTER AND DRIVES FINE. HAVE HAD MECHANICS CHECK FUEL AND AIR SENSORS AND LINES AND FIND NO OBVIOUS DEFECTS. OTHER FORD FLEX OWNERS REPORT SIMILAR PROBLEM SINCE 2009. RUMOR IS THAT REPLACING THE THROTTLE BODY CORRECTS THE ISSUE.

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

VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH EPAS STEERING SYSTEM THAT HAS BEEN PART OF A RECALL FOR 2011-2013 FORD FLEX VEHICLES WITH THE EXACT SAME STEERING SYSTEM BUT FOR SOME REASON DOES NOT INCLUDE 2010 MODELS. VEHICLE BEGAN HAVING POWER STEERING FAILURE UPON COLD START UP IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS. IT WOULD RESOLVE ITSELF IN A FEW SECONDS. THIS MORNING, 8/29/2017, THE POWER STEERING WOULD NOT RECOVER AND I RECEIVED A "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" ERROR ON MY MESSAGE CENTER SCREEN. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND BACK ON AGAIN AND THE STEERING WORKED FINE. I TURNED IT OFF AND ON YET AGAIN AND THE FAILURE RETURNED. I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES AND GOT THE FAILURE MORE TIMES THAN NOT. I CALLED FORD AND WAS TOLD RECALL #15S18 DID NOT APPLY TO MY VEHICLE, EVEN THOUGH IT IS THE EXACT SAME ISSUE WITH THE EXACT SAME PART AS THE 2011-2013 VEHICLES. THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE.

WHILE MERGING ONTO A HIGHWAY THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND BEGAN SHUTTERING/VIBRATING BADLY. THIS LOSS OF POWER NEARLY CAUSED A SEVERE ACCIDENT AS THE SUDDEN SLOW DOWN CAUSED CARS BEHIND US TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED IMMEDIATELY. WE DROVE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP PER INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE SERVICE REP. THE VEHICLE HAS THE 3.5L ECOBOOST ENGINE. THE SERVICE TECH FIRST SAID AN IGNITION COIL WENT BAD AND REPLACED IT, ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT IT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY DID A CYLINDER COMPRESSION TEST AND WERE LOOSING COMPRESSION IN ONE CYLINDER. THE ENGINE HAD TO BE DISASSEMBLED TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE TECH FOUND THE CYLINDER RINGS HAD FAILED IN ONE CYLINDER AND NOW HAS TO REPLACE THE WHOLE ENGINE AT A COST OF $7,800. THE ENGINE ONLY HAS 55,000 MILES ON IT! THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE ENGINE, AND IT HAS BEEN ROUTINELY SERVICED. FORD IS UNWILLING TO HELP IN ANY WAY WITH THE REPAIRS AS THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY.