2011 Ford Flex

WATER PUMP, ENGINE. ALL OF A SUDDEN OUT OF THE BLUE WITH NO INDICATIONS, WARNING, LEAKS, STALLS, ROUGH DRIVING, NO STARTS, LIGHTS OR SMELLS; SENT TO START CAR AND IT WAS MAKING A METAL GRINDING/RATTLING SOUND AND WOULD NOT START. I HAD IT TOWED OVER TO THE FORD DEALER AND 2 DAYS LATER THEY LOOKED AT IT. THEY STATED THE WATER PUMP CATASTROPHICALLY FAILED, LEAKED INTO THE OIL PAN, OVERFILLED THE OIL PAN AND CAUSE COOLANT/WATER TO BE CIRCULATED THROUGH ENGINE CAUSING NO COMPRESSION AND SEIZING THE ENGINE. THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED PRETTY QUICK. I AM NOW IN NEED OF A NEW ENGINE BECAUSE OF THE WATER PUMP DESIGN FLAW OF FORDS WATER PUMP EMPTYING INTO THE OIL PAN. FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL OR COMPLAINTS IN THE NHTSA DATABASE SO IT IS NOT A PROBLEM. BUT I HAVE GONE ONLINE AND SEEN THIS EXACT COMPLAINT FROM PEOPLE IN MANY FORUMS, ON MULTIPLE MODELS. THIS CATASTROPHIC WATER PUMP FAILURE AND DESIGN FLAW HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 11 YEARS AND FORD REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT OR TO HELP THE CUSTOMER. THIS IS NOT GETTING REPORTED CORRECTLY OR IN THE RIGHT PLACE OR SIMPLY SERVICE CENTERS DONT REPORT TO THIS DATABASE THEREFORE FORD CLOSES THIER EYES TO PROBLEMS. I AM JUST GLAD THIS DID NOT HAPPEN TO MY WIFE ON HER TRIP TO MICHIGAN AT NIGHT ON THE WEEKEND WITH KIDS IN THE CAR. IT MUST BE AN ISSUE IF I CAN FIND CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS ON THEI EXACT ISSUE. HOLD FORD RESPONSIBLE, THEY ARE GOING TO KILL SOMEONE OR THEIR FAMILIES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD FLEX. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP, THE ENGINE IDLED ROUGHLY AND THE SERVICE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT AN OIL CHANGE WAS REQUIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED VIOLENTLY, CAUSING THE CONTACT A DELAYED RETURN HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THEY FOUND COOLANT IN THE OIL AND THE ENGINE HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC RECOMMENDED A NEW ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO A DEALER (PLANET FORD, 20403 INTERSTATE 45 N, SPRING, TX 77388, (888) 471-0592) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WATER PUMP FAILED AND A NEW ENGINE WAS NEEDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES AND CONFIRMED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

DEFECTIVE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THE EXHAUST MANIFOLDS ARE MADE WITH TWO TYPES OF METALS STAINLESS STEEL OUTSIDE AND CAST IRON INSIDE. WELL MY TURBO WENT OUT ON MY CAR AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKIN TO VILLA FORD IN ORANGE CALIFORNIA AND THEY REPLACED THE TURBOS. TWO DAYS LATER I LOOSE BOOST AGAIN AND THE TURBOS EXPLODED CHUNKS OF METTLE LIKE THE FIRST THEY SAID THEY CHECKED TO MAKE SURE NO METAL MADE IT TO INTAKE AND DID COMPRESSION TEST AND ALL WAS GOOD. WELL I LOOSE BOOST AGAIN AND IT WAS METAL IN TURBO AND RUPTURED BOOT AT TURBO IT TURNS OUT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD WAS BREAKING OFF CHUNKS INTO MY INTAKE SYSTEM. I TAKE IT TO THEM AGAIN AND THEY REPLACE THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND I TELL THEM TO SMOG IT BECAUSE TAGS ARE DUE. THEY HAD MY CAR OVER 120 DAYS AND SAID THEY CAN'T SMOG IT YET BECAUSE CODES ARE MISSING TO DRIVE IT AND PUT SOME MILES ON IT AND I DO SO JUST TO FIND THAT IT WON'T PASS SMOG SO NOW FORD WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY OF THE DAMAGES MORE REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE THOUSANDS WE PAID TO CORRECT THE MATTER. IN CLOSED ARE PICS OF THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND THE CHUNKS ARE BLOCKING #1 &#3 CYLINDER FROM EXHAUST TO EXIT SO NOW I HAVE COMPRESSION LOSS IN CYLINDER 1&3 AND THEY TELL ME I NEED A NEW MOTOR

I HAVE FULL DOCUMENTATION FROM FORD TO BACK UP MY STORY: LAST YEAR THE CAR BEGAN STALLING INTERMITTENTLY. IN BUFFALO, NY (WE LIVE IN THE CHICAGO AREA). THE STALLING GOT SO BAD THAT SHE WAS WORRIED ABOUT DRIVING BACK HOME 10-HOURS+. SHE WENT INTO THE LOCAL DEALER THERE AND HAD THE CAR PLUGGED INTO THE COMPUTER...WHICH DETECTED NO FAULTS. SHE MADE SURE TO DESCRIBE THE PROBLEM FULLY AND IT IS DOCUMENTED ON THE RECEIPT. THE CAR HAS CONTINUED TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I READ THAT THE FORD DEALER CAN INSTALL A "BLACK BOX" WITH A BUTTON THAT ONE CAN PUSH WHEN AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM HAPPENS. WE DID THIS AND WE GOT THREE GOOD PUSHES OF THE BUTTON WHEN IT SUBSEQUENTLY STALLED AND THE DEALER DOWNLOADED THE INFO AND FOUND THAT THE THROTTLE BODY IS FAULTY....OF COURSE THE CAR (WE HAD EXTENDED SERVICE PLAN) IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY FOR ABOUT 1.7K MILES (NOT TIME). NOTE THAT THE CAR FAILED TO TRIGGER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT...IT WAS ONLY AT MY INSISTENCE THAT THEY PUT IN A "BLACK BOX" THAT ANY PROBLEM WAS FOUND. THE FORD CUSTOMER CARE PERSON ON THE PHONE KEEPS TELLING ME THAT "THE CURRENT PROBLEM" OCCURRED AFTER THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. BUT OUR DOCUMENTED MAINTENANCE HISTORY PROVES THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM DATING FROM LAST YEAR. THIS IS A YEAR-OLD PROBLEM THAT THE DEALER WAS ONLY JUST ABLE TO DIAGNOSE...AND THEN ONLY BECAUSE I LEARNED ABOUT THE "BLACK BOX" THAT WAS AVAILABLE. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THE DEALERSHIP FAILED TO FIND THE PROBLEM LAST YEAR, AND BECAUSE THEY FAILED TO FIND THE PROBLEM WE ARE NOW ON THE HOOK FOR THE REPAIR. I HAVE COPIES OF THE RECEIPT FROM LAST YEAR. OH, AND TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY MY WIFE HAD TO PAY FORD $108.70 FOR THEM TO PLUG THE CAR IN LAST YEAR... THE CAR NEVER HAD A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OR DISPLAYED FAULT CODES WHEN PLUGGED INTO THE COMPUTER NORMALLY. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE IF THE BLACK BOX WAS SUGGESTED AS A DIAGNOSTIC OPTION HOWEVER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE WATER PUMP FAILED AND CAUSED THE TIMING BELT TO FRACTURE. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE PISTONS IN THE ENGINE TO BEND THE ENGINE VALVE. THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000.

IT HAS HAPPENED SINCE 2012 SEPT, WHEN I BOUGHT IT AT 4000KM. I WAS ABOUT TO START FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT. I LET GO MY BRAKE AND 'SLIGHTLY' ONTO GAS. "NOTHING AT ALL HAPPENED." I PUSH A BIT HARDER AND IT CRANK INTO ANOTHER GEAR AS I FELT LIKE 'GALLOPING'. I BROUGHT IT TO THE BODY SHOP I KNEW (8 PM) AND WAS TOLD TO GO TO DEALERS FOR TRANSMITTION CHECK UP. DID SO, IN 3 DAYS - 'NO CODE' NO PROBLEM. IT HAPPENED IN NOVEMBER 2012; TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH TRAFFIC ON 401 HIGHWAY - MARCH 2013, MOVING SLOWLY IN SCITY STREET - JUNE AND OCT 2013; FROM STOP - APRIL 2014, JUNE 2015 AND ABOUT TO STOP BEFORE TRAFFICE LIGHT - MAY 2016. I BROUGHT IT INTO 2 DIFFERENT DELEARS, 3 PRIVATE BODYSHOPS. DEALERS FOUND NOTHING - 'NO CODE'; PRIVATE BODY SHOP - WATER/ AIR TRAPPED IN GAS/ FUEL LINE; BAD TRANSMISSION ETC. CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER SEVICES - TOLD TO CONTACT LOCAL DELEARS, RECORD ON FILE. NO SOLUTION STILL. THIS IS FORD!!!! ONCE GET THE CHANCE - GO ANYTHING OTHER THAN FORD!!