Gas tank is leaking gas while parked and running
2011 Ford Flex
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2011 Ford Flex do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 139.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Flex years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
117 reports with mileage · 27 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 57 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Fuel/propulsion System complaints
5 reportsDRIVING DOWN THE EXPRESSWAY HAD AN ENGINE SHUT DOWN WITH NO CODES OR PREVIOUS SYMPTOMS. TURNS OUT IT WAS A COMPLETE MAF SENSOR FAILURE. NO ROUGH PERFORMANCE NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. NO WARNING JUST A COMPLETE SHUTDOWN. THIS WITH JUST 74,000 MILES
TAMARA RECALL
MY 2011 FORD FLEX IS BACK AT THE DEALERSHIP AFTER THREE TURBOS BEING REPLACED ON IT'S 3.5 LITER ECOBOOST ENGINE. OUR VEHICLE WAS AT THE DELERAHIP FOR A MONTH AND WE JUST GOT IT BACK ON THURSDAY. ON SATURDAY I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN IT BEGAN SHUTTERING AND JUST DIED. I WAS LEFT POWERLESS IN THE LEFT LANE OF A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY A…
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MY 2011 FORD FLEX IS BACK AT THE DEALERSHIP AFTER THREE TURBOS BEING REPLACED ON IT'S 3.5 LITER ECOBOOST ENGINE. OUR VEHICLE WAS AT THE DELERAHIP FOR A MONTH AND WE JUST GOT IT BACK ON THURSDAY. ON SATURDAY I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN IT BEGAN SHUTTERING AND JUST DIED. I WAS LEFT POWERLESS IN THE LEFT LANE OF A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY AND HAD TO MANUVER ACROSS THREE LANES TO GET TO THE SHOULDER WITH THREE CHILDREN ON BOARD. VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND WHILE TURNING THE KEY WHITE SMOKE BILLOWING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. VERY STRONG SMELL OF ELECTRICAL BURNING. I THOUGHT IT WA GOING TO CATCH ON FIRE AND HAD THE CHILDREN GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE ON THE SIDE OF A VERY BUSY HIGHWAY. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR THIS CAR WITH ENGINE PROBLEMS. PLEASE ADVISE ON WHAT COURSE OF ACTION I NEED TO TAKE SO THIS DEFECTIVE ENGINE DOES NOT CAUSE DEATH OR INJURY.
UPON ACCELERATION, USUALLY FROM A COMPLETE STOP SUCH AS ACCELERATING FROM A STOP SIGN OR ON A GREEN LIGHT, IT FEELS AS THOUGH THE GEARS DO NO CATCH & THE CAR JERKS AND THE RPM'S RAISE BUT THE CAR STOPS ACCELERATING. WILL ALSO HAVE A "STUTTERING" OR "JERKING" WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP WITH BREAK PEDAL BEING PRESSED DOWN. I HAVE …
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UPON ACCELERATION, USUALLY FROM A COMPLETE STOP SUCH AS ACCELERATING FROM A STOP SIGN OR ON A GREEN LIGHT, IT FEELS AS THOUGH THE GEARS DO NO CATCH & THE CAR JERKS AND THE RPM'S RAISE BUT THE CAR STOPS ACCELERATING. WILL ALSO HAVE A "STUTTERING" OR "JERKING" WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP WITH BREAK PEDAL BEING PRESSED DOWN. I HAVE TAKEN THIS ISSUE TO THE DEALERSHIP AS IT IS STILL UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT NORMAL & THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO HAVE SUCH DESCRIBED MALFUNCTIONS BECAUSE IT IS DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERY SINGLE TIME THE CAR IS DRIVEN. THE JERKING WHILE DRIVING ACTUALLY OCCURS ON A DAILY BASIS BUT IS SPORADIC & CAN JERK YOU FORWARD DUE TO THE SUDDEN LOSS OF ACCELERATION CAPABILITY, STARTLING AND PAINFUL BECAUSE THE SEATBELT MECHANISM HAS ENGAGED IN THE PAST.
Official recalls
216V247000 · 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.
15V340000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System
Jun 2, 2015
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine and 2013 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with any available engine. The affected vehicles have electric power steering assist systems that may shut down as a result of a steering motor sensor fault.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC). If dealers find any loss of steering assist DTCs, the steering gear will be replaced, free of charge. If, no codes are found during the PSCM inspection, the PSCM software will be updated, free of charge. The recall began on July 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S18.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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