Ford · NHTSA safety record

2010 Ford Flex

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

139

Complaints

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Owners of the 2010 Ford Flex have filed 139 safety complaints with NHTSA between February 2010 and September 2025. The most complained-about system is the steering, named in 32 of them (23%). The typical failure was reported at 72,000 miles, the median across the 113 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 1 recall covering this vehicle.

Recalls (1)

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

16V247000 · April 26, 2016

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

Ford Motor Company · up to 695 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 139.

STEERING 32 23%

ENGINE 30 22%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 13 9%

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 12 9%

POWER TRAIN 12 9%

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 9 6%

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 9 6%

AIR BAGS 8 6%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 8 6%

SERVICE BRAKES 7 5%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER 7 5%

SUSPENSION 5 4%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2017 at 19.

2010 to 2025

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM Filed October 31, 2014

1 injured · crash · 64,985 miles

MY WIFE AND I WERE PREPARING TO PULL INTO A PARKING SPACE, OUTSIDE OF AN APPLEBEE'S RESTAURANT. WHEN SHE TAPPED ON THE GAS PADDLE TO PULL INTO THE PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD EXTREMELY FAST, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO JUMP THE CURB. HERE IMMEDIATE REACTION WAS PRESSING THE BRAKE, BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP UNTIL IT CRASHED INTO THE RESTAURANT. THANKFULLY THERE WERE NOT ANY CIVILIANS WALKING IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE ONLY PERSON THAT WAS INJURED IS MY WIFE. THE LANDSCAPE AND THE BUILDING WAS DAMAGED; ALONG WITH OUR VEHICLE. OVER $7,500 DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA complaint 10651662. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS Filed November 14, 2014

1 injured · crash · 46,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD FLEX. WHILE WAITING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, A VEHICLE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF A THIRD VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUFFERED CONTUSIONS TO THE ABDOMEN AND A LEFT SHOULDER INJURY, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE AIR BAG FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,000. UPDATED 12/22/14*LJ UPDATED 01/20/15

NHTSA complaint 10655068. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS Filed November 24, 2014

1 injured · crash · 98,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH THE CONTACT CRASHED HEAD ON INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AFTER THE OTHER VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN. THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE CRASH. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE POLICE ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT DUE TO THE IMPACT THE AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD TO FORCE THE DOOR OPEN IN ORDER TO REMOVE THE CONTACT FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ADVISED THE DEALER THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND THE DEALER STATED THAT WAS A SIGN THAT THE AIR BAG WAS NOT FUNCTIONING; HOWEVER, THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ALSO ILLUMINATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE CONTACT ADVISED THE

NHTSA complaint 10660733, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING Filed November 24, 2015

1 injured · crash · 51,000 miles

ACCELERATED FROM DRIVE MAKING SHARP RIGHT TURN ONTO BUSY STATE ROUTE ROAD. POWER STEERING ABRUPTLY FAILED WHILE ACCELERATING WITH FRONT WHEELS TURNED SHARPLY TO PASSENGER SIDE. STEERING WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO MOVE BACK TO CENTER POSITION IN SPITE OF PULLING WITH ALL MY MIGHT (MUSCULAR BUILD). APPLIED BRAKES SHARPLY; VEHICLE EXITED ROAD AND IMPACTED CURB WITH FRONT TIRES..WIFE, AND TWO SMALL CHILDREN PRESENT IN VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC AT SPEED ON ROAD. ONCE STATIC; STEERING WHEEL LOCKED IN POSITION; COMPLETELY UNABLE TO BUDGE WHEEL WITH VEHICLE STATIC. CONDUCTED RESEARCH; IDENTIFIED FORD RECALL FOR MODEL YEARS 2011 AND ABOVE WITH IDENTICAL PROBLEM. INFORMED FORD DESIGNED FLAWED AND UNSAFE STEERING

NHTSA complaint 10806630, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING Filed September 20, 2025

Leaving home to go to the grocery store and as I exited my street a dash warning came on stating "Power Steering Assist" fault Steering wheel locked up making it impossible for me to steer. Fortunately this happened in a spot where there was no other traffic and I was able to just turn off the car and restart and the message was gone and my steering was restored. I am now terrified to drive my car because if this had happened in traffic there could have been a serious accident because steering capability was non existent. . In reading online this is a very common problem with my make and model and apparently there was a recall by Ford for 2011 and later cars but not 2010 even though it is a

NHTSA complaint 11688616, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING Filed June 22, 2025

On the road and power steering went out and was super hard to turn

NHTSA complaint 11668438. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY Filed December 13, 2024

Water ingress into rear side door latch - froze - door opened while car was in motion

NHTSA complaint 11630519. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING:RACK AND PINION Filed July 11, 2024

towed · 119,000 miles

The contact owns a 2010 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a metal clicking and scraping sound coming from underneath the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that the wheels felt loose. The contact stated that a nearby driver informed her that sparks were coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The contact stated that a nearby driver identified that the rack and pinion had detached. In addition, the power steering fluid had leaked out onto the ground. The contact was driving on a busy highway during the failure occurred. The contact stated that her grandchildren were in the vehicle when

NHTSA complaint 11601196, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION Filed April 11, 2024

crash · towed

While traveling at highway speeds 75+ a loud bang and then control of vehicle was hard to keep on road, swerved left then right, left rear quarter panel hit guard rail and caused car to spin around and went sideways and backwards down a 30 ft embankment. Fortunately did not roll. left side tires came off of rims and damage to driver side door was done. Highway Patrol had car towed to holding lot, where I then got car towed to my mechanic. The left side Lateral stabilizer Rod had broken due to rusted part, causing left rear wheel to go out of alignment. The rubber boot on the rod was attached, rust was internal would never had known about a problem. Had both lateral rods replaced tires

NHTSA complaint 11582315, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING Filed March 22, 2024

Vehicle loses power steering intermittently upon vehicle startup as well as in motion. Vehicle is then extremely hard to control without power steering. Message " POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" prints to the instrument cluster above the steering wheel. Turning the vehicle off and back on may resolve problem but it returns within a couple key cycles.

NHTSA complaint 11578913. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Ford Flex

Model year	Complaints	Recalls	Deaths
2019	235	4	—
2018	61	3	—
2017	42	4	—
2016	95	3	—
2015	103	4	—
2014	249	4	—
2013	578	6	—
2012	64	2	—
2011	144	2	1

Other 2010 Ford models

Fusion 5,126 Escape 2,068 F-150 842 Edge 673 Fusion Hybrid 507 Focus 287 Mustang 260 Taurus 204

Every Ford on this site — 348 vehicles, 1210 recall campaigns and 10 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

Complaints: NHTSA's ODI complaint file , published August 20, 2026. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall campaign API , most recent campaign filed August 12, 2026.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI investigation file , published 2026-08-19.

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by guarledes
Independent developer and analyst