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Ford · NHTSA safety record

2012 Ford Flex

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

Owners have filed 64 safety complaints about the 2012 Ford Flex with the US government. Of those, 4 describe a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 4 people were injured and no death is recorded. 2 recall campaigns are open against it, covering the air bags and the steering.

The most complained-about system is the steering, named in 24 complaints, 38% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 65,006 miles, the median across the 46 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers August 2012 to December 2025 · How this is counted

What is on file

64 complaints on file

64

Complaints

4

Describe a crash

1

Mention fire

4

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
STEERING 24 · 38%
ENGINE 11 · 17%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 10 · 16%
SERVICE BRAKES 8 · 13%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 5 · 8%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 5 · 8%
POWER TRAIN 4 · 6%
STRUCTURE 4 · 6%
AIR BAGS 3 · 5%
SUSPENSION 3 · 5%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 3 · 5%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 2 · 3%
0 12 23

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 64.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2016 at 7.

8 6 4 2
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2012 to 2025.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2012 Ford FLEX, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test SUV AWD SUV FWD
Overall Not rated Not rated
Frontal crash Not rated Not rated
Frontal, driver Not rated Not rated
Frontal, passenger Not rated Not rated
Side crash Not rated Not rated
Side barrier Not rated Not rated
Side pole Not rated Not rated
Rollover
Chance of rollover 15.1% 16.4%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

2 on file

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

STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

15V340000 · June 2, 2015

The defect
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.
The risk
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.
The 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.

Ford Motor Company · up to 393,623 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

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

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 40,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING 1 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED BACKWARDS RAPIDLY AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES TO THE KNEES, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO RICHMOND FORD LINCOLN (4600 W BROAD ST, RICHMOND, VA 23230) WHERE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000.

NHTSA complaint 11057995. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY

1 injured · 14,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FLEX. THE CONTACT ENTERED THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR AND HER LEG WAS SEVERELY PUNCTURED BY A SHARP CORNER ON THE SEAT BRACKET. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A DEEP LACERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO COVERED THE POINTED CORNER AREA OF THE SEAT BRACKET. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,000.

NHTSA complaint 10494420. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

1 injured · 22,700 miles

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED THERE WAS A SUDDEN METAL ON METAL SOUND. SHORTLY AFTER THIS NOISE STARTED THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL AND THEN VISIBLE SMOKE FROM THE WHEEL. I PULLED OVER TO EVALUATE THE NOISE AND SMOKE. THE RADIANT HEAT FROM THE WHEEL CAUSED THE FIBERGLASS PANEL ON THE SIDE OF THE CAR TO HEAT UP. THIS HEAT CAUSED A 3RD DEGREE BURN TO THE TIP OF A FINGER. THE VEHICLE WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP EVALUATED IT AND STATED THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR CALIPER FROZE. THE DAY AFTER THE FLEX WAS RETURNED "FIXED", THE PASSENGER SIDE CALIPER FROZE. IT DID THE SAME THING AS THE DRIVERS SIDE (MADE THE SUDDEN METAL ON METAL SOUND, SMOKED AND HEATED UP). THE FLEX WAS TOWED BACK TO THE

NHTSA complaint 10744806, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 injured · 100,000 miles

WHILE STOPPED AND IN PARK THE VEHICLE STARTED ROLLING, I ATTEMPTED TO JUMP IN THE VEHICLE BUT COULD NOT PULL MYSELF ALL THE WAY IN. I WAS ABLE TO YANK THE KEYS FROM THE IGNITION AND THEN I COULD NO LONGER RUN ALONG SIDE THE VEHICLE AND I FELL ON THE ASPHALT. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED ROLLING UNTIL IT BECAME HIGH CENTERED ON A LARGE ROCK. FOUR WITNESSES CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK AND THE KEYS WERE OUT OF THE IGNITION.

NHTSA complaint 10903897. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING

180,000 miles

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the ABS and the ESC warnings illuminated. The contact stated that she had recently heard an abnormal grinding sound while turning the steering wheel. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the ABS sensor needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the mechanic had heard the abnormal sound coming from the steering wheel but had not run a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had researched online and had related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000(Steering), however, the VIN was not included.

NHTSA complaint 11707853, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
There is serious safety trouble occurring with the power steering components, and the brake system. I went to the Ford dealership and they said the recalls weren’t fixed back in 2015. And those recalls are the same issues that are occurring with my 2012 Ford Flex SE now. I just bought this vehicle and there is grinding noise when steering my vehicle and the ABS brake system comes on as soon as I crank up the vehicle and the brake goes down to the floor too loosely. The dealership says these potential recalls were noted for this 2012 Ford Flex in 2015. But the owner at the time didn’t have them fixed then because not all 2012 Ford Flex received the recalls at the same time. And the power

NHTSA complaint 11707935, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
Ford said the recall was fixed 10 years ago, however it went out on me last night. It's been towed to the Folsom Ford dealership in California, they quoted me $3,000 to fix my power steering assistant failure that had a Safety recall and it was a 'safety recall'. I couldn't steer my car. Very scary! please investigate this and make sure that it was fixed right the first time. it should not have gone out. I hardly drive my car. thank you

NHTSA complaint 11656456. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING

40,000 miles

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Flex. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle intermittently became difficult to maneuver. The failure occurred on several occasions, including while the contact was driving. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering control module needed to be reprogrammed. The contact researched and was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

NHTSA complaint 11645654. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING
vehicle power steering stops working. Manual steering is extremely difficult to operate.

NHTSA complaint 11644653. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS
Front Passenger seat air bag light is on all the time. should I stop driving the car? Is this dangerous what does it mean? It is a 2012 Ford flex which I love and have not had any trouble with.

NHTSA complaint 11610567. 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 251 4 —
2018 67 3 —
2017 42 4 —
2016 98 3 —
2015 110 4 —
2014 249 4 —
2013 580 6 —
2011 144 2 1
2010 139 1 —

Other 2012 Ford models

Focus 3,769 Fusion 2,516 F-150 1,782 Edge 1,134 Explorer 828 Fiesta 617 Escape 602 Mustang 469

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Ford on this site — 359 vehicles.

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. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

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
Independent developer and analyst