CSR

Ford · NHTSA safety record

2016 Ford Flex

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

95

Complaints

4

Crashes

0

Fires

3

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2016 Ford Flex have filed 95 safety complaints with NHTSA between July 2016 and August 2026. The most complained-about system is back-over prevention, named in 24 of them (25%). The typical failure was reported at 61,778 miles, the median across the 48 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Complaints more than doubled year on year: 26 in the twelve months to 2026-Q1, against 12 in the twelve before.

NHTSA has issued 3 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (3)

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

25V695000 · October 13, 2025

The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
The risk
A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.

Ford Motor Company · up to 1,448,655 vehicles across all model years covered

SUSPENSION:REAR

20V072000 · February 10, 2020

The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Lincoln MKT and Ford Flex and Taurus vehicles with the Police Interceptor or SHO Performance Pack. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.
The risk
A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. Remedy parts are not currently available. Owners were notified about the recall on March 3, 2020. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts become available, which is currently expected to be the end of September 2020. The recall began October 28, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or Lincoln customer service at 1-800-521-4140. Ford's number for this recall is 20S04.

Ford Motor Company · up to 211,207 vehicles across all model years covered

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER

16V925000 · December 22, 2016

The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Taurus, 2016-2017 Ford Flex, Lincoln MKT, 2017 Ford Explorer and Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines. Improperly brazed turbocharger oil supply tubes may leak oil on engine components.
The risk
An oil leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the turbocharger oil supply tubes, free of charge. The recall began on January 31, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S46.

Ford Motor Company · up to 1,163 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 95.

BACK OVER PREVENTION 24 25%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 23 24%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 14 15%
SUSPENSION 10 11%
POWER TRAIN 8 8%
STEERING 8 8%
STRUCTURE 8 8%
ENGINE 7 7%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 4 4%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 3 3%
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 3 3%
SEAT BELTS 3 3%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2026 at 25.

2016 2026
2016 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

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

SUSPENSION

2 injured · crash · towed

I was driving down the road, heard a pop, fishtailed then rolled over 1.5 times into a ditch. A rear suspension part broke, indicated by groves made at the scene and camber of tire after accident. The rollover could have seriously injured myself or my passenger. The police report refers to a mechanical failure. No warning signs from the vehicle.

NHTSA complaint 11622568. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 injured · 38 miles

PURCHASED A NEW 2016 FORD FLEX ON JULY 29, 2016, DROVE IT MOST OF THE DAY ON SATURDAY AND SMELLED EXHAUST FUMES MOSTLY EVERY TIME I EXILIRATED. WENTTO URGENT CARE SICK FROM EXHAUST FUME POISONING, GOT WORSE AS DAY WENT BY AND WENT TO A REGULAR HOSPITAL ER. BROUGHT VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER ON MONDAY AND AFTER THEM RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM, IT WAS FAULTY VENT IN REAR CAUSING EXHAUSTING TO ENTER INTO INTERIOR.

NHTSA complaint 10893150. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

crash · towed · 11,000 miles

DROVE MY 2016 FORD FLEX I TRIED TO AVOID ANIMAL ON ROAD AND STEERING ASSIST LIGHT CAME ON COULDNT STEER AND HIT A POLE. THE DEALERSHIP WOULDNT LOOK AT CAUSE I HAD IT TOWED THERE TOLD ME I HAD TO GO WHERE MY INUSRANCE WOULD FIX IT I HAD NO CAR FOR FOUR MONTHS THERES NO RECALL ON IT CAUSE ITS A NEW TRUCK THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THIS FLEX IN 2010-2016 GETTING THE BRUSHOFF FROM MY DEALER

NHTSA complaint 10953900. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

crash · 68,150 miles

ON THE 4TH OF JULY MY VEHICLE WAS STOPPED IN MY DRIVEWAY WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK. I HAD EXITED THE VEHICLE LEAVING THE DRIVER'S DOOR OPEN WHILE I WALKED UP MY DRIVEWAY TO CLEAR AN OBSTRUCTION IN THE GARAGE DOOR SAFETY EYES. WHEN I GOT TO THE GARAGE DOOR I TURNED BACK AND SAY MY FLEX REVERSING UP THE DRIVEWAY QUICKLY. I HAD PREVIOUSLY BACKED IN AND WAS DRIVING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY WHEN I NOTICED THE GARAGE DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE. THE FLEX CONTINUED TO REVERSE UP THE DRIVEWAY (UPHILL) WITH THE DRIVER'S DOOR OPEN. AT THE TOP OF THE DRIVEWAY THE OPEN DRIVER'S DOOR CONTACTED A BASKETBALL POST WITH SUCH FORCE THAT IT BENT THE CONCRETE FILLED POST AND FOLDED THE DRIVER'S DOOR INTO THE LEFT

NHTSA complaint 11229703, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Radio making crackling noises, screen goes blank, cannot control a/c from touch screen and causes the a/c not to work on front vents. Vehicle inside died while the engine was still running in traffic and was unable to start/stop vehicle from running, a/c ran hot then vehicle stop running.

NHTSA complaint 11757098. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
There is a current recall on the backup camera that has been pending since 2025. Parts are still not available as of today even though Ford stated parts and instructions were going to be available before end of 2nd quarter, June 30, 2026. Camera has not worked since mid 2025, Ford has been aware since end of 2025.

NHTSA complaint 11754494. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

BACK OVER PREVENTION

130,000 miles

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Flex. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The rearview camera became intermittently inoperative. The contact stated that the intermittent failure made it difficult to safely reverse the vehicle while the rearview camera was inoperable. While reversing in a parking lot, the rearview camera became inoperative. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

NHTSA complaint 11751564. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

BACK OVER PREVENTION

68,000 miles

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Flex. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V829000 (Structure); however, parts for the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while in reverse, the back over prevention camera failed to display an image of the rear of the vehicle. A black screen was displayed on the screen while in reverse. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The contact paid out of pocket for the dealer to replace the camera. The manufacturer was not made aware of the

NHTSA complaint 11751565, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

BACK OVER PREVENTION

140,000 miles

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a blank or distorted screen. In addition, the contact stated that the rear-view camera flickered on and off and the rear-view camera unavailable message was displayed. The dealer was made aware of the failure, and the contact was informed that parts were unavailable to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no

NHTSA complaint 11751064, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

BACK OVER PREVENTION

43,000 miles

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Flex. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V829000 (Structure); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that while shifted into reverse(R), the rear-view camera failed to display a clear image on the center display. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000.

NHTSA complaint 11750080. 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
2015 103 4
2014 249 4
2013 578 6
2012 64 2
2011 144 2 1
2010 139 1

Other 2016 Ford models

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

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