Model year record

2010 Ford Flex recalls & problems

The 2010 Ford Flex has 1 safety recall and 139 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is steering (32 complaints).

Recalls1safety recalls

Complaints139filed by owners

Crashes · fires9 · 2reported in complaints

Injuries · deaths4 · 0reported in complaints

2010 Ford Flex in an NHTSA crash test — NHTSA crash test

Safety recalls

Air bagsApr 26, 2016

Frontal

Recall 16V247000695 vehicles

Problem: 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."
Risk: An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: 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.

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Crash test ratings

2010 Ford Flex 4-DR. w/SAB

OverallNot Rated

Frontal crash	Not Rated
Side crash	Not Rated
Rollover	★★★★★
Rollover risk	15.1%

2010 Ford Flex NHTSA side crash test — NHTSA side barrier crash test

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.

Fuel economy

Flex FWD

20mpg combined

City / highway	17 / 24 mpg
Fuel	Regular Gasoline

3.5 L · 6 cyl · Automatic 6-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $3,350/year to fuel

Flex AWD

18mpg combined

City / highway	16 / 22 mpg
Fuel	Regular Gasoline

3.5 L · 6 cyl · Automatic 6-spd · All-Wheel Drive · about $3,700/year to fuel

Flex AWD

18mpg combined

City / highway	16 / 22 mpg
Fuel	Regular Gasoline

3.5 L · 6 cyl · Automatic (S6) · 4-Wheel Drive · about $3,700/year to fuel

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

Problem area	Complaints	Crashes	Fires	Injuries	Typical mileage*
SteeringRack and pinion	32	1	0	1	93,428 mi
Engine	30	0	1	0	90,000 mi
Electrical system	13	0	0	0	79,650 mi
Power train	12	0	1	0	72,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion system	12	1	0	1	101,500 mi
Service brakes, hydraulicFoundation components › Disc › Caliper	10	0	0	0	19,000 mi
Vehicle speed control	9	0	0	0	20,000 mi
Engine and engine coolingEngine; Exhaust system	8	0	0	0	15,750 mi
Air bags	8	5	0	2	67,000 mi
Service brakes	7	0	0	0	43,000 mi
Unknown or other	7	0	0	0	102,000 mi
VisibilityDefroster/defogger/hvac system; Defroster/defogger/hvac system › Fan/motor	5	0	0	0	51,000 mi

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

Steering
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…
Sep 18, 2025
Steering
On the road and power steering went out and was super hard to turn
Jun 22, 2025
Structure › Body
Water ingress into rear side door latch - froze - door opened while car was in motion
Dec 13, 2024
Steering › Rack and pinion
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…
Jul 11, 2024 · 119,000 miles
SuspensionCrash
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…
Mar 31, 2024
Steering
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.
Mar 20, 2024
Service brakes, hydraulic
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brakes seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was unable to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that the vehicle responded as needed after waiting for a while. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the brake master cylinder, the brake booster, the vacuum pump, the brake calipers, the brake check valve, the brakes lines, and the brake pedal sensor were replaced. Additionally, the ECM was replaced and reprogrammed; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the failure occurred when the brake fluid was hot after driving 15-20…
Mar 18, 2022 · 102,000 miles
Engine and engine cooling
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the steering wheel became firm, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and was able to restart the vehicle after 3 attempts. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to the oil mixing with the coolant. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the vehicle was not under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 148,000.
Sep 4, 2023 · 148,000 miles

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.