Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2015 Ford Flex, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Back over prevention33
- Steering19
- Fuel/propulsion system18
- Electrical system13
- Unknown or other12
- Power train11
- Engine11
- Suspension7
- Vehicle speed control2
- Visibility/wiper2
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 8 2015 Flex vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 1 person died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2015 Ford Flex failed the safety check 3.10% of the time — 49% more often than the average 2015 passenger car (2.08%). Median odometer at inspection: 98,077 miles.
1,547first inspections
3.10%failed on safety
98,077 mimedian odometer
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 2 variants; not yet fully rated. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 Ford Flex SUV AWD | — | 15.1 % |
| 2015 Ford Flex SUV FWD | — | 16.4 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
- Best overall rating
- —
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 3 variants: combined 11.6–12.8 L/100 km (about 18–20 mpg US), CO₂ 267–294 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flex · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Regular gasoline | 13.3 | 9.5 | 11.6 |
| Flex AWD · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Regular gasoline | 13.7 | 10.1 | 12.1 |
| Flex AWD (EcoBoost) · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Regular gasoline | 14.6 | 10.4 | 12.8 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 2015 Ford Flex.
| 2020051 11 Feb 2020 | Suspension Issue: On certain vehicles, the rear suspension toe link(s) could break. This could cause a sudden loss of vehicle stability. Note: Vehicles previously repai… |
| 2019281 11 Jun 2019 | Suspension Issue: On certain vehicles, a buildup of dirt and mud could cause the rear suspension toe links to break. This could result in a sudden loss of vehicle stabil… |
| 2016411 23 Aug 2016 | Powertrain On certain vehicles, the fuel pump electric module may be damaged due to high electrical current loads. This could cause the fuel pump to stop operating, which … |
| 2015321 21 Jul 2015 | Brakes Certain vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 135 - Brake Systems. During the manufacturing process, the parkin… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
25V695000 · Back over prevention13 Oct 2025 · 1,448,655 vehicles
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.
20V072000 · Suspension10 Feb 2020 · 211,207 vehicles
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.
16V621000 · Fuel system, gasoline25 Aug 2016 · 77,502 vehicles
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI Ecoboost engines and 2013-2015 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor vehicles. A component within the fuel pump electric module (PEM) may overheat causing a loss of electrical power to the fuel pump.
15V464000 · Parking brake24 Jul 2015 · 7,165 vehicles
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, and Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 23, 2015, Lincoln MKT vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 21, 2015, and 2015-2016 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 23, 2015. The affected vehicles have a parking brake that may not fully engage when applied. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Ford told its dealers about the 2015 Ford Flex: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11008948 | While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. |
| 10254138 | All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicles owner during initial delivery. Unlike the integrated (wired) factory keypad, the accessory keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the vehicle using a diagnostic scan tool. If the wallet card for an accessory keypad is lost, follow these steps to recover the code. Dealer Key Code access is granted through the Dealer Program Enrollment System (DPES); dealership managemen |
| 10251934 | During service and repair requiring removal and replacement of a crankshaft bolt and/or crankshaft damper, achieving proper torque of the crankshaft pulley bolt is critical. Incorrect torque may allow the bolt to loosen resulting in the timing gear breaking and engine damage. Replacement of the bolt is critical to the repair and accurately following the installation procedure in the Workshop Manual (WSM) Section, 303-01 is extremely important. The bolt torque procedure can be found in the crankshaft front seal removal and installation procedure or in the engine assembly procedure. |
| 10235153 | For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommended to order a replacement module using a vehicle identification number (VIN) from a different vehicle. Most modules on these affected vehicles are VIN/vehicle specific and hardware variations between modules do exist. Swapping a module from a vehicle or ordering a module using a different vehicle/VIN can cause ineffective repairs and additional vehicle down time. Make sure all appropriate Workshop Manual (WSM) procedures are |
| 10214492 | Some 2015-2016 vehicles equipped with 6F50/6F55 transmission and built on 2-Nov-2015 and through 1-Feb-2016 may exhibit no reverse, 3rd and 5th gear with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0715,P0717,P0756 and/or P2701. This may be caused by the direct clutch cylinder/tone wheel (7F283) inadvertently forcing the snap ring out of position resulting in damage to the direct clutch hub (7G384). Service part (7J250) complete rotating 3-5-R clutch module is now available. Refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 307-01. For claiming, use causal part 7F283 and applicable labor operations in Section 7 of |
| 10205031 | Touchscreen navigation system - arabic language - blank screen |
| 10201050 | Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. This may be due to small debris causing the VCT solenoid to stick. Before attempting any component diagnosis or replacement of the VCT solenoid, refer to Powertrain Control and Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) pinpoint test HK12 to cycle the affected VCT solenoid 10 times to attempt to clear the debris. For claiming, use causal part 6M280 and applicable labor operations in Section 10 of the Service Labor |
| 10194428 | Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. This may be due to small debris causing the VCT solenoid to stick. Before attempting any component diagnosis or replacement of the VCT solenoid, refer to Powertrain Control and Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) pinpoint test HK11 to cycle the affected VCT solenoid 10 times to attempt to clear the debris. For claiming, use causal part 6M280 and applicable labor operations in Section 10 of the Service Labor |
| 10183749 | In some of the affected vehicles, the front control/display interface module (FCDIM) may have been unintentionally programmed for the European market instead of the North American market |
| 10180428 | Some 2009-2020 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbochargers may exhibit an oil leak from the turbocharger oil supply or return tubes, O-rings or 6.7L pedestal gasket. Although oil may collect on the turbocharger, it is very rare for a turbocharger to leak oil. To isolate the source of the leak, refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-00 General Information > Diagnosis and Testing > Engine > Engine Oil Leaks - Fluorescent Oil Additive Method procedure. When an oil leak is present at a turbocharger oil supply or drain tube, remove the affected oil tube and inspect for damage, and re |
| 10172972 | SSM 48619 - Various Vehicles - Perimeter Alarm Armed And Original Vehicle Keys Cannot Be Accessed to Enter Vehicle - CAN Protection Strategy Some 2013-2016 Model Year Vehicles may exhibit a concern in which the Perimeter Alarm is active and the original keys cannot be accessed to disable the perimeter alarm. This concern would most often occur when a customer loses keys and the dealership is attempting to program new keys to the vehicle. The Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 419-01A Perimeter Anti-Theft Alarm - System Operation and Component Description has been updated to inform of the Contro |
| 10169986 | Some 2015-2020 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. This may be due to small debris causing the VCT solenoid to stick. Before attempting any component diagnosis or replacement of the VCT solenoid, refer to Powertrain Control and Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) pinpoint test HK11 to cycle the affected VCT solenoid 10 times to attempt to clear the debris. For claiming, use causal part 6M280 and applicable labor operations in Section 10 of the Service Labo |
| 10164596 | Some 2013-2020 vehicles equipped with an EVDC air conditioning (A/C) compressor may exhibit poor A/C performance/improper climate function. To support the proper diagnosis of this compressor, the EVDC control valve tester has been provided to each U.S. dealership (339-EVDC100). Ensure the A/C system has a full charge prior to any compressor diagnostics. To support the proper diagnosis of this compressor, the EVDC compressor tool must be used, and the results recorded in the Technician comments field with the warranty claim. This tester will help reduce the potential for misdiagnosis and unnece |
| 10164508 | Some 2010-2020 vehicles may exhibit distorted glass with a subtle orange peel pattern or streaking etched into the surface. This is caused by hydrofluoric acid which is used in some car wash solutions as a cleaning agent. Hydrofluoric acid can attack the glass and cause visual distortion and/or discoloration on the outer surface which cannot be removed by further cleaning. If this type of distortion is found, inspect the area of the glass that is covered by the cowl and/or molding. The portion of glass that is covered by the cowl or molding will not be affected by the acid. Hydrofluoric acid d |
| 10164497 | For Ford and Lincoln vehicles that require positive or negative battery terminal replacement, it is not necessary to replace the complete battery cable harness (14300 and 14301) for this concern. Positive battery cable clamp BT4Z-14450-AA and negative battery cable clamp BT4Z-14450-BA are available for this type of repair. Do not cut or shorten the battery cable, instead carefully remove the affected battery cable clamp and clean the cable end as necessary to preserve wire length. Some rework may be necessary for some vehicle environments. Bend the new positive battery cable clamp as needed an |
| 10163573 | Some 2009-2017 Expedition/Navigator, 2009-2014 F-150/Mustang, 2008-2009 Sable, 2008-2019 Taurus/Flex/MKT, 2013-2019 Police Interceptor Sedan/Utility, and 2011-2019 Explorer vehicles may exhibit inoperative or intermittent HVAC blower motor function at various fan speed settings. This may be due to a poor electrical connection at the blower motor speed control. If the blower motor speed control is determined to be the causal part, replacement of the electrical connector pigtail harness (14S411) to the blower motor speed control is also recommended to avoid repeat repairs. Use pigtail harness se |
| 10162086 | Some 2015-2017 F-150/Mustang, 2015-2018 Edge/MKC, 2016-2018 MKX, 2013-2018 Explorer/Taurus/Flex/MKT, and 2017-2018 Fusion/MKZ/Continental vehicles built on or before 19-Oct-2017 may exhibit an inoperative adaptive cruise control, collision warning, and/or collision avoidance system with a Pre-Collision Assist Not Available, Collision Warning Not Available, and/or Adaptive Cruise Fault message present in the instrument panel cluster (IPC) and diagnostic trouble code (DTC) U3000:49 present in the cruise control module (CCM). To resolve the condition, reprogram the CCM using the latest software l |
| 10160936 | 2015-2016 Edge/MKX/Flex/MKT/MKZ/MKS/Taurus/Taurus Police/Explorer/Explorer Police vehicles built on or before 10-Jun-2016 and equipped with a 3.5L or 3.7L engine, all wheel drive (AWD) and a power transfer unit (PTU) may exhibit a PTU venting, an odor originating from the PTU, or noise originating from the PTU. These vehicles may be a candidate for rebuild using PTU Idler Gear/Shaft/Bearing Kit (GB5Z-7P258-A). Refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 308-07. |
| 10160931 | On vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission it is imperative that the converter pilot hub be greased with Motorcraft Multi-Purpose Grease Spray XL-5-A even if grease was not applied from the factory. Also verify that the engine/transmission alignment dowel pins are present as well as the engine crankshaft dowel pin, if equipped, when installing the transmission. Failure to adequately lubricate the converter hub greatly increases the likelihood of the flexplate cracking in the future. Missing dowels may cause a misalignment issue also resulting in a premature failure. Refer to Workshop |
| 10160880 | Some 2013-2019 vehicles equipped with a EVDC air conditioning (A/C) compressor may exhibit poor A/C performance/improper climate function and/or a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P06A0 in the powertrain control module (PCM). To support the proper diagnosis of this compressor, the EVDC control valve tester has been developed and is available from Rotunda (339-EVDC100). A tester has been provided to each U.S. dealership free of charge with shipments completed 19-Apr-2019 (reference EFC07013 on FMCDealer.com). This tester will help reduce the potential for misdiagnosis and unnecessary compressor re |
| 10159494 | SSM 47948 - 2010-2019 Various Vehicles - Turbocharged Engines - Oil Supply Filter Replacement When Replacing The Turbocharger Or The Turbocharger Oil Supply Tube For 2010-2019 vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines, when diagnosing and/or replacing turbo related concerns, all steps within the Workshop Manual (WSM) procedure must be followed including replacement of all mandatory discarded parts. When specified in the WSM, the turbocharger oil supply filter must be replaced whenever the turbocharger or the turbocharger oil supply tube are replaced. Turbocharger bearing failure may occur i |
| 10159489 | Some 2013-2019 vehicles equipped with a EVDC air conditioning (A/C) compressor may exhibit poor A/C performance/improper climate function and/or a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P06A0 in the powertrain control module (PCM). To support the proper diagnosis of this compressor, the EVDC control valve tester has been developed and is available from Rotunda (339-EVDC100). A tester has been provided to each U.S. dealership free of charge with shipments completed 19-Apr-2019 (reference EFC07013 on FMCDealer.com). This tester will help reduce the potential for misdiagnosis and unnecessary compressor re |
| 10156877 | Some 2009-2017 Expedition/Navigator, 2009-2014 F-150/Mustang, 2008-2009 Sable, 2008-2019 Taurus/Flex/MKT, 2013-2019 Police Interceptor Sedan/Utility, and 2011-2019 Explorer vehicles may exhibit inoperative or intermittent HVAC blower motor function at various fan speed settings. This may be due to a poor electrical connection at the blower motor speed control. If the blower motor speed control is determined to be the causal part, replacement of the electrical connector pigtail harness (14S411) to the blower motor speed control is also recommended to avoid repeat repairs. Refer to Wiring Diagra |
| 10155565 | Some 2009-2017 Expedition/Navigator, 2009-2014 F-150/Mustang, 2008-2009 Sable, 2008-2019 Taurus/Flex/MKT, 2013-2019 Police Interceptor Sedan/Utility, and 2011-2019 Explorer vehicles may exhibit inoperative or intermittent HVAC blower motor function at various fan speed settings. This may be due to a poor electrical connection at the blower motor speed control. If the blower motor speed control is determined to be the causal part, replacement of the electrical connector pigtail harness (14S411) to the blower motor speed control is also recommended to avoid repeat repairs. Refer to Wiring Diagra |
| 10153969 | Some 2012-2019 Vehicles may require repairs to the Smartlink system. Smartlink is a Ford Licensed Accessory which has a warranty provided by the accessory manufacturer. Warranty replacement parts for Smartlink that are ordered through Ford are not reimbursable through the Ford Motor Company warranty system. Please see the Warranty and Policy Manual for further information on Ford Licensed Accessories. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)