2012 Ford Flex: problems, recalls and reliability
2 recalls and 64 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is steering (37% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · latest recall Apr 2016
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 64 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“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”Owner report · Steering · Apr 2025
“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.”Owner report · Air Bags · Aug 2024
“The contact owns a 2012 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the steering wheel stiffened while attempting to steer the vehicle to the left. The power steering failure message was displayed. The contact used excessive force to steer the vehicle to the shoulder of the highway where the vehicle remained. The contact called the dealer and was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The contact was referred to the manufacturer who then referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.”Owner report · Steering · Jul 2023
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“The contact owns a 2017 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel started to wobble back and forth then up and down. The contact stated that the steering wheel started to shift upward and downward. No warning lights were illuminated. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.”Owner report · Steering · Apr 2023
“Complete loss of power steering and steering effectiveness. Warning message on display said "power steering assist fault".”Owner report · Steering · Mar 2023
“Vehicle power steering will stop working while driving and notification of (power steering assist failure) will appear. Vehicle becomes extremely unsafe to operate as the steering wheel is very difficult to move. I reached out to Ford and was advised that the recall for this was already repaired and a second recall was opened for vehicles that still had the issue. They advised that the recall only extended the warranty to 10 years and my vehicle is a few months past the 10 year mark with exceptions only made for mileage. My vehicle only has 48,000 miles.”Owner report · Steering · Mar 2023
“Recall on power steering rack and pinion but my model didn't get covered in this recall and this the second time my service advance track came on and it's totally hard to turn my steering and I took it to Ford dealership in merced ca just to see if the cam turn off my service advance traction they said no because the rack and pinion is bad. . .....”Owner report · Steering · Aug 2022
“I went to my local dealership on request of the campaign recall for my associated vin The vehicle has a EPAS STEERING EFFORTS Details Description EPAS STEERING EFFORTS Campaign# 15N01 I was driving and lost control because the power steering went out brought it to my local Ford grieco fort Lauderdale and they diagnosed it as a bad power steering rack pinion which was included in the vin report recall however they stated it's 5 months over expiration which it should of never expired since it's a really bad safety issue. I called Ford directly they told me to contact you in regards to adding a valid recall back onto my vin”Owner report · Steering · Jul 2022
“Bad design of water pump , under parts would fail one day , but the water pump is a bad design. It failed too soon and hurt the engine. Also lots of work to fix it. But even if it get fixed the problem is still there...bad water pump”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Apr 2022
“The contact owns a 2012 Ford Flex. The contact stated while rolling down the driver's side window, she noticed some resistance and black marks at the bottom of the window. The contact stated that the seal around the window was deteriorating. The contact also stated that the failure was occurring on all the windows. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.”Owner report · Structure · Jul 2021
When filing, owners marked a crash in 4 of these complaints and injuries in 4 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 2 campaigns
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.
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 (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."
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.
How other years compare
Check your exact Flex by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Ford Flex reliable?
NHTSA has 64 owner complaints and 2 recall campaigns on record for the 2012 Ford Flex. The most complained-about area is steering (37% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2012 Ford Flex problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 65,006 miles or less.
Does the 2012 Ford Flex have open recalls?
2 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning steering:electric power assist system. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.