2016 Ford Flex: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 98 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is back over prevention (26% of complaints); the 2017 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · 1 new complaint in the last 90 days · latest recall Oct 2025
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 98 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“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.”Owner report · Electrical System · Aug 2026
“The contact owns a 2016 Ford Flex. The contact received a recall notification, 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention) however the parts were unavailable. The dealer was contacted, the contact was informed that the parts were unavailable. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced any failure regarding the unrepaired recall repair.”Owner report · Back Over Prevention · May 2026
“The contact owns a 2016 Ford Flex. The contact received notice of an unknown recall associated with the right rear toe link, that was previously repaired. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at approximately 5 MPH, she observed a loud snapping noise emanating from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that as his wife attempted to steer the vehicle into the drive way the vehicle the vehicle began steering to the right. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it has yet to be diagnosed as of yet. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.”Owner report · Suspension · May 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“Odometer Fraud. The contact recently purchased a 2016 Ford Flex. The vehicle was a dealer sale. The contact was made aware of a mileage discrepancy while attempting to trade the vehicle from a Carfax Report. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was approximately 104,000. However, the Carfax report indicated that the mileage was approximately 300,000.”Owner report · Electrical System · Apr 2026
“The contact owns a 2016 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rear-view camera became inoperable. The rear-view camera image was blurry, and on occasions, the camera image was blank. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was not available.”Owner report · Back Over Prevention · Apr 2026
“The car is experiencing turbo failure that lines up with the recall for the same model vehicle produced within the same 2016-2017 date. But for some reason this vin isnt included in the recall”Owner report · Engine · Apr 2026
“The contact owns a 2016 Ford Flex. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.”Owner report · Back Over Prevention · Mar 2026
“My vehicle is affected by recall 25V695. Ford dealership confirmed no remedy parts are available and cannot provide a timeline. This vehicle is part of my commercial fleet and I am unable to operate it, resulting in significant financial loss. The manufacturer issued a recall with no available fix, leaving owners stranded indefinitely.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Feb 2026
“Rear camera has been bad for six months - hazard to drive. Camera not available, is the prompt that comes up. My brother in law took his 2015 Ford F350 in for inspection and his camera was replace this was months ago.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jan 2026
“No accident has occurred. Though potential for accident for battery faulty/ electrical failure. The panel (B?) On the driver door with the keypad gets water when it rains and is constantly on. This is affecting the battery causing high density corrosion the connection points. The keypad is constantly on and no longer functions. Potentially affecting locking mechanism”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Dec 2025
When filing, owners marked a crash in 4 of these complaints and injuries in 3 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
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.
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 (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.
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 (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.
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.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
How other years compare
Counts are not adjusted for time on the road here - see all Flex years ranked fairly for the age-adjusted comparison.
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 2016 Ford Flex reliable?
NHTSA has 98 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2016 Ford Flex. The most complained-about area is back over prevention (26% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2016 Ford Flex problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 66,000 miles or less.
Does the 2016 Ford Flex have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning back over prevention. 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.