Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2009 Ford Flex submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 18 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
Was driving and the steering wheel became stiff. I received no warnings indications or lights on the dash. I had to give it a hard turn to get it to a parking lot and have it towed to a dealership.
THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THE POWER STEERING HAS FAILED IN THIS VEHICLE. I WAS DRIVING 60 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING THE STEERING SEIZED. LUCKILY I WAS DRIVING IN RIGHT LANE AND WAS ABLE TO GET VEHICLE SAFELY TO A LOT. THERE WAS NO WARNING, NO NOISES, NO DASHBOARD LIGHTS CAME ON. THE STEERING BECAME VERY TIGHT AND WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE WHEEL. *TR
STEERING: I HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH MY STEERING, WE HAVE HAD THE RACK AND PINION REPLACED, STEERING PUMP AND STEERING BELT. MY PROBLEM IS STILL NOT FIXED. THE STEERING IS REALLY HARD AND THEN LIKES TO BREAK LOOSE AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT. THIS HAS ALMOST CAUSED ME TO WRECK SEVERAL TIMES. THERE IS A RECALL ON NEWER MODEL FORD FLEXS. I THINK THEY ALL NEED TO BE RECALLED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD FLEX. THE CONTACT OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR LESS THAN TWO MONTHS AND STATED THAT THE STEERING U JOINT, WHEEL BEARINGS, AND ENGINE FAILED. THE DEALER (CAR NATION, 317 SOUTH PHILADELPHIA BLVD, ABERDEEN, MD 21001, (410) 995-8888) STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED SINCE THE CONTACT PUT 1,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,080. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.
MY FORD FLEX 2009 TURNS ON THEN WHEN I GO POUT THE CAR ON REVERSE IT PULLS MY CAR AND MAKES A LOUD SOUND THEN I PUT IT TO DRIVE AND IT DOES THE SAME WHEN I GO TO PRESS THE GAS PEDAL IT DOES NOT GO AT ALL. THE AC TURNS ON BUT IT DOES NOT ACCELERATE AND THE AIRBAGS LIGHT STARTS TO TURN ON AND OFF THIS IS NOW . BUT A MONTH AGO IT WAS DRIVABLE AND WHEN I WAS DRIVING IN THE FREEWAY GOING 70 MILES THE AIRBAG LIGHTS WOULD TURN IN AND OFF THEN THE TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR FAULT TURNED ON THEN THE MILES O WAS GOING WHEN CLEAR NOTHING ON THE DASHBOARD WOULD MARK AND THE CAR WAS STILL GOING BUT WOULDN'T WANNA GO FASTER AND IF I BREAK IT WOULDN'T ACCELERATE MORE.
AT SLOW SPEEDS THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT AND IT BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE CAR. TRYING TO LEAVE AND NAVIGATE PARKING LOTS AND SMALL SIDE STREETS BECOMING DANGEROUS AS THE CAR IS VERY HARD TO TURN
"TAKATA RECALL" WHEN I AM DRIVING MY 2009 FORD FLEX TO 30 OR 40 MPH THE STERRING WHEEL TURNS TO THE RIGHT BY ITSELF MAKING A DANGEROUS MOVE AND I ALMOST BUMPED INTO ANOTHER CAR.
WHILE DRIVING FORD FLEX ON HIGHWAY OR IN TOWN MY ANTIBRAKE SYSTEM RANDOMLY ACTIVITIES CAUSING MY ENTIRE VEHICLE TO STOP. THIS HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN THREE TIMES AND I HAVE COMPLAINED TO FORD RED MCCOMBS DEALERSHIP AND THEY CAN'T FIND NOTHING WRONG. I WAS BILLED ABOUT 225.00 DOLLARS FOR A ANTIBRAKE SWITCH AND MY CAR WAS NOT FIXED. YES, AND I HAVE COMPLAINT TO FORD DEALERSHIP AND MADE THEM AWARE OF MY CONTINOUS BRAKE PROBLEMS WITH MY FORD FLEX VEHICLE.
WHEELS GET STUCK AND IT SEEMS LIKE I'M DRIVING IN AN ICY ROAD. ALSO IT TURNS OFF ALL OF A SUDDEN WHEN I'M DRIVING.
JUNE 10, 2015 - EVERYTHING WAS FINE, PARKED THE CAR. GOT BACK IN CAR, BACKED UP PUT IT IN DRIVE AND COULDN'T TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. EVER SINCE WHEN TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT AT SLOW SPEEDS IT IS VERY VERY VERY HARD TO TURN THE WHEEL. IF I AM TUNING LIKE A CURVE ON THE HIGHWAY, THERE IS NO PROBLEM. BUT STOP LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS AND THE WHAT NOT ARE ABOUT IMPOSSIBLE ANYMORE. SO IT SEEMS WHEN NOT GOING FAST ENOUGH THE STEERING IS IN MANUAL MODE.
EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER STEERING. NO CODES/WARNING LIGHTS WERE SHOWN. POWER STEERING FLUID WAS FILLED PROPERLY, AND THERE WERE NO LEAKS FOUND. THANKFULLY THIS DIDN'T OCCUR AT A HIGHER SPEED AS THIS IS A TERRIFYING SAFETY CONCERN. A MESSAGE BOARD WAS FOUND WITH AT LEAST 6 PAGES FULL OF PEOPLE THAT EXPERIENCED THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM (HTTP://WWW.FORDFLEX.NET/FORUMS/VIEWTOPIC.PHP?F=7&T=10080). THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE SOMEONE DIES!
WAS DRIVING ONTO RAMP AND STEERING BECAME HARDER TO DRIVE AND THERE WAS A HUMMING SOUND. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD FLEX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE WHEELS INTERMITTENTLY AND INDEPENDENTLY SEIZED. THE CONTACT HAD TO DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL REPEATEDLY TO UNLOCK THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE BOTH MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.
PURCHASED FLEX IN 2009, DAY 1, 5 MILES, STATION WAGON HAS VIBRATION. TO THIS DAY, STILL HAS VIBRATION. 58000 MILES NOW. BBBAUTOLINE SAYS IT'S OUT OF COVERAGE FOR ARBITRATION. FLEX WAS IN SHOP MIN 12X FOR SAME ISSUE. DEALER AND ENGINEERS SAID BAD BRAKES, THE HAVE PUT ON 5 SETS OF PADS AND ROTORS. BAD WHEELS, MINE WERE THE 17" STYLE, NOW I HAVE 19" LIMITED WHEELS, VERY EXPENSIVE TIRES. STILL VIBRATES.... ONE 3 DAY SERVICE STOP AT VARSITY FORD , A@$$$$@ TECH OR MECHANIC DROVE MILES TO THE TUNE OF 750!!!!! AND I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE UPSET.....TEST DRIVING IT..... OK, 12,000 MILES, ON NEW 19" HANKOOK JUNK TIRES, OPTIMO, THEY WERE BALD, DEALER SAYS I HAVE TO REPLACE MYSELF, A 60,000 MILE TIRE, LOL ON ME. 31000 MI, DEALER SAYS DON'T BRING BACK, WE CAN'T FIX.... AND SAID IT'S A LEMON, GO ARBITRATE IT OUT, WE KNOW IT'S A BAD CAR, BUT WE CAN'T GET YOU A NEW ONE. 35,000 MILES, SPOUSE TAKING KIDS TO DAYCARE, TURNS CORNER, SAYS SHE HEARD SOMETHING POP, AND SHE COULD NOT STEER, HIT A PARKED CAR.... AFTER LOOKING WITH POLICE, I HAVE VIDEO AND PHOTO PROOF, INNER TIE-ROD SNAPPED, CAUSING THE ACCIDENT. SO, 4,000$ OF DAMAGE TO MY CAR, FROM A TIE ROD NOT BEING INSTALLED RIGHT. THERE WAS AN INCH OF PLAY, UP AND DOWN, SIDE TO SIDE, ON THE OUTER TIE ROD, FROM NOT BEING INSTALLED CORRECTLY AT THE FACTORY, HMMMMMM, MADE IN CANADA. SO NOW, AFTER ACCIDENT, CAR FIXED, I THOUGHT FOR SURE, IT WOULD BE A WHOLE NEW DRIVING VEHICLE? SHAT NOT! 58,000 NOW, AND VIBRATING LIKE AN OFF BALANCE WASHING MACHINE. AND BBB AND FORD ARE NOT TAKING ANY RESPONSIBILITY. ALL I WISH WAS FOR A FLEX THAT DROVE SMOOTHLY. .... *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD FLEX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER. AFTER A FEW MINUTES THE STEERING WHEEL OPERATED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT THE CAUSE FOR THE FAILURE COULD NOT BEEN DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 77,000.
DROVE 30 MILES AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THEN IN SHOPPING MALL ENGINE QUIT SUDDENLY AT 20 MPH WITHOUT ANY WARNING. NO POWER BRAKES, NO POWER STEERING. IT WAS IF SOMEONE HAD TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. I WAS ABLE TO MUSCLE THE CAR OUT OF TRAFFIC AND WAS THANKFUL THIS SUDDEN FAILURE DID NOT OCCUR AT SPEED OR WHILE MAKING A TURN ACROSS TRAFFIC. THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM IDENTICAL TO THOSE REPORTED BY OTHER 09 FLEX OWNERS, BUT FORD ( OR AT LEAST MY LOCAL DEALER) IS NOT INTERESTED IN ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM. CONSIDERING THAT THE CAR HAD A LOSS OF CONTROL, IT IS PUZZLING THAT THIS DEFECT IS NOT BEING TAKEN MORE SERIOUSLY. IN TERMS OF SEVERITY OF THE PROBLEM, THIS SOUNDS LIKE A '10'. THE PROPOSED FIX IS NEW THROTTLE BODY, REPROGRAM COMPUTER, CLEAN INJECTORS. SINCE NO FAULT CODES APPEARED AND SINCE THIS IS INTERMITTENT, THE MECHANICAL BREAKDOWN POLICY DOES NOT COVER WHAT IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT ON THESE EARLY BUILDS. SO THE PROBLEM IS TWOFOLD: THE CAR DIES SUDDENLY AND THE COMPUTER DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THIS AS A FAULT. *TR
TWICE WHILE DRIVING MY FORD FLEX, I HAD SPONTANEOUS TOTAL SHUT DOWNS OF THE ENGINE. THE FIRST TIME, MY CAR WAS ONLY A FEW MONTHS OLD AND I WAS IDLING IN FRONT OF A FRIEND'S HOUSE WHEN ALL THE LIGHTS CAME ON AND IT COMPLETELY DIED. I STARTED IT RIGHT BACK UP (AND IT SUBSEQUENTLY PERFORMED PERFECTLY) AND I DROVE IT TO FORD WHERE THEY DID SOME DIAGNOSTICS CHECKS AND FOUND NO ANOMALY. IT CONCERNED ME BUT THINKING IT MAY BE A FUEL INJECTION ISSUE WHILE ONLY IDLING, I WENT ABOUT MY BUSINESS. ON JULY 20, 2012, AT 38K MILE, MY FORD FLEX DIED AGAIN! TOTAL SHUTDOWN OF THE ENGINE AND ALL THE LIGHTS CAME ON WHILE I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES PER HOUR WITH MY DAUGHTER IN THE CAR! NO POWER STEERING, NO POWER BRAKES, NO POWER ANYTHING! BECAUSE I WAS ON A SLIGHT DOWNHILL, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT CATASTROPHE, THANK GOD. THE ENGINE STARTED UP AGAIN AS IF NOTHING OCCURRED. I DROVE DIRECT TO FORD WHERE THEY DID 10 MINUTES OF DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND TOLD ME ONCE AGAIN THAT THERE WAS NO ANOMALY. I WENT A LITTLE CRAZY, INFORMED THEM THAT I WAS LEAVING FOR A 10- DAY VACATION THE FOLLOWING MORNING AND THAT THEY HAD THE FULL 10 DAYS TO FIX THE CAR OR THAT I WASN'T GOING TO BE PICKING IT UP EVER AGAIN. A FORD TECH DROVE MY CAR WITH A COMPUTER PLUGGED INTO THE CAR, TYPED IN THE PROBLEM AND AFTER MANEUVERING THE CAR TO TRY AND GET A REPEATED RESPONSE, THE CAR DID INDEED SHUT DOWN WHILE HE WAS DRIVING IT! APPARENTLY, THE THROTTLE BODY WAS BINDING INTERNALLY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER REPLACING PART # 1 7T4Z 9E926 FA, FORD WALNUT CREEK CA IS TELLING ME IT IS FIXED. LET'S HOPE SO. I PRAY THAT NO ONE HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN A FATAL OR INJURY ACCIDENT AS A RESULT OF THIS PART'S FAILURE. I AM WRITING THIS AS AN ALERT AND A HEADS UP TO ANYONE WHO HAS HAD THE SAME SCARY EXPERIENCE. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN SOMETHING BROKE OFF OF THE VEHICLE UNDER THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THE REAR SUB FRAME WAS BROKEN AND WILL BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD BE REPAIRED PER THE WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000. UPDATED 02/11/11 *BF THE TIE ROD WAS ALSO REPLACED. UPDATED 05/06/11
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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