2010 Ford Flex

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 "known problem" at dealerships. For me this now seems intermittent but in calling the dealership they know of the issue. It would cost me about $2200 to fix. I am happy to provide my vehicle for inspection. Thank you so much for your help ... greatly appreciated

NHTSA ID

11688616

Incident

Sep 18, 2025

On the road and power steering went out and was super hard to turn

NHTSA ID

11668438

Incident

Jun 22, 2025

Water ingress into rear side door latch - froze - door opened while car was in motion

NHTSA ID

11630519

Incident

Dec 13, 2024

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 the failure occurred. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.

NHTSA ID

11601196

Incident

Jul 11, 2024

Mileage

119,000 mi

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 re-balanced and alignment done.

NHTSA ID

11582315

Incident

Mar 31, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID

11578913

Incident

Mar 20, 2024

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 miles. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

NHTSA ID

11578032

Incident

Mar 18, 2022

Mileage

102,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11552870

Incident

Sep 4, 2023

Mileage

148,000 mi

Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated wired keypad, the accessory wireless keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the vehicle using a diagnostic scan tool or from the label printed on the body control module (BCM). The Factory Keyless Entry Code application within the diagnostic scan tool will not provide an applicable master code for the accessory wireless keypad. If the wallet card for an accessory keypad is not available, the "Wireless RF Keypad Diagnosis Guide" can be referenced and provides direction on how to retrieve the master code. This guide is located under the Workshop Manual tab > Accessories > Installation > Wireless RF Keypad Diagnosis Guide > PPT C > Step C2.<br /><br /> Note: The only available keypad for some vehicles from the assembly plant is the accessory wireless keyless entry keypad. The integrated wired keypad cannot be installed on vehicles not equipped from the factory with a wired keyless entry k

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 management can authorize users. The authorized user must go to FMCDealer.com > Parts and Service > Parts Product Line Information > Keys/Entry Devices > Aftermarket Keyless Entry Keypad Code Access. Follow the instructions on the screen to obtain the master code for the accessory keypad.

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 followed when diagnosing the condition prior to all module replacements and only order modules using the correct VIN.

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 replace the O-ring seals, pedestal gasket or oil tube as required. Refer to WSM, Section 303-04. For claiming, use the affected oil tube or pedestal gasket as the causal part and applicable labor operations in Sections 6 and 9 of the Service Labor Time Standards (SLTS) Manual.

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 damage is not a defect in material or workmanship and is not a warrantable condition.

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 service part numbers 3U2Z-14S411-ZEA or CU2Z-14S411-FA, as both parts are interchangeable. Refer to Wiring Diagram, Cell 5 for recommended splicing procedures.