Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Electrical reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
9
Latest Oct 22, 2025
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
6%
of 144 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
2
What this page shows
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2011 Ford Flex submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 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.
Owner reports naming electrical
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
ElectricalExterior lightingSteering
Filed Oct 22, 2025
I had changed all my bulbs and fuses to my car for my brake lights several times and they still don’t work. My car almost got hit with me and my kids in it due to my break lights not working. Also my car keeps saying service advance trac and keeps saying it every time I drive. My car also keeps running out of power steering fluid every two week I have to add more to keep it from making that loud noise while driving.
NHTSA ID
11694945
Incident
Oct 22, 2025
AirbagsElectrical
Filed Jul 23, 2024
Crash reportedFire reported1 injury reported1 death reported
This accident didn’t involve myself. It involved my father who borrowed my 2011 Ford Flex for the evening. This was a one vehicle accident. It is unknown what happened to cause him to Swerve and hit a hit. The air bags didn’t deploy in the Vehicle. My father was wearing his seatbelt. An electric fire started and the car burnt along with my father he wasn’t able to be pulled from the vehicle before it caught fire. According to the witnesses, the airbags did not go off. My father had blunt trauma to the chest and to his frontal lobe and broken ribs. In addition to lots of other injuries that would’ve been avoided if the airbags would have went off. My father could’ve been alive if the airbags went off. But instead, he is dead. The pain and suffering and Trauma that I live through every day of my life of missing my father has been unbearable this past year. I 100% believe the fire started from the air bags not going off and it was faulty wiring in this vehicle. I believe this whole Heartedly. My father Didn’t deserve to die this way. I have a flash drive of the scene with pictures taken by the Missouri State Highway patrol that has been certified. I can send as Evidence as well. I have not viewed this flash drive as it would be too traumatic for me to view them of my father. I do not want to picture him like that. But I feel this case needs to be investigated. I no longer can be OK with this situation. The insurance company never inspected it. My insurance company was the General- Full Coverage- also the vehicle had a lean on it with Car Mart. Not sure if anyone inspected the vehicle after the accident. I know the Missouri house patrol did a full investigation. It set at at tow yard for months in Columbia, Mo. There were multiple people on the scene. Macon Co. ambulance, Macon Co. fire and rescue Macon Co. corners office which they called wrong time of death Which letters to believe my father wasn’t dead yet From the accident. The air bags could have saved HIM!!!!!!
NHTSA ID
11603939
Incident
Aug 20, 2023
Electrical
Filed Apr 26, 2021
THERE A CLICKING SOUND COMING FROM THE GLOVE BOX LIKE MODULATOR GONE BAD NOT SURE WHAT IT IS BUT EVERY TIME I TURN THE AIR OR HEAT ON I HEAR A CLICKING SOUND ABOUT EIGHTEEN TIMES AND THAN IT STOPS. I I TURN THE AIR HEAT OFF I HEAR THE SOUND AGAIN FOR EIGHTEEN TIMES. NOT SURE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.
NHTSA ID
11414053
Incident
Jan 1, 2019
Electrical
Filed Mar 8, 2019
VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. LIGHTS STAYED ON AS DID THE AC, BUT ENGINE SHUT OFF.
NHTSA ID
11185088
Incident
Mar 8, 2019
Mileage
110,000 mi
ElectricalExterior lightingSteering
Filed Oct 8, 2018
MY CURRENT PROBLEM AND HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS IS THE STEERING. AS OF AROUND TWO YEARS AGO I HAVE ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS THE POWER STEERING LOSING THE POWER AND RESULTING IN A VERY HARD TO CONTROL STEERING WHEEL WHILE DRIVING AND VERY DANGEROUS. THIS HAS HAPPENED ROUGHLY 6 TIMES IN TWO YEARS. THE PROBLEM WOULD USUALLY CORRECT WITHIN AROUND FIVE SECONDS OR SO. I HAVE FOUND THERE ARE MANY ISSUES ON THE INTERNET WITH THIS FORD PROBLEM THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE BUT MY VEHICLE COMES WITHIN A MONTH OF THE RECALL SO NO HELP FROM THE DEALER. THEY WANT AROUND 3000-3500 FOR REPLACEMENT. WORD IS THEY HAVE DOUBLED THE COST OF THE PART TO MAKE UP FOR THE RECALL MONEY THEY ARE OUT. THIS IS VERY SERIOUS AND FORD NEEDS TO HANDLE THIS ISSUE. I AM TOLD THE STEERING IS ELECTRICAL. MY SECOND ISSUE IS AND HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR AROUND TWO YEARS ALSO. THE LIGHTS WILL GO OUT EACH AT DIFFERENT TIMES. IF I REACH DOWN AND TURN THE SWITCH OFF AND ON AGAIN THEY WILL COME BACK ON AND CORRECT, BUT WILL GO OUT AGAIN. ONE MIGHT GO OUT AND THEN ONE STAY ON. A DANGEROUS SITUATION OCCURS WHEN THEY BOTH FAIL. TURNING THE SWITCH ON AND OFF ALWAYS TURNS THEM ON. PROBLEM HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR TWO YEARS. NEITHER ARE NOT FIXED AT THE MOMENT.
NHTSA ID
11139001
Incident
Oct 1, 2016
Mileage
85,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Dec 3, 2015
KEY FOB AND ALARM - IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS MY KEYFOB HAS STARTED TO OPEN AND LOCK MY NEIGHBORS 2005 FORD FOCUS. SINCE THESE ARE SMALL CITY LOTS, THE CARS ARE ALWAYS PARKED WITHIN 50 FEET OF EACH OTHER AND CANNOT BE PARKED OUTSIDE OF FOB RANGE. THIS INCLUDES GARAGES AND STREET PARKING. THE DEALER HAS RESET THE KEYS BUT IT DIDN'T WORK. THEY ALSO STATED THERE IS NOTHING ELSE THAT CAN BE DONE OUTSIDE OF REPLACING THE CONTROLLER AND KEYS. COST WOULD BE $700 - $1000. THEY STATES WOULD HAS HAPPENED IS VURTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE BUT IT IS HAPPENING. MY NEIGHBOR STATES THEY CANNOT FIND THEY ALARM FOB, IT IS NOT BUILT INTO THEIR KEY. I HAVE NO WAY TO VERIFY THIS SO I CANNOT TEST TO SEE IF THEY CAN UNLOCK MY CAR. THE KEY FOB SECURITY SYSTEM HAS BEEN NULLIFIED BY THIS PROBLEM.
NHTSA ID
10808322
Incident
Nov 1, 2015
Mileage
50,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Apr 27, 2015
FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THE ELECTRICAL ON MY DASHBOARD WENT OUT. I WAS TOLD IT WAS CALLED THE FRONT INTERFACE. IT HAS NEVER BEEN MISTREATED, ABUSED NOR HAS IT EVER BEEN EXPOSED TO MOISTURE OR LIQUIDS. I CAN'T USE OR ADJUST THE RADIO, SATELLITE, CD PLAYER, NOR THE HEAT AND AIR. HOWEVER, THE HEAT IS ON FULL BLAST AND THE FORD DEALERSHIP I VISITED ABOUT THE PROBLEM SAYS THEY CAN'T TURN THE HEAT OFF. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A FRONT INTERFACE PROBLEM. THIS IS A $600-$700 PROBLEM THAT I DON'T FEEL IS THE CONSUMERS'. MY CAR IS NOT THAT OLD...IS TAKEN VERY GOOD CARE OF. FORD NEEDS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THE PART IS ON A MONTH BACK ORDER. IF THIS IS AN INFREQUENT PROBLEM, HOW COME IT TAKES SO LONG TO FIND THIS INTERFACE. JUST WANTING TO LET OTHER FORD DRIVERS KNOW OF THIS PROBLEM IF THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS AS WELL. THIS IS MY FOURTH FORD VEHICLE AND I'M STARTING TO HAVE REGRETS. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME FEEDBACK ABOUT THIS INTERFACE. *TR
NHTSA ID
10713051
Incident
Apr 12, 2015
Mileage
99,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Mar 7, 2013
WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY-NO RAIN OR INCLEMENT WEATHER. AT 70MPH HAD TOTAL LOSS OF POWER (NO LIGHTS, NO POWER STEERING, NOTHING) WITH NO PREVIOUS WARNING. ABLE TO GET TO SIDE OF ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. CAR RESTARTED AND HAD NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED MY FORD DEALER AND HAD THE CAR SERVICED AFTER WE RETURNED HOME FROM VACATION. I ALSO HAD THIS HAPPEN DURING MY FIRST WEEK OF OWNERSHIP OF THE CAR ABOUT OCT, 20 WHEN I LOST TOTAL POWER AGAIN, BUT AT A MUCH LOWER SPEED (30MPH) I ALSO CALLED FORD AND HAD MY CAR SERVICED AFTER THIS. *TR
NHTSA ID
10501912
Incident
Jul 2, 2012
Mileage
45,000 mi
ElectricalEngineSteering
Filed Feb 16, 2012
ON AUGUST 8, 2011 AND FEBRUARY 8, 2012, MY NEW FLEX SHUT DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS FLASHED ON, AND THE VEHICLE TURNED OFF - TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE - COULDN'T ACCELERATE OR BRAKE - HAD TO PAINFULLY PULL CAR OFF THE ROAD. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER. FORD DEALER PERFORMED DIAGNOSTICS TO NO AVAIL, AS WHEN THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN, I TURNED THE KEY OFF, THEN BACK ON AGAIN - THIS DESTROYED THE DATA. SEEMS LIKE A FUNDAMENTAL DATA SYSTEM FLAW. NONETHELESS, I DROVE AWAY FROM THE DEALERSHIP IN FEAR, ONLY TO HAVE THE INCIDENT RECUR SIX MONTHS LATER. NOW I AM DRIVING WITH A DATA FLIGHT RECORDER FOR A MERE TEN DAYS, THE BUTTON OF WHICH I MUST PUSH, IF AND WHEN THE CAR SHUTS DOWN AGAIN. WITHOUT RECORDED DATA, THOUGH FORD BELIEVES MY REPORT, I SEEM TO HAVE NO RECOURSE WITH FORD. I NOW AM DRIVING IN FEAR FOR MY OWN AND OTHERS' LIVES. HAS THIS HAPPENED TO ANYONE ELSE? *TR
NHTSA ID
10448247
Incident
Aug 8, 2011
Mileage
9,063 mi
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.
Other components reported on this vehicle
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own