2013 Ford Flex Powertrain (other) Problems

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? INTERNAL WATER PUMP/ TIMING CHAINS/ VVT SOLENOIDS/ CAM PHASERS/ CAM SENSORS/ RELATED SEALS How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? ENGINE FAILURE - SUDDEN STOP OF VEHICLE Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? YES, IS AWARE AND HAS ACKNOWLEDGED VIA SERVICE AND TECH BULLETINS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN AND REPEATED ISSUE. ISSUE IS KNOWN AND COMMON WITH ALL 3.7L AND 3.5L FORD ENGINES. MANUFACTURER HAS HAD PETTY AND CLASS ACTION SUITS RELATED TO THIS FAILURE AND IS NOT TAKING ANY ACTION TO REMEDY ASIDE FROM A "EXTENDED WARRANTY" FOR CERTIAN COUNTRIES BUT SAID WARRANTY DOES NOT HELP THOSE WHO PURCHASED VEHICLES USED AND HAVE NO VEHICLE HISTORY TO SEE IF THE "SERVICE INTERVALS" WERE MET LEAVING THOUSANDS OF OWNERS WITH REPAIR BILLS THAT COST AT MINIMUM OVER FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? YES. MULTIPLE TECHNICIANS ON MY VEHICLE AD WELL AS THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ACROSS THE WORLD. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? NO LAMPS. ONLY POSSIBLE WAY YOU CAN EVEN TELL IS BY THE TIME ITS TOO LATE AND THE COOLANT AND OIL MIX RESULTING IN MILKY LIKE MIXTURE ON DIPSTICK OR IN OIL PAN OR ENGINE FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

11736541

Incident

May 1, 2026

Steering locked up lower control arm snapped at the ball joint where it's connected to cv axel. Sent my car into the rails and nearly.killed me and my passenger.

NHTSA ID

11594309

Incident

May 16, 2023

Wrench light came on and car felt like it was losing power and began to shake. I pulled over and it went dead.

NHTSA ID

11478041

Incident

Aug 7, 2022

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD FLEX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS IN TRAFFIC AND APPROACHING A HILL, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT TO DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL WHICH FAILED TO ENGAGED PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE LOSS MOTIVE POWER AND DECELERATED. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER, PUMPED THE BRAKE PEDAL BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED AND OPERATED AS DESIGNED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START-UP. ADDITIONALLY, THE BACK OVER PREVENTION CAMERA FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WHILE IN REVERSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE UNKNOWN ELECTRICAL FAILURES ON THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO CREST FORD OF NIANTIC (218 FLANDERS RD, NIANTIC, CT 06357, (860) 739-5403) TO BE DIAGNOSED HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE FUEL SENSOR AND ACL MODULATOR WERE REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BY EMAIL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 67,000.

NHTSA ID

11372760

Incident

Dec 9, 2015

Mileage

67,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED ON ITS OWN AND THE WRENCH WARNING ICON ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO GARY SMITH FORD (1 BEAL PKWY NW, FORT WALTON BEACH, FL 32548, (888) 814-7437) WHERE THE THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED AND THE PCM WAS UPDATED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,122. .*BF *TR

NHTSA ID

11195631

Incident

Apr 9, 2019

Mileage

50,122 mi

THERE IS CURRENTLY AN ISSUE WITH OUR ECOBOOST V6 TURBO CHARGER. THERE IS A OLD DRAIN TUBE LEAK THAT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED THROUGH FORD AND IS A FIRE SAFETY ISSUE. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN RECALLED FOR THE 2014 AND 2015 FORD FLEX WHICH IS IDENTICAL PARTS AS OUR VEHICLE BUT NEVER RECALLED. WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS GET RECALLED BEFORE HARM IS HAD. THIS IS AN ONGOING LEAK THAT HAS GOTTEN WORSE OVER TIME.

NHTSA ID

11184538

Incident

Feb 8, 2019

Mileage

80,000 mi

AS I'M DRIVING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNS ON AND IT SLOWS DOWN MY CAR TO TWO MILES PER HOUR ONCE I TURN IT BACK OFF AND BACK ON IT STARTS WORKING AGAIN BUT AS SOON AS I DRIVE FOR A COUPLE OF MILES OR NOT EVEN A COUPLE OF MINUTES THE LIGHT COMES BACK ON AND MY CAR GO STRAIGHT TO DRIVING TO MILES PER HOUR I WANT TO KNOW WHAT COULD BE WRONG WITH THIS AND WHY IS IT DOING IT

NHTSA ID

11032580

Incident

Sep 27, 2017

Mileage

35 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD FLEX. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE "DRIVER DOOR AJAR" WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND BEEPED. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE, A "SHIFT TO PARK" WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND SEIZED UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED. THE FAILURES WERE NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000.

NHTSA ID

10954886

Incident

Feb 11, 2017

Mileage

79,000 mi

MY FLEX PTU SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT FELL APART WHILE DRIVING. THERE WAS A LOUD BOOM THEN SEVERE GRINDING WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE. THE MECHANIC SAID THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS SO OFTEN WITH FORD AWD SYSTEMS THAT THEY KEEP THEM IN STOCK. I CONTACTED FORD DIRECTLY TO COMPLAIN AND FIND WHAT THEY WERE DOING ABOUT IT. I WAS ADVISED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND THAT I SHOULD FILE A COMPLAINT WITH YOU. THE COST TO REPAIR MY VEHICLE WILL BE $1500. THAT IS NOT A MINOR FIX AND I BELIEVE FORD SHOULD BE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10930238

Incident

Nov 27, 2016

Mileage

100,000 mi

ON APPROXIMATELY AUGUST 15, 2013 WE WERE DRIVING OUR SON TO SCHOOL WHEN CHIMES CAME ON STATING THAT OUR DOORS WERE OPEN. WE STOPPED, CHECKED ALL DOORS. NONE WERE AJAR. WE CONTINUED ON DRIVING AT WHICH TIME OUR SON OPENED THE DOOR. HAD HE NOT BEEN IN A CAR SEAT HE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE FALLEN OUT. WE WERE IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD AND WERE ONLY GOING ABOUT 15- 20 MPH. OUR CHIMES CONTINUED TO GO OFF AND STILL TO THIS DAY WE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. WE HAVE TAKEN IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP MANY TIMES AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP DID TELL US THAT THEY ARE AWARE THAT THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE SENSORS BUT THAT THERE HAVEN'T BEEN ANY RECALLS. THEY DID CHANGE ONE OF THE SENSORS FOR THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR AT OUR OWN EXPENSE, HOWEVER IT HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT IS GOING OFF STILL AND NOW THE DRIVER FRONT ONE IS STARTING AS WELL AS A "SHIFT TO PARK" SENSOR. THE DOORS WILL NOT LOCK AND THE LIGHTS WILL NOT TURN OFF INSIDE THE CAR. AS FAR AS THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM GOES. IT WILL SLIP INTO NEUTRAL AS YOU ARE DRIVING. IT HAS HAPPENED MAY TIMES AND IT IS GOING TO CAUSE A SERIOUS CAR ACCIDENT. YOU HAVE TO STOP THE CAR, TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTART IT IN ORDER FOR IT TO GO BACK INTO DRIVE. WE HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO THE DEALERSHIPS ATTENTION HOWEVER EVERY TIME WE TAKE IT INTO THERE THEY SAY THEY CANT SEE OR FIND A PROBLEM WITH IT. IT IS VERY FRUSTRATING BECAUSE WE MAKE A CAR PAYMENT EVERY MONTH ON A VEHICLE WE DON'T DRIVE. WE HAVE A 2009 FLEX THAT WE HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH WHICH IS WHY WE PURCHASED A NEWER ONE WITH A LOT LESS MILES! UNFORTUNATELY WE OWE MORE THAN THE CAR IS WORTH ON OUR 2013 FLEX OTHERWISE WE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN RID OF IT BY NOW. WE HOPE YOU WILL REALLY LOOK INTO THESE PROBLEMS BEFORE SOMEONE ENDS UP REALLY HURT! WE NOTICE THERE WAS A RECALL WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS BUT OURS WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THAT SUPPOSEDLY.

NHTSA ID

10722545

Incident

Aug 15, 2013

Mileage

36,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD FLEX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A SUDDEN DRASTIC REDUCTION IN SPEED. UPON MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN, THE VEHICLE SEEMED AS IF IT WOULD STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THREE DIFFERENT AUTHORIZED DEALERS, BUT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO REPLICATE AND DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE A PERMANENT REMEDY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000.... .UPDATED 08/18/15 *BF UPDATED 08/26/15. *JB

NHTSA ID

10704668

Incident

May 29, 2013

Mileage

13,000 mi