RoadVitals

2015 Ford Flex Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine 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.
11
Latest Oct 19, 2020
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.
11%
of 101 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.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2015 Ford Flex submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 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 engine

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

EnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Oct 19, 2020

WHEN VEHICLE IN MOTION ON MAJOR ROADWAY, LOSS OF POWER AND GOES INTO LIMP MODE. YELLOW WRENCH LIGHTS UP. VEHICLE DOES NOT RESPOND TO THROTTLE. I HAVE TO SHUT OFF VEHICLE AND TURN IT BACK ON . THERE IS NO DTC CODE WHEN CHECKED. I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE AT TIME OF INCIDENT. CAR LOSES POWER AND RAPIDLY DECELERATES WITHIN 5 SECONDS. THERE IS ZERO TIME TO PULL OFF THE ROAD WHICH PUT US AT HIGH RISK OF BEING REAR ENDED. THIS IS A LIFE/ROAD SAFETY HAZARD

NHTSA ID
11365127
Incident
Oct 19, 2020
Mileage
55,000 mi
ElectricalEngineFuel system
Filed Sep 10, 2020

I TOOK IT TO RUSSELL AND SMITH FORD IN HOUSTON, TX. THEY SAID THE BATTERY WAS THE ISSUE. A WEEK LATER SAME PROBLEM, IT CRANKS BUT WONT TURNOVER. IT IS NOW AT STERLING MCCALL FORD IN HOUSTON WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I WILL ATTACH THEIR DIAGNOSIS. I HAVE 57, 000 MILES ONLY ON THIS VEHICLE. I HOPE THAT THIS WILL ALL GO OUT TO ALL FORD DEALERSHIPS..THANK YOU

NHTSA ID
11354316
Incident
Sep 2, 2020
EngineFuel systemPowertrain (other)
Filed Mar 7, 2019

WRENCH LIGHT APPEARS ON DASH AND THE CAR LOSES ALL POWER - KNOWN AS "LIMP HOME" MODE. CODES CLEAR UPON RESTART. TOOK IT TO DEALER AFTER FREEWAY INCIDENT ON 2/17/19, DEALER FOUND NO CODES, STATED IT WAS MOTOR MOUNT. GOT THE CAR BACK ON 2/25/17, AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN WITHIN 30 MILES. WAS ABLE TO PULL CODE WITH MY OWN SCAN TOOL - P2111. KNOWN ERROR IN THROTTLE. THIS HAPPENED WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, AND ONCE ON EXPRESSWAY, TWO ADDITIONAL TIMES AT AROUND 20 MPH

NHTSA ID
11184862
Incident
Mar 3, 2019
Mileage
23,000 mi
Driver assistanceEngine
Filed Aug 17, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH ATTEMPTING TO MERGE ONTO A HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO LOSE ACCELERATION AND HESITATED. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DROVE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY WAS CLOGGED AND NEEDED CLEANING. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT LEAST TWENTY TIMES DURING THE PAST EIGHTEEN MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.

NHTSA ID
11120602
Incident
Aug 12, 2018
Mileage
62,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jul 24, 2017

VEHICLE LOST ENGINE POWER WHILE DRIVING ON 4 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, ONCE WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. ONLY FAULT INDICATOR SHOWN IS "WRENCH" SYMBOL. UPON SHUTDOWN AND RESTART, ISSUE RESOLVES ITSELF UNTIL IT OCCURS AGAIN. THERE ARE NO SYMPTOMS LEADING UP TO POWER LOSS, AND IT SURPRISES DRIVER SINCE THERE IS NO DRIVELINE POWER, AS WELL AS REDUCED BRAKING AND STEERING CAPABILITY. THIS IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS ON THE HIGHWAY AND AT IN TRAFFIC. DEALER HAS STATED THAT SINCE IT CANNOT BE EASILY REPEATED, THAT THEY CANNOT FIX IT.

NHTSA ID
11010206
Incident
Jul 24, 2017
Mileage
32,000 mi
EngineFuel system
Filed Jul 3, 2017
Fire reported

DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY AND HEARD A CLUNK AND FELT A SLIGHT LOSS OF POWER AND CONTROL. PULLED OVER TO CHECK VEHICLE AND NOTICED FLAMES COMING UNDERNEATH THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. CAR SOON BECAME ENGULFED AND WAS A TOTAL LOSS. THE ORIGIN AND CAUSE EXPERT HIRED BY OUR INSURANCE COMPANY SUSPECTS AN INJECTOR LINE CAME LOOSE ON THE ENGINE AND SPRAYED FUEL ONTO EXHAUST MANIFOLD.

NHTSA ID
11002837
Incident
Jun 2, 2017
Mileage
27,000 mi
ElectricalEngine
Filed Jun 8, 2017
Fire reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND A FIRE ERUPTED UNDER THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WHICH WAS ON FIRE. A FIRE INSPECTION REPORT WAS NOT YET CONFIRMED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A YARD. THE DEALER (KENDALL FORD OF ANCHORAGE, 1950 GAMBELL ST, ANCHORAGE, AK 99501,(866) 591-3517) WAS NOTIFIED SEVERAL TIMES, BUT HAD NOT YET RESPONDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE CONTACT WAS WAITING TO DETERMINE IF THEY MAY BE ABLE TO INVESTIGATE WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,000.

NHTSA ID
10994006
Incident
Jun 2, 2017
ElectricalEngine
Filed Dec 7, 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD FLEX. WHILE BOTH THE ENGINE AND AIR CONDITIONING WERE ACTIVATED FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT IT WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 24,000.

NHTSA ID
10933707
Incident
Jul 7, 2016
Mileage
24,000 mi
Engine
Filed Sep 16, 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE SPEED SUDDENLY REDUCED TO 20 MPH AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, THE FAILURE OCCURRED A SECOND TIME BEFORE STALLING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,200.

NHTSA ID
10907222
Incident
Sep 13, 2016
Mileage
8,200 mi
EnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Jul 5, 2016

JULY 1 I WAS DRIVING THE CAR RUNNING SOME ERRANDS (BANK, POST OFFICE, GROCERY STORE) WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER TURNING ACROSS ONCOMING TRAFFIC ON A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY. THIS WAS ONE DAY AFTER I HAD THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR MORE DIAGNOSTIC WORK AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITHOUT THE CODE. I LEFT THE CAR RUNNING AFTER MAKING IT HOME AND CALLED FORD ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FOR A TOW TO THE DEALERSHIP. WHEN WRECKER DRIVER ARRIVED AFTER A TWO HOUR WAIT HE SAID HE COULD NOT TOW CAR WITH ENGINE RUNNING (AGAINST DOT RULES AND REGULATIONS) SO ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND CODE WAS LOST AGAIN. CAR WAS DELIVERED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND I TOLD THEM TO KEEP THE CAR UNTIL REPAIRS WERE PROPERLY MADE. I ASK FOR A LOANER BUT I WAS TOLD THEY DIDN'T HAVE ONE. NO OFFER WAS MADE FOR A RENTAL. THEY DID GIVE ME A RIDE BACK HOME WHERE I SAT OVER THE JULY 4TH HOLIDAY WITH NO TRANSPORTATION. TOTALLY LOST FOR WHAT TO DO NEXT? ANY SUGGESTIONS?

NHTSA ID
10882744
Incident
Jul 1, 2016
Mileage
12,763 mi
EnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Jun 30, 2016

REGARDING NHTSA COMPLAINT NO. 10876758. HAD THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP THIS MORNING AND NOTHING WAS FOUND. THEY THINK IT IS THE THROTTLE BODY BUT CAN'T REPAIR IT WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY. SERVICE WRITER SAID HE WOULD CALL ME IF AND WHEN HE GOT AUTHORIZATION (NO IDEA WHEN THAT MIGHT BE). NO OFFER WAS MADE TO LEAVE CAR UNTIL REPAIRS WERE MADE AND REPLACE WITH A LOANER. I DROVE THE CAR BACK HOME APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES ONE WAY. THIS AFTERNOON I DROVE IT TO THE GROCERY STORE WITH MY WIFE RIDING ALONG AND UPON RETURNING HOME I WAS TURNING ACROSS TWO LANES OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC ONTO THE ROAD I LIVE ON WHEN THE CAR STALLED AGAIN. DEALERSHIP JUST CALLED AND SAID FORD WILL NOT AUTHORIZE REPAIR WITHOUT THE CODE SHOWING ON THE READER. SO, ON TO THE NEXT STEP.

NHTSA ID
10881799
Incident
Jun 30, 2016
Mileage
12,752 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

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .