2014 Ford Flex Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2014 Ford Flex has a complaint index of 80, the third-worst of 11 model years, with steering (27% of complaints), electrical (23%), and fuel system (20%) as top problem areas. NHTSA lists 4 recalls, and the year is rated Avoid relative to other Flex years.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 80/100
- #3 of 11 Flex years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 249
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 4
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 11
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 2
- Injuries
- 10
- Top issue
- Steering
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 19
- 17 city / 23 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 10 / 0
Top 2014 Ford Flex problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Steering66 (27%)
- Electrical System57 (23%)
- Fuel System50 (20%)
- Engine27 (11%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires27 (11%)
- Other25 (10%)
- Structure & Body16 (6%)
- Brakes10 (4%)
- Transmission & Powertrain10 (4%)
- Collision Avoidance & Cameras8 (3%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Rear axle fractures and the front tire detaches while driving around 40 mph, causing the vehicle to jerk and lose control.
- Owners report a raw fuel smell after shutting off the engine, tied to a known Ford service bulletin with no repair parts available.
- Front airbags fail to deploy in moderate-speed crashes, including highway collisions and animal strikes.
- Suspension components pop and the rear of the vehicle drops suddenly at highway speed, leading to loss of control.
- Transmission and brakes intermittently fail together, with grinding noises and no brake response while descending a driveway.
- Electrical faults cause false door-open alerts, random alarm activation, and in one case a front-end fire that totaled the vehicle.
2014 Ford Flex recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 20V072000Feb 10, 2020Suspension, Wheels & Tires211,207 vehicles
Suspension:rear
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Lincoln MKT and Ford Flex and Taurus vehicles with the Police Interceptor or SHO Performance Pack. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.
Risk: A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. Remedy parts are not currently available. Owners were notified about the recall on March 3, 2020. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts become available, which is currently expected to be the end of September 2020. The recall began October 28, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or Lincoln customer service at 1-800-521-4140. Ford's number for this recall is 20S04.
- NHTSA 16V621000Aug 25, 2016Fuel System77,502 vehicles
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI Ecoboost engines and 2013-2015 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor vehicles. A component within the fuel pump electric module (PEM) may overheat causing a loss of electrical power to the fuel pump.
Risk: A loss of power to the fuel pump will cause the engine to stall or prevent the vehicle from starting, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel PEM part number and replace the fuel PEM, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S31.
- NHTSA 14V710000Nov 7, 2014Structure & Body113,418 vehicles
Seats
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014 Ford F-150 and Flex vehicles manufactured March 1, 2014, to May 31, 2014. The affected vehicles were manufactured with a reduced clearance between the seat frame and the seat track assembly. This can cause the Occupant Classification System (OCS) to inaccurately register passenger weight and improperly suppress the passenger front airbag when the passenger seat is occupied by an adult passenger. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: Improper suppression of the passenger airbag increases the risk of an injury to the seat occupant in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front passenger airbag.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will widen the gap between the seat frame and seat track assembly and recalibrate the seat OCS, free of charge. The recall began November 25, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14C10.
2014 Ford Flex fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 17 MPG
- Highway
- 23 MPG
- Combined
- 19 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,400
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2014 compared with other Flex years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2014 Ford Flex reliable?
- Compared with other Flex model years, the 2014 ranks poorly. Its complaint index is 80, the third-highest among 11 model years, and NHTSA lists 249 complaints for this year.
- What are the most common problems with the 2014 Ford Flex?
- Steering issues make up 27% of complaints, followed by electrical system problems at 23% and fuel system problems at 20%. Median mileage at failure across all complaints is 65,000 miles.
- Does the 2014 Ford Flex have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2014 Flex, covering rear suspension toe links, fuel system PEM parts, seat frame clearance, and halfshaft retention. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- Which Ford Flex model years should I avoid?
- Based on NHTSA data, the 2013 (complaint index 100) and 2019 (complaint index 90) are rated Avoid along with 2014 (index 80). The 2012, 2017, and 2018 model years are rated Best.
- How bad are the steering problems on the 2014 Ford Flex?
- Steering accounts for 66 of the 249 complaints (27%), the largest single problem area for this model year, with a median failure mileage of 77,500 miles.