2010 Ford Flex Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report loss of electric power steering assist, engine stalling or misfiring that in some cases is traced to internal engine damage, and brake noise or pulsation at low mileage. Complaints span a wide mileage range: steering and engine reports tend to arrive well past 50,000 miles, while brake and throttle-related reports cluster under 25,000 miles.

1. 1
   Steering

   Power steering assist cuts out

   • 27 complaints (19%)
   • median 90,500 mi at 7.2 yrs old (24 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,872 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 2014–2025

   Owners describe the steering wheel going suddenly heavy, sometimes with a power steering fault message and sometimes with no warning at all. Many say switching the vehicle off and restarting restores assist for a while before it drops out again. Complaints mention dealers replacing the steering rack or gear, and several owners note that similar vehicles were covered by a later recall while their 2010 model was not. Mostly reported between roughly 50,000 and 150,000 miles, often first noticed at low speed or right after start-up.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the steering rack or assist motor has been replaced and whether a power steering fault has ever appeared on the dash. On a test drive, check for heavy steering at parking speeds and listen for groaning or clicking noises when turning.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I turned my car on to back out of my driveway and had no power steering and on my dash it said power steering fault. This is a Ford limited 2010 with ecoboost engine and parking assist. This part has been recalled on every other Ford but my year. It is undrivable because the powersteering could gonout at anytime. The part from Ford is 2643 plus labor. I only had 119,000 miles on my Ford.”

   NHTSA complaint #10990972, filed 2017-05, 119,000 miles

   “After starting the vehicle and while still stationary the vehicle displayed a 'power steering assist fault' and the power steering failed. The car is very had to steer after getting this error message. I was able to stop and re-start the car and the error message was not displayed again and I was able to drive the car. The error is now happening every 2-3 days depending on the frequency it is driven. If this happens while driving it is very dangerous.”

   NHTSA complaint #11320207, filed 2020-04, 65,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Engine stalls or loses power, sometimes engine failure

   • 38 complaints (27%)
   • median 79,325 mi at 6.8 yrs old (34 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $5,000 (median of 7 quotes)
   • filed 2010–2023

   Complaints describe the engine quitting at speed or while slowing for a turn, with the dashboard lighting up and power steering and brakes going heavy. Other reports involve violent vibration, misfire codes and low compression on one or more cylinders, and several owners were told a new engine was needed. A recurring theme in complaints is a water pump failure that lets coolant into the engine oil, and some reports tie oil and coolant mixing to the shutdown. Reported from as little as 9,000 miles up to nearly 200,000, with cylinder and water pump failures typically appearing from about 65,000 miles onward.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check coolant and oil condition for mixing or sludge, look for low coolant with no visible external leak, and ask whether the water pump or any turbocharger has been replaced. A compression check and a scan for stored misfire codes are worth requesting.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving on a highway during rush hour traffic, as the traffic slowed down, and I pressed the brake, the engine shut completely down. First the battery light came on and then all lights within the speedometer cluster came on. Traffic began to pick back up and I was going up hill, yet I was merely coasting at the speed I was before I stopped and slowing down. Luckily the traffic did not come to a complete stop because I would have been sitting in the middle of the road. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10503415, filed 2013-03, 53,431 miles

   “Was trying to accelerate around a car and loss all power and check engine light immediately started flashing and the engine started misfiring and loss all power and now the Ford dealer says that I need a new engine.”

   NHTSA complaint #11016511, filed 2017-08, 70,000 miles
3. 3
   Brakes

   Brake grinding, pulsation or drag at low mileage

   • 14 complaints (10%)
   • median 22,000 mi at 1.8 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • filed 2010–2024

   Owners describe grinding from the front brakes, especially in wet weather, and rear brakes that drag or wear unevenly, sometimes with a burning smell. Several say pads and rotors were replaced more than once within the first couple of years, and one owner was told a technical bulletin applied to vehicles under a mileage limit. A few later complaints describe the pedal pushing back, noise and occasional difficulty stopping. Mostly reported under about 25,000 miles, often in wet or rainy conditions.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Have the brake pads and rotors measured front and rear, and look for uneven pad wear or dragging calipers. Ask for service records showing how often brakes were replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Purchase Ford FLEX 2010 model, first complaint occur late january/february 2010, front brakes pads were not working and pulling hard. Return to dealership and they repaired the car, telling me this is an existing problem with three manufacture replacements already. I return in september 2010 with same problem, now I have waited over a week for parts on back order hoping this will be a permanent fix. Don't have car, still waiting. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10354838, filed 2010-09, 13,000 miles

   “When I press on gas it jerks and feels like its straing to kick up.dragging no gas its pulling. And when I break the peddles push back and make weird noises.it sometimes don't stop .the radio buttons doesn't work none of them.I purchased this vehicle 08/15/2020”

   NHTSA complaint #11365397, filed 2020-10, 109,000 miles
4. 4
   Fuel system

   Fuel gauge drops to empty or fuel smell

   • 6 complaints (4%)
   • median 101,500 mi at 8.2 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2014–2021

   Owners report the fuel gauge falling from a substantial reading to empty within seconds, followed by the engine dying, and say dealers were unable to reproduce or confirm the cause. Others describe a strong gasoline smell after filling, traced in one case to a corroded filler neck and in another to a corroded tank fitting. One complaint reports visible fuel on the ground. Reported from roughly 50,000 to 150,000 miles, often noticed right after refuelling or while driving at highway speed.

   What to check: Ask whether the fuel sending unit or tank has been replaced, and check for a fuel smell around the filler neck and under the rear of the vehicle after filling the tank.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Leaky fuel tank. Strong smell of leaky fuel. Worried that vehicle might catch fire. Took it into my local oil change place and they could not find leak. I can see a puddle of fuel on my driveway - about 2-3 feet round. Believe fuel tank has corroded. But I am told the tank is made of plastic. Looked up 2 other NHTSA complaints with similar failure complaints. Vehicle has 152,000 miles.”

   NHTSA complaint #11406309, filed 2021-04, 151,000 miles

   “This is a huge safety issue we have run out of gas on the freeway two times the gauge will say 70 miles to empty and 30 seconds later goes to zero the car runs out if gas in the car shut down on the freeway with my children in the car I have also run out of gas on the street I took it and pay $200 to a mechanic who is not able to fix it the Ford dealer said they can't figure out what's wrong with it but recommended a $700 fuel sending unit however they were unsure if this would fix the problem this is a major safety issue a time hassle and …”

   NHTSA complaint #10643819, filed 2014-10, 65,000 miles

Buying note. A pre-purchase inspection focused on power steering operation, coolant and oil condition, brake wear and fuel system condition is worthwhile on this model year. Ask for service records covering the steering rack, water pump and brakes, since those are the areas owners report most.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.