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Ford FlexModel year report

2012 Ford Flex Problems

Compared with other Ford Flex years

Fewer complaints than typical for this model

25/100 0.6× a typical year · 50 = typical

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
64filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
65,006miles, 46 complaints with mileage
Recalls
2campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
19 mpgcombined, 3.5L 6-cyl FWD · 17 city / 24 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2012 Ford Flex (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report the loss or intermittent failure of power steering assist, usually announced by a "Power Steering Assist Fault" message on the display, at mileages spread widely across the sample. Other recurring themes are throttle-body-related stalling or limp mode, brake caliper drag, and a handful of electrical and fuel-gauge complaints. Many complaints note that repairs did not resolve the symptom or that the vehicle's VIN was not covered by a related recall.

  1. Steering

    Power steering assist cuts out or goes stiff

    • 22 complaints (34%)
    • median 84,500 mi at 6.1 yrs old (11 state mileage)
    • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2014–2025

    Complaints describe the power steering assist suddenly stopping, often accompanied by a "Power Steering Assist Fault" or "Service AdvanceTrac" message on the dash. Steering then takes heavy effort; some owners say restarting the engine restores assist, others report it stayed off. Dealers in several complaints diagnosed the steering gear or rack and pinion, and some owners were told their VIN was not included in a steering recall or that a related warranty extension had expired. Reported from roughly 22,000 to 126,000 miles in the sample, both while parked and while driving at highway speeds.

    Recall 15V3400001 related service bulletin

    What to check: Ask whether the steering recall or any warranty extension was performed, and steer the car through full locks at low speed and watch for the assist fault message. Have a mechanic check the steering rack and the power steering control module software.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Wife returned to her car after a day of driving to find the power steering had suddenly stopped working. She decided to drive it home and it had moments where the power steering functioned and luckily she got it home. I contacted Ford but they advised me that there is no active bulletin for this particular model so we would just need to fix it.”

    NHTSA complaint #11360858, filed 2020-09, 84,500 miles

    “I've had problems with power steering faulting. I've called dealer and they said they didn't know anything about it. I would turn off car and it would work again but now it won't. There is no power steering. This happened at home when I first turn on car”

    NHTSA complaint #11322875, filed 2020-04, 85,868 miles
  2. Engine

    Throttle body failure, stalling and limp mode

    • 6 complaints (9%)
    • median 91,500 mi at 7.8 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2014–2020

    Owners describe the vehicle dropping into limp mode or stalling, with a wrench or check engine light and a loss of throttle response, sometimes at low speed and sometimes on the highway. Several say the electronic throttle body was replaced, in some cases repeatedly, and that the problem returned. One complaint notes the dealer also replaced the PCM. Mostly reported between about 45,000 and 160,000 miles, with some at low mileage; often intermittent.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Ask for service records showing whether the electronic throttle body and PCM were replaced or reprogrammed, and note any stored codes. A test drive should include slow-speed and stop-and-go driving to watch for hesitation or a wrench light.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Vehicle was unable to maintain or increase engine power: pressing down the throttle had no effect. First I thought the engine had stalled. After a few moments the engine did function again. This has happened many times before, but only intermittently. This is a safety problem for me because if it happens while I am passing a car I am losing a major control.”

    NHTSA complaint #10566570, filed 2014-03, 45,000 miles

    “Throttle body has been diagnosed on my 2012 Ford FLEX. Looking at vehicle history, the same throttle body has recalls for different models. Yesterday, 9/252020, I had my FLEX die on me three times on the interstate during traffic. The milage is under 100k miles. Every time the vehicle dies is when im under 30 MPH.”

    NHTSA complaint #11361256, filed 2020-09, 95,000 miles
  3. Electrical system

    Electrical glitches: blank screen, lights out, no restart

    • 12 complaints (19%)
    • median 43,300 mi at 2.9 yrs old (12 state mileage)
    • filed 2012–2019

    Owners report the touchscreen going blank and shutting down controls, exterior and dash lights cutting out in rain, and the vehicle refusing to restart with the dash lights flashing. In several cases a battery disconnect or waiting a few minutes restored function, and owners say dealers could not duplicate or explain the problem. Reported from about 8,000 to 132,000 miles, with several reports in the 26,000-60,000 mile range.

    3 related service bulletins

    What to check: Check that the battery terminals and cables are clean and tight, and test the touchscreen, blower motor and all lighting functions. Service bulletins describe battery cable terminal replacement and intermittent HVAC blower motor operation.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Driving up an on ramp to an interstate, suddenly all the lights started flashing on the dashboard display. I could not see any speed or driving information. I pulled over to the side of the road turned off the vehicle and it would not restart. Nothing would happen when I turned the key, dashboard lights still flashed. Car restarted after 5 minutes and I drove it directly to the dealership. By the time I arrived at grappone Ford in concord, nh my dealership the dashboard lights were again flashing and I could not see any data.”

    NHTSA complaint #10993774, filed 2017-06, 127,000 miles

    “Touch screen went completely blank. Could not operate anything associated with touchscreen. Called dealer, told me they could get it in next week. Are you kidding. Looked on line for help. Ended up disconnecting battery, and reconnecting. Works now.”

    NHTSA complaint #10628387, filed 2014-08, 26,000 miles
  4. Brakes

    Rear or front brake calipers stick and drag

    Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

    Complaints describe calipers that stick and drag, producing a hot wheel, burning smell, smoke, or metal-on-metal noise, and in some cases requiring pads and rotors to be replaced. Owners report caliper replacement and, in one case, that the opposite side failed shortly after the first repair. Some note pulsation or vibration under light braking. Spread from roughly 8,000 to 96,000 miles in the sample, with several reports in the 26,000-56,000 mile range.

    3 related service bulletins

    What to check: After a drive, feel each wheel for uneven heat and look for a dragging or stuck caliper; ask whether calipers, pads and rotors were recently replaced. A service bulletin addresses rear brake drag from corrosion between the pad and anchor bracket.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My Ford FLEX has a total of 82000 miles on it. I live in upstate new york. I have had three instances where the rear brake calipers stick and severely require both pad and rotor replacement. At 60 years old I can't hear the high pitched squealing but on two occasions my son has notice and upon stopping to check for the noise, the rear wheel is too hot to even touch. In one instance the pad was completely worn to the metal no doubt resulting in lose of braking power. The frequency of this problem is disturbing. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10850521, filed 2016-03, 82,000 miles

    “Both right and left front brake calipers stuck simultaneously. The vehicle was in motion, going down a residential road, when there was a thump from the drivers side (front) wheel. It sounded like the brake pads wanted to fall out. There were no obstructions, debris, potholes and I was not braking at the time. Took the vehicle in for evaluation, where the mechanics advised both calipers were bad. I had to have both the right and left front brake calipers, rotors and pads replaced. Vehicle only has 30,000 miles on it. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10904271, filed 2016-09, 32,120 miles
  5. Fuel system

    Fuel gauge reads low or sticks at half

    Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

    Complaints describe the fuel gauge stopping at about half a tank or dropping quickly after a fill, with the distance-to-empty reading falling along with it. In one report a fuel tank ruptured while driving, and other owners describe intermittent loss of engine power under throttle. Reported from roughly 31,000 to 116,000 miles in the sample.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Fill the tank and watch whether the gauge climbs to full and holds; ask whether the fuel level sender or gauge diagnostics were checked. A service bulletin covers fuel gauge diagnostics for certain trouble codes.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “June 27: get to florida 6 blocks away from where we will be staying and new Ford FLEX gas tank ruptures leaving us with no gas to get off freeway. Called Ford customer service agent since vehicle is under warranty and they called a tow truck. June 29: dropped off keys for Ford FLEX at tropical Ford at 9am. Explained to jack what was wrong with gas tank. Got a call from jack a few hours later and he said they were all set. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10533384, filed 2013-08, 31,255 miles

    “Driving car to work on a town road, car suddenly stalled and would not restart. Lost power steering. Lights were still on on the dashboard but could not restart the vehicle. Was able to restart the vehicle after 5 minutes.”

    NHTSA complaint #10993773, filed 2017-06, 132,000 miles

Buying note. Before buying, confirm whether the steering recall or any related warranty extension was applied and test the steering for assist faults at low speed. Also budget for a close look at the brakes and throttle body history, since those repairs recur in owner reports.

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.

NHTSA recorded 64 consumer complaints for the 2012 Ford Flex. 46 of the complaints include a mileage, and 41% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 65,006 miles. Of all complaints, 4 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 4 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns and 47 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 10 Ford Flex model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 25 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (fewer complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Vehicle speed control (3), Electronic stability control (2), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (2), Wheels (2), Exterior lighting (1).

Example complaints

Steering: “While driving I experienced a total loss of power steering and the dashboard flashed power assist failure . This happened four times over the course of two weeks. I've taken the car in to sound Ford in renton, wa and was told that this is a known recall issue (#15s18). My complaint is with regard to the part needed to repair the problem. Both the dealer and the Ford customer relationship center have told me that the part ( a steering gear) is on endless backorder due to manufacturing delays. …”

NHTSA complaint #10823784, filed 2016-02, 45,000 miles

Engine: “My 2012 new Ford FLEX had complete engine failure 3 times 1-27 driving..complete shut down. I cruised to curb. Restarted quickly 2-01 same incident 2-02 repeat on major street dealers have said that they have no idea what to do. They have hd my vehicle since 2-02.”

NHTSA complaint #10500705, filed 2013-02, 8,200 miles

Electrical system: “I was reversing from my driveway going less than 5 miles per hr. When my vehicle accelerated on its own going at a fast speed losing total control of my vehicle. The vehicle then finally stopped in the middle of the road and died out. I could of killed someone or hit something if they were behind me. I took my FLEX to service dept. At dealership as it was still under warranty and was told it was the throttle body and motor assembly. It was replaced and no mention of recall. I don't feel safe driving my vehicle.”

NHTSA complaint #10692193, filed 2015-03, 33,024 miles

Brakes: “First incident happened while driving about 40 miles an hour. Idiot lights came on the dash and the cars engine turned off. Thankfully I was able to get car off to the side of road. Car cranked right back up. 5 days later while sitting in a fast food line, same thing happened and was able to crank car. Called dealership in town, brought car in and they said, nothing is wrong with your car, come and get it picked up car. 2 days later while driving it down our street, I stopped to get mail about 9pm and the car totally died. No power at all. Was stuck in park had to be towed. …”

NHTSA complaint #10482817, filed 2012-10, 5,020 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

41% of the 46 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 33,024 and 108,300 miles.

13%0–104%10–2524%25–5013%50–7511%75–10026%100–1509%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (46 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 65,006 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

’13’157’17’19’21’23’25
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2012 Ford Flex. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Flex · SUV AWDnot rated———4 · 15.1% risk
Flex · SUV FWDnot rated———4 · 16.4% risk

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2012 Ford Flex version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Flex AWD3.5L 6-cyl6-speed automatic162218$3,700
Flex AWD3.5L 6-cyl6-speed automatic162318$3,700
Flex FWD3.5L 6-cyl6-speed automatic172419$3,550

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2012 Ford Flex → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 47 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 47 bulletins →

Other model years of the Ford Flex

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
201925750,0004—1950 · TypicalRising
20186960,0003—1931 · FewerRising
20174278,5004—190 · FewerRising
201610162,1553—1929 · FewerRising
201511556,8004—2053 · TypicalStable
201424965,0004—2078 · MoreFalling
201358065,0006—20100 · MoreFalling
20126465,0062—1925 · FewerStable
201114473,5002—1951 · TypicalStable
201013972,0001—2047 · TypicalStable
200918160,0001—1973 · MoreFalling

All Ford Flex model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Ford Flex?

Owners of this model year most often report the loss or intermittent failure of power steering assist, usually announced by a "Power Steering Assist Fault" message on the display, at mileages spread widely across the sample. The issues reported most often: Power steering assist cuts out or goes stiff; Throttle body failure, stalling and limp mode; Electrical glitches: blank screen, lights out, no restart.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2012 Ford Flex have?

NHTSA recorded 64 consumer complaints for the 2012 Ford Flex as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2012 Ford Flex is reported most often?

Steering is named most often, in 24 complaints (38% of the total), followed by engine with 11.

Has the 2012 Ford Flex been recalled?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2012 Ford Flex get?

The EPA rates the 2012 Ford Flex (Flex FWD, 3.5L 6-cyl) at 19 mpg combined, 17 city and 24 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,550 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2012 Ford Flex reported?

Among the 46 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 65,006 miles and the middle half falls between 33,024 and 108,300 miles; 41% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.