2014 Ford Flex Problems and Recalls (248 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2014 Ford Flex is Steering (24% of 248 owner reports). There are 4 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Steering — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 248 complaints · 4 recalls

What problems show up on the 2014 Ford Flex?

60 of 248 filings named Steering (24% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Fuel system (43 reports).

There are 4 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Transmission / driveline, Fuel system, and Suspension. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2013 has 576 reports on file; this year has 248. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2014 Ford Flex

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 4 campaigns on file below.
  2. Steering. Check for play in the wheel, noises on lock and whether it tracks straight.
  3. Fuel system. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly.
  4. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Steering. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Steering 60 complaints · 24.2% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 11
  • Fires 2
  • Injuries 10
  • Deaths 0
All Ford Flex years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Steering (STEERING) appears in 60 of 248 owner complaints (24.2%) in this vehicle snapshot. Steering (STEERING): 60 complaints, 24.2% of reports Steering (STEERING) 60 · 24.2% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 43 complaints, 17.3% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 1 crash reports 43 · 17.3% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 37 complaints, 14.9% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 crash reports 37 · 14.9% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 21 complaints, 8.5% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 2 crash reports 21 · 8.5% Engine (ENGINE): 19 complaints, 7.7% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 crash reports 2 fire reports 19 · 7.7% Seat belts (SEAT BELTS): 8 complaints, 3.2% of reports Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 1 crash reports 8 · 3.2% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 7 complaints, 2.8% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 2 crash reports 7 · 2.8% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 7 complaints, 2.8% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 7 · 2.8% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 5 complaints, 2.0% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 5 · 2.0% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 45 complaints, 18.2% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 2 crash reports 45 · 18.2% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Steering (STEERING) 60 24.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 43 17.3% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 37 14.9% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 21 8.5% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 19 7.7% 1 crashes · 2 fires
Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 8 3.2% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 7 2.8% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 7 2.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 5 2.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 45 18.2% 2 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 2014; the first recall shown was reported in Jul 2014. 2014-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2015-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2016-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2017-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2017-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2017-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2017-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2018-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2018-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2018-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2018-Q4: 14 owner reports 14 2019-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2019-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2019-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2019-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2020-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2020-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2020-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 2020-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2021-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2021-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2021-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2022-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2022-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2022-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2023-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2023-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2023-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2024-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2025-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2025-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2025-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2025-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2026-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2026-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 Owner reports Jan 2014 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 14V393000 ◆ Recall campaign 14V393000 Recall campaign 14V710000 ◆ Recall campaign 14V710000 Recall campaign 16V621000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V621000 Recall campaign 20V072000 ◆ Recall campaign 20V072000
  • Campaign 20V072000 was reported 76 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2014-Q1 Owner reports 2
2014-Q2 Owner reports 1
2014-Q4 Owner reports 2
2015-Q1 Owner reports 4
2015-Q2 Owner reports 3
2016-Q1 Owner reports 2
2016-Q2 Owner reports 3
2016-Q3 Owner reports 6
2016-Q4 Owner reports 8
2017-Q1 Owner reports 4
2017-Q2 Owner reports 3
2017-Q3 Owner reports 4
2017-Q4 Owner reports 8
2018-Q1 Owner reports 4
2018-Q2 Owner reports 7
2018-Q3 Owner reports 5
2018-Q4 Owner reports 14
2019-Q1 Owner reports 10
2019-Q2 Owner reports 9
2019-Q3 Owner reports 8
2019-Q4 Owner reports 10
2020-Q1 Owner reports 8
2020-Q2 Owner reports 6
2020-Q3 Owner reports 14
2020-Q4 Owner reports 11
2021-Q1 Owner reports 6
2021-Q2 Owner reports 5
2021-Q3 Owner reports 2
2021-Q4 Owner reports 3
2022-Q1 Owner reports 4
2022-Q2 Owner reports 1
2022-Q3 Owner reports 8
2022-Q4 Owner reports 4
2023-Q1 Owner reports 8
2023-Q2 Owner reports 4
2023-Q3 Owner reports 2
2023-Q4 Owner reports 2
2024-Q1 Owner reports 4
2024-Q2 Owner reports 2
2024-Q3 Owner reports 2
2024-Q4 Owner reports 3
2025-Q1 Owner reports 7
2025-Q2 Owner reports 6
2025-Q3 Owner reports 9
2025-Q4 Owner reports 4
2026-Q1 Owner reports 4
2026-Q3 Owner reports 2
Recall campaign 1 14V393000
Recall campaign 1 14V710000
Recall campaign 1 16V621000
Recall campaign 1 20V072000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (4)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Transmission / driveline, Fuel system, and Suspension.

  1. Recall campaign 14V393000

    Transmission / driveline

    Report date
    Component:
    Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
    Consequence:
    If the halfshaft and linkshaft become disengaged while driving, power will no longer be transmitted to the wheels, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. Additionally, if the parking brake is not applied before exiting the vehicle, the vehicle may roll away despite the transmission being placed in 'Park', increasing the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
    Remedy:
    Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles to make sure that the halfshaft is properly retained. If it is not, dealers will replace the linkshaft and also replace the halfshaft if it shows evidence of spline damage, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S10.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 14V710000

    Safety recall 14V710000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 16V621000

    Fuel system

    Report date
    Component:
    Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 20V072000

    Suspension

    Report date
    Component:
    Suspension (SUSPENSION)
    Consequence:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 10 of 248 complaints · page 1 of 10
2026-07-22Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11752265
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Hello, I was driving my Ford Flex at 60mph yesterday with my 15 year old friend helping me move. The engine completely died for several seconds and continued running. That night the engine was idling rough which was a new symptom. Today, I made it to my destination and the car died, then it did not start after cranking. The Fuel pump module Aa8a-9d412-ca was faulty and now I am out $142+ from Ford to replace a part myself that is a known problem on the Ecoboost engines for this vehicle. This is a liability and I am seeking reimbursement for this known issue. Please issue a recall for this fuel pump module, everyone's safety is at risk that still has this faulty part installed that Ford has not addressed. Thank you for your time.
2026-07-15Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11750617
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I noticed about 6 months ago, the Backup camera has been cutting out randomly, and has been getting worse. I noticed that there is a recall for 2015 - current models of Ford Flex for this issue. Not sure why the 2014 model isn't a part of the recall, as my car seems to be doing the exact thing described in the recall.
2026-03-11Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11723479
CrashFireInjuryDeath
BACK UP CAMERA IS DISABLED WHEN BACKING UP. IT IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH BACKING UP MAKING IT A SAFETY CONCERN. THE BEEPING SEEMS TO WORK BUT THE CAMERA WILL BE BLACK.
2026-02-26Steering (STEERING)
NHTSA ODI 11720819
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I was driving down a main road going 45 MPH when my steering wheel locked up and I got a message on my dash to service advanced steering. I was unable to turn my steering wheel in any direction and had to pull over in order to not be involved in a collision.
2026-02-10BACK OVER PREVENTION
NHTSA ODI 11717008
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while in reverse, the back over prevention camera displayed a black screen, and the message “Camera not Available” was displayed. The contact stated that turning off and restarting the vehicle, and waiting for the cellphone to connect to Bluetooth on the radio, the camera operated as needed and provided an image of the rear of the vehicle while reversing. The failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic and diagnosed with a camera failure. The mechanic performed a troubleshooting of the camera and determined that the camera needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.
2026-01-24Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11713105
CrashFireInjuryDeath
After reporting to work on [XXX], I discovered that the front of my vehicle was on fire. Emergency services were immediately contacted, and employees on site attempted to contain the fire using fire extinguishers. The fire department arrived shortly thereafter and successfully extinguished the fire. Despite these efforts, the vehicle was ultimately deemed a total loss. Later that day, my sister advised me to review footage from our Ring camera from that morning. The video shows visible sparks coming from underneath my vehicle prior to my departure. At that time, I drove approximately nine miles to work, unaware of any issue with the vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2025-12-31Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11708029
CrashFireInjuryDeath
BACKUP CAMERA FAILED Safety was put at risk because there was no functional camera while the vehicle was in reverse. Dealer confirmed backup camera failure. Dealer inspected the backup camera and determined it needed to be replaced. There were no warnings, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. Mileage 163,483 Replaced 12/31/2024
2025-11-06Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11697945
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I know that the 2015-2019 Ford Flex is being recalled for rear camera issues and "B" pillar mldgs. coming loose. My 2014 Flex has these same issues. What about earlier models?
2025-10-28Steering (STEERING)
NHTSA ODI 11696235
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Auto “steering assist failure” occurred, very difficult to steer, very dangerous and could have caused wreak if actively driving when it failed. Dash light indicates steering assist failure. Appears this is an ungoing problem with ford flex vehicles since 2010 I do not see recall for my 2014 flex but same issues had recalls for flex up to 2013. I am reporting due that I believe this is a very serious issue on ford flex vehicles and has great potential to cause severe accident if occurring while driving. I believe there should be recalls for this issue requiring Ford to repair the safety risk.
2025-10-05Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11691453
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The rear backup camera is upside down. The rear backup distance alarm doesn't work. This has been recalled in other years. The price to repair in unreasonable. Its like not having a rear camera. This is a common Problem. Please help.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2014 Ford Flex?

Owners named Steering most often — 60 of 248 reports (24%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2014 Ford Flex?

NHTSA lists 4 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Transmission / driveline, Fuel system, and Suspension. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2014 Ford Flex?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for play in the wheel, noises on lock and whether it tracks straight. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources