Ford Flex Years to Avoid — and the Years to Buy
Every Ford Flex model year from 2009 to 2019, benchmarked against each other with 2,508 federal complaints, 14 recall campaigns, and the odometer readings owners put in their reports.
Avoid: 2013. These years top the Flex's complaint rankings by volume and severity.
Safer bets: 2012, 2015–2018 — the quietest years with at least four years on the road.
The method in one line: every NHTSA complaint for this model is counted, weighted for crashes, fires, injuries, and deaths, and each year is measured against the Flex's own worst year — full methodology.
The trouble strip
One cell per model year. The whole answer in one glance — click any year for the full report.
The defining problem
Electrical tops the Ford Flex file with 436 complaints, concentrated in the 2013 model years, most often reported around 57,000 miles. The year pages break down what fails and when.
Every year, ranked
| Year | Verdict | Complaints | Recalls | Top problem | Trouble index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Below average | 298 | 4 | Driver assistance | 35 |
| 2018 | Better year | 81 | 3 | Body & structure | 12 |
| 2017 | Better year | 56 | 4 | Suspension | 8 |
| 2016 | Better year | 129 | 3 | Driver assistance | 17 |
| 2015 | Better year | 122 | 4 | Driver assistance | 16 |
| 2014 | Below average | 325 | 4 | Steering | 47 |
| 2013 | Avoid | 777 | 6 | Electrical | 100 |
| 2012 | Better year | 89 | 2 | Steering | 15 |
| 2011 | Typical | 178 | 2 | Steering | 32 |
| 2010 | Typical | 181 | 1 | Engine | 25 |
| 2009 | Below average | 272 | 1 | Engine | 42 |
Technical service bulletins
Beyond complaints and recalls, 612 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, service campaigns, warranty extensions — are on file for the Ford Flex. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Browse the Ford Flex TSB list by year →
Questions buyers ask
What Ford Flex years should I avoid?
Federal complaint records point to 2013 as the Ford Flex years to avoid — they drew the highest volume of serious complaints relative to the model's other years.
What is the most common Ford Flex problem?
Electrical tops the Ford Flex file with 436 complaints, concentrated in the 2013 model years, most often reported around 57,000 miles.
What are the best Ford Flex years to buy used?
The quietest Ford Flex years in federal records are 2012, 2015–2018 — each with at least four years on the road and well-below-average complaint volume for this model.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Counts cover the Ford Flex only, scored against this model's own worst year — not against other models. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.