Which year to buy
Bar height: serious owner complaints to NHTSA for that year per car on the road, against this model's usual year.
2012GOOD BUYSerious complaints 0.9× usual
58 serious complaints of 64, the most about steering (24) and engine (11); per car on the road, 0.9× this model's usual year. 2 recalls.
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2012 Ford Flex. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle intermittently became difficult to maneuver. The failure occurred on several occasions, including while the contact was driving. An unknown warning light was illuminated.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the steering, Feb 2025
“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.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the engine, Sep 2020
64 owner complaints · 2 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 18–19 mpg · NHTSA: Not rated · 2012 trims and features
Verdicts computed from NHTSA owner complaints, defect investigations and recalls. Cars on the road from New York State registrations. (How we judge.) Data checked 2026-10-06.
Trims and features
Engines: 3.5L 6-cyl, 262–355 hp; 3.5L 6-cyl turbo, 262–355 hp · Drive: AWD, FWD
2012 Flex trims
| Limited | SE | SEL |
|---|
base price, seating and driver-assistance equipment from NHTSA's vehicle database (vPIC), as Ford reports it. Tech and comfort features (CarPlay, heated seats, sunroof) for Ford aren't in our data yet. "—": not verified in our sources. "Varies": standard on some versions of the trim.
Year by year
| Year | Engines | Drive | Fuel economy | Crash rating | Recalls | Owner complaints | Most-reported problem | CarPlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 3.5L 6-cyl, 287–365 hp 3.5L 6-cyl turbo, 287–365 hp | AWD, FWD | 17–19 mpg | Not rated | 4 | 251 | Back over prevention (141) | Yes |
| 2018 | 3.5L 6-cyl, 287–365 hp 3.5L 6-cyl turbo, 287–365 hp | AWD, FWD | 17–19 mpg | Not rated | 3 | 67 | Unknown or other (19) | Yes |
| 2017 | 3.5L 6-cyl, 287–365 hp 3.5L 6-cyl turbo, 287–365 hp | AWD, FWD | 17–19 mpg | Not rated | 4 | 42 | Unknown or other (13) | Yes |
| 2016 | 3.5L 6-cyl, 287–365 hp 3.5L 6-cyl turbo, 287–365 hp | AWD, FWD | 17–19 mpg | Not rated | 3 | 98 | Back over prevention (26) | No |
| 2015 | 3.5L 6-cyl, 262–355 hp 3.5L 6-cyl turbo, 262–355 hp | AWD, FWD | 18–20 mpg | Not rated | 4 | 110 | Back over prevention (29) | No |
| 2014 | 3.5L 6-cyl, 288–355 hp 3.5L 6-cyl turbo, 288–355 hp | AWD, FWD | 18–20 mpg | Not rated | 4 | 249 | Steering (66) | No |
| 2013 | 3.5L 6-cyl, 288–355 hp 3.5L 6-cyl turbo, 288–355 hp | AWD, FWD | 18–20 mpg | Not rated | 6 | 580 | Electrical system (201) | No |
| 2012 | 3.5L 6-cyl, 262–355 hp 3.5L 6-cyl turbo, 262–355 hp | AWD, FWD | 18–19 mpg | Not rated | 2 | 64 | Steering (24) | No |
| 2011 | 3.5L 6-cyl, 262–355 hp 3.5L 6-cyl turbo, 262–355 hp | 4WD, AWD, FWD | 18–19 mpg | Not rated | 2 | 144 | Steering (57) | No |
| 2010 | 3.5L 6-cyl 3.5L 6-cyl turbo | 4WD, AWD, FWD | 18–20 mpg | Not rated | 1 | 139 | Steering (32) | No |
Owner complaints are unverified reports to NHTSA, counted as filed: older years have had longer to collect them and sales aren't adjusted for, so see Which year to buy for a fair comparison. Most-reported problem: the component named in the most complaints that year. Sources: EPA, NHTSA, Apple.
Which years have…
Apple lists CarPlay for: Flex 2017–2019 (Apple).
Every NHTSA-rated version: crash ratings, safety tech, recalls, complaints
| Year | Version | Stars | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Ford Flex SUV FWD | Not Rated | Optional | No | 4 | 251 |
| 2019 | Ford Flex SUV AWD | Not Rated | Optional | No | 4 | 251 |
| 2018 | Ford Flex SUV AWD | Not Rated | Optional | No | 3 | 67 |
| 2018 | Ford Flex SUV FWD | Not Rated | Optional | No | 3 | 67 |
| 2017 | Ford Flex SUV AWD | Not Rated | Optional | No | 4 | 42 |
| 2017 | Ford Flex SUV FWD | Not Rated | Optional | No | 4 | 42 |
| 2016 | Ford Flex SUV FWD | Not Rated | Optional | No | 3 | 98 |
| 2016 | Ford Flex SUV AWD | Not Rated | Optional | No | 3 | 98 |
| 2015 | Ford Flex SUV FWD | Not Rated | No | Optional | 4 | 110 |
| 2015 | Ford Flex SUV AWD | Not Rated | No | Optional | 4 | 110 |
| 2014 | Ford Flex SUV FWD | Not Rated | Optional | No | 4 | 249 |
| 2014 | Ford Flex SUV AWD | Not Rated | Optional | No | 4 | 249 |
| 2013 | Ford Flex SUV AWD | Not Rated | Optional | No | 6 | 580 |
| 2013 | Ford Flex SUV FWD | Not Rated | Optional | No | 6 | 580 |
| 2012 | Ford Flex SUV AWD | Not Rated | No | No | 2 | 64 |
| 2012 | Ford Flex SUV FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 2 | 64 |
| 2011 | Ford Flex SUV AWD | Not Rated | No | No | 2 | 144 |
| 2011 | Ford Flex SUV FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 2 | 144 |
| 2010 | Ford Flex 4-DR. w/SAB | Not Rated | No | No | 1 | 139 |
Source: NHTSA.
Every EPA-rated version: engines and combined mpg
| Year | EPA model | Engines | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Flex AWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, Turbo |
17–18 |
| 2019 | Flex FWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 19 |
| 2018 | Flex AWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, Turbo |
17–18 |
| 2018 | Flex FWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 19 |
| 2017 | Flex AWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, Turbo |
17–18 |
| 2017 | Flex FWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 19 |
| 2016 | Flex AWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, Turbo |
17–18 |
| 2016 | Flex FWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 19 |
| 2015 | Flex AWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, Turbo |
18–19 |
| 2015 | Flex FWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 20 |
| 2014 | Flex AWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, Turbo |
18–19 |
| 2014 | Flex FWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 20 |
| 2013 | Flex AWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, Turbo |
18–19 |
| 2013 | Flex FWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 20 |
| 2012 | Flex AWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, Turbo Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
18 |
| 2012 | Flex FWD | Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 19 |
| 2011 | Flex AWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, Turbo Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
18 |
| 2011 | Flex FWD | Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 19 |
| 2010 | Flex AWD | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, Turbo Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
18 |
| 2010 | Flex FWD | Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 20 |
Source: fueleconomy.gov.