2018 Ford Flex: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 61 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 3 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
61
Complaints
3
Recalls
7
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
1
Injuries
59.0
Severity index
Severity index 59.0 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 121 2018 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2018 Ford Flex ranks 49 of 121 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 60% of its model-year peers. See the full 2018 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE | 17 | 27.9% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 15 | 24.6% |
| BACK OVER PREVENTION | 12 | 19.7% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 11 | 18.0% |
| SUSPENSION | 9 | 14.8% |
| LANE DEPARTURE | 2 | 3.3% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | 3.3% |
| STEERING | 2 | 3.3% |
The single most-reported system is STRUCTURE, cited in 17 of 61 complaints (27.9%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 18 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 19 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 1.8x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20V072000 | 10/02/2020 | SUSPENSION:REAR | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Lincoln MKT and Ford Flex and Taurus vehicles with the Police Interceptor or SHO Performance Pack. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension. |
| 25V695000 | 13/10/2025 | BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermitten |
| 25V732000 | 24/10/2025 | STRUCTURE:BODY | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Flex vehicles. The driver and front passenger B-Pillar door trim may detach while driving. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.