Ford Flex
Every model year 2016–2019: recalls, owner complaints, NHTSA crash ratings and EPA efficiency side by side, each value traced to the file it came from.
Which model year the record favours
Source: recalls and complaints per year on the roadOn the filed record so far, the 2016 is the cleanest Flex year we hold, and the 2019 the one to check hardest.
Both figures are divided by the number of years the car has been on sale, because otherwise the oldest year on the page loses every time simply for having been around longer. The current model year and any year under three on the road are left out: their records are not finished.
Which Ford Flex years reported which system early
Source: NHTSA complaints, odometer at reportEarliest on the record: 2019 back over prevention complaints at 1.0× the mileage of same-age vehicles (median 50,000 miles). Latest: 2018 structure at 3.78× (68,000 miles).
Each cell is that model year’s median odometer when owners reported the system, divided by the median for the same system across every make’s complaints on the same model year. under 0.67× reported early; 1.5× or more late; a dash means too few readings. When problems get reported, not how often — complaint counts are in the table above. Across the whole fleet: which systems go first.
What owners filed about the Ford Flex, by system
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsEvery system, every year →The systems the federal record is deep on for this nameplate: the complaints per model year, the mileage owners reported them at, and every recall, investigation and manufacturer bulletin filed under the heading — each one linked, none a failure rate.
In the studies
Source: computed from the same record, method on each pageCommon questions about the Ford Flex
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsWhich Ford Flex year is the best used buy?
On the recall record, the 2016 Flex comes out top of the years before the current one: Safety Signal grade B (81/100), 3 recalls and 101 owner complaints on file. That ranks paperwork, not condition — a specific car's history and service record still decide it.
What Ford Flex years should I avoid?
No Flex model year carries a D or F Safety Signal or a standing advisory. The ranking page orders every year on recalls and complaints per year on the road, and says why.
How many recalls does the Ford Flex have?
Across model years 2016–2019, NHTSA has posted 14 recall campaigns for the Ford Flex. They are counted per model year in the table above, because a campaign almost never covers the whole run — it covers a build range.