2018 Ford Flex
The 2018 Ford Flex is sold in the U.S. as a gas large SUV with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Flex FWD, is EPA-rated at 19 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 69 complaints, most often about the structure.

Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flex FWD | Gas | FWD | 3.5L 6-cyl | 16 | 23 | 19 | $3,550 |
| Flex AWD | Gas | AWD | 3.5L 6-cyl | 16 | 22 | 18 | $3,700 |
| Flex AWD | Gas | AWD | 3.5L 6-cyl turbo | 15 | 21 | 17 | $3,950 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 38858, 38860, 38861.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates| Configuration | Smog rating | Emission standard | Where it can be sold new | SmartWay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flex FWD | 3 / 10 | California LEV-II ULEV / Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | — |
| Flex AWD | 3 / 10 | Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 / California LEV-II ULEV | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | — |
Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.
The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.
Specifications filed with NHTSA
Source: NHTSA vPICDimensions Exterior
| Body style | Sport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV] |
| Doors | 4 |
| GVWR class | Class 1D: 5,001 - 6,000 lb (2,268 - 2,722 kg) |
Engine Basics
| Cylinders | 6 |
| Displacement | 3.5 L |
| Engine configuration | V-Shaped |
Engine Output
| Horsepower | 287 hp |
Fuel Economy
| Fuel | Gasoline |
Seating
| Seat rows | 3 |
| Seating capacity | 7 seats |
Transmission
| Drivetrain | FWD/Front-Wheel Drive |
| Transmission | Automatic |
| Transmission speeds | 6 |
Driver assistance
Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control
Optional: Adaptive cruise control, Automatic emergency braking, Forward collision warning, Parking assist
Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: Limited, SE, SEL). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.
Dimensions & weight
Source: Transport Canada| Length | 202.0 in |
| Width (body, without mirrors) | 76.0 in |
| Height | 67.7 in |
| Wheelbase | 118.1 in |
| Track, front | 65.7 in |
| Track, rear | 65.7 in |
| Curb weight | 4,469–4,839 lb |
| Weight distribution, front/rear | 54/46 |
Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 2 configurations: 5-door Cuv AWD, 5-door Cuv FWD. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.
Factory warranty running out?
The 2018 Ford Flex is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.
What to check before you buy →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (3)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseBack Over Prevention
25SA9Suspension
20S04These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.
NHTSA defect investigations
Structure:Body:Roof And Pillars — B-Pillar Trim Detachment closed
On August 7, 2025, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE25007 to investigate instances of B-pillar trim detachment in model year (MY) 2019 Ford Flex vehicles manufactured by Ford Motor Company. During the investigation, MY 2011-2018 Ford Flex vehicles were analyzed as peer vehicles, and subsequently incorporated into the subject population because they use B-pillar trim pieces that are substantially similar to those used on the MY 2019 Ford Flex vehicles. In July 2025, prior to the opening of PE25007, ODI and Ford met to discuss B-pillar trim detachment in Ford Flex vehicles. Ford reported that its warranty analysis indicated that Flex B-pillar trim had a low detachment rate an
Opened Aug 7, 2025 · closed Aug 5, 2026 · action PE25007 · the investigation’s page →
Whether any of this applies to one specific Flex
A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2018 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Ford publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.
Hear about a recall before the letter does
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2018 Ford Flex, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2018 Ford Flex
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
Find parts for this Flex →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database7 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported
33 per 10,000 built · Ford reported 21,116 Flex built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)
Filed per year: 2018: 4 · 2019: 2 · 2020: 7 · 2021: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2025: 18 · 2026: 27
Most-cited components
In owners' own words
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Flex. The contact stated that the back-over prevention camera frequently failed to operate as needed. The contact stated that the camera displayed a blank or distorted image while the vehicle was shifted into reverse(R).
Keypad on driver’s side door became dislodged on the highway, flailed around, hitting the side of the car and window in the process. It then proceeds to break in half and flies off going down the highway. Then since the bottom half is still plugged in, it was flopping around and hitting the car while going down the highway.
There is a recall 20s04. I was told my car is outside the building date. However, the toe bar snapped. What do I do to get my car entered into the recall, as this is the exact problem it was recalled for
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at 75 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact was unsure whether a warning light was illuminated. The driver pulled to the side of the road.
I was waiting for my stop light to turn green at 39th street and southwest traffic-way, when my light turned green I started pulling through the intersection. I noticed a car coming towards me on southwest traffic-way at a high rate of speed. I hit the breaks thinking that this person is not going to stop.
My Ford Flex is equipped with hankook optimo h426 tires. At approximately 9,500 miles the vehicle began to vibrate. I've taken it to the shop 5 times and everything except the tires has been ruled out. After visiting a web site I found literally hundreds of complaints about these tires causing everything from vibration to blowouts.
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Reported by Ford itself: 3 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 1 killed, 6 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 14 per 100,000 built. Every Flex model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
When owners reported it
miles, typically
Half the 31 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 40,000 and 75,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.
Median mileage by component
| Component | Reports | Median miles | Vs same age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 13 | 68,000 | 3.78× |
Vs same age is this model year’s median for the system divided by the median of every 2018-model-year complaint about the same system, all makes: under 1× means owners of this car reported it at lower mileage. Here, owners reported later: structure (3.78×). Which systems go early across the whole fleet: the component study.
Across 2018–2019 model years the Ford Flex ranks 74 of 79 nameplates in the odometer-at-first-complaint study: owners reported problems at 2.64× the mileage of vehicles the same age (median 53,000 miles against a fleet 23,512).
Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAP| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | not rated | not rated | not rated | ★★★★☆ | 15% |
| SUV FWD | not rated | not rated | not rated | ★★★★☆ | 16% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsMost often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Power Train, Engine, Unknown Or Other.
- 25E10-S1 Other2026-09-30 · Power Train
- 25E10-S1 Owner letter
- 25E10-S1 Emissions2026-07-02 · Electrical System
- NEW VEHICLE DELIVERY HOLD - Emissions Recall 25E10 - Supplement #1 Certain 2018-2020 Model Year F-150 Vehicles With 3.3L Engines and 2016-2019 Model Year Explorer, Taurus, and Flex Vehicles With 3.5L Engines Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Reprogramming
- SSM 54601 Service bulletin2026-02-24 · Electrical System
- Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated wired keypad, the accessory wireless keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the vehicle using a diagnostic scan tool or from the label printed on the body control module (BCM). Th
- TSB 25-2570 Service bulletin2025-11-26 · Electrical System
- This article supersedes TSB 24-2165 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit various SYNC performance related concerns including but not limited to: Display operation concerns Navigation inoperative Voice recognition concerns Phone connection issues Dropped phone connections Applink related performance Travel Link not present
- SSM 54366 Service bulletin2025-11-12 · Power Train
- Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. Pinpoint test HK in the Powertrain Control and Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) or in Section 303-14 of the Workshop Manual (WSM) has been updated to address this concern.
- SSM 53040 Service bulletin2024-10-10 · Unknown Or Other
- While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions.
- TSB 24-2165 Service bulletin2024-05-27 · Unknown Or Other
- This article supersedes TSB 21-2175 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some 2016 MKS, 2016-2017 Navigator, 2016-2018 F-150/Focus/C-MAX/Edge/Fiesta/MKX/Transit Connect/Mustang, 2017-2018 Continental/Fusion/MKZ, 2017-2019 Explorer, 2016-2019 Escape/MKC/Flex/MKT/Taurus/Transit/Expedition/F-Super Duty, and 2018-2019 EcoSport vehicles equipped with SYNC 3 may experience various SYNC performance relat
- SSM 52476 Service bulletin2024-04-24 · Equipment
- All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicles owner during initial delivery. Unlike the integrated (wired) factory keypad, the accessory keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the vehicle using a diagnostic scan tool.
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
Diagnostic trouble codes on file
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaintsCodes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.
| Code | What it means | Most often filed under | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| P0011 P0011 on Ford → | Camshaft timing on bank 1 is more advanced than commanded. | Power Train | 5 bulletins |
| P0012 P0012 on Ford → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 5 bulletins |
| P0014 P0014 on Ford → | The second camshaft on bank 1 is timed further advanced than commanded. | Power Train | 5 bulletins |
| P0015 P0015 on Ford → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 5 bulletins |
| P0016 P0016 on Ford → | The crankshaft and camshaft are not where they should be relative to each other — timing, chain or phaser. | Power Train | 5 bulletins |
| P0017 P0017 on Ford → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 5 bulletins |
| P0018 P0018 on Ford → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 5 bulletins |
| P0019 P0019 on Ford → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 5 bulletins |
| P0021 P0021 on Ford → | Camshaft timing on bank 2 is more advanced than commanded. | Power Train | 5 bulletins |
| P0022 P0022 on Ford → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 5 bulletins |
| P0024 P0024 on Ford → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 5 bulletins |
| P0025 P0025 on Ford → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 5 bulletins |
Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
At the New York inspection station
Source: New York State DMVIn New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2018 Ford Flex failed the emissions check on 1.3% of first inspections — lower than the 3.0% for every 2018 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 3.3% (every 2018 vehicle: 1.9%).
failed emissions
303 initial inspections of 294 vehicles.
| Measure | The 2018 Flex | Every 2018 vehicle | Behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the emissions check | 1.3% | 3.0% | 303 |
| Failed the safety inspection | 3.3% | 1.9% | 303 |
| Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit | 0% | 0.22% | 303 |
| Miles driven a year | 10,628 | 10,002 | odometer at inspection |
| Average odometer | 88,041 | 82,833 | odometer at inspection |
New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2018 vehicle” is every 2018 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).
Flex by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2018 Flex
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsDoes the 2018 Ford Flex have any recalls?
NHTSA has posted 3 recall campaigns for the 2018 Ford Flex. The most serious on file is 25V732000, covering Structure. 3 of them were filed with no repair available at the time — NHTSA's file records what the manufacturer had in hand on the filing date, not what exists today. The manufacturer's own estimate for when a fix would be ready: March 2027. 1 campaign is phased, so the repair reached some model years before others. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.
How safe is the 2018 Ford Flex?
NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2018 Ford Flex yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it B (81/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2018 Ford Flex?
Across the 3 EPA-rated configurations of the 2018 Ford Flex, the best EPA combined figure is 19 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What are the dimensions of the 2018 Ford Flex?
Transport Canada measured it at 202.0 in long, 76.0 in wide (body, without mirrors), 67.7 in tall, on a 118.1 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 4,469–4,839 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.
What do owners complain about on the 2018 Ford Flex?
Owners have filed 69 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Ford Flex, most often about unspecified, structure, back over prevention. Of those, 7 involved a crash, 1 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
How clean is the 2018 Ford Flex?
The EPA smog rating for the 2018 Ford Flex is 3 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-II ULEV, Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2018 Ford Flex?
The manufacturer has filed 64 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2018 Ford Flex, most often covering electrical system, equipment, power train. The most recent is dated 2026-09-30. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.
How does the 2018 Ford Flex do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2018 Ford Flex failed the emissions check on 1.3% of first inspections — lower than the 3.0% for every 2018 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 3.3% (every 2018 vehicle: 1.9%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | 3 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | 3 configurations | EPA emission certificates | Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new. |
| Recalls | 3 | NHTSA recall campaigns | A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags. |
| Owner complaints | 69 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | 2 tested | NHTSA NCAP | Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them. |
| Service bulletins | 64 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | 1 | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | none | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like. |
| Specifications filed with NHTSA | 13 fields | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder. |
| Measured dimensions | 7 fields | Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications | Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | none | Manufacturer press kit | We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind. |
Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.