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Executive Vehicle Verdict

The 2017 Ford Flex is associated with 42 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 4 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database.

The most frequently reported component area is Suspension, accounting for 9 reports (21% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 3 certified vehicle configurations spanning 3.5l 6-cyl powertrain configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 17 to 19 MPG combined. Detailed NHTSA crash-test ratings are not available in the current AutoUtility dataset for this model year.

Official Federal Record Profile
  • • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 42 consumer reports filed
  • • Safety Recall Campaigns: 4 official campaigns
  • • Primary Defect Domain: Suspension (9 / 21%)
  • • Field Incident Signals: 2 crash / 0 fire / 2 injury reports
  • • NCAP Crash Safety: Not rated by NHTSA
  • • EPA Certified Range: 17–19 MPG across 3 powertrain trims
Directly compiled from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA NCAP, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2017 Ford Flex?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Flex FWD 3.5L 6-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 16 MPG 23 MPG 19 MPG — $3,250 / yr
Flex AWD 3.5L 6-Cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 16 MPG 22 MPG 18 MPG — $3,400 / yr
Flex AWD 3.5L 6-Cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 15 MPG 21 MPG 17 MPG — $3,600 / yr
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2017 Ford Flex?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
SUV FWD 16.400000000000002%
SUV AWD 15.1%
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Optional and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as No in official NHTSA records for tested 2017 Ford Flex models.
View complete 2017 Ford Flex crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2017 Ford Flex?

Summary of 42 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
42
Crash Reports
2
Fire Reports
0
Complaints w/ Injury
2
Total Injuries
2

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Suspension 9 complaints
Back Over Prevention / Camera 4 complaints
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 2 complaints
Seat Belts 2 complaints
STRUCTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION 2 complaints

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2017 Ford Flex problems & component breakdown (20 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2017 Ford Flex?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #25V732000 Active Recall
Affected Component: STRUCTURE:BODY

Defect Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Flex vehicles. The driver and front passenger B-Pillar door trim may detach while driving.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Dealers will repair or replace the B-pillar trim as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed December 17, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated March 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SB8. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 28, 2025.
NHTSA Campaign #25V695000 Active Recall
Affected Component: BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

Defect Summary: 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, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.
NHTSA Campaign #20V072000 Active Recall
Affected Component: SUSPENSION:REAR

Defect Summary: 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.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. Remedy parts are not currently available. Owners were notified about the recall on March 3, 2020. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts become available, which is currently expected to be the end of September 2020. The recall began October 28, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or Lincoln customer service at 1-800-521-4140. Ford's number for this recall is 20S04.
View all 2017 Ford Flex recalls & campaign history (4 campaigns) →
Search Intelligence

Quick Answers: Key Questions Drivers Ask About the 2017 Ford Flex

Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2017 Ford Flex

How many safety recalls does the 2017 Ford Flex have?

The 2017 Ford Flex is associated with 4 official NHTSA safety recall campaigns in AutoUtility's current federal records.

If your individual vehicle is affected by an open safety recall, NHTSA advises owners to contact an authorized franchised dealership for the recall remedy at no charge. Because recall campaigns apply to specific production runs and equipment batches, vehicle owners should verify their 17-digit VIN at NHTSA.gov.

Source: NHTSA Safety Recalls Database (49 U.S.C. 30118)

What are the most common problems reported for the 2017 Ford Flex?

NHTSA records list 42 consumer defect complaints for the 2017 Ford Flex. The most frequently referenced vehicle system is Suspension, appearing in 9 filings (21% of submissions).

Consumer complaints represent unverified owner submissions filed under federal reporting guidelines and describe reported component behavior rather than audited failure rates.

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Is there an official NHTSA crash safety rating for the 2017 Ford Flex?

An official NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test rating is not available for the 2017 Ford Flex in AutoUtility's current federal dataset.

NHTSA publishes crash safety evaluations for a selected sample of passenger vehicles each model year. Consult NHTSA.gov for active safety equipment records and vehicle safety bulletins.

Source: NHTSA NCAP Registry

What fuel economy (MPG) does the 2017 Ford Flex get?

Official EPA laboratory estimates for the 2017 Ford Flex range from 17 to 19 MPG combined (55% city / 45% highway weighted) depending on engine, transmission, and drivetrain configuration.

Using AutoUtility's standardized operating cost model (15,000 miles/year, $3.50/gal gas, $0.16/kWh electricity), annual energy expenditures range across certified configurations based on official EPA laboratory test baselines.

Source: EPA FuelEconomy.gov Certified Database
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.