The 2018 Ford Flex is associated with 62 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 3 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is Structure & Body, accounting for 9 reports (15% 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.
Key Data Findings
- • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 62 reports
- • Safety Recall Campaigns: 3 campaigns
- • Top Reported Defect Area: Structure & Body (9 / 15%)
- • Safety Incident Signals: 7 crash / 0 fire / 1 injury reports
- • NHTSA Overall Safety Rating: Not rated by NHTSA
- • EPA Efficiency: 17–19 MPG (3 variants)
Data Note: Compiled directly from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.
| 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.
| Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant | Overall Rating | Frontal Crash | Side Crash | Rollover Rating | Rollover Risk |
| SUV FWD | Not Rated | Not Rated | Not Rated | | 16.400000000000002% |
| SUV AWD | Not Rated | Not Rated | Not Rated | | 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 2018 Ford Flex models.
View complete 2018 Ford Flex crash test & safety breakdown →
Top Reported Problem Categories
Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA
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 2018 Ford Flex problems & component breakdown (23 categories) →
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.
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.
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 2018 Ford Flex recalls & campaign history (3 campaigns) →