Reliable Auto DB

2016 Ford Flex reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2016 Ford Flex holds 98 complaints after 11 years, a rate of 3 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Flex years here — under the median of the other years, which is 4. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Camera, Rear, and Turbocharger.

2011 Ford Flex Limited
Photo by IFCAR, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons Public domain
Complaints

98

Per year

3

Recalls

3

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Back-over prevention (26 of 98), then Electrical system (23) and Suspension (10). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 62,155 miles, and the middle half falls between 31,000 and 115,000 miles. Those filings include 4 that report a crash and 2 that report an injury.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 Flex has 108 complaints, 7 per year, and the 2017 has 42 complaints, 1 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2016 Ford Flex. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2025-10-13 · NHTSA campaign 25V695000
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.
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.
Vehicles affected 1,448,655
Recall suspension, rear 2020-02-10 · NHTSA campaign 20V072000
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.
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.
Vehicles affected 211,207
Recall engine and cooling, engine, gasoline, turbocharger 2016-12-22 · NHTSA campaign 16V925000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Taurus, 2016-2017 Ford Flex, Lincoln MKT, 2017 Ford Explorer and Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines. Improperly brazed turbocharger oil supply tubes may leak oil on engine components.
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the turbocharger oil supply tubes, free of charge. The recall began on January 31, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S46.
Vehicles affected 1,163

NHTSA's count is every vehicle in that campaign. A campaign can cover other model years and other models.

Complaints by component (98 total)

Back-over prevention
26
Electrical system
23
Suspension
10
Structure
9
Engine
8
Powertrain
8
Steering
8
Speed control
4
Electronic stability control (ESC)
3
Fuel and propulsion system
3
Latches, locks, and linkages
3
Seat belts
3
Hydraulic brakes
2
Lane departure
2
Visibility and wipers
2
Engine and engine cooling
1
Forward collision avoidance
1
Tires
1
Wheels
1
Show 11 more Show less
Crash-flagged

4

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

2

Death reports

0

Of the 49 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 62,155 miles. The middle half fall between 31,000 and 115,000 miles.

Complaints filed per year

3201612017520187201962020620215202252023112024212025282026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owns a 2016 Ford Flex. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V829000 (Structure); however, parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The…"
    Structure, Back-over prevention · filed 2026-09-02
  • "The contact owns a 2016 Ford Flex. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to perform the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated…"
    Back-over prevention · filed 2026-08-28
  • "The car is experiencing turbo failure that lines up with the recall for the same model vehicle produced within the same 2016-2017 date. But for some reason this vin isnt included in the recall"
    Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-08-19
  • "Radio making crackling noises, screen goes blank, cannot control a/c from touch screen and causes the a/c not to work on front vents. Vehicle inside died while the engine was still running in traffic and was unable to…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-08-15
  • "There is a current recall on the backup camera that has been pending since 2025. Parts are still not available as of today even though Ford stated parts and instructions were going to be available before end of 2nd…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-08-03

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 Ford Flex SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 4 stars
2016 Ford Flex SUV FWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Flex all-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 16 22 18 MPG $3600
Flex all-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 15 21 17 MPG $3800
Flex front-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 16 23 19 MPG $3400

Specs and fitment

1st generation, 2009–2019
Body styles SUV
Oil 5W-20 (3.5L V6); 5W-30 (3.5L V6 EcoBoost) , 6 qt capacity
Tire size 235/60R17 (SE) to 255/45R20 (Limited EcoBoost)
Towing capacity 4,500 lbs

Known issues for this generation

2011-2013 Flex crossovers built between September 2010 and February 2012 are covered by Ford's 2015 recall of the electric power-assist steering (EPAS) system (NHTSA campaign 15V-340, Ford reference 15S18); for the 2011 and 2012 model years only vehicles with the 3.5L GTDI engine are affected. An intermittent electrical connection inside the steering gear motor, caused by conformal coat contamination and ribbon cable pin misalignment, can cause loss of the motor position sensor signal and loss of power steering assist. The mechanical linkage between the steering wheel and the road is maintained at all times and the system defaults to manual steering, but steering effort rises, especially at lower speeds; drivers are alerted by an audible chime and a power steering assist fault message in the instrument cluster. Ford's no-charge remedy checked the Power Steering Control Module for diagnostic trouble codes, updating the module software if none were present and replacing the steering gear if they were.

Compare

Previous year 2015 Ford Flex Next year 2017 Ford Flex See every Ford Flex model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Ford Flex reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2016 Ford Flex holds 98 complaints after 11 years, a rate of 3 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Flex years here — under the median of the other years, which is 4. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Camera, Rear, and Turbocharger.

What are common problems with a 2016 Ford Flex?

The complaints owners file most often name Back-over prevention (26 of 98), then Electrical system (23) and Suspension (10). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 62,155 miles, and the middle half falls between 31,000 and 115,000 miles. Those filings include 4 that report a crash and 2 that report an injury.

Is the 2016 Ford Flex more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 Flex has 108 complaints, 7 per year, and the 2017 has 42 complaints, 1 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

Has the 2016 Ford Flex been recalled?

The 2016 Ford Flex has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2016 Ford Flex?

Owners have filed 98 complaints about the 2016 Ford Flex with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Ford Flex get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Ford Flex is 18 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2016 Ford Flex?

1st generation (2009-2019); the Flex was never redesigned into a 2nd generation.

How much can a Ford Flex tow?

Up to 4,500 lbs with the factory Class III Trailer Tow Package per Ford's official towing guide, on both the base 3.5L V6 and the 3.5L EcoBoost engine.