Problem Lookup āŗ Ford āŗ Flex āŗ 2017
Car problem report
2017 Ford Flex problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2017 Ford Flex has been recalled for and what owners report, from official government data. Updated November 2, 2026.
- 4safety recalls
- 42owner complaints
- 2crash reports
- 0fire reports
- 2injuries reported
The least complained-about Ford Flex year on file: 42 complaints, against an average of 204 for the other model years.
Every Ford Flex model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2017 Ford Flex?
The components named most often in the 42 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What symptoms do 2017 Ford Flex owners describe?
Found by reading the text of all 42 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.
Has the 2017 Ford Flex been recalled?
4 U.S. safety recalls. Repairs are free at a franchised dealer; some are done over the air.
Structure: Body Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Flex vehicles. The driver and front passenger B-Pillar door trim may detach while driving.
Risk: Door trim that detaches while driving can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera 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.
Risk: A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driverās view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Suspension: Rear 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.
Risk: A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Engine And Engine Cooling: Engine: Gasoline: Turbo/Supercharger 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.
Risk: An oil leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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.
What do 2017 Ford Flex owners report?
12 of the 42 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Flex. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V829000 (Structure) and 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a blank image while in reverse(R). In addition, the contact stated that the driverās side B-pillar trim had become loose and could potentially detach from the vehicle. The dealer was made aware of the issue andā¦
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Flex. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera displayed a distorted image. No warning light was illuminated. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were unavailable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failureā¦
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side B-Pillar Applique Trim detached and flew off. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure, and the contact was informed that the parts were unavailable. The contact received a recall notification, NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V732000 (Structure) however the parts were unavailable. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
My 2017 Ford Flex has an open safety recall for the rearview camera system (Ford Recall 25S49 / NHTSA Recall 25V695). The recall states the camera may display a blank image or show the message āCamera Unavailableā when the vehicle is placed in reverse. My vehicle is actively experiencing this exact failure. The screen frequently displays āCamera Unavailable,ā preventing the rearview camera safety feature from functioning when the vehicle is put in reverse. I received the recall notice in October 2025. Since then I have contacted my Ford dealership several times and have been told that partsā¦
Hello, I recently submitted a safety complaint regarding my 2017 Ford Flex. The complaint number is XXX. I would like to add additional information that I forgot to include in the original report. The vehicleās power liftgate has intermittently opened on its own while the vehicle was parked. There have been occasions where I came outside and found the liftgate open overnight in my driveway. This issue appears to be intermittent and part of the same electrical problems affecting the backup camera system described in my complaint. Please add this information to my existing complaint. Thank youā¦
Backup camera frequently goes blank. I noticed an active recall for other ford vehicles and wanted to report Iām having the same issue with my 2017 ford flex, so Iām hoping the flexes will be added to the recall.
Component or System Failed: The rearview/backup camera system has failed. The image consistently displays upside down when the camera activates, and at times the camera does not turn on at all. The system remains installed in the vehicle and is available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: This malfunction severely impairs rear visibility when reversing, creating a significant safety hazard. The distorted image increases the risk of backing into pedestrians, objects, or other vehicles, especially in crowded areas or where children may be present. Problem Confirmation: The problem hasā¦
Subject: Request for Review: 2017 Ford Flex Rear Suspension Toe Link Failure Outside Recall VIN Range To: NHTSA I am writing to formally request a review and consideration of my vehicle's eligibility for RECALL 20V072000 (Ford Recall 20S04), which addresses rear suspension toe link fractures on 2013-2018 Ford Flex models. My vehicle is a 2017 Ford Flex, and it recently experienced a failure of the right rear toe link, consistent with the failure mode described in the recall. However, after contacting my local Ford Dealership (Rowe Ford, Westbrook, ME) and the Ford Motor Company, I was informedā¦
My cv joints are popping I wanted to make sure this didn't have any recalls on it before I fixed it
Engine stopped turning while car was in motion, which shut the car down. An oil pump failure is suspected.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started wobbling. The contact then stated that the vehicle suddenly changed and drove as if the vehicle was merging, while intending to drive straight. The stability track warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear suspension toe links fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that a year prior, the vehicle was repaired under the NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V072000ā¦
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 FORD FLEX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING AT 45 MPH, SHE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AS SHE HEARD APPROACHING POLICE SIRENS. AS THE CONTACT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, SHE WAS HIT FROM BEHIND BY ANOTHER VEHICLE AND WAS THRUST INTO THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. THE CONTACT AND HER DAUGHTER SOUGHT MEDICAL ATTENTION AT THE SCENE. THE NEXT DAY, THE CONTACT WENT TO AN URGENT CARE FACILITY WHERE SHE SOUGHT TREATMENT FOR INJURIES TO HER NECK, HER LEFT ARM AND HER BACK. THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES DUE TOā¦
2017 Ford Flex: questions owners ask
Is the 2017 Ford Flex reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 42 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Ford Flex; the most common categories were suspension (13, 31%), back over prevention (7, 16.7%), visibility/wiper (4, 9.5%). There are 4 safety recalls. 2 complaints mention a crash, 2 injuries were reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2017 Ford Flex?
Across 42 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are suspension (31% of complaints), back over prevention (16.7% of complaints), visibility/wiper (9.5% of complaints), electrical system (7.1% of complaints), steering (7.1% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2017 Ford Flex have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2017 Ford Flex; the most recent (campaign 25V732000, 2025-10-24) concerns Structure: Body. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Why does the backup camera not work on my 2017 Ford Flex?
9 of the 42 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2017 Ford Flex (21.4%) describe the rearview or backup camera failing or showing a blank screen. A related recall exists: campaign 25V695000 (back over prevention: sensing system: camera). The fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. One owner wrote: "Backup camera frequently goes blank. I noticed an active recall for other ford vehicles and wanted to report Iām having the same issue with my 2017 ford flex, so Iām hoping the flexes will be added to the recall." (NHTSA complaint 11691098, October 2025). Recall repairs are free at a dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Check your own Flex
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), retrieved November 2, 2026. Model year 2017 only. How these reports are made.