2009 Ford Flex Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Flex years
- More complaints than other years 4th of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 181 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Ford Flex. That ranks 4th out of 11 Flex model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (36 complaints, 20%), typically at around 100,000 miles. Complaints mention 7 crashes, 2 fires, 6 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
- 181owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 7complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2009 Ford Flex problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 36 | 20% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 32 | 18% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 23 | 13% | 75,725 | — | — |
| Steering | 18 | 10% | 67,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 17 | 9% | 23,126 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 17 | 9% | 95,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 16 | 9% | 25,289 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 15 | 8% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 14 | 8% | 41,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 12 | 7% | 29,300 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 10 | 6% | 48,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 9 | 5% | 59,477 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 4% | 132,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 6 | 3% | 2,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 5 | 3% | 57,500 | — | — |
| Wheels | 5 | 3% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 2% | 41,050 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 2% | 96,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 4 | 2% | 56,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 4 | 2% | 10,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 2% | 5,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 2% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 1% | 18,413 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 2 | 1% | 92,500 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 1% | 6,284 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | 67,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 1% | 25,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2009 Ford Flex recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 Ford Flex, 2008 and 2010-2012 Ford Taurus, 2008-2009 Ford Taurus X, 2008 Mercury Sable, 2009 and 2011 Lincoln MKS vehicles. The driver frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the driver's frontal air bag module, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on June 13, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C06.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
On February 26, 2026, I purchased a used 2009 Ford Flex VIN from Headerâs Auto Sales. At time of delivery, the vehicle was equipped with tires that did not meet the manufacturerâs required load rating for this vehicle. A licensed mechanic provided a safety assessment confirming the tires were…
You can be driving down the road, and all your gauges will stop working, and all the warning lights on the dash will light up. The first time this happened my wife got stuck at a gas station all the warning lights were on and the car would not start, people tried to jump it and it would not…
Rear subframe rusted at bolt mount. Vehicle could have experienced catastrophic failure wihle driving. Independent service center diagnosed and documented rusted area and potential for failure. Noise would happen during acceleration/deceleration but not in wet weather conditions. Until diagnosed as…
The door ajar sensor malfunctions and is crazy expensive to fix. There are numerous posts and videos online of workarounds bcz itâs so common but they donât seem safe since thatâs a safety feature and the workarounds are simply a way to trick or bypass the warning sensors since the doors are…
Was driving and the steering wheel became stiff. I received no warnings indications or lights on the dash. I had to give it a hard turn to get it to a parking lot and have it towed to a dealership.
Other Ford Flex years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 Flex | 254 | 4 |
| 2018 Flex | 68 | 3 |
| 2017 Flex | 42 | 4 |
| 2016 Flex | 98 | 3 |
| 2015 Flex | 113 | 4 |
| 2014 Flex | 249 | 4 |
| 2013 Flex | 580 | 6 |
| 2012 Flex | 64 | 2 |
| 2011 Flex | 144 | 2 |
| 2010 Flex | 139 | 1 |
| 2009 | 181 | 1 |
See all Ford Flex problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
Similar Ford models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Ford Flex?
Owners most often report engine, electrical system, power train problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 36 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2009 Ford Flex?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2009 Ford Flex a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Flex model years, the 2009 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.