Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Ford Flex owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a metal clicking and scraping sound coming from underneath the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that the wheels felt loose. The contact stated that a nearby driver informed her that sparks were coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The contact stated that a nearby driver identified that the rack and pinion had detached. In addition, the power steering fluid had leaked out onto the ground. The contact was driving on a busy highway during the failure occurred. The contact stated that her grandchildren were in the vehicle when the failure occurred. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. …
Leaving home to go to the grocery store and as I exited my street a dash warning came on stating "Power Steering Assist" fault Steering wheel locked up making it impossible for me to steer. Fortunately this happened in a spot where there was no other traffic and I was able to just turn off the car and restart and the message was gone and my steering was restored. I am now terrified to drive my car because if this had happened in traffic there could have been a serious accident because steering capability was non existent. . In reading online this is a very common problem with my make and model and apparently there was a recall by Ford for 2011 and later cars but not 2010 even though it is a "known problem" at dealerships. For me this now seems intermittent but in calling the dealership they know of the issue. It would cost me about $2200 to fix. …
Vehicle loses power steering intermittently upon vehicle startup as well as in motion. Vehicle is then extremely hard to control without power steering. Message " POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" prints to the instrument cluster above the steering wheel. Turning the vehicle off and back on may resolve problem but it returns within a couple key cycles.
Accelerated from drive making sharp right turn onto busy state route road. Power steering abruptly failed while accelerating with front wheels turned sharply to passenger side. Steering was impossible to move back to center position in spite of pulling with all my might (muscular build). Applied brakes sharply; vehicle exited road and impacted curb with front tires..wife, and two small children present in vehicle and traffic at speed on road. Once static; steering wheel locked in position; completely unable to budge wheel with vehicle static. Conducted research; identified Ford recall for model years 2011 and above with identical problem. Informed Ford designed flawed and unsafe steering rack in hundreds of thousands of vehicles; but my 2010 Flex is not covered under recall. Repair requires complete replacement of electric steering rack and related components. …
When we turn the car on the power steering warning light flashes and the power steering goes out (the steering wheel shift to the right and it becomes manual steering and very hard to turn the wheel straight).it goes directly into manual mode. We turn the car off and back on and the light disappears and the electric power steering is working again. It has happen this way several times over the past 2 weeks. We have a Ford Flex 2010 eco boost that has the electric power steering system. We took to the dealership and they are staying we need to replace the steering control box. It's faulty and a very expensive fix. But we do not fall under the recall for the Ford Flex since that is for the 2011 and current. It's the same issue the other Ford Flex's are having with the power steering. I've read on numerous forum that this issue is happening also with the 2010 eco boost Ford Flex. …
While driving home the service power steering/service advancetrak warning came on. I was able to drive the additional 5 miles or so to get home without having any major steering issues. The steering felt different, but was still controllable. Upon arriving home, I turned the vehicle off and back on. I was seeing if the warning disappeared, but now it said service power steering now. At this point the steering wheel was almost immovable. I was able to get the vehicle down to the street, where I had it towed to the closest Ford dealership. I received a call stating that the rack and pinion steering gear was in need of replacement. We purchased the vehicle in the fall 2015 with about 78000 miles on it. Currently we have about 94000 miles on it. I have noticed that the newer model years with the same engine have had a similar defect prompting a recall. …
Intermittent electrical failure of the advance trak traction control system causes the vehicle to unexpectedly pull to the left or to the right while under acceleration on vehicle speeds above 20 MPH without indication from the tell-tale to the operator to indicate there is a problem or intermittent failure of the traction control system. This unexpected pull to the left or right is violent enough to cause the vehicle to veer across the centerline of a lane, potentially causing a risk to oncoming traffic and well as the operator of the vehicle to become involved in a crash. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Ford Flex. The contact stated that the power steering was faulty. While operating the vehicle, the contact noticed an abnormal burning odor and the steering wheel could not be moved. Another motorist helped the contact push the vehicle to the shoulder. On another occasion, while making a sharp turn, the vehicle made an abnormal moan/groan sound. The vehicle was taken to henderson Ford (2530 us-41, henderson, ky 42420, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that a new rack and pinion needed to be installed. The vehicle was repaired and a 'detroit axle rack and pinion' was installed. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously taken to three unknown dealers and the power steering was replaced four times and clocksprings were installed; however, none of the previous remedies repaired the vehicle. …
Approximately 5 months ago I went to go start my 2010 Ford Flex and I had no power steering. I could not steer my car at all, after sitting for about 20 minutes I re-started my vehicle and the steering was back to normal. Since then I have had intermittent problems with my power steering. Occasionally when I start my vehicle I have no power steering, if I turn the steering wheel slightly left or right it will come back on. I have no warning lights on my dashboard for this, but I have had on occasion the traction control light come on but only for a couple of minutes, then it goes away. I have taken it to Ford and they claimed I had a fault code for the power steering, but could not send me any info on it. Luckily this has not happened while the vehicle is being driven, it's usually upon starting. It seems based on the recall of 2011-2014 that Ford would have included the 2010 vehicles. …
The power steering system failed in my 2010 Ford Flex with less than 80,000 miles. Thankfully the failure did not occur while we were driving. We had the car towed to our mechanic who said that the entire steering rack needed to be replaced. The part is $1600 and labor is over $500. There is an active recall of the 2011-2013 Ford Flex model years for the exact same problem. I called Ford and told them I believed there was a safety related defect in the 2010 Ford Flex that is the same as the problem in the 2011 my that caused the recall. The representative said that because there was not an active bulletin for the 2010 my, Ford would do nothing to fix the problem. Obviously this is the same problem that is present in later model years. Ford's refusal to recall and fix this problem is going to kill someone. …
Steering complaints in other Flex years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2010 Ford Flex?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the steering of the 2010 Ford Flex, 23% of the model year's 139 complaints. The component named most often is rack and pinion (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Ford Flex steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2010 Ford Flex, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2010 Ford Flex steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 93,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to steering problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.