2013 Ford Flex Steering Problems

Which parts fail

• Electric power assist system
  2
• Rack and pinion
  1
• Gear box (other than rack and pinion)
  1

Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  22%
• 25k–50k
  87%
• 50k–75k
  2120%
• 75k–100k
  2221%
• 100k–150k
  3936%
• 150k+
  1514%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Ford Flex owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact recently purchased the vehicle. When the vehicle was purchased, the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle had a failure with the steering wheel. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. The message "Service Advancetrac" was displayed on the instrument panel, and an unknown message about the steering was displayed. In addition, while in reverse(R), the contact used force to turn the steering wheel. Most recently, the contact stated that when the turn signal lever was activated, the turn signal lever failed to stay down as intended. The contact had to hold the turn signal lever down to signal a right or left turn. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. …

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was shuddering. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the front ball joints, front control arms, and front struts were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated while driving to the dealer, the steering wheel seized inadvertently and would not turn to the right. The steering could be turned to the left, almost causing a crash. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and was able to continue driving; however, the failure recurred the same day. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion and the electronic gear box needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. …

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated that the power steering assists warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park on the side of the road and waited 30 minutes before restarting the vehicle and driving to her destination. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the steering gear module to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated she had experienced the failure two additional times. The contact towed the vehicle to two different independent mechanics and was informed that the steering gear module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. …

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving and making turns, the steering wheel was sticking and required to be turned in the opposite direction and back to the intended direction for the vehicle to respond as needed. Additionally, the contact stated that the steering wheel failed to return to center after making a turn. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Big Brand Tire and Service, where the contact was informed that the failure might be related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. …

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The traction control warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the power steering control module. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 125,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while making a right turn, the steering wheel malfunctioned and momentarily seized and could not be turned. Moments later the steering wheel would turn however, the steering wheel would shake and vibrate abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the entire suspension system, but the failure persisted. The dealer later diagnosed that the steering gear was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the NHTSA campaign number: 15V340000 (Steering). The contact indicated that the vehicle experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 130,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The "Power Steering Assist Fault" message was displayed on the instrument panel. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering control module needed to be replaced. The contact researched and was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the "Power Steering Assist Fault" and "Service Advancetrac" messages were displayed. The contact stated that the power steering assist had failed to operate as needed and excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle. The contact also stated that the turn signals failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the mechanic was not equipped with the tools to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 213,300.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering assist fault warning light illuminated. In addition, the vehicle was difficult to steer. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed steering control module failure. The contact stated that the steering control module needed to be replaced. The contact provided diagnostic codes: U3000'49-48 and U3000'96-C8. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000. The contact stated there was a recall, but his vehicle does not have this recall associated with the VIN.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Flex. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and she was attempting to start the vehicle, a message for the steering motor sensor fault was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle loss power steering assist functionality. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the message disappeared and the vehicle regained power steering assist functionality. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

Related recalls

Steering complaints in other Flex years