AI Damage2018 Ford Flex: common problems
Owners of the 2018 Ford Flex filed 69 complaints with NHTSA, most often about structure and backover prevention. The maker issued 30 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 69
- involving a crash
- 7
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 30
What fails most often
- 1 Structure 28% of all complaints
- 2 Backover prevention 20% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 17% of all complaints
- 4 Suspension 13% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 3% of all complaints
- 6 Air bags 3% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel/propulsion system 3% of all complaints
- 8 Lane departure 3% of all complaints
- Structure: 19 complaints (28% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 3.
- Backover prevention: 14 complaints (20% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 12 complaints (17% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 16.
- Suspension: 9 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (3% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 6.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.5 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 3.5 L · petrol · turbo · 6 cyl
- automatic, 6-speed
Drive: AWD, FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 69 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 19 | 0 | 3 |
| Backover prevention | 14 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 12 | 4 | 16 |
| Suspension | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Air bags | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Lane departure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 0 | 0 | 9 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Navigation failure and not working properly alerts, clock in car not set correctly and won’t allow owner to fix it, no audio at all, no panel touch tones, popping/cracking intermittent throughout car, Bluetooth connection drops, slow glitching screen, reverse camera displayed distortion or black/blue screen with…
APIM is failing due to current recall with reverse camera. The glitching has cause many safety issues including •Navigation Fault •Cracking/popping audio •Missing touchscreen sounds •Intermittent system issues •Slow loading •Camera freezing or blacking out This has already caused a collision with my vehicle.
Audio throughout the entire vehicle are malfunctioning as well as the reverse camera malfunction. This has caused a collision the 11th of October. The ACM is severely malfunctioning and causing a huge safety hazard. No audio like radio, etc and alerts make sound not touch panel tones.
Rear camera malfunctioned screen showed “camera not available” didn’t alert any noise or warnings and a tree hovered slightly into parking spot and smashed in my rear window. Audio inside car malfunctioned as well (no musics, etc) and the touch pad tones stopped making sound when touched.
I was waiting for my stop light to turn green at 39th street and southwest traffic-way, when my light turned green I started pulling through the intersection. I noticed a car coming towards me on southwest traffic-way at a high rate of speed. I hit the breaks thinking that this person is not going to stop.
The cars rear toe link broke while driving. It cause the vehicle to go out of control and wreck I to the guard rail. Another motorist hit the car as it was wrecking. The local Ford dealership confirmed that the rear toe link failed and replaced them with redesigned ones that are safer.
The air bags did not deploy. Additionally, the contact had a front seat passenger and a rear passenger. A police report was filed. There were no injuries reported on the scene and the spouse drove the contact and the front passenger to the hospital afterwards for a check up.
I own a 2018 Ford Flex, VIN [VIN], with two open safety recalls Ford cannot repair: 25SA9 (rear view camera, NHTSA 25V695) and 25SB8 (B-pillar trim, NHTSA 25V829). My rear view camera has been completely inoperative for two years — it has not worked at all since mid-2024.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 739 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 35% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Flex has 117 complaints (4 years in the data). This year has 69, below average.
What to check before buying
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Backover prevention. Rear camera and parking sensors after a rear impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- 25E10-S1 Owner letter
- NEW VEHICLE DELIVERY HOLD - Emissions Recall 25E10 - Supplement #1 Certain 2018-2020 Model Year F-150…
NEW VEHICLE DELIVERY HOLD - Emissions Recall 25E10 - Supplement #1 Certain 2018-2020 Model Year F-150 Vehicles With 3.3L Engines and 2016-2019 Model Year Explorer, Taurus, and Flex Vehicles With 3.5L Engines Powertrain…
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NHTSA lists 30 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Ford Flex?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: structure, backover prevention, electrical system. Total complaints: 69. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rear-view camera (26%), infotainment or screen glitches (19%), windows, sunroof (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2018 Ford Flex?
NHTSA lists 30 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2018 Ford Flex from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2018 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.