2011 Ford Flex: engine and transmission complaints
ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
37%
51 of 144 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
37% of relevant owner complaints on the 2011 Ford Flex are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.
Better than 59% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE,FUEL/P07/16/20152 INJURED
UPON ACCELERATION, USUALLY FROM A COMPLETE STOP SUCH AS ACCELERATING FROM A STOP SIGN OR ON A GREEN LIGHT, IT FEELS AS THOUGH THE GEARS DO NO CATCH & THE CAR JERKS AND THE RPM'S RAISE BUT THE CAR STOPS ACCELERATING. WILL ALSO HAVE A "STUTTERING" OR "JERKING" WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP WITH BREAK PEDAL BEING PRESSED DOW…
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING07/09/20121 INJURED
THERE WERE TWO OCCURRENCES. ON 7/5/12, THE FLEX WAS PARKED BUT STILL RUNNING, WE RAISED THE REAR DOOR/TAILGATE TO REMOVE ITEMS FROM THE FLEX. ONE OF MY 4 YEAR OLD DAUGHTERS STOOD NEAR THE BACK BUMPER AREA AND RECEIVED A BURN TO HER LEG FROM ONE OF THE EXHAUST PIPES CREATING A C SHAPE IMPRINT OF THE TAILPIPE OPENING. …
POWER TRAIN04/28/2026
Went to put car in reverse and it kept driving forward- no weird sound or anything. Proceeded to put the car in park and it was still moving forward. Transmission was stuck on drive.The shifter is disconnected from the transmission with no warning .Just looked and the transmission shifter bushing is disconnected. Also …
Three of 51 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (2)
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Mila…
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
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 …
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2011 Ford Flex
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
2 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
