Showing the 2009 Flex Limited. NHTSA's VIN data shows it with a 3.5 L engine, but that may not be every version of it, so the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
18–19 mpgcombined; city 16–17, highway 22–24; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$17,100–$18,050U.S. average; Ohio $15,280–$16,120 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2009 Flex. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 181 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Flex. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Engine
36
0
1
0
Electrical system
32
0
1
0
Power train
23
1
0
0
Steering
18
1
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
17
0
1
2
Unknown or other
17
1
0
1
Service brakes, hydraulic
16
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
15
0
0
0
Service brakes
14
3
0
2
Structure
12
1
0
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
10
0
0
0
Suspension
9
2
0
1
15 more parts
Vehicle speed control
8
2
0
1
Air bags
6
4
0
2
Seats
5
0
0
2
Wheels
5
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
4
0
0
0
Seat belts
4
1
0
0
Tires
4
1
0
0
Visibility
4
0
0
0
Equipment
3
0
0
2
Visibility/wiper
3
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
2
0
0
1
Traction control system
2
0
0
0
Parking brake
1
0
0
0
Service brakes, air
1
1
0
0
Service brakes, electric
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2009 Flex over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
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.
Remedy: 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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 23 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2009 Flex, the latest on Feb 24, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (10), electrical system (6), engine and engine cooling (6), power train (4), service brakes (3).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2009 Flex.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: sport utility vehicle. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Flex Front-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
17 / 24 / 19
Flex 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
16 / 22 / 18
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data