Showing the 2014 Flex SEL. 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
18–20 mpgcombined; city 16–18, highway 23–25; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$16,240–$18,050U.S. average; Ohio $14,510–$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 2014 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 249 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 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
Steering
66
0
0
2
Electrical system
57
1
1
1
Fuel/propulsion system
46
0
0
1
Suspension
26
4
0
3
Unknown or other
24
1
0
0
Engine
22
0
2
0
Structure
12
0
0
0
Power train
10
3
0
1
Seat belts
8
1
0
1
Back over prevention
7
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
6
1
0
1
Service brakes
5
1
0
0
15 more parts
Visibility/wiper
5
0
0
0
Air bags
4
4
0
5
Electronic stability control (ESC)
4
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
4
1
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
4
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
2
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
2
0
0
0
Seats
2
0
0
1
Visibility
2
0
0
0
Wheels
2
0
0
0
Carry handle, shell, base
1
0
0
0
Chest clip, buckle, harness
1
0
0
0
Lane departure
1
0
0
0
Parking brake
1
0
0
0
Tether, lower anchor (ON CAR SEAT OR VEHICLE)
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 4 recall campaigns for the 2014 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 2013-2018 Lincoln MKT and Ford Flex and Taurus vehicles with the Police Interceptor or SHO Performance Pack. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.
Risk: A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. Remedy parts are not currently available. Owners were notified about the recall on March 3, 2020. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts become available, which is currently expected to be the end of September 2020. The recall began October 28, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or Lincoln customer service at 1-800-521-4140. Ford's number for this recall is 20S04.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI Ecoboost engines and 2013-2015 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor vehicles. A component within the fuel pump electric module (PEM) may overheat causing a loss of electrical power to the fuel pump.
Risk: A loss of power to the fuel pump will cause the engine to stall or prevent the vehicle from starting, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel PEM part number and replace the fuel PEM, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S31.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014 Ford F-150 and Flex vehicles manufactured March 1, 2014, to May 31, 2014. The affected vehicles were manufactured with a reduced clearance between the seat frame and the seat track assembly. This can cause the Occupant Classification System (OCS) to inaccurately register passenger weight and improperly suppress the passenger front airbag when the passenger seat is occupied by an adult passenger. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: Improper suppression of the passenger airbag increases the risk of an injury to the seat occupant in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front passenger airbag.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will widen the gap between the seat frame and seat track assembly and recalibrate the seat OCS, free of charge. The recall began November 25, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14C10.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles manufactured September 2, 2010, to November 30, 2013; 2013-2014 Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured August 25, 2011, to November 30, 2013; and 2013-2014 Ford Flex and Lincoln MKT vehicles manufactured September 12, 2011, to November 30, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the halfshaft retention circlip may not have been properly installed, and as a result, the halfshaft may move outward and disengage from the linkshaft while driving and without prior warning.
Risk: If the halfshaft and linkshaft become disengaged while driving, power will no longer be transmitted to the wheels, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. Additionally, if the parking brake is not applied before exiting the vehicle, the vehicle may roll away despite the transmission being placed in 'Park', increasing the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles to make sure that the halfshaft is properly retained. If it is not, dealers will replace the linkshaft and also replace the halfshaft if it shows evidence of spline damage, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S10.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 55 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2014 Flex, the latest on Feb 24, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (21), electrical system (11), engine and engine cooling (11), power train (5), engine (4).
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 2014 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: standard sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 4–5 out of 10. 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 (S6)
Regular Gasoline
18 / 25 / 20
Flex All-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
17 / 23 / 19
Flex All-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
16 / 23 / 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