Used 2012 Ford Flex Consumer Reviews
Used Flex for sale
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2012 Flex, so we've included reviews for other years of the Flex since its last redesign.
$3,000 repair for a 2012 with 70 thousand miles
dan, 06/21/2016
updated 06/23/2017
2012 Ford Flex Limited 4dr Wagon AWD w/EcoBoost (3.5L 6cyl Turbo 6A)
8 of 20 people found this review helpful
The engine completely blew on the car and had to be replaced, at a cost of $13,000. The car still had $18,000 left on the loan and was blue booked at about $21,000. Ford dealer said that since I was late on an oil change (by about 4 thousand miles), that caused the failure. They said when they went to drain the oil, it was thick and black and that is what caused the engine to fail. I said BS, the engine, in the process of failing, CAUSED the oil to become black and thick, because there is NO WAY that missing one oil change by only a few thousand miles can cause anything close to that kind of damage. Bottom line: I paid for the new engine then DUMPED (sold) the POS as fast as I could. I have had great experiences with Ford trucks going back to the 90's. I think this may have been simply a LEMON, but the dealer didn't give a crap. Believe it or not, I replaced the Flex with a 2015 F150 with ecoboost engine ... we'll see how this goes. The AWD transfer case (part of the transmission) fails on these cars! Cost $1,600 (with labor, the part is about $1000) to replace it ... that is IF they don't find other issues due to RUST on the parts that have to be removed to replace the transfer case. In my case: the right side control arm had to be replaced because they could not get the ball joint to release, so the ball joint got ruined in the process AND since Ford in its quest to save FORD money has front control arms with the ball joints built in and not replaceable means that bottom line: ball joint (a $20 part) fails, you end up buying a $200 control arm and paying $100 in labor to change it. So now we are at $1,900. Next is the passenger side turbo charger .. it is located forward and low on the engine and has no protective covering or anything to protect it from the elements, so it RUSTS - badly! It has to be disconnected to replace the transfer case. The mounting flange and bolts rust so bad that they break when attempting to remove. Now we are buying a new turbo charger at $586 plus $560 in labor! So NOW, the cost of replacing this transfer case is a whopping $3,046!! My advice: if your Flex is going over 60,000 miles GET RID OF IT!!
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Great car
Flex Fan, 08/07/2025
2012 Ford Flex Limited 4dr Wagon AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I bought my flex used in 2019. Had just a tick under 100k miles when bought and I have had it now for 6 years and it's just under 140k miles on it. It's the Limited trim with the Ecoboost. The fuel efficiency is legitimately my only complaint on this vehicle. It's way under the EPA estimates in practice for me. Other than that, this car is an all star. The ecoboost provides SUPRISING power and acceleration. Great handling and there is a ton of cargo room in the back. The SYNC system is kind of cumbersome, but it functions. Too bad they discontinued the Flexes as this has really been one of my favorite vehicles I've ever owned to date.
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2012 Ford Flex for sale near you
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It's okay, but there are better choices...
jeffyb, 10/05/2011
2011 Ford Flex SEL 4dr Wagon AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
9 of 29 people found this review helpful
After spending considerable time driving my 2011 Flex on different types of roads, under varying conditions, I'd say it's good as a people-mover, and a good alternative to a mini-van. However, it is not as sporty as it's image portrayed on TV. After 11,000 miles the drivers window squeaks like a pig, and the auto tailgate is very annoying (way too slow opening & closing). Unless you have 6 or 7 people to haul, I would suggest an SUV like the Honda CRV or Toyota RAV4 instead. They have as much useful cargo room, handle much better and get better gas mileage.
Versatile Wagon
Eric, 10/10/2020
2012 Ford Flex SEL 4dr Wagon (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
Fantastic car drives well, smooth ride and has room inside for tall people. With seats down it can hold more than many pick-up trucks.
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Improve the ride
don kuehn, 01/14/2017
updated 07/22/2019
2011 Ford Flex Limited 4dr Wagon AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
1 of 3 people found this review helpful
It is still a truck ride
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