Problems · by component

2009 Ford Flex electrical system problems

32 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2009 Ford Flex cite electrical system, 18% of all 181 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
32
18% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the electrical system

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“You can be driving down the road, and all your gauges will stop working, and all the warning lights on the dash will light up. The first time this happened my wife got stuck at a gas station all the warning lights were on and the car would not start, people tried to jump it and it would not affected at all. I looked on the internet and found were someone said to beat on the passenger side floorboard, I called my wife and told her to try that, and when she did the car would start. It doesn't do it all the time, you never know when it's going to happen. We have to just stomp on the passenger floor to get everything to start working again. If I had not found this information from somebody else on the internet my wife would have been stuck about a hundred miles from home. I've taken it to the Ford house and they say they've never heard of anything like this but I know it's happened before two other people that's how I knew to stomp on the floorboard on the passenger side.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 9, 2025Electrical system, Unknown or otherODI 11704068
“The door ajar sensor malfunctions and is crazy expensive to fix. There are numerous posts and videos online of workarounds bcz it’s so common but they don’t seem safe since that’s a safety feature and the workarounds are simply a way to trick or bypass the warning sensors since the doors are actually closed in most cases. Ford needs to take ownership of this and issue a recall. There’s a tire pressure sensor failure as well.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 27, 2023Electrical system, Unknown or otherODI 11524140
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD FLEX. WHILE THE KEY WAS IN THE IGNITION, THE ANTI-LOCK WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO START THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SECURE LOCK SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED BY THE DEALER. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND TRANSFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA TO FILE A COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 169,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 12, 2019Power train, Electrical systemODI 11279599
“WHEN DRIVING DOWN CITY HIGHWAY OR CITY ROADS THE ALL OF THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH BOARD WILL CUT OFF, (IE. RADIO, BLINKERS, HEAT & A/C CONTROLS) WILL SHUT OFF AND THE DRIVE CONTROL BUTTON WILL APPEAR WITH THE DOOR AJAR AND BRAKE LIGHTS. IT IS NOW STARTING TO MAKE A DINGING SOUND WHILE YOU DRIVE AS WELL AS SMELL LIKE SOMETHING IS ON FIRE. THE CAR IS COMPLETELY SHUT AND SEALED. THERE ISN'T A TIME OR INSTANT WHERE THIS IS HAPPENING. IT WILL JUST GO IN AND OUT! FORD YOU REALLY NEED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM SINCE FAMILIES ARE USING THESE VEHICLES. I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND SEE THAT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 09 FLEX.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 2, 2019Electrical systemODI 11229095
“PASSENGER DOOR AJAR DASH LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF WHEN THE DOOR IS SECURE AND LOCKED. INTERIOR LIGHTS GO ON AND OFF WHEN AJAR LIGHT IS DISPLAYED AND POWER LOCKS UNLOCK/LOCK AT THE SAME TIME. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE AT NIGHT WHEN THE INTERIOR LIGHTS GO ON AND OFF THE ENTIRE TIME WHEN YOUR DRIVING BLINDING YOU AS WELL AS I HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT I STOLE THE CAR. WHILE PULLED OVER I WAS ASKED TO STEP OUT OF THE CAR AND WHEN I EXITED THE CAR IBECAME POSSESSED AND THE ALARM WENT OFF AND INTERIOR LIGHTS BEGAN BLINKING AND FLASHING ON AND OFF. THE CAR ALARM CONSISTENTLY GOES OFF AT ALL HOURS OF THE DAY AND NIGHT CAUSING THE BATTERY TO GO DEAD IF YOUR NOT AROUND TO SHUT IT OFF. THIS IS ALSO ISSUE AS MY CAR CAN GET STOLEN AT ANY TIME IF THE FACTORY ALARM ISN'T WORKING OR I COULD GET CARJACKED BECAUSE THE DOORS WON'T STAY LOCKED.THIS ISSUE HAPPENS IN PARK, IN DRIVE AND REVERSE. IT HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING OR IDLING AS WELL AS IT OCCURS ON THE HIGHWAY AND CITY STREETS. I HAVE READ MANY OTHER REPORTS AND FORD NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS IN THE 2009 FLEX AS WELL.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 30, 2019Electrical systemODI 11173184
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD FLEX. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE HOOD AND THE VEHICLE SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CONTACT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY CABLES. THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED, BUT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 1, 2018Electrical system, EngineFire reportedODI 11132720

Showing 6 of 32 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 7, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Other 2009 Flex problem areas