Ford Flex B-pillar trim prompts NHTSA investigation originally appeared on Autoblog.
A Step Toward A Recall
The Ford Flex—an unusual crossover with retro, wagon-like styling that Ford sold in the United States from model years 2009 to 2019—is back in the news for the wrong reasons. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating 2019 Flex models after consumer complaints that B-pillar trim may detach, presenting a potential hazard to other road users. One complaint alleges that a detached trim pieces struck a trailing vehicle, for example, according to a statement on the NHTSA website.
Conducted by the safety agency's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), the probe of 35,950 vehicles is one of the steps toward a formal recall, which will be issued later depending on the ODI's findings. The ODI is aware of similar complaints with 2016-2018 Flex models, but is focusing on 2019 models for now because the rate of allegations is much higher, according to the NHTSA statement. Vehicles from those model years will also be assessed for any similarities or differences that might account for their lower rate of alleged trim-detachment issues.
A Weird Flex
While the crossover status quo eventually formed around vehicles with the rugged looks of the traditional body-on-frame SUVs they largely replaced in automaker lineups, the three-row Flex took a different design approach. That approach didn't win over many customers; Ford targeted sales of 100,000 units a year, but in its best year (2009), the Flex only managed 38,717 sales. That declined to just 4,848 units in its final sales year, 2020.
The Flex is based on the same D4 platform as the Lincoln MKT, with which it shared a similar form factor, as well as the Lincoln MKS sedan, the final-generation Ford Taurus, and the fifth-generation Ford Explorer that marked that SUV's transition to unibody construction.
It may not have looked like anything else in Ford's lineup at the time, but the Flex's mechanical bits were fairly mundane. Over its lifespan, it was offered with a naturally-aspirated V6 making 287 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque, or a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 making 365 hp and 350 lb-ft. A six-speed automatic transaxle was standard with both engines, with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive options.
Ford's Recall Woes
Meanwhile, Ford is plenty busy recalling vehicles that are still in production. The automaker issued 89 recalls in the first half of 2025, breaking the annual record for recalls set by General Motors in 2014. GM issued 77 recalls over that entire year, and the pace of Ford recalls in 2025 showing no signs of slowing, it looks like the Blue Oval will surpass that by a very large margin.
In just the past few weeks, Ford has recalled about 20,000 Lincoln Aviators because incorrect software could cause rear windows to pinch fingers, about 300,000 vehicles for a brake issue, and around 100,000 of its bestselling F-150 pickups because of weak bolts that could prevent parking brakes from working properly.
Ford Flex B-pillar trim prompts NHTSA investigation first appeared on Autoblog on Aug 13, 2025
This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Aug 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
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