I own a 2013 Flex. My wife and I love the vehicle, however in the past 2 months it has gone into 'limp' mode. Not so limp, more like dead, the vehicle will not allow for ANY throttle response. The first time was on a backroad and was able to get vehicle off to the shoulder. The second time was in a very busy intersection ascending a hill. Very dangerous as traffic was accelerating and was almost rearended as vehicles had to slam on the brakes. In order to enable the car driveable, it has to be shutoff for at least a minute or two and then restarted. We immediately drove it to the dealer and it has been repaired. While we were there I asked the service manager if this was inherent to the vehicle or across the Ford line. He states it is across the Ford line of vehicles and it is only for certain things and is to prevent further vehicle components from damage. Well, what about the occupants safety? Components can be repaired or replaced, people are a different story. Speaking of failed components, a rack and pinion and a throttle body are what has caused vehicle to go into limp mode. Really?


Let me say that I was raised on Fords and have been loyal to the mfg. And that the dealership and service dept have been 2nd to none for customer service and generosity. But after these events and knowledge of how global it is to the mfg., I have very little faith in the Ford Flex and Ford. I would like to trade my '04 250 in on a newer one, but not gonna happen now. And I will be trading off the Flex for another mfg vehicle. It is a sad day.

 

You will find all manufacturers these days are using this automated limp mode to protect the vehicle if the computer logic interprets a series of inputs as imminent catastrophic failure. This is solely a strategy to reduce warranty costs, and passenger safety is a minor consideration at best. Unfortunately, many times the sensor is the culprit and catastrophic failure was not imminent. Did you get to see the itemized list of replaced parts? Did they replace sensors?

 

Yes, all mfg's do use a limp mode that will allow the driver to 'LIMP' the vehicle home or off the road. However, Ford has a Fail-safe mode where the engine shuts down 1-2 cylinders and does NOT allow for ANY driver input except for steering and brake operation. Thank GOD the vehicle did not do this in the middle of the intersection.
As for the parts hat have been replaced, neither will not cause ANY catastrophic failure to the vehicle as the part themselves were not damaged. Turns out to be the sensor on the part. The replaced the parts along with the sensor. All was covered by an extended warranty purchased with the vehicle.