FordFlex2017Overview/ford/flex/2017/base/

2017 Ford Flex

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2017 Flex.

Body SUVTransmission Automatic (S6)

The 2017 Ford Flex is an SUV with an engine specifying 6.0 quarts of 5W-30 or 5W-20 oil, paired with an Automatic (S6) transmission and EPA-rated at 16/22/18 mpg. Within the model’s 2009–2019 complaint history, this model year sits at the low point with just 40 owner complaints, far below the 2013 peak of 578, making it the least complained-about year of the run. Even so, it carries four recalls and registers “Unknown Or Other” as its top complaint category.

Model year201920182017201620152014201320122011

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity6.0 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 / 5W-20OEM · verified
EPA fuel economy16/22/18 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI EX EcoBoost: 65 · EX EcoBoost: 650 CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI EX EcoBoost: 65 · EX EcoBoost: 650 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP235/55R19OEM · verified
Wheel / rimNS inOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (S6)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length202 in
Overall width76 in
Overall height67.7 in
Wheelbase118.1 in
Curb weight4839 lb
Track (front / rear)65.7 / 65.7 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)54/46

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined16 / 22 / 18 mpg
DrivetrainAll-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Flex of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

5.7–9.0 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 5.70 sec — 2013 Limited 3.5L EcoBoost
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2016Limited 3.5L EcoBoost 3.5L Twin-Turbo V66.20 sec14.70 sec365 hpAWD
2013Limited 3.5L EcoBoost 3.5L Twin-Turbo V65.70 sec14.20 sec365 hpAWD
2010SEL 3.5L EcoBoost 3.5L Twin-Turbo V66.00 sec14.60 sec355 hpAWD
2009Limited 3.5L V68.40 sec16.40 sec262 hpAWD
2009SEL 3.5L V68.40 sec16.40 sec262 hpAWD
2009Limited 3.5L V69.00 sec16.80 sec262 hpAWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 6.0 qt of 5W-30 / 5W-20 engine oil, 80W-90 · GL-5 in the differential, DOT 4 brake fluid. The firing order is 1-4-2-5-3-6.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity9.0-11.0
Brake FluidDOT 4
Differential Gear Oil80W-90 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity1.30-2.45
Engine Oil5W-30 · 5W-20
Engine Oil Capacity6.0 qt
Power Steering FluidEPS
Transfer Case FluidSynthetic · 75W-140 · GL-5

Engine torques

Engine Flywheel Bolts59.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs89.0 inch lbs. ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Driveshaft Flange to Transmission18.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug15.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug15.0
Automatic Transmission Drain Plug9.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub258.0 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub258.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-4-2-5-3-6
Spark Plug ManufacturerMotorcraft
Spark Plug GapTurbo: 0.032-0.038, Non Turbo: 0.051 in
Spark Plug Torque11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Standard BCI Group NumberEX EcoBoost: 65
Standard BCI Cranking PerformanceEX EcoBoost: 650 cca
Optional BCI Group NumberEcoBoost: 65
Optional BCI Cranking PerformanceEcoBoost: 750 cca

Service checks

Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)55

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier TorqueFront: 13 inch; Rear: 24
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt TorqueFront: 122; Rear: 76
ABS Sensor Torque6.6
Minimum Pad Thickness0.118 in
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for ReplacementFront: 13; Front: 14; Rear: 13; Rear: 14
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness after RefinishStamped on rotor
Maximum Rotor Runout0.002

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs — tightening sequence 2 stages
171.0 inch lbs.71 in
245.0
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 3 stages
117.0 ft. lbs.17 ft. lbs
232.0 ft. lbs.32 ft. lbs
390.0
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 4 stages
189.0 ft. lbs.89 ft. lbs
2360 degrees360 degrees
337.0 ft. lbs.37 ft. lbs
4+ 90
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 2 stages

Prep Cap bolts

120.0 ft. lbs.20 ft. lbs
2180.0 degrees; Side bolts180 degrees
133.0 ft. lbs.33 ft. lbs
290.0

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant every 50,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 50,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 10,000 miBrake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Drive Axle Assembly (inspect) · Driveshaft (inspect)
Every 20,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 50,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 100,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 100,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 miTransmission Assembly (drain & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Within the 2009–2019 federal record for the Ford Flex, the 2017 model year represents the lowest complaint volume of the entire generation at just 40 filings, down sharply from 90 in 2016 and dramatically below the 578-complaint spike recorded in 2013. It carries a moderate 4 recalls and 80 technical service bulletins, which is a step up from the 3 recalls posted the prior year but well within the normal range seen across the lineup. The top complaint clusters for 2017 — Unknown or Other and Suspension (9 each), plus Back Over Prevention (3) — are relatively diffuse rather than concentrated around a single failure mode, and the data does not specify a root cause for the largest "Unknown or Other" category. Notably, the quiet 2017 sits at the bottom of a U-shaped arc: complaints trend downward from the 2013 high through 2017, then climb back to 61 in 2018 and surge to 221 with 2 federal investigations in 2019, suggesting later model years may have introduced new issues. Crash-related complaints are minimal (2) and no fire complaints were filed for this year. Taken together, 2017 appears to be one of the more reliable model years in the generation's federal record, making it a defensible choice on a used lot — provided a pre-purchase inspection pays close attention to suspension components and confirms the 4 recalls have been completed.

4
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
80
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
40
Owner complaints
2 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 40 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Unknown Or Other9
Suspension9
Back Over Prevention3
Electrical System,Unknown Or Other,Visibility/Wiper2
Seat Belts2
Structure1
Engine1
Structure,Back Over Prevention1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 4 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

20V072000Suspension:RearReported 10/02/2020

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… 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…

16V925000Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Turbo/SuperchargerReported 22/12/2016

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Taurus, 2016-2017 Ford Flex, Lincoln MKT, 2017 Ford Explorer and Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines… Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the turbocharger oil supply tubes, free of charge. The recall began on January 31, 2017. Owners may…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 80 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
SSM 546012026-02-23Electrical SystemFord and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory…
TSB 25-25702025-11-26Electrical SystemThis article supersedes TSB 24-2165 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some vehicles…
SSM 543662025-11-11Power TrainSome 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic…
SSM 530402024-10-10Unknown Or OtherWhile performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a…
TSB 24-21652024-05-27Unknown Or OtherThis article supersedes TSB 21-2175 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some 2016 MKS…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Flex. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2017 Flex take?

6.0 qt of Turbo: 5W-30 Meeting Ford specification WSS-M2C946-A or equivalent., Non-Turbo: 5W-20 Meeting Ford specification WSS-M2C945-A or equivalent., per the factory manual.

Does the 2017 Flex have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Flex get?

EPA figures are 16 city / 22 highway / 18 combined mpg.