Ford Flex

The square three-row estate on Ford's D4 platform, sharing its running gear with the Taurus and the Explorer of the same years — so their material covers the powertrain, which is useful because very little was written under this name. Two things are worth knowing. The 3.5 EcoBoost is direct-injected and carries the intake valve deposit problem common to that generation of the engine, which presents as a misfire and rough running rather than as anything obviously fuel-related. And the water pump on the naturally aspirated 3.5 is driven internally by the timing chain, so its failure sends coolant into the oil rather than onto the ground — a milky dipstick here is a specific and expensive diagnosis rather than a head gasket.