general problems of the 2014 Ford Explorer - part 1

Power steering stopped working. Error messages shown are "power steering assist fault" and "service advancetrac".

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The failure had occurred while taking a minor child to school. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with an electric power steering assembly failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was driven to the residence. While driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact was advised to tow the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with steering gear assembly failure. The dealer retrieved dtc: u201149, u300049, and u30096. The contact was informed that the steering gear assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the parts had been ordered. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The contact also referenced a technical service bulletin for the failure; however, the age of the vehicle and the mileage limitation had been exceeded. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000.

Steering gear failure and faulty eps module. Second event. The full assembly and eps failed, and fatal crash was avoided.

Loss of steering. Driving down the road the my completely locks up while in drive. Was told it was faulty rack and pinions.

1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the electronic steering gear failed causing the steering to "stick" at certain points of steering, and causing a loud rubbing noise. The steering is also more "loose" and feels insecure. Yes it is available for inspection. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? the failure of the electronic steering gear can cause unexpected failure of steering ability while operating the vehicle. This could cause a severe accident going any speed, but especially if I were on the highway. A crash due to loss of steering ability could kill me, my family, and others on the road. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes, my local Ford dealership has confirmed the issue and stated that they won't repair it because it isn't part of any open recall, even though there was a major recall (14s06/NHTSA 14v-286) opened for the prior model year of my vehicle. Ford should have included 2014 in that recall since the issues persists in 2014 models and is evident by the other 200+ technical service bulletins posted by Ford. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? it's been inspected by my local Ford dealership. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? no warning lamps or messages. I noticed the issue after picking the vehicle up from the Ford dealership. They didn't notice the issue until I reported it to them, meaning they missed it during their maintenance inspections and check-up. I noticed the issue on September 21, 2025.

Lose of controlled of the steering will driving.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 65 mph the power steering was disabled and the steering wheel became very difficult to steer, the following warning messages were displayed on the instrument panel "service advance track" and "steering loss, stop safely" and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer however the vehicle was not diagnosed as the contact was advised that the vehicles VIN was not included in any open recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 131,590.

Electric power steering failure while driving.

While driving on [xxx] in atlanta, GA, my 2014 Ford Explorer suddenly lost all power steering without warning. The dash displayed: “steering assist fault – service required”, and the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn. I was in the vehicle with my wife and [xxx] daughter, and we were traveling at highway speed. We were extremely lucky to be in the right lane at the time — otherwise, I may not have been able to safely maneuver or exit traffic. This could have easily led to a catastrophic crash. I was barely able to keep control of the vehicle and managed to pull over onto the shoulder. A few days before this incident, I noticed a brief steering warning, but the system reset on its own. After the highway event, I had the vehicle scanned and received the following diagnostic codes: u2011:00-49 and u3000, indicating a power steering control module (pscm) failure. This is the same exact failure that led to recall 14s06 for 2011–2013 Ford Explorers, but my 2014 model is not currently included — despite having the same eps system and failure pattern. The component is still in the vehicle and available for inspection. I have not yet had it inspected by a Ford dealer or a certified mechanic but intend to do so. I am submitting this complaint to request an investigation and to express my deep concern for the safety of my family and others who may be driving 2014 Explorers with the same defective system. This is a dangerous, recurring problem that demands immediate attention. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife driving at an undisclosed speed, the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 14v286000 (steering), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 135,000.

The contact’s daughter owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving on the highway at 55 mph, the steering wheel seized, and the power steering assist was disabled. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off and restarted the vehicle however, the power steering assist feature was still inoperable. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the rack and pinion was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, 2 years later the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving 35 mph, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and the steering wheel became stiff. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The driver pulled over, restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle regained power steering functionality and the warning lights turned off; however, the failure reoccurred. The local dealer was not contacted and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 129,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the steering became difficult to turn. The message “power steering assist fault" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that an unknown part had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

When turn left or right the steering did not want to turn right away, and when it did it was sudden release.

I was driving my Explorer in a residential area when my power steering assist went out, causing me to not be able to control the steering wheel. I had 3 passengers in the vehicle at the time. I came close to crashing into a ditch but was able to stop the vehicle. It terrified me and my passengers. I struggled to steer it to a restaurant parking lot. After my power steering stopped working, and alarm went off on the dash and said "steering assist fault" needs serviced. I had the Explorer towed to aschenbach Ford in wytheville, virginia. The Ford service department said that the bar and all electrical steering needs replaced. There was a recall for some 2014 Ford Explorers with this same problem but my VIN is not apart of those recalls and I feel it should have been because that's what happened to my vehicle. It's recalls 14s06/14v-286.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 55 mph, the vehicle was lost power steering functionality. The message "steering fault" was displayed. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the electric power steering gearbox had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that assistance could not be provided because the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. In addition, the contact stated that the steering wheel was stiff. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with rack and pinion failure. The contact was informed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,564.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, he became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The steering assist disabled warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the steering gear. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 14v286000 (steering), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

All my dash lights turn off u can drive it but all my dash light is off the abs light its on.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The contact stated the steering wheel had seized. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while turning and almost caused a crash. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed electronic steering rack. The contact was informed that the electronic steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The traction control warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the spindle rod, steering gear assembly, fuse, hex nut, and bolt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,745.

Power steering assist is constantly going out.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 2 mph, the message "loss of power steering assist" was displayed. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized and was difficult to turn to the left or to the right. The contact stopped the vehicle, turned it off, and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle regained power steering functionality. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the power steering assist had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 14v286000 (steering). The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Power steering failed during normal operations. This occurance was in 2021. Paid Ford over $2000 to perform repairs. Now January 2025 same issue occurred. This safety hazard needs to be addressed.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while reversing, the steering wheel failed to turn as intended. The contact noticed an abnormal grinding sound coming from the vehicle. The contact used added force to turn the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed power steering unit. The contact was informed that the power steering unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized with the traction control and check engine warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering control module (pscm) had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the nhsta hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 131,856.

The vehicles steering stopped working with no warning and a steering assist fault alert came on the dashboard.

Steering sounds like it has a groaning noise, I took it into a shop and they noticed it too while I was getting my transmission rebuilt. They could not figure out what the problem was or where it was coming from but assumed it was from the tie rod boots on one side of the car, but all the research I’ve been doing and all other comments about it have been for the rack and pinion starting to fail. It started happening about a month ago (early December 2024) for me where after sitting overnight the steering didn’t want to turn, that stopped happening, but now while driving the steering locks up and breaks free, and you can hear a groaning noise when turning the wheel both left and right when stationary or at low speeds.

Hi my name is [xxx] and im an owner of a 2014 Ford Explorer sport my vehicle is at the service department for almost 2 months already before I took the vehicle into the dealership to get fix I was going to have a car crash thanks to the front tires of the car. Both front tires locked and the car slide really bad that day the steering wheel went loose and I wasnt able to control the vehicle. I took it to the service department at a Ford dealership where I was told that the abs was falling the computer module was not working and the traction control has an issue too information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph and making a left turn, the vehicle suddenly lost power steering functionality. The traction control and the electronic stability control warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the failure might be related to the power steering control module(pscm); however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. No further information was provided. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 170,000.

The electric steering went out on my way home on a very curvy road. The rack and pinion apparently has failed. Please recall this part to get it fixed before someone gets hurt.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph the power steering suddenly failed causing the steering wheel to become extremely difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the steering rack was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 60,346.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 mph, the vehicle made an abnormal sound and lost power steering functionality. No warning light was illuminated. The contact research and was made aware of NHTSA campaign number: 14v286000 (steering); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnostic tested. The contact was informed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 mph and attempting to make a left turn, the power steering failed without warning. The contact depressed the brake pedal and turned the vehicle off. After waiting for a while, the contact restarted the vehicle and continued driving at slower speeds. The contact noticed that when the steering wheel was turned to the left or the right, the steering wheel seized and jerked the steering wheel and had the vehicle moved in the direction as intended. The vehicle was taken to a body shop where the vehicle was inspected, and the contact was made aware that the vehicle had electric power steering assist, not a hydraulic power steering fluid system. The contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled; however, the vehicle had not been taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 149,000.

The steering wheel failed out of nowhere and is now making a hub bearing grind sound the vehicle tells me “power steering assist fault”.

I was making a u turn and the power steering all but gave out on me. And a message came up on the dash saying “ steering assist fault service required. Luckily I was going at a very slow speed and was close to home. This could be a major problem if on a freeway.