general problems of the 2017 Ford Explorer - part 1

Steering is difficult and makes noises when turning.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 10 mph, the steering wheel became stiff with the message "power steering loss" displayed. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and restarted; however, the failure persisted. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 17v530000 (steering). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 109,000.

I am reporting a safety-related defect involving the electric power steering system on my 2017 Ford Explorer. The vehicle displays a “steering system fault” warning, and when this occurs the power steering assist is reduced or disabled, creating a safety risk during low-speed driving, turning, and parking. When the ignition is on with the engine off, multiple communication fault codes appear, including u0100, u0131, u0140, and u0151. After the engine is started, these communication codes disappear, but the steering fault warning remains illuminated and no active fault codes are stored. This behavior indicates the steering system enters a fail-safe state during startup and does not recover. The battery was tested and replaced. Fuses, relays, wiring, grounds, and voltage drop during engine cranking were checked and found to be normal. Steering system reset and relearn procedures were performed using diagnostic tools, but the issue persisted. No external electrical or communication network problems were identified. Based on these findings, the problem appears to be an internal failure of the electric power steering rack or its control module. The loss or reduction of steering assist can occur without warning and increases the risk of a crash. This issue is commonly reported on 2016–2018 Ford Explorer vehicles, suggesting a design or durability defect. I am submitting this complaint to request that NHTSA investigate this condition as a potential safety defect.

The power steering went out with no warning. Stirring wheel went stiff and made it extremely hard to turn. All the traction and steering lights came on.

Problem with the power steering. When turning to the right, the wheel sticks. I have to forces it past the parts that sticks. This happens at low and high speeds. 68,569 miles all maintenance done at Ford dealership.

My daughter was driving our 2017 Ford Explorer when the steering wheel locked up without warning, putting her life at risk. It mirrors the exact steering rack failure already recalled for 2011–2013 Explorers (recall #14s06 / NHTSA 14v286000). We were told by a certified mechanic that the steering rack and gear failed, and that this is a common issue in these models. Ford has opened case #xxx-xxx, but refuses to take responsibility or escalate the matter. They acknowledge several other recalls on this vehicle, but not the steering system — even though multiple 2016–2017 Explorer owners report similar failures. This is a serious safety hazard that could result in death. I am requesting an immediate NHTSA investigation into expanding the current steering rack recall to include 2017 model Explorers. Please escalate this complaint and notify me of any developments. I am collecting evidence and testimony from other Explorer owners with the same issue.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while stopped at a light, and accelerating, he observed a loud popping noise. The contact stated that the vehicle did not steer as intended as the vehicle slid all over while attempting to steer. Additionally, the tms warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure . The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

I’ve been experiencing a buzzing sound whenever I turn the steering wheel, and the more I drive the vehicle, the louder the noise becomes. I took it to a local shop, and they advised me that the power steering rack is going bad — a very common issue in 2017–2019 Ford Explorers, especially around the 100,000-mile mark. They provided a quote of $2,652. 86 to have it replaced. I was also warned that if it’s not replaced soon, the steering could lock up while driving, preventing me from turning the wheel, which poses a serious safety risk. No warning lights or dashboard messages have appeared, which makes the issue even more concerning.

When driving and going to make a turn or change lanes . The steering wheel will stick and have a little jerk . Had it looked at but could not find anything. It’s been happening since July . I’m afraid it might not turn when I want it to . My husband did notice it when I drove him to airport . Wondering if recall on this .

Problem with the power steering. When turning, the wheel sticks.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 mph to the residence, the power steering became inoperable. The contact stated that the steering wheel was previously pulling to the right. The message that the “lane assist steering lost - check park assist: service advancetrac” warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was previously taken to the local dealer for a tire rotation, oil change, and alignment, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 89,415.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the steering wheel was difficult to turn in either direction and the warning messages "steering assist" and "service advanced track" had been displayed. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the steering rack and pinion were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 136,000.

The transmission stops switching gears after going 70 mph on the highway no acceleration was possible just stopped working. I had my kids with me I had a tractor trailer behind me and in front of me and beside me on a very busy highway going 70 mph and the transmission just stopped working no gas was it was just redlining when it was supposed to be accelerating no gears were reached I had to throw it in park throw it back into sports mode they're back into drive they're back into sports mode they're back in the drive before it kicked in and would go all while in the middle of a busy highway and not able to get off the road and declining in speed. The manufacturer or Ford did purchase the vehicle from me and made me roll over my negative equity from that car into a new car was my only option or paying 10 grand to get it fixed. Nothing no lights were displayed no lights came on at all no warning signs nothing just happened. When I took it in to get it looked at the mechanic immediately told me that I need to trade the car in and that I shouldn't have this vehicle it's transmission has been having multiple issues over four times in one year it was in the shop for transmission issues they told me nothing was wrong and they drove my car 200 mi they gave it back to me not even two weeks later this happened no lights and nothing was pulling on the codes the mechanic harper from malloy Ford is the one that told me that I should need to trade it in he contacted the Ford company they offered $2,000 to help with the cost to get the car fixed but it wasn't going to fix the problem from happening again and it was traumatizing to have to go through that with my kids I didn't want to put my kids back in that vehicle because we literally could have died. Please reach out with any additional questions with my phone or email . . The car has had transmission issues since I bought it. The dealership refused to take the car back after I purchased it to put me in something else.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the message "power steering assist fault" was displayed, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was later towed to the residence. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA campaign number: 17v530000 (steering). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 50,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that on the passenger side the a-pillar applique trim had a split in the middle causing rain water and dirt to enter the vehicle. As a result, the sun roof motor was damaged and failed. The local dealer was called and made the contact aware of NHTSA campaign number: 24v031000 (structure) however the part was not available. On another occasion, while driving at various speeds, when making a left or right turn there was a abnormal clicking present. The contact stated that the failure progressively worsened when turning to the right direction. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer where it was diagnosed that the a-pillar applique trim was not likely the reason for the failure of the sunroofs motor and a 2 hour diagnosis test needed to be completed in order to determine that failure however the expenses would have to be paid out of pocket. The contact was also advised that in regards to the a- pillar applique trim that the recall remedy was still not yet available and that the clock spring failed which needed immediate replacement. The vehicle was not repaired however was still at the dealers possession pending repairs and further diagnosis. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at approximately 55 mph, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and the steering wheel became firm. The contact stated that the power steering assist failure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and inspected. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the steering rack gear module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the electrical components failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed steering column control module. The contact was informed that the steering column control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his sister was driving 5 mph making a right turn, the steering wheel seized and failed to turn as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The driver was able to continue driving to the residence. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that the failure was due to the power steering unit. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering assist warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the power steering had seized, and the vehicle was inoperable. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed power steering module. The contact stated that the dealer performed a power steering factory reset; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was parked and turned off. The contact stated that when the vehicle was restarted, the power steering had seized. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions, there was a squeaking sound coming from the tires. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was observed that the steering wheel had seized and failed move. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the battery needed to be replaced. The battery was replaced, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.

Rack and pinion is bad. . . Vehicle is only six years old. . . Why?? please look into this issue.

Our Explorer was in the shop for over 4 weeks in September the steering went out randomly while driving. We are lucky that the vehicle did not crash. Called Ford care and they said nothing they could do. So, we took it to Ford, and they tried to get the vehicle to throw codes at no success. They replaced the rack & pinion assembly and asked us to pick it up. The problem was worse when we picked it up and returned it to the dealer. They worked with Ford tech support to try to fix it again, picked it up and still broke. They took it all apart checking the ball joints and other front-end parts, and decided to replace the rack again, they called us that it is ready for pick-up. Not sure yet if it is fixed but call Ford care again. They said sorry, after pushing the said to contact Ford consumer affairs. They also said that there is no recall for this issue so there is nothing they can do. If the first rack from Ford was bad, this caused us to wait an additional 3 weeks while the dealership worked with Ford tech. The onboard diagnostic should help the dealership with solving steering issues. How many people will have to go thru this before there is a recall? the dealer was awesome thru this whole ordeal. I can go on and on about spending over 2k, but hope. Total of 6 weeks in the shop. Now, mid December 2023, the car is still doing it, this time the car crossed the double yellow on rt 12 a major highway here in illinois. They have had the car for 2 more weeks and can not fix it. They said they will be working with Ford again.

Thr manufacturer did not put rear tire links on my vehicle. I purchased brand new tires 3 months ago and my two rear tires are already showing sings of wear and tear. I went to a mechanic to see if I could get a full alignment on my vehicle. When they started on thr alignment, they informed me that they could not proceed because the vehicle was missing the manufacturer rear toe links. If I decided to let them order rear toe links and do the alignment, it would cost me almost $600. This is completely unacceptable for Ford to drop the ball again and we the consumer are stuck paying for something that they should.

Power steering locked up during a drive around the block, had to turn off the engine and turn it back on. After the car was running again, no issue. If this issue persists or comes back again, drivers aside from myself will be put in danger on the road as the steering can lock up anytime during the drive. I was lucky enough to only have it happen during a short drive around the block.

I bought the SUV used in January/2023 from a Ford dealer. It had brand new tires on it. 6 months later and the outer tread of the tires are bald, that’s when I realized the toe angle was pointed in. I went to discount tire to get new tires and an alignment. They put new tires on and then they told me they couldn’t do the alignment on my truck because it has a recalled part on the rear suspension. The toe angle rods are not adjustable. He showed me what they are supposed to look like on his computer for him to do the alignment. He then proceeded to tell me how dangerous it was because if the rod cracks, my wheel will fall off. I called Ford, but they are claiming there is no recall for that part, but that can’t be true.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 mph and making a right turn, the steering wheel did not return to center. The contact stated that the steering wheel failed to respond normally while turning the steering wheel to center. Additionally, the contact stated that the instrument cluster went black, and the vehicle stalled. The contact pulled over safely and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that the “system communication error" message was displayed on the infotainment screen after the restart. The contact later had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the wiring harness and the gwm harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle had been repaired. The contact stated that after the repair, the battery had started to drain very quickly. The vehicle was towed back to the same dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 43,833.

Tow links from my vehicle is going bad. Vehicle fish tails a little on the highway when traveling on uneven surface. Knuckles have been replaced and link-stabilizer on both side by my mechanic. Ford stated they replaced in may 2022 (never did) I had the original parts that came with vehicle. Ford refuses to reimburse. I'm concern now that the tow links are going bad and vehicle will soon be unsafe to drive.

Vibration or rough idle in drive and reverse. Shudder while driving lack of engine rpm low performance, lack of acceleration on take off. Mechanic found and replaced the following. Broken transmission mount, replaced front & rear engine mounts. Transmission is not shifting correctly and the mechanic stated that the oil was black and smelt burnt.

In March of 2022, this vehicle was repaired for a rear suspension toe link recall. On christmas evening, December 25, 2022, the toe link failed. The car fishtailed briefly before veering uncontrollably off the road. I had no warnings that this was going to happen aside from a slight "clunk" in the rear of the car a second beforehand. Fortunately oncoming traffic immediately stopped and avoided me and I was able (with much difficulty) to move the car to safety. I was only going about 35 mph; I cannot imagine how much carnage I would have created had I been on the highway I was headed to just 3 miles away. The car was flat-bedded to the Ford dealership that has always repaired the car the very next morning, December 26. While waiting for the wrecker, I walked the area where I heard a "clunk" just before the car's steering became inoperable and found a bolt which I brought with me to the dealership. In conversations on December 27, 28 and 29, the Ford service manager stated to me that he and the shop foreman were at a loss as to why the rear suspension toe link failed, but in examining the bolts, they believe they were machined/bored just a little too small allowing it the ability to unscrew itself from the toe link assembly and fall off the car. While the car was at the dealership, I reached out to Ford motor company's customer escalation team with the issue. My concern was not just for my own safety, but there are 600,000 other Ford Explorers on the road that might experience the same failure. On Friday, one of the team's members called me back to say that her investigation revealed that the bolt simply unscrewed itself. When I asked "well don't you think this is a huge recall issue?" she stated that investigation/issuing safety recalls are not the job of Ford. When I asked if the bolt unscrewing itself seemed plausible, she responded "I don't know. " I have not yet picked up the car though the dealer replaced both toe link assemblies. I am gravely concerned.

I bought the car from modern corp s in fort myers florida and the brakes are bad the catalytic converters are melted the steering makes noise sounds like it's just going to break in half we have a warranty and they will not honor any of it after they said they would we had to put it in the shop not even a week of having it because of the ac and the only thing the warranty covered was the sway bars ball joints and a couple other things I drive this car every single day I just feel like this car is not going to make it nobody wants to honor the word about anything and I see there is a recall for the roof rack one side of it is missing if anybody can help me that would be great because I would love to get my vehicle repaired the right way.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering assist would fail to operate as needed. The contact stated that excessive force was required to steer the vehicle due to the failure. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that her tires and battery were the cause of the steering failure. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 17v530000 (steering)the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

April 5th 2022 I took my 2017 Ford Explorer limited to city Ford here in columbia city indiana because the steering was sticking. It had been sticking slightly at times for several weeks prior to this. They couldn't find any problem. So in June 2022 my wife and I load up and leave for virginia for vacation. The slight sticking got worse after several hours on the road, and finally the driver assist went out completely. Making it most difficult to steer. A dangerous situation. Also I had no hill descent, no 4 wheel drive, park assist, cruise control. A multitude of warnings. I took it to barton Ford in suffolk va. And was told it needed a rack and pinion steering which cost me over $3100. 00 and over $600. 00 for a rental during the time it took to complete the job. I noticed that I was charged for new bolts also. I researched and found that there was a previous recall on a select few of these Explorers due to bolt failure. My Explorer should have been selected, but there is no open recall on this Explorer. Barton Ford told me that my vehicle wasn't effected by the recall. I believe Ford motor company should reimburse me for what it cost me.

I drove the SUV to the store, with my kids. On the way back home , the steering wheel stop working and it was hard to steer the SUV. We took it in to the dealership in inverness Ford, but they couldn't find anything wrong with the SUV. Two days later it turn hard to steer again, but no codes.

Increasing the risk of a crash.

The rack and pinion failed; these parts were replaced by Ford at my expense and Ford kept the old parts. The safety of myself, my passengers, and other drivers was put at risk because the steering would catch while in a curve and cause the driver to be unable to steer momentarily. This caused me to almost drive head-on into a semi tractor-trailer, as the steering was not responding to my turning the wheel, but did just in time to avoid the collision. This steering catch also caused over-steering as a result of the steering not responding. The problem was reported to burns Ford of york and the rack and pinion were replaced on 10/21/21. The vehicle was only inspected by burns Ford of york. The catch in the steering first started in July of 2021 and progressively got worse. As the symptoms worsened, the loss of traction warning light would often come on when the steering caught.