Steering Problems of Ford Explorer - part 1

After replacing the newest recall for the rear toe link on my Explorer, I’ve noticed (along with a couple others on some forums) that the alignment does not stay set and will come undone. I finished driving 1000 miles after the swap and had sudden pressure loss in my rear tire. When I looked at it the entire outside of the tire on both driver and passenger side were completely eaten through and I’m not made of enough money to keep replacing tires and keep getting alignments done. I do have a video of my inside cam of when it happened if requested.

See all problems of the 2018 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Steering is difficult and makes noises when turning.

See all problems of the 2017 Ford Explorer 🔎.

While driving a 2013 Ford Explorer, the vehicle experienced an electrical issue that caused the power steering system to malfunction. The power steering assist suddenly failed, making the steering wheel extremely difficult to turn. The failure occurred suddenly and at the time of the incident the vehicle was traveling 2 miles and I parked it immediately. This created a serious safety hazard, especially when attempting to turn or maneuver the vehicle. A warning message stating “power steering assist fault” did appear on the dashboard . Prior to the failure, there were no warning signs. Due to the sudden loss of power steering assist, the driver’s ability to safely control the vehicle was significantly reduced, increasing the risk of a crash. The issue has not yet been inspected. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

See all problems of the 2013 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, with the power steering warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 201,226.

The rack and pinion system needs to be replaced as a result of "normal wear and tear".

See all problems of the 2022 Ford Explorer 🔎.

I am submitting a formal safety complaint regarding a severe design defect in the 3. 5l v6 engine of my 2013 Ford Explorer. The vehicle is equipped with an internal, chain-driven water pump that is currently failing at 100000 miles, as evidenced by coolant actively draining from the factory weep hole. Because this pump is located inside the engine block and driven by the timing chain, a complete seal failure dumps engine coolant directly into the oil pan. This is a critical safety hazard. When the coolant and oil mix, it destroys the engine bearings and causes the engine to completely seize without warning. If this sudden engine seizure occurs while driving at highway speeds, it results in an immediate and total loss of motive power, power steering, and power brakes. This defect creates an extreme crash hazard for the occupants of the vehicle and other drivers on the road. The internal weep hole provides virtually no dashboard warning or indicator to the driver before this catastrophic failure occurs. I am requesting that the NHTSA investigate this known, dangerous design flaw to force a mandatory safety recall before this sudden loss of vehicle control causes severe injuries or fatalities.

After dropping off my son at school, I turned the steering and suddenly it became very difficult to turn. I was stuck in school traffic and was nearly involved in an accident. Shortly after , the power steering assist warning light came on. I brought the vehicle to my mechanic, who ran a diagnostic and informed me there is a known recall related to the steering system on 2013 Ford Explorers. Based on this, the vehicle was towed by aaa to the nearest Ford dealership. At the dealership, I was told that my specific vehicle ( VIN#) is not listed under the recall. Given the seriousness of the steering failure and the safety risk involved, I am requesting further review and guidance on how to proceed.

While driving the car, the steering locked up making the vehicle unable to turn. Thank got it happened in a parking lot where the truck blocked traffic for hours before getting towed. The dealer took 6 weeks of guessing the problem with Ford engineers. Replacing numerous parts in an attempt to guess what the issue was. After contacting Ford directly and expressing my concerns over the safety of the truck. They refused to communicate with me and forwarded all my information to their legal staff. Still no update from Ford regarding the repair was done properly or even confirming the safety of the car.

See all problems of the 2023 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Started the Explorer in a parking lot. When backing out the steering wheel was impossible to turn. A power steering failure light came on. Pulled the Explorer back into the parking spot and turned off the vehicle. Restarted the vehicle and steering became functional again. This appears to be a common Ford problem and the recall should be reopened. It would be dangerous if this happened on a the road while driving.

See all problems of the 2012 Ford Explorer 🔎.

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

See all problems of the 2014 Ford Explorer 🔎.

While traveling on I-26 east near north carolina mm 51 in the left lane, the vehicle suddenly pulled uncontrollably to the left resulting in a sideswipe of the guardrail. The vehicle then swerved to the right stopping near the center of the interstate. My wife was able to move the vehicle to the right shoulder under its own power. The right front tire/wheel was laying almost flat attached to the vehicle only by the brake line. The entire wheel assembly was detached from the steering/suspension system. The vehicle was towed to a local collision center and inspected by my insurance adjuster. The vehicle was determined a total loss. There were no injuries or other vehicles involved. The nc highway patrol responded but did not complete an accident report.

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.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reversing, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and struck another unoccupied parked vehicle. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the rear of the vehicle had sustained scratches. There was no injury sustained. No police report was filed. The contact stated that the power steering failure was initially intermittent, but the failure had become a constant failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the electronic power steering and steering gear assembly needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered because the 10-year warranty period had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Unknown my steering wheel locked up while driving.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 mph, the power steering suddenly failed while attempting to make a right turn, causing the steering wheel to seize. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact turned off the vehicle and followed the owner's manual instructions on how to reset the power steering; however, all attempts failed. The contact left the vehicle parked at the incident location. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

See all problems of the 2011 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Loss of power steering.

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.

Total loss of electric power steering assistance while driving on the interstate.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. In addition, the power steering and advanced traction control warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was very difficult to steer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with an electronic power steering module failure. The contact was informed that the electronic power steering module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was concerned that the failure might cause a crash. The contact referenced the notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14e001000 (steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 138,239.

I am filing an official safety complaint regarding my 2015 Ford Explorer sport 3. 5l due to a dangerous and sudden power-steering failure that occurred while I was driving with my children in the vehicle. There were no warning lights, alerts, or symptoms leading up to the failure. The power steering went out instantly and without any indication that something was wrong. The moment it failed, the steering wheel locked up and became extremely difficult to turn, nearly causing multiple accidents. I had children in the car at the time, and this situation created an immediate and severe safety hazard for everyone in my vehicle and on the road. After this happened, I contacted (by phone) Ford directly. Without any inspection, hesitation, or further explanation, I was immediately told that the vehicle “needs a new steering rack and pinion. ” the quoted repair cost exceeds $3,000, on a vehicle I am still paying $500 a month for. I have since discovered that there are thousands of other Ford Explorer owners reporting the exact same issue, with the same model years, same sudden failure, and the same required repair. This is clearly not an isolated incident. This pattern strongly indicates a widespread manufacturing or component defect that poses a significant risk of injury or death. I am deeply concerned that Ford has not issued a formal recall for a problem that can cause an immediate loss of steering control at highway speeds and in everyday driving conditions. The number of publicly documented complaints online demonstrates that this is a systemic and dangerous failure that should not be ignored. I am requesting that NHTSA fully investigate this issue and require Ford motor company to issue a recall for the defective steering rack/power steering system in the 2015 Ford Explorer sport 3. 5l ecoboost w/o park assist, as well as any related model years or trims using the same components. Vehicle is available for inspection.

See all problems of the 2015 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 mph, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the front ball joint and lower control arm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 197,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became extremely stiff. The steering wheel was extremely difficult to turn. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 160,000.

I was leaving the store pulled out on a main road in town about to head on the highway. My steering wheel locked and would hardly move with all my strength and the help of my significant other we pulled back into the store parking lot rarely missing hitting several vehicles in the process. I had my children with me at the time in this vehicle as well. The power steering assist fault message popped up. I had the vehicle towed to Ford groves and after a diagnostic test was ran I was told it was my steering gear and the entire steering column needed to be replaced. The second opinion I got said it was the rack and pinion needing to be replaced. After doing research I found other reports of other 2013 Ford Explorer owners having wrecks due to this some with the same edition as myself (limited). There are recalls for the steering on 2013 Ford Explorer but not the limited. I need my edition to be added because this is clearly happening here as well. This was very dangerous when I explained to the dealership about the recalls they told me this was not accurate and was the wrong information. This was random and happened out of no where my vehicle was fine prior to this. Yes the vehicle is available upon request for inspection.

The power steering pump (epas) when out on me yesterday while driving on the highway. I was switching lanes on the highway when the service advance trac light came on and the steering wheel became stiff really difficult to move putting myself in danger while driving in a higher speed limit zone.

When making a turn or going around curves the steering does not return to center and sticks in whatever direction you are turning.

See all problems of the 2025 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, there was a grinding sound coming from the steering column while making left and right turns. Additionally, the contact stated that the steering wheel jerked while driving and making left or right turns. The contact stated that three unknown warning lights were illuminated, and the traction control warning light was also illuminated. Additionally, there are unknown messages displayed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but the diagnosis was unknown. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 193,000.

The electrical power steering stopped working while in motion was real hard to steer and avoid hitting curbs or vehicles close to our vehicle. It was previously replaced by Ford for the same reason but now it happened again and they are telling me it doesn’t have warranty which is fine but if I buy the part which is not cheap by the way it just going to keep failing after a few years.

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.

I would need to change many more of the points on the top, see report.

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.

I was driving to independence missouri and the power steering went out, it was difficult to steer and if I was going slow enough I could not turn the wheel at all. There was an alert that popped up stating power steering fault. My mechanic reset the code and it was fixed for about 30 minutes before coming back on. I took it to a Ford dealership in chillicothe missouri and they had to reset the entire module and reprogram it. This fixed the issue for about 2 weeks and it is now doing the same thing as before. I paid $150 for an hour of labor plus diagnostic. I am expecting to take it back to the dealership on 12/3 for the same issue.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was difficult to turn to the left or the right. The steering wheel seized, and the steering wheel symbol was displayed on the instrument cluster. The vehicle was turned off and restarted to reset the steering assist function. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the electric power steering assist system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 14v286000 (steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

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.

Power steering stopped working while driving.