Steering Problems of Ford Explorer - part 1

I was driving at 65 mph on the highway when the light for the steering came up and the power steering shut down. I had a hard time to turn the steering wheel until I was able to exit the road. I shut the car down and restarted and everything was ok, but there is a problem because the light came up again. More cars with same problem.

See all problems of the 2015 Ford Explorer 🔎.

This is a 2013 Ford Explorer experiencing the exact catastrophic power steering failure described in recall 14s06 / 15s18. The rack has failed twice, creating an immediate crash hazard. The current recall parameters are inadequate as they exclude my VIN despite identical component failure. Not only is this an immediate crash hazard, it is difficult to find any mechanic or dealership to remedy this problem because it is a major part with heavy labor. I have been sidelined and quoted high repair fees for a repair that should be covered as Ford admitted to the design flaws in the electrical steering, however restricting who actually gets protection from it. I feel this is reckless and greedy of Ford to do this. The failure to the electric steering went out while I was driving and I was unable to turn or control my steering, it is deeply frustrating this is a known issue that I was completely unaware of. I feel that Ford is not a good company to purchase from and their products are not safe for drivers. I'm posting this so others are warned that safety is not a priority with Ford and to shop with a brand that cares about safety and integrity for their consumers and families.

See all problems of the 2013 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The power steering has fully stopped working , the car cannot be steered, this started to happen on the road, I had to steer the entire weight of the car myself, at fast speed it was difficult but not impossible, at slow speed and zero speed or while the vehicle is stationary it was impossible or unmovable to steer. There were no warning lamps about this, the Ford dealer has not detect this in my vehicle's previous recall, further vehicle has two more recalls this year, that have been cited this year by the dealer. This needs to be addressed on their recalls because this can cause a very severe problem on the road.

See all problems of the 2011 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Begin with cliff, I was not wanting to lock or locked or start the vehicle as I was driving. I stopped at the light vehicle started shaking, and as I drove through the light to pull over power steering assist failure, terrain, failure, and control failure.

See all problems of the 2017 Ford Explorer 🔎.

On Friday 7/24/2026, I was driving and all the sudden my steering went out. Dash flashed no power steering assist / advantrac system fail. I pulled over immediately to turn around & get home with zero power steering. The amount of strength to steer/control was extreme. To turn was almost impossible. I took my car to Ford autonation on arapahoe in centennial on 7/27/26, they ran full diagnostics & it came back that the car suffered a hard internal failure (dtc u3000) of the electronic power steering control module, creating an immediate, dangerous loss of steering assist while driving. This vehicle was subject to federal safety recall 14s06 (NHTSA campaign 14v286000). According to official Ford oasis data, Ford attempted to remedy this safety defect in 2014 using a software reflash shortcut (labor code 14s06a) rather than replacing the physical defective hardware. I have a text (via their service dept) from the service manager as well stating "it was a reflash" when I asked which labor code was done under the 14s06; "was it the software reflash or the full rack replacement?". I have a formal case with Ford corporate created 7/31/26, and have that number as well. Ibecause Ford's software patch completely failed to prevent the component's internal hardware failure, the original federally mandated safety defect remains active, unresolved, and dangerous in this chassis. Ford corporate is refusing to honor the recall remedy because the vehicle is past an arbitrary 10-year limit on their internal customer satisfaction extensions, violating the permanent nature of safety recalls. I stated I would be filing with the NHTSA and they pushed my information on to the safety auto office on 7/31/26.

Abs module has failed. Causing a number of other safety systems to be deactivated. Power steering, traction control, drive mode selection, and braking. All these lights are illuminated on dash. Independent auto repair shop verified this abs module has failed and there is no replacement parts from Ford.

Loss of power steering assist . Yes it is available for inspection on request. I can't steer it . It has not been confirmed by anybody yet. It has not been inspected by anybody yet. There are no warning lights on dash .

See all problems of the 2012 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Same issue as in recall 14s06. However, I do not see this recall under my VIN, nor has this vehicle been repaired in the past for this issue. I was hoping that possibly the recall doesn't show up because it was established in 2014. I just want to get it corrected, as the electric power steering is disabled.

Sudden and complete loss of power steering assist while vehicle was in operation. Vehicle became extremely difficult to steer, creating safety hazard for driver and child passenger. Inspection revealed 150a epas mega fuse, part #l0114875aa, was melted due to electrical short in power steering control module. This is identical to the defect described in NHTSA safety recall 14v316000 / Ford 14s06. Fire risk confirmed by melted/burned fuse condition. Photos of failed component attached. Component is available for inspection. Ford customer service denied assistance under recall 14s06 on 07/10/2026, claiming vehicle was not covered despite physical evidence of the exact defect described in the recall. Vehicle manufacture date is 06/2014. Ford technical service bulletin 15-0082 acknowledges some 2014 vehicles may still have defective modules installed. Vehicle is currently inoperable. Owner has dependent child with medical therapy appointments requiring reliable transportation. Current mileage approximate as vehicle cannot be driven. Request immediate NHTSA investigation and enforcement under federal safety law 49 usc 30120.

See all problems of the 2014 Ford Explorer 🔎.

When going around a curve the steering wheel is sticking on the right. I have to tighten my grip on the wheel and manually straighten the wheel. This happened to me several times today on my 50 min trip. This was very frightening to me making me scared the wheel would stick and I have no control of the car while driving. I purchased this car on sat June 27. It just started today July 3. I am planning to take it back to the dealership on Monday.

See all problems of the 2025 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 80 mph, the steering wheel was abnormally loose, and the vehicle became uncontrollable. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road, and the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard. The brake pedal was depressed several times, and the vehicle stopped. No warning lights were illuminated. A driver nearby assisted with stopping traffic to allow the contact to drive the vehicle off to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was inspected, and the other driver became aware that the rear tires were completely bald. The vehicle was taken to discount tires, and the contact was informed that the failure was because of the rear suspension. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was informed that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 26v101000 (suspension) in March 24, 2026. In addition, the contact was informed that an alignment was not performed because the alignment machine was unavailable. The contact had not been informed that the recall repair was completed. The dealer informed the contact that an alignment had been completed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 147,419.

See all problems of the 2019 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Hello. I purchased my car in 2018. 2-3 years later, the power steering would randomly go out while driving - on the highway and city roads. This could happen once and then not again for 6+ months. When this happened a message would display about a "steering assist fault, service now". I found that if I pulled over, turned the car off and then on, it would generally work again. We had the vehicle in to 3 separate repair shops between 10/2022 and 10/2025 and no one could diagnose the issue as they needed it to replicate the condition. (in hindsight find this strange (concerning!!) as a simple google search shows what I am describing is a very common issue with a number of Ford models and also other vehicles. ) in June 2026, while on vacation with my family (on a mountain) it happened again. We turned the car on and off several time, disconnected/reconnected the battery and could not get the car to start working again and this time the steering wheel was completely locked. We had the vehicle towed and rented a car to drive home. The dealership was able to diagnose and repair the issue by replacing the entire steering rack assembly. No issues since then.

See all problems of the 2016 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 mph, the "service power steering" message was displayed. The contact pulled into a parking lot, turned off and then restarted the vehicle. The failure persisted, and the power steering feature failed to operate as needed. While in reverse, the back over prevention camera display the "service camera - take to dealer" message on the screen. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that there was a recall for the failure, NHTSA campaign number: 14v286000 (steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 237,000.

After getting my vehicle from the dealership my steering wheel was hard to turn , took it in and they replaced the struts (the old struts were binding). 6/7 days later the same thing happened with the steering wheel. They had said it was a switch in the power steering and there was a safety recall and I would have to take it into a Ford dealership. When I had called to make my appointment there wasn’t a recall and I called the Ford company and they said the same thing.

This 2015 Ford Explorer XLT - the power steering goes out. Multiple times. No recall with many many of these vehicles reporting to have the same problem. I was 200 miles away from home when this happened. The steering becomes extremely stiff and jerks. Making it very dangerous.

The electronic power steering failed yes its available for inspection my child and my safety were put at risk when I warning came up and said "steering loss, stop safely" and the steering wheel was locked. The problem was still there when it was brought into Ford service center nothing prior to the warning.

While my granddaughter was driving our 2019 Ford Explorer, the steering effort suddenly increased without warning, as if the electric power steering assist stopped functioning. She was traveling at approximately 45 mph on a public road and was unable to steer normally. The sudden loss of assist caused her to nearly leave her lane and almost resulted in a collision. This vehicle uses an electric?assist rack?and?pinion steering system. There were no warning lights or messages before or during the event. Road conditions were dry. After the incident, steering remained abnormally heavy/intermittent. It isn't as though it mimics an old school vehicle without power steering, where it simply requires a good deal of strength. With this situation, if you work hard to make a correction, the car suddenly pulls further quickly in that direction, or in the opposite direction in a very jerky manner. The failure occurred without any prior symptoms and created an immediate loss?of?control hazard, especially for younger or smaller drivers who cannot overcome the sudden increase in steering force. It basically feels like it is locked up. I am reporting this because the failure was sudden, unannounced, and nearly caused an accident. This appears to be a malfunction of the electric power steering assist system, and it presents an unreasonable safety risk. On a related note, I am the director of quality for a manufacturing facility and have conducted hundreds of formal risk assessments during product design. A sudden, unannounced loss of steering assist represents a high?severity, low?tolerance safety hazard. In my professional opinion, this failure mode warrants an accelerated investigation.

As I was backing my 2013 Ford Explorer base model out of my garage I heard a pop and then my steering started making a grinding/dragging noise. When I pulled onto the street I noticed that my steering wheel would "stick". I went a short distance further down the road and it seemed to stop sticking. When I went around a curve towards the left, my steering stuck again and it was harder to get it to "unstick". I returned it back to my home and parked it back in the garage. I see that there is a recall for the steering on the 2013 models, but my VIN is not included in this recall. This is a huge safety hazard and could put me out of work, as I care for and transport autistic individuals. This vehicle and my job are my livelihood and this needs to be corrected/recall issued on all of the 2013 models since they all seem to be having similar steering issues. Vehicle has not yet been inspected. Vehicle is available for inspection on request.

When driving, the steering wheel became less responsive. The next day, we drove a few hundred miles and got gas. After turning the car back on, the steering became even less responsive, resulting in a lot of force being needed to be used in order to turn the vehicle. In addition to this, the car was extremely difficult to keep straight, making driving on a single-lane road extremely dangerous. We have dropped the car off at the dealership and are waiting until Monday or Tuesday for a diagnosis and repair.

Bought my vehicle from a dealership advertised as Ford gold certified. Immediately after taking delivery of the car, the steering had an issue. Above ~30 mph the steering wheel does not reliably return to center on it's own. Forcing the driver to manually re-center the wheel. Meaning that if I take my hands off the wheel while turning, the car continues turning in that directly. Brought to the dealership immediately for servicing to fix the issue. They replaced several major components including the steering rack only to find that the issue persists. Despite all of the failed repair attempts, Ford is now refusing to continue attempting to repair as they claim it's normal driving characteristics. It is not. I've driven other similar models that do not do this.

The horn on my vehicle activates (blows) when I turn the steering wheel to certain positions. I believe this to be a road hazard. Especially since I had to remove the horn relay to prevent the horn from blowing in traffic until I can get it repaired. Several other Ford vehicles have been recalled for this exact problem. Just to diagnose this problem at the Ford dealer is $170. 00. Help!.

See all problems of the 2018 Ford Explorer 🔎.

When putting the car in reverse and moving backwards start to feel the vehicle look drive power and knock sounds. Sounds likes and feels like gear teeth or not aligned. When putting the car into drive the vehicle jumps a little and you hear a lout pop noise.

See all problems of the 2020 Ford Explorer 🔎.

My Ford Explorer has less than 97,000 miles on it and im experiencing popping noises and slight play in steering. Upon inspecting the tie-rod I found that the rack and pinion had play in it. The vehicle hasn't been wrecked so there's no reason I should be losing my steering rack under 100k miles.

Vehicle is very hard to steer, will not reset when restarting the vehicle. Two dash messages; advance track warning and power assist failure. I have not attempted to drive on road due to difficulty of steering the wheel. I am afraid the vehicle is uncontrollable at this point and needs to be towed to a repair facility. Not sure if this incident is linked to the recall under 14s06 for Ford recalls.

While sitting at a stop light, waiting to turn, the steering wheel went stiff, then I was forced to make the turn without the power steering. It started working again but made a very loud grindy noise. The noise has not gone away. I took it to a shop, and they assesed everything, and stated the power steering rack has a fault code, and that the inner tie rods are loose, along with they can hear the power steering rack motor making a lot of noise. While going down the road the steering wheel shakes, and when making turns the steering wheel sticks and I have to yank the wheel back to unstick it. The vehicle is available to be inspected, at any time. I was almost in an accident multiple times due to the steering sticking and the wild vibration in the wheel. Please help.

I was driving and the steering locked. I could not move steering wheel either way. Towed to Ford repair… they replaced steering rack. Four times it was replaced. . 4 times it locked.

2016 Ford Explorer, VIN [xxx]. Filing against planet Ford dallas regarding incomplete regional program 21r01 (rear toe link replacement), tied to federal safety recall 21v537. May 11, 2026: vehicle presented for 21r01 service. May returned with recall marked complete in Ford's system. 21r01 mandates replacement of both rear toe links, alignment check, and rear toe adjustment. None of these steps were correctly completed. Dealer has since acknowledged to me that the toe link was not replaced correctly, but instead with the incorrect part and that rear suspension hardware was left loose upon vehicle release. The vehicle was driven approximately one month in this condition. Progressive symptoms followed: steering pull, steering wheel offset, tire screeching, and vehicle instability. Rear toe was subsequently found approximately 3 degrees out of specification — consistent with loose hardware shifting during normal driving. Dealer is attributing front suspension wear to natural causes while providing no investigation demonstrating the incomplete recall did not contribute to or accelerate that damage. Ford motor company head office has confirmed 21r01 as applicable (corporate case [xxx]). Dealer has declined to accept responsibility. The recall was marked complete in Ford's system despite mandatory work not being performed. I am requesting NHTSA investigate dealer compliance with 21r01/21v537 and whether a reimbursement claim was submitted to Ford for work not performed. This matter may also be referred to the texas ag consumer protection division and ftc. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The failed power steering warning light illuminated. In addition, the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, however the failure was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact referenced an unknown recall which had a similar failure description, however the contact's VIN was not associated. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,063.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the power steering feature was intermittently inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. A technician attempted to diagnose the vehicle, but no diagnostic trouble codes were retrieved. The contact was informed that the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that the failure had progressively worsened, causing the power steering to become inoperable. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.

Power steering assist fault while driving with total loss of power steering. Caused difficult steering, particularly at low speed and made for a dangerous driving situation with what seemed like complete loss of steering ability. Power steering fault and lane keeping assist failure warnings lit on display at the same time. Vehicle was towed to dealership and problem was isolated to steering module/gear failure after paying for battery replacement to verify that it was not a voltage related issue. 2013 Ford Explorers manufactured through the end of February 2012 at the chicago plant have a recall for the same issue, but this vehicle was manufactured in June 2012 and I was told it is not covered. Repair was quoted at $4500.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The message that the "vehicle needed attention" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to back to the residence. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 270,000.

Hi! I brought my car in to the Ford dealership in lexington, SC to get a recalled a frame pillar repaired. They took the part off and didn’t repair it because they didn’t have the parts in. When I called corporate to check on the status of that part, I found out they had marked the recall as “complete” which was not the case. Corporate opened the case again for me, so it should’ve read incomplete in their system. (therefore, maybe they would call me to let me know the part was in stock. That didn’t happen. ) when I called back 2 months later, they had apparently marked it as complete a second time. Which again, was false. 12 months later, they’re finally agreeing to replace the part. I also found out from corporate in that same phone call that I had a recall to a power steering component. When I called the shop, they said that had been marked as complete too so I was not eligible for a second replacement. I have a hard time trusting that the original was actually replaced now. And the steering feels like a major safety concern! point is, I’m worried that location may be doctoring their documentation, marking recalls as repaired when repairs have clearly not been made. I’d hate for it to cause a major accident or something. Bringing this up in case it warrants an audit. I’m sure I’m not the only person they’ve done this to. I’ve opened a case with Ford’s automatice safety office as well and they are investigating but I thought it prudent to mention to an outside source. Like I said, I’d hate for someone to get in accident because they thought a repair had been made when it actually never was.

The steering on my Explorer has seized up making it very dangerous to drive because you can not hardly get the steering wheel to turn.

Brakes, rotors, tires and now steering column and starting gear is needing replaced after recall of rear toe link in 2019 Ford Explorer.

Power steering message popped up on dash in a flash and disappeared while I was driving. Same message popped up a couple miles down (I pulled into a parking lot to check message. ) steering wheel locked and left me stranded in need of a tow truck to move car to mechanic and get home. Message pops up and disappears quickly not leaving much time to read or react.