Steering Problems of Ford Explorer - part 1

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.

See all problems of the 2012 Ford Explorer 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2011 Ford Explorer 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2016 Ford Explorer 🔎.

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

See all problems of the 2019 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the steering wheel failed to turn left or right. The message "power steering assist fault" was displayed. The contact stopped, turned off, and restarted the vehicle several times to reset the power steering assist feature; however, the steering wheel was still difficult to turn. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 250,000.

See all problems of the 2013 Ford Explorer 🔎.

My car gave a “power steering fault” message on the dash while my son was driving on I-95 on April 12. The steering wheel locked up making turning impossible and could have been fatal. He had pull over and have the vehicle towed home.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. While driving at slow speeds, the contact stated that while turning the steering wheel there was a lack of resistance, and there was a pulsating sensation in the steering wheel. No warning lights were illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 168,000.

I am reporting a serious safety concern with my 2017 Ford Explorer. The vehicle currently has approximately 93,752 miles and has become increasingly unreliable and unsafe to operate. On April 9, 2026, while my wife was driving home from work, the vehicle overheated, creating a dangerous situation and risk of sudden breakdown. This is especially concerning as the vehicle is used to transport children. Recently, after taking the vehicle in for an oil change, I was informed of multiple additional problems (three separate issues) affecting the vehicle. In addition, the check engine light remains on continuously, even after attempted repairs, indicating unresolved underlying problems. I have also previously attempted to have a recall repair completed, but was told that the necessary part was unavailable and that I would be contacted when it became available. Months later, I have still not been contacted, and the recall issue remains unresolved. Based on my experience and publicly documented issues, this appears consistent with known defects associated with this model, including reported water pump failures leading to engine overheating, rear suspension issues affecting control, and concerns regarding exhaust fumes entering the cabin. This is not normal wear and tear, but a potential safety-related defect. It is a serious concern that known recalls and defects cannot be repaired due to lack of available parts, leaving the vehicle in an unsafe condition. I am also concerned about the risk of continuing to operate this vehicle and potentially causing an accident that could injure myself, my family, or others on the road. This risk is heightened by the lack of timely communication and resolution regarding known defects and recalls. I am requesting investigation into these issues to prevent harm to drivers and passengers.

See all problems of the 2017 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The steering wheel got stiff and impossible to turn. I had to use extreme force to be able to make a left turn. It happened in a large intersection. No warning appeared.

Difficulty in steering around corners.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

My 2023 Ford Explorer (VIN: [xxx] ) has a persistent front suspension clunk/rattle/knock when driving over small bumps or uneven pavement at low speeds (8–20 mph). The noise is repeatable and has progressively worsened. It matches the condition described in Ford special service message ssm 52405, which identifies a manufacturing defect involving a loose internal pressure tube inside the front strut assembly on 2023 Explorers built between December 1, 2022 and August 31, 2023. My vehicle falls inside this build range. This defect affects vehicle stability, steering control, and suspension performance over bumps and uneven surfaces. The internal looseness in the strut assembly creates unpredictable handling characteristics, which is a safety issue. Multiple owners have reported the same symptoms, and Ford has not issued a recall. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this defect and Ford’s handling of repairs, as owners are being asked to pay out?of?pocket for repairs related to a known manufacturing defect that affects safe vehicle operation. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).