2011 Ford Explorer complaints

The steering went

2011 Ford Explorer showed "Power Steering Assist Fault" message on dashboard pops up intermittently around 5 times in a span of 6 months of ownership. Latest occasion left driver stranded far from residence while parked since no steering can be done. Driver was put at risk of having to worry that it would happen again while driving on roads. Vehicle has been taken to dealership to get fixed. Dealer has inspected and attempted to reproduce fault but to no avail. Dealer recommended to replace complete steering assembly which cost is out of pocket of customer. Vehicle and VIN is under Customer Satisfaction Program Campaign # 15N01 EPAS STEERING EFFORTS and under NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V286000Loss of Electric Power Steering Assist states it should be at no-cost to customer to get fixed. Dealer refused and stated campaign expired. Driver looking to get more resources to disprove dealer's claim and to get vehicle repaired since it is a public safety issue they are refusing to address over profit.

2011 FORD EXPLORER. CONSUMER STATED THAT DURING A COLLISION THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that occasionally after starting the vehicle, the power steering functionality would be inoperable. The contact stated that after the vehicle warmed up, the power steering functionality would return. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The contact stated that on one occasion while his wife was driving 60 MPH, the steering wheel lost power steering functionality and started drifting to the right unintendedly. The contact stated that the driver's side of the vehicle crashed into the guard rails. There was no injury sustained. There was no further information provided. The contact stated that the steering wheel regained power steering assist and his wife was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) and the steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The dealer also informed the contact that he had to pay out-of-pocket for the repair fee because an unknown Customer Satisfaction Program had expired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The electronic power steering assist warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) failed and needed to be replaced. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the Power Steering Control Module failed again and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that no recall was affiliated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at various speeds, the power steering assist failure warning light illuminated on multiple occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic code reader was used to retrieve fault codes for the steering torque sensor and control module. The mechanic made the contact aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was then taken to a local dealer and it was confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle remained at the dealer awaiting a diagnostic test and the repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 196,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH and making a right turn, the steering wheel suddenly became very difficult to turn in either direction causing the contact to almost lose control of the steering and crash into a second vehicle. After stopping and turning the vehicle off and restarting the vehicle, a power steering warning message was displayed. The vehicle was later towed to the residence. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 200,000.

The contact's husband owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH at night, the power steering became inoperable. A message indicating a power steering Assist Fault and the message Service Advancetrac were displayed. The steering wheel became significantly difficult to steer. The contact was able to veer in the middle turn lane but could not veer to the side of the roadway as the steering wheel was significantly difficult to steer. The contact stated that she turned off and restarted the vehicle several times within 30 minutes; however, the failure persisted. The contact's husband met her on the road and was able to drive the vehicle by using physical strength to steer vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the power steering module had failed. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000 The contact has stated that the actual vehicle mileage was approximately 150,780.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that when he started the vehicle, the stability traction system, service power steering now, and power steering failure warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel as the power steering failed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the mechanic used a diagnostic reader and retrieved failure codes for the steering wheel, not in contact with the vehicle, the power steering system, and the rack and pinion system in the front end. The mechanic made the contact aware of a Customer Satisfaction Program for the steering and then reset the failure codes. The vehicle was not repaired; however, the contact stated that the power steering was functioning as needed. The contact then made the local dealer aware of the failure and they informed him that the Customer Satisfaction Program had expired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the Customer Satisfaction Program had expired, and the contact was advised to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 210,772.

My vehicle will intermittently lose power steering control causing it to become difficult to control especially at slower speeds

Hello, FORD in Woodbridge VA. I was driving with my daughter home. And all of a sudden the steering wheel locked or got really hard to turn. I was just a block away from home thank God so I immediately pulled over. The warning sign that came up said power steering. It was after hours so the next morning i called Ford to take my vehicle in for the recall and dropped it off. * I was told that although it's a recall it had expired so my claim was denied and the cost of repairs is $2700. I am outraged that a manufacture safety issue that's out of my control has an EXPIRATION date. There should NOT be expiration on something that has a recall on it. Not only did they tell me it's expired, regards to the repair, no discount was offered knowing they have that issues and when asked if I would be able to get a loaner veh during repairs they stated they couldn't provide me a loaner if my vehicle was under repairs as they don't provide loaners. When I asked for that in writing they then stated they just didn't have any loaners available. I could of killed someone, my myself or my child at how the steering wheel tightenocked up during my driving. My child has cerbal palsy, disabled and has therapy appts and certain needs each day that required me to have transportation. if my vehicle is under repairs, whether for recall or not I should be provided a loaner vehicle. I am not asking for coverage on wear and tear . Coverage on cosmetics. This is a known issue and I am being punished cuz it'

I was driving my car and the steering went out completely with little warning. A light came on that said "Service power steering soon" and within 2 minutes the steering went completely out.

9/25/22 My 2011 Ford Explorer xlt would start jerking when pushing on the gas paddle and then would start losing speed or power. Today is the third day this has happened so I looked on YouTube and entered my symptoms of my car and it suggested it could be my (electronic position sensor). And YouTube told me there is an extended warranty on this part. I have 140000 miles this vehicle. This vehicle has not been inspected or confirmed by a dealership as of yet. There was no warning when this problem began and no warning lights on the dashboard. I am very hesitant in driving this vehicle around town , fearing it may stop completely.

I was driving down the highway going 60mph when my steering wheel locked up and I wasn't able to steer the car and had to hit the brakes and try to pull over so I didn't cause a car accident. It has also locked up several times while driving it in town also

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the message “Service Power Steering Now” was displayed and the steering wheel lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that she was able to make a turn by using physical strength to steer the vehicle while driving to work. The contact stated that after turning off and restarting the vehicle, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering control module and the Electric Power Assisted Steering EPAS) The steering gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

While driving on a busy road. My ford explorer suddenly died. I was driving with my children. The water pump suddenly went bad causing my engine to seize. This is the second time that I have had to replace the water pump and in which I have almost been part of an accident. The repairs have been very very costly.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while his wife was driving 30 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality with the Power Steering Assist fault message displayed. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the roadway and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and stated that the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) software needed to be updated and the steering rack assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and a case was filed. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the power steering assist fault message was displayed. While driving, the steering wheel was very difficult to turn. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the warranty had expired and referred him to the NHTSA Hotline. The contact stated that the failure was similar to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The approximate failure mileage was 162,893.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while exiting a parking area, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated the power steering assist fault and the service advancetrac warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that she turned off and restarted the vehicle but continued to experience the failure. The contact stated that she parked the vehicle. The contact's brother was able to drive the vehicle to her residence while experiencing the failure. The contact's brother took the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the steering rack and pinion to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 162,076.

The contact's girlfriend owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his girlfriend was driving 30 MPH, the power steering assist failed with the stabilitrak warning light illuminated and a warning sensor chiming. His girlfriend pulled over and restarted the vehicle and was able to resume normal driving. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent and occasionally recurred upon restart. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) which he linked to the failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

Was driving and the steering stopped working and locked the power steering light came on and so did the traction control light.

Electric power steering failed without any warning. Ford HAD a voluntary recall, but as a second owner I did not get any notification. As vehicles are supposed to exceed 100k miles this is disturbing (like iPhone battery fiasco). Electric steering is nearly impossible to drive and being thIs is a KNOWN problem with this vehicle and the fact it is the #1 vehicle currently utilized by Law Enforcement I find it odd there is not a mandatory safety recall for this issue. Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

Driving along and the power steering assist went out. I called dealer and they said if it was over 10 years they didnt have to repair it. According to your website, It has a 15 year window. Please advise

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The power assist warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the Electric Power Steering (EPS) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced the Manufacturer Campaign Number 15N01: Electric Power Steering (EPS). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the recall expired and to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35-40 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to control. While her son was driving at an unknown speed, the steering wheel was difficult to turn. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where she was informed the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the power steering module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 195,000.

Los steering control

Power steering suddenly went out 3 times in a 30 min period while driving at a low rate of speed. Error appeared on dash when fault occurred. After restarting engine error went away and had power steering.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed and making a turn, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The driver was able to continue driving the vehicle. The contact stated that the power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was repaired in 2015 under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The contact was also informed that the warranty had expired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

2011 FORD EXPLORER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO STEERING WHEEL LOCKING UP WHILE DRIVING. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS, A WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY.

I was driving out of my driveway and the power steering froze. There was no warning. I ended up hitting the rear of another car I have in my driveway. Luckily nobody was in the vehicle. A light then cam on to see your dealer! I see there was a recall by Ford of the power steering, but that recall has expiried for my vehicle due to the fact it is 11 years old. The recall was for 10

The power steering suddenly went out. A "power steering assist fault" warning light came on. No power assist was available and the vehicle became extremely difficult to steer. Fortunately, I was traveling at a low rate of speed and was able to safely steer off the road.If this had occurred while taking a corner, it could have been catastrophic. When restarted, the steering worked again and the warning light went out. Since this happened, it had reoccurred twice, making the vehicle unsafe to drive.

Power steering randomly shut off while I was driving.

I was driving on the highway and the steering wheel locked on me. He was hard to turn and I also hit another car in the back.

The power steering failed while pulling into parking spot and garage approx 5 times in the last few months.

I keep losing my power steering. i called ford and they told me the recall to fix it was out dated . this could cause an accident . and shouldnt have a time line to have it fixed . It has happened several times the last year

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering assist needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while his wife was reversing out of a parking lot, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated that the power steering assists warning light was illuminated. The contact also stated he was unable to move the steering wheel. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact called an independent mechanic who serviced the vehicle at the parking lot. The mechanic was able to use the meteor sensor and stated the motor position sensor signal had to be reset. The motor position sensor signal was reset. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The contact was able to drive to the residence. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the steering rack to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

The electric power steering continuesly Fails. The chain driver water pump failed while driving almost causing an accident with me and my son.

Upon starting the SUV an alert appeared stating “power steering assist failure” appeared. Attempted to reset the sensor multiple times with no success. It was impossible to move the steering wheel. Thankfully I wasn’t driving given I drive the highway everyday too and from work or I could have had serious harm to myself or others. There is no way I would have been able to control any sort of manual steering as I have a back injury. Now I will have to have it towed to get it repaired just so I can get too and from work.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while his niece was driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the electric power steering assists warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over, turned off, and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle operated as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that there was nothing that could be done because the vehicle was not under recall and the warranty had expired. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was 44,000.

I started the car and started to go then the car could not be steered and a warning came on that said "power steering assist fault". The steering wheel was impossible to turn and if this had happened in traffic or the freeway at a higher speed I could have been easily killed. Now every time the car is turned on the steering wheel will not turn.

While driving on the interstate my power steering went completely out and on the dash board the power steering assist light came on...scared me to death as coudnt steer. took off work next day and took to dealer said not under warranty bc i have 144k miles and is 11 years old and warranty was under 150k or 10 years...however i did find out this was a big safety issue and was a recall in 2014 on these with a recall...,,,the dealer said i was gonna have to pay 3100 and i had to get and pay for a rental car to drive home and leave at dealer to repair....i had no choice but to leave bc had to be fixed.they were nice at dealership in telling me out of warranty but i dont understand why this huge safety issue wouldnt be fixed and paid for by ford?I do not want to get nooone in trouble and not one to complain much but the money is hard to just come up with to repair a vehicle, rent a rental car and a day off work...im asingle father and have worked 2 jobs for many years to put my son thru college.i had to put all this unexpected money on my emergency credit card and will take a long time for me to pay off.and the issue scared me to death! i feel should have been fixed by the company bc of the issue.I never received nothing by mail of a safety issue recall or warranty expiring about this issue and i have owned since early 2021.I do not understand why and how a recall to repair this huge safety issue can expire?it could have been catastrophic on the interstate and piles of cars..... i

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost power steering functionality with the power steering assist warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with steering gear malfunction. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

Power steering & terrain assist fault would occasionally pop up and lock my steering wheel up. which I would just turn my car on & off to make go away.Only one day in mid turn it came on locked my steering wheel up was side swiped right into a pole. Not only was my car physically damaged but my 4 yr old daughter refuses to get in the car now which makes it extremely frustrating when we have to go places

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

While driving, my steering column locked and an error message saying power steering assist failure alerted. I immediately stopped, attempted to start the car 4 times and the steering column would not move. There is a recall for this same problem from March 2014. Ford is saying that the recall for the same issue not applicable to my vehicle.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The vehicle was difficult to turn to the left or the right. The contact stopped the vehicle safely in the middle of the road. The contact stated that the power steering assist failure message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to a dealer the following day. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the power steering assist had failed. The dealer related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 156,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while a friend was driving approximately 45 MPH, the driver inhaled an excessive amount of carbon monoxide. The friend accidentally drove into a ditch. The vehicle was pulled out of the ditch by nearby residents. The driver was not injured. There were minor damages to the passenger’s side front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed a failure with plugs underneath the engine. The plugs were not replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 168,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the steering wheel seized with the power steering assist warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, turned off and then restarted the vehicle and drove to her residence. The vehicle was later taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with a faulty steering control module. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) as a possible solution to the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 157,000.

Power steering and terrain management system failure. Power steering assist failure has happened upon starting vehicle a few times but has reset after restarting. There is a recall for this but apparently not for my VIN