2011 - 2018 Explorer Power Steering Issue | Page 31 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Peter, 1st: it's a 2011 Explorer like most others have complained about. 2nd: it's also a Lease. That's one of the main benefits of getting a lease: to not have the headaches of maintnenance. Bottom line: what they are doing as a company sucks and is disgraceful.
I understand. My 2011 is also a lease, just like the 4 previous vehicles I've had. My lease is 48 months and that is why I took out the ESP.
I'm curious if the 2014 models will also experience this issue. Some of the 2013 models were affected before they reached 1000 miles.

Peter
 



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PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, ALL OF YOU WITH THIS PROBLEM: If you haven't already, please go to the NHTSA's website and file a complaint. It will only take a few moments of your time and the more complaints are on file, the more pressure the federal government will put on Ford to recall this part. Also, if you had this problem out of warranty and Ford recalls it, in some cases they may refund your money.

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/index.xhtml

I filed the complaint before I posted about my issue on this forum. I agree the more documented complaints about this the better. Ford really should do a behind the scenes recall if they don't have the availability for a mass recall yet. They should tell the dealerships to repair the issue as a customer satisfaction issue.

I can't imagine a little old lady or smaller person trying to muscle through it.
 






What???? "Ford recalled this model for a freaking 50 cent thermostat."
Where did you get that from?
Recalls are done for safety and emission issues.
As far as I know the only recall was for 2nd row split seat.
Are you talking about TSB'S?

I do agree that ford should do a recall. My steering went twice in a three week period.
I was driving both times (thank god it wasn't the wifey) it happened and I was lucky to be in parking lots going slow. Dealer checked the codes and fixed it no problem. Service manager told me that mine was only the second Ex he's had come in with steering problem
 






Thankfully my steering hasn't ever quit but in reverse if I turn the wheel any faster than what you normally do, the car vibrates and feels like it's going to die.
 






What???? "Ford recalled this model for a freaking 50 cent thermostat."
Where did you get that from?
Recalls are done for safety and emission issues.
As far as I know the only recall was for 2nd row split seat.
Are you talking about TSB'S?

I do agree that ford should do a recall. My steering went twice in a three week period.
I was driving both times (thank god it wasn't the wifey) it happened and I was lucky to be in parking lots going slow. Dealer checked the codes and fixed it no problem. Service manager told me that mine was only the second Ex he's had come in with steering problem


There was also a recall done on the ford sync my dealer told me that and fixed it immediately.... its not just for safety issues.... however i have not heard anything about a thermostat but frankly I am with those who say that ford has lost a customer for life.... I have given them every opportunity to help fix this and been very patient but to be honest its not only the known issue with the vehicles that are troublesome to me. I have owned 7 chevys and yes all car companies have their issues but if you go to ford in the 90's and early 2000's their vehicles were a mess and of very poor quality and reliability, at the very least im pretty sure everyone has heard that horrendous belt squeak from an old explorer or f150 when it was raining. I decided to give them a second chance and try one out and i am very satisfied with the ride the interior and the overall appearance but when the company puts out commercials saying how much better they have become over the past few years and then release the vehicle with a known issue like this its just despicable. Its not a huge deal to me when it happens more of an annoyance but if my Fiancé was driving and she was on the highway or in the middle of a turn and this happened I dont see any outcome that doesnt involve an accident. They may have given you an option to choose different coverage to address this known issue but if they went through the trouble to make that an option and knew it was a big enough issue to make that an option they shouldnt have released the product, or at least done a recall.
 






To Bill

The thermostat:
A few months into having the car, I noticed the A/C would only blow cold if I was moving. Sitting in traffic it would blow HOT and then the car would overheat. So, of course, being down the shore in traffic, this happened and I wound up having to sit on the side of the road for a couple hours before it cooled down enough to drive again. As long as you were moving, everything was fine. Stuck in traffic, you're screwed.
Maybe there wasn't a recall (thought there was.....don't know, maybe constantly breaking down on side of the road could become a safety issue?), but when I called the dealer they were totally aware of the problem and took care of it no questions asked/no hassles. Service guy in the dealership said they have a lot of problems with this year with the thermostat. Again, maybe it wasn't a recall, but I know I got a recall notice on something 1.5 years ago and this was what was the problem. Simple, cheap job so they were "happy" to help.

So, for this steering issue. After fighting with Ford a bit, they contacted the dealer directly. They (Ford I believe) is going to cover 60% of the $2090 repair and I'm on the hook for the rest. So, they know they did wrong. They know they have a major problem potentially out on the roads. And they are willing to half acknowledge it. I need my truck back asap so can't fight with them anymore.....which I'm sure is what they were counting on.

Again, when this happens to someone who isn't lucky and winds up dead or seriously injured as a result, maybe then they will be forced to do what they should.
 






I forgot about the thermostat problem. When my car was new, I was parked in a field at a dog show when the pa came on and announced a Ford on fire in the parking area. We went to help since we always carry an extinguisher, and it was steam pouring from OUR CAR from the overheating. Fun making that 100 miles home. Yep, that is a known problem too.
 






Power Steering Assist Failure

On August 7 2013 , while driving on the highway 70MPH I had the power steering assist failure message and the terrain management system fault message. The steering was extremely hard to turn, and thankfully I was not on a corner. I was only 2 miles from my dealer, so I took it right there and left the ignition on so they could "duplicate the problem". They agreed with me and have ordered the power steering rack assembly. I have a 2011 LTD with 32,400 miles so it is covered under the 36000 bumper to bumper. I was alarmed when I posted a complaint on the National Highway Transportation Safety Association and found 216 similar experiences. Further it appears Ford is now the subject of an investigation for a possible recall to fix the problem. This is the first problem ever with this vehicle. My dealer has given me a 2007 Edge to drive while they wait for the part to come in. An alarming way to start my day to say the least.
 






Please do a search on issues before starting a new thread. There are over a dozen pages on this issue discussed indepth. No need to start another one.
 






this thread is being merged with the existing volume on this topic.

Peter
 






On August 7 2013 , while driving on the highway 70MPH I had the power steering assist failure message and the terrain management system fault message. The steering was extremely hard to turn, and thankfully I was not on a corner. I was only 2 miles from my dealer, so I took it right there and left the ignition on so they could "duplicate the problem". They agreed with me and have ordered the power steering rack assembly. I have a 2011 LTD with 32,400 miles so it is covered under the 36000 bumper to bumper...

I'm glad your dealership is taking good care of you, skip79. Additionally, I want to get your regional customer service manager (CSM) involved so they can ensure all of your concerns are resolved. Send me a PM with your VIN, dealer, mileage, daytime phone number, and full name; I'll get to work on your case.

Crystal
 






Just ran into the power steering issue with my 2014 Explorer Sport at 1000 km's. Luckily I was not driving at the time. When I restarted the vehicle after stopping for gas I got the 'Power Steering Assist Fault' message and power steering was no longer working. Tried to restart a few times to reset the system and ended with the additional 'Service Advancetrac' and 'Terrain Management System Fault' warnings. The terrain management selector and the signals also stopped working. Had to have the vehicle towed 130 km's back to the dealer. They are replacing the steering rack.
 






Just ran into the power steering issue with my 2014 Explorer Sport at 1000 km's. Luckily I was not driving at the time. When I restarted the vehicle after stopping for gas I got the 'Power Steering Assist Fault' message and power steering was no longer working. Tried to restart a few times to reset the system and ended with the additional 'Service Advancetrac' and 'Terrain Management System Fault' warnings. The terrain management selector and the signals also stopped working. Had to have the vehicle towed 130 km's back to the dealer. They are replacing the steering rack.
Welcome to the Forum Trapper69.:wavey:
Sorry to hear about your problem and that it had to be your first post on the Forum.
This, like the water leak, was initially identified in 2011 and for whatever reason, both issues still exist with the 2014 model. If this keeps up, I will seriously reconsider leasing another Explorer in 2015.
Good luck.

Peter
 






Just ran into the power steering issue with my 2014 Explorer Sport at 1000 km's. Luckily I was not driving at the time. When I restarted the vehicle after stopping for gas I got the 'Power Steering Assist Fault' message and power steering was no longer working. Tried to restart a few times to reset the system and ended with the additional 'Service Advancetrac' and 'Terrain Management System Fault' warnings. The terrain management selector and the signals also stopped working. Had to have the vehicle towed 130 km's back to the dealer. They are replacing the steering rack.

I assume you are in Canada since you stated km.. if you are in the US, please file a complaint with the NHTSA.
 






For f*** sake! Between water leaks, exhaust smell, terrain faults and now loss of power steering(!) issues I am seriously considering dumping my explorer. Our explorer is our family road trip vehicle, and if I can't feel 100% safe in it, then I don't want it. I'll probably lose my ass on it, but I'd rather do that than risk harm to my wife and young kids. Unbelievable.

I just had the TMS fault again last Thursday...
 






For f*** sake! Between water leaks, exhaust smell, terrain faults and now loss of power steering(!) issues I am seriously considering dumping my explorer. Our explorer is our family road trip vehicle, and if I can't feel 100% safe in it, then I don't want it. I'll probably lose my ass on it, but I'd rather do that than risk harm to my wife and young kids. Unbelievable.

I just had the TMS fault again last Thursday...

Hi MizzouMan_2000,

I'm here to help. Send me your information in a PM so I can get your regional customer service manager (CSM) involved. Please include your VIN, dealer, mileage, daytime phone number, and full name.

Crystal
 






For f*** sake! Between water leaks, exhaust smell, terrain faults and now loss of power steering(!) issues I am seriously considering dumping my explorer. Our explorer is our family road trip vehicle, and if I can't feel 100% safe in it, then I don't want it. I'll probably lose my ass on it, but I'd rather do that than risk harm to my wife and young kids. Unbelievable.

I just had the TMS fault again last Thursday...

This is exactly how I feel. One of the primary reasons I bought a new explorer (our only vehicle) was because I was starting to worry about the reliability of my old vehicle on family road trips. Now that I have experienced the power steering failure, I have serious concerns regarding my family's safety.
 






Just ran into the power steering issue with my 2014 Explorer Sport at 1000 km's. Luckily I was not driving at the time. When I restarted the vehicle after stopping for gas I got the 'Power Steering Assist Fault' message and power steering was no longer working. Tried to restart a few times to reset the system and ended with the additional 'Service Advancetrac' and 'Terrain Management System Fault' warnings. The terrain management selector and the signals also stopped working. Had to have the vehicle towed 130 km's back to the dealer. They are replacing the steering rack.

Hi Trapper69,

Welcome to the Ford Family! :biggthump I'd like to loop in your regional customer service manager. They'll get in contact with you and your dealer to work towards a resolution. I want to ensure that your experience with your Explorer is delightful going forward.

Please PM me your full name, phone number, VIN, and dealer's name; I'll forward this to your CSM.

Bianca
 






My 2011 Ford Explorer hit this issue

Last week, while pulling out of my work's parking lot, this power steering turned off due to this issue. I was able to drive it to the dealer where they just told me it will be over $1700 to fix (not warranty....too many miles). As stated over and over again in this forum, I know Ford has to realize this is a manufacturing defect and not and issue caused by excessive or irregular driving. I suggested help from my dealer for this reason and was flatly denied because it was out of warranty (even though I bought my last 2 fords of the 4 fords sitting in my driveway there....).

A few questions:

1) Since this is still happening on 2014 Explorer's, I assume the new Rack Steering assembly they are installing in my Explorer to fix the problem is of the same design as the old and thus can fail again. The service manager as the dealer told me 'of course' it is fix with the new part. True?

2) I tried to get the number of my Regional Customer Service Manager from my dealer...I was told they didn't have that number and that I would have to call the 1-800 ford customer service number (who told me that the dealer could give me that number...hmmmm). I called the 1-800 number and opened up a case. I still need help in getting this 'manufacturing and no fault of mine issue' paid for. I guess this more for Crystal...can you help?
If I give you the Ford case #, will that give you all the info you need to help?

Regards and Thanks.

Tim
 



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Last week, while pulling out of my work's parking lot, this power steering turned off due to this issue. I was able to drive it to the dealer where they just told me it will be over $1700 to fix (not warranty....too many miles). As stated over and over again in this forum, I know Ford has to realize this is a manufacturing defect and not and issue caused by excessive or irregular driving. I suggested help from my dealer for this reason and was flatly denied because it was out of warranty (even though I bought my last 2 fords of the 4 fords sitting in my driveway there....).

A few questions:

1) Since this is still happening on 2014 Explorer's, I assume the new Rack Steering assembly they are installing in my Explorer to fix the problem is of the same design as the old and thus can fail again. The service manager as the dealer told me 'of course' it is fix with the new part. True?

2) I tried to get the number of my Regional Customer Service Manager from my dealer...I was told they didn't have that number and that I would have to call the 1-800 ford customer service number (who told me that the dealer could give me that number...hmmmm). I called the 1-800 number and opened up a case. I still need help in getting this 'manufacturing and no fault of mine issue' paid for. I guess this more for Crystal...can you help?
If I give you the Ford case #, will that give you all the info you need to help?

Regards and Thanks.

Tim
Welcome to the Forum TSG.:wavey:
I'm going to assume that you found this Forum by searching on your steering issue. I believe there have been 1 or 2 instances where the replaced steering rack has failed. Depending on how far out of warranty you are you may be able to get some help from Ford. This is just one reason I and many others bought the ESP. Being a new design and with so many electronics on board, I wasn't going to chance it. Beside, I have taken out extended warranties as a habit just for peace of mind.
I believe that all the Ford reps on here can do is to refer your case to the regional customer service manager. Since you have already have a case number, I doubt that there is anything further that they can do.
You can always try by sending them a private message as outline in several places in this thread.
Good luck Ted.

Peter
 






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