Steering moving on highway. | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

Steering moving on highway.

Satz

Active Member
Joined
November 15, 2019
Messages
76
Reaction score
13
City, State
MA
Year, Model & Trim Level
2011 Explorer XLT 302A
I have a odd behaviour . On the highway the steering moves an inch to the left or right. its very unnerving .
any idea what it might be ?. Is it dangerous drive?

Lost the driver side power switch... so ordered a new one. Seems something is always happening. Heard a weird noise and it turned out the belt balancer was gone a month ago.

Hopefully not an expensive fix.

2011 / XLT with 180k miles
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





If this just started happening it could be due to an issue with the Electric-Assisted Power Steering (EPAS) system not working as it should.

Peter
 






If this just started happening it could be due to an issue with the Electric-Assisted Power Steering (EPAS) system not working as it should.

Peter
SOunds expensive. Do i need to take to it to dealer to check
 












Thanks Peter as always for helping. I might take to local mechanic for an opinion.
 






Thanks Peter as always for helping. I might take to local mechanic for an opinion.
Could be alignment or other suspension parts. Best to have mechanic check it out. At 180k you are needing a refresh on all suspension parts if not done already. Dropping 2k into a car with 180k is a decision you need to make. Trust me I am done dropping money into my 2011 with 149k.
 






am done dropping money into my 2011 with 149

Thanks i just need this car to run around. I just picked up a wrangler but i still have it for the no roof days so its parked in the garage and do have a toyota tundra which blew a transmission and after being redone a tree fell on it ... horrible luck with cars for a month . So with 3 cars i am riding my motorcycle more due each having some issue. Maybe i put the roof on the wrangler back on it. But the wrangler is a manual so i do not take it on long road trips.

I was hoping in a year to replace the explorer with another.
 






Unfortunately, I'm not sure how you would diagnose whether the EPAS is working as designed to or if there is an issue with it. If it is the EPAS, one clip I watched mentioned $1600. Keep in mind that this is just a guess on my part. 2011-2014 Ford Explorer Steering Gear BB5Z-3504-J | Auto Nation Ford White Bear Lake
Perhaps some other members may want to add their thoughts as to the possible problem.

Peter
I do have a service advisory for my Vin. can it be this

EPAS STEERING EFFORTS
Field Service Action Number:
15N01
 






I do have a service advisory for my Vin. can it be this

EPAS STEERING EFFORTS
Field Service Action Number:
15N01
Yes. Might be a warranty fix too. As well, have you ever accidentally driven on a vehicle where the lug nuts are loose and one wheel is dangerously slopping around on the hub? I have. It feels like what you describe and then the wheel can come off of course, which is very bad. Check the wheels are on tight. Can you describe the symptom a little better? When exactly it happens? What it feels like? Noises? What speed and conditions?
 






Yes. Might be a warranty fix too. As well, have you ever accidentally driven on a vehicle where the lug nuts are loose and one wheel is dangerously slopping around on the hub? I have. It feels like what you describe and then the wheel can come off of course, which is very bad. Check the wheels are on tight. Can you describe the symptom a little better? When exactly it happens? What it feels like? Noises? What speed and conditions?

On the highway the steering shifts. Its not on one side either. Just a bit and the car directions get tweaked.
On the local roads i feel it is happening but not noticeable. But its a bit unnerving to drive it.

I am dropping it off to have my mechanic look at it tomorrow , as i mentioned i do not drive it a lot as in the summer its motorcycles or my wrangler maybe it was there before and i did not notice it till now.
 






I do have a service advisory for my Vin. can it be this

EPAS STEERING EFFORTS
Field Service Action Number:
15N01
I believe that is more in regards to the steering locking up or power steering failure but if it is registered against your VIN then it should be worth having the dealer check into it. See this post; Power Steering Recall - Ford Refuses to service

Peter
 






...after being redone a tree fell on it ... horrible luck with cars for a month . So with 3 cars i am riding my motorcycle more due each having some issue...
Don't park the motorcycle under a tree lol!
 






I would jack it up and look for play in the tie rod ends, ball joints, and control arm bushings. Yes it could be dangerous to drive if worn enough that a ball joint (including the one on the tie rod end) suddenly lets loose.

AFAIK the steering service advisory is about steering loss (hard to steer due to electrical assist failure) not play, so not directly related to your symptom.

I'd put $2k into a 2011 with under 200K mi without batting an eye as long as it's not rusting out significantly around structural areas (since it's unibody), if it looked like that would keep it going for a while, even if the intention is to sell it once repaired.

It's still worth more than $2K book value (if in avg condition otherwise) and it'd take more than $2K to replace with something else that you expect not to have additional expenses soon too.

However as always, it makes the most sense to keep an aging vehicle if you can DIY a significant % of the work. That can turn a $1000 repair into a $250 repair and so on.
 






I have a odd behaviour . On the highway the steering moves an inch to the left or right. its very unnerving .
any idea what it might be ?. Is it dangerous drive?

Lost the driver side power switch... so ordered a new one. Seems something is always happening. Heard a weird noise and it turned out the belt balancer was gone a month ago.

Hopefully not an expensive fix.

2011 / XLT with 180k miles

hi Satz,

Regarding EPAS, you may check on this:
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2014/RCMN-14V286-7022.pdf
My 2011 3.5 Ford Explorer XLT had problem on electronic power steering last month, replacement was covered by the warranty.

aranezn

 






I would jack it up and look for play in the tie rod ends, ball joints, and control arm bushings. Yes it could be dangerous to drive if worn enough that a ball joint (including the one on the tie rod end) suddenly lets loose.

AFAIK the steering service advisory is about steering loss (hard to steer due to electrical assist failure) not play, so not directly related to your symptom.

I'd put $2k into a 2011 with under 200K mi without batting an eye as long as it's not rusting out significantly around structural areas (since it's unibody), if it looked like that would keep it going for a while, even if the intention is to sell it once repaired.

It's still worth more than $2K book value (if in avg condition otherwise) and it'd take more than $2K to replace with something else that you expect not to have additional expenses soon too.

However as always, it makes the most sense to keep an aging vehicle if you can DIY a significant % of the work. That can turn a $1000 repair into a $250 repair and so on.
Samn thought here. Even though I live in the north east where salt. Keeping it in the garage has helped alot. There is no rust i can see. Even my Toyota tundra has 2 rust spots and it's 2008. The rust bucket is my jeep wrangler . A 2012 with visible rust underneath every where. Crazy j plan to do a underbody treatment as it's a toy and will be around for a while.

The issue turned out to be a control arm. The bushing were gone on the passenger side.
Now I am back on the road again. I till take it for a longer spin today as it got to 70 in October... freaky so put a few hundred on the motorcycle
 






Back
Top