Problems with 2011 Ford Explorer STEERING

Driving on a mountain road, warning messages appeared - power steering assist failure and advance trac control fault. the vehicle lost all power steering assist. with much effort (extremely hard to steer!), i pulled the vehicle to the side of the road and shut it off. when i restarted, the power steering returned and after a few seconds the advance trac warning message went off. took vehicle to ford dealer (benson ford easley sc). they found problem codes and performed a software update that ford told them would correct the problem. one month later, on 6/18/2012, the power steering assist again failed. this time in my driveway. again the steering assist returned after restarting the car. took the vehicle again to benson ford. trouble codes were found and this time the fix was a new steering gear and rack assembly. availability of the part was initially a problem but the dealer was able to locate a part two days later. the car has not had a recurrence to date ( 20125 miles) i consider this a serious safety issue as the effort required to steer the car without the assist is extreme and likely beyond the ability of some drivers. *tr

The steering failed while driving the vehicle on 4 occasions in my brand new xlt. the first three times it happened i returned it to the dealer to check it out and fix the problem. each time (three total) the ford dealer service department returned it to me and told me it was fixed. while driving the vehicle in normal driving conditions the steering would suddenly stop working, warning chimes and lights on the dashboard "service advance trac", "power steering assist fault", "terrain management system fault" and traction control failure and traction control off lights glowing while in motion. almost crashed the vehicle each time it happened. the vehicle would also slow down even though my gas pedal position never changed. when it happened the 4th time, i almost was in a fatal accident with a tractor trailer and realized ford motor corporation is not interested in fixing this problem or addressing this life safety issue all late model explorer owners are faced with. ford claimed they know nothing but same issue all over internet. they claimed the fix was they replaced an angle sensor in the steering column, another time it was the computer needed to be refreshed and another said there was no record in the onboard computer, nothing to fix. as i am not an expert, it seems like the computer is faulty because the sync and navigation never worked properly. was there a crash? was there an injury or fatality? i believe if it has not happened yet, it will. the head of customer service operations manager told me i had two options "call the better business bureau", or "call an attorney". i will be doing both. i will never buy another ford because of their inability and unwillingness to help me in this. ford customer service from the dealer level through the toll free corporate hotline was absolutely horrifying. search online for others unreported here. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford explorer. the contact stated that the power steering warning light illuminated while driving and caused the steering to become hard to turn. the engine had to be shut off for a moment to reset the steering to normal function. the failure was experienced several times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer a diagnostic was performed that located the failure at the steering column. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 6,000 and the current mileage was 7,000.

There were actually 4 incidents; the first one i was backing into a parking spot and the power steering quit working. i turned off the engine, started it again and was able to park. the next day i was waiting in traffic & it died, the steering wheel wouldn't work; we then took the car into the dealer & he supposedly fixed it. we told them that a message flashed "power steering assault". each incident, that message appeared. the third time i was driving and the power steering went out, then the car wouldn't start again & had to have it towed into the dealer. they supposedly 'fixed' it again. then we were on a trip, 600 miles from home on the interstate and the power steering quit working. we pulled over, stopped. it then started again and we finished our trip. then took it back to the dealer where he did order a new part. we got the car back last week on wednesday, june 27, 2012, and today is july 1, 2012. they replaced the steering gear assembly. *tr

I was on my way home from work and carpooling with 2 other coworkers. i had exited off the highway going approximately 55 mph. all of the sudden, i received a message, "power steering assist fault", and my steering locked up. luckily i was on the straight part of the road heading toward a stop sign. once there, i put the car in park, shut it off, and then restarted it. the error was gone and my steering wheel worked again. i took it in to the ford dealership and was told that it was a sensor that needed to be replaced. it took a week for the problem to be fixed. on july 19, 2012, just 3 months after the problem was supposedly fixed, i took off from a red light going about 25 mph and again i received the "power steering assist fault" message and my steering locked up again. i had my children with me in the car and thank goodness there was nobody behind me and i was able to slowly pull into a parking lot. i shut off the car and restarted it and the error was gone and i could drive my car again. it is currently at the ford dealership awaiting to have the problem fixed again. ready to get rid of this vehicle as it poses a major safety hazard! *tr

It happened again, six days after my vehicle's first steering problem. when i started my 2011 explorer on the morning of 4/18/12, the "power steering assist failure" light came on and my power steering was gone. as instructed by my ford dealer, i left the vehicle on and called them. they immediately sent a flatbed tow truck, which towed my vehicle, while still running, to the ford dealership. they checked for problems and made repairs, and i quote, "install new eps gear removed subframe and install new epas gear programmed as built datae and cleared dtcs performed 2 wheel alignment test drive operation good." in layman terms, they replaced the power steering from the steering column to the front wheels and did a 2 wheel alignment. it took only 1 full day since the parts were ordered overnight. i hope that has solved the power steering problem. i am extremely pleased with the concern and service my local ford dealer provided. *js

2011 ford explorer was parked. started car and power steering failure light came on alarms sounding and steering wheel was locked, yet car would back up ...straight. prior to this incident when car was stopped at a light it seemed to have a transmission slip or jump. after waiting for an hour for tow truck the explorer started fine and steering seemed to work. too nervous to drive. car was towed to ford dealer. *tr

While slowing for a stop light, i felt a clunk in the steering column and then my 2011 explorer lost power steering. i slowed and turned (with all my strength) to stop on a side street. the "power assist failure" light was on as well as the little traction control cars on the lower right of the display screen. the lights on the 4-wheel drive center-console did not work either. a message also appeared to service advancetrac immediately. i turned the car off and called for assistance. then started it up to drive to the local ford dealer. of course, then the vehicle reset everything and the power steering was restored. the ford dealer could not detect any error messages during their computer check-up. they said if it happens again, don't turn the car off so they can run a check-up on it while the power steering is not working. so now i am praying every time i drive it. *tr

I was starting to back out of a parking lot and the stabilitrac lights came on. the steering got tight and there was little movement to turn the wheel right or left. i pulled a few feet back in the parking stall, turned the car off, and restarted it again. everything seemed fine for a mile or so and the lights came back on. i could barely turn the wheel. i got a tow to the dealership. they had to order and replace the steering pump. this happened a second time three days ago, on 7/2/12. the dealership had to again replace the steering pump. i have no confidence that this will not happen again. this second time i had my two 7-year-olds in the car and was traveling about 40mph down a major street. the same lights came on and the steering wheel tightened. i could barely turn the wheel. luckily i was close to home, but still had to make 5 turns. i was turning the steering wheel so hard that i felt like i was going to break it. it took all my arm strength to make the turns. i would turn the signal on and it would blink once and go off also. it is scary when it happens and as mentioned, i have no faith that it won't happen again. and this vehicle is just now a year old. *tr

As we were slowing for a stop sign on a curve, the steering wheel literally jerked out of my husband's hands, straightening the wheels. a warning bell went off and the dash displayed "power assist failure." it was impossible to move the wheel. after turning off the engine and restarting, steering returned to normal. the dealer had a previous explorer with the same problem which was corrected by replacing the power steering control module. there are several other identical incidents recorded on this site and other internet forums, all eventually repaired in the same manner. ford, however, will not approve warranty repair because they cannot duplicate the failure at the dealership or retrieve an error code, saying they "can't fix something if they don't know what the problem really is." they want us to drive a car with a serious and frightening safety issue until it fails completely or causes an accident for which they will deny responsibility since "there is nothing for them to repair." ford's regional customer service manager also refused to document the complaint or denial in writing. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford explorer. the contact stated that the power steering failed while reversing from a residential driveway. the power steering and traction warning lights illuminated during the failure. the power steering failed seven different times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer four times and the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 13,000 and the current mileage was 17,000.

2nd time it happens first time while driving at 40 mph or above the steering light came on and the suv was unable to steer , pull over and turn car and re started and gain steering took car to the dealer reset the light and was told it was ok . at 5000 miles it happen again but this time it happens while trying to get off the highway light came on and steering wheel got hard . this time unable to drive it tow home . talk to ford and was told to take it to the dealer and we look in to it but , i think is not normal for a car not to have a safety back up plan when this fail . and very unsafe know it could happen any time with no warning . even if ford claim it will fix it .what will prevent from this happening at a very odd time and it may cause lots of injury. they said it does not have enough complaint for them to look in to this . but i said 1 complaint with multiple occurrence should be enough for the to at least pay attention or look in to a safety plan in case it does fail. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford explorer. the contact stated that the power steering failed while driving approximately 5 mph. the power steering light illuminated while the failure occurred. the steering became hard to turn to the left or right and once the vehicle was shut off and restarted, the steering return to normal function. the failure was experienced several times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer to have a diagnostic performed but the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 14,000 and the current mileage was 14,100.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the steering wheel locked and the steering warning indicator illuminated. the contact suddenly crashed into the proceeding vehicle. there were no personal injuries. the vehicle was driven to an authorized dealer where the radiator, front bumper and grill were replaced. the technician was unable to determine the cause of the steering malfunction. the manufacturer was notified of the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 15,000.

Ford explorer 2011 has lost power steering and stability control at various speeds under various conditions 3 or 4 times over the past several months, including on the highway at 65 miles per hour. steering is restored after shutting the car off and restarting. stability controls may take several minutes to restore themselves or may need to have the car turned on and off several times to restore. *tr

Power steering assist fault has come on 7-10 times to date as of 1-26-2012 . after turning off the ignition and re-starting the engine, the warning went away and i regained power steering. i am getting a warning service traction control. once i restart the car 4-5 times the warning light goes away. i am so afraid of driving this vehicle. so far it's happened going minimal speeds 10-45 mph. what does one do if this happens going 70 on an interstate. *tr

While driving, power steering assist abruptly fails, as does advance trac stability control. the vehicle becomes much harder to control. if the car is in a turn when the steering fails, the steering wheel lurches and tries to re-aim the vehicle straight ahead, disrupting the turn. dashboard warnings confirm the steering and advance trac failures. also, the turn signal sustain fails, so using the turn signal requires constant pressure on the signal arm. on average, this problem has recurred every 2000 miles, at any speed. turning the car off and restarting "fixes" the problem temporarily until the next failure. two trips to the dealer for examinations have resulted in no answers - both times the results of leaving the car for several days have been shrugged shoulders and "we couldn't duplicate the problem, and there is no trouble code. it worked fine for us." as is nothing ever was wrong with the car, and even if there were something wrong, there is no way to repair it! how the nhtsa and ford motor company can allow these vehicles to roam our highways with no recall, or even a technical service bulletin, knowing there is a chance the drivers may lose control and crash, as some already have, is a crime against vehicle safety and against the very mission statement of the nhtsa. i will be copying this complaint to my elected representative in the united states congress, who in the past has proven to be far more interested in my safety than ford or the nhtsa. *jb

Power steering failed while the vehicle was in motion and turning a corner. manual steering is extremely difficult.

Letter from re few defects in my 2011 ford explorer remain after the dealers repeated repair attempts. these issues distract me while driving and it is a concern to my safety as well *tgw the consumer stated the main issue was the steering; the steering wheel was not straight and when driving, the vehicle pulled in the opposite direction. the shift increased when increasing speed. also, the a/c unit changed temperatures by itself. the brake warning light illuminated and the touch and sync did not work. the consumer believed the software needed to be updated as his phone and or mp3 player kept getting disconnected. when using the sync service to request directions it kept misinterpreting the commands, as well as disconnecting when downloading a route. on one occasions, the entire system failed and the screen went blank. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford explorer. while driving approximately 10 mph and making a left turn, the steering wheel and braking system seized and would not function. the contact shut the engine off and restarted the vehicle. after restarting the vehicle the steering and braking systems functioned normally. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician advised that the steering unit would have to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. the contact stated that the vehicle exhibited a clunking noise when turning the steering wheel. in addition, there was an investigation under nhtsa action number: pe12017 (steering:electric power assist system) that could have been related to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 3,000.

2011 ford explorer 4wd is programmed to send 100% power to the front wheels during normal driving. upon sudden acceleration especially going uphill the subsequent torque steer is overwhelming to the driver. can be so severe it can rip the wheel from the hands of the driver. this needs to addressed with programming to better distribute power to all 4 wheels. *tr

Power steering failure while driving. turning vehicle off and on then causes power steering to work again. has happened multiple times. dealer did not find an issue at first visit. scheduled for second dealer visit. we fear significant loss of control while driving. *tr

On several occasions after starting the vehicle, the steering will not function, its stiff as a brick, wheel can not be turned. shutting off the vehicle and restarting corrected the problem. one occasion, while pulling out of a parking lot, the steering became very stiff and the wheel would not turn. it was momentary and corrected itself. *tr

My wife was attempting to turn left in heavy traffic when there seemed to be a disconnect between the steering wheel and front wheels. she could turn the steering wheel but the car would not respond. she was able to stop without hitting anyone. she got the "power assist failure" message. after shutting the car off and restarting, the problem seemed to be resolved. the dealership found a "power steering control module" failure and has replaced the steering gear. the service manager advised us that since we had a new one, we should have no more problems. i reminded him that the previous one was new when we bought the car. *tr

On 08-2014, i received a letter from ford motor co. indicating that i had a recall on my 2011 ford explorer and that . the affected vehicles may experience an intermittent connection in the electric power steering gear, which can cause a loss of the motor position sensor signal resulting in a shut down of the power steering assist. and that the recall would prevent the loss of power steering. i took my vehicle to the to the ford house and the said recall was performed. if i understood correctly my vehicle should not loose power to the power steering. wrong. approximately 3-4 weeks later my vehicle lost power to the power steering. this is the one thing the recall was suppose to prevent. it is clear to me that the work done to my vehicle did not fix the problem. after paying $1,400 to repair my vehicle i contacted ford motor company co. in hopes that they would reimburse me because my problem was never fix to begin with. ford motor co. advised that they had performed the work necessary to prevent my power steering for going out but could not explain how it went out anyway. ford motor co. never fixed my problem to begin with and are refusing to fix it now. i don't know why they would send a real stating that it is going to prevent something but it does not. this is a problem that could potentially injure or possibly get people killed and need to be resolved. *tr