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CarComplaints.com Notes: The NHTSA's complaint data shows potentially scary power steering problems with the 2011 Ford Explorer.

The steering complaints are pretty serious - owners report the power steering cuts out while driving. The NHTSA opened an investigation into the power steering problems in June 2012, which lead to a recall in 2014. However years later, many 2011 Explorer owners report this defect is still occurring.

It's too bad because the 2009 & 2010 Ford Explorer are solid, trouble-free model years.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
15 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
69,142 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2011 Ford Explorer steering problems

steering problem

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2011 Ford Explorer Owner Comments (Page 4 of 32)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #569

Dec 272022

Explorer

  • 129,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the "service power steering now" warning message appeared on the instrument panel. The contact used excessive force to steer the vehicle off the highway and into her husband's place of business. The contact called the dealer and was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

- Stillwater, MN, USA

problem #568

Dec 052022

Explorer

  • miles
My 2011 Ford Explorer steering randomly went out. As I researched I realized that there was a safety recall 14S06 for that particular car. Apparently that recall was announced in 2014( before I purchased the vehicle) The previous owner took the truck to the dealership the have the pscm checked and no codes came back so it was only reprogrammed which is suppose to PREVENT steering loss which is what I am currently dealing with. The dealership is not trying to replace the part free of charge as stated in warranty although they know this is serious safety issue on this vehicle. They are trying to charge me $2800 to have the part replaced. I will continue to find a solution. Nothing about this is morally right

- Midlothian , VA, USA

problem #567

Dec 152022

Explorer

  • 220,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the "Service Power Steering" warning light illuminated along with several unknown warning lights. The contact stated that she was able to drive to her residence with the warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that while driving up her driveway, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that she turned the vehicle off and shifted to park(P), turned the vehicle off and on and the failure persisted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to a manufacturer Customer Satisfaction Program Number: 15N01 (EPAS Steering Efforts). The failure mileage was approximately 220,000.

- Jasper, GA, USA

problem #566

Dec 122022

Explorer

  • 200,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and stated that there was no recall on the VIN for the failure. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 200,000.

- Rome, ME, USA

problem #565

Nov 262022

Explorer

  • 140,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while her daughter was driving approximately 10 MPH out of the driveway and entering the street, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that her daughter could not turn the wheel to the right or the left. The contact stated that her daughter informed her that power steering assist warning light was illuminated, and an audible chime was heard. The driver stopped and turned off the vehicle. After restarting the vehicle, the power steering functionality returned. The failure recurred and the vehicle was towed to a dealer; however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

- Salem, OR, USA

problem #564

Nov 212022

Explorer

  • miles
Driving 25mph or less coming to a stop and warning service advance track soon message appeared, advance track off idiot light then appeared on dashboard, steering suddenly harder to turn. turned car off and on, now no steering.

- Tewksbury, MA, USA

problem #563

Nov 172020

Explorer

  • 50,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated upon pulling out of a parking space, the vehicle lost power steering functionality with the "Steering Assist Fault" message displayed. The contact stated that after he turned off and restarted the vehicle three times, the power steering operated as needed. The contact was able to continue driving. The failure reoccurred two years later. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the VIN was not included in any recalls. The manufacturer then referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

- Dowelltown, TN, USA

problem #562

Oct 172022

Explorer

  • 98,500 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the steering wheel seized as the power steering assist failure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering gear assembly needed to be replaced. The contact was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 98,500.

- Tulsa, OK, USA

problem #561

Jun 152022

Explorer

  • 152,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the steering wheel locked up. The message "EPAS Error" was displayed. The contact stated that he turned off and restarted the vehicle and the steering wheel operated as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under an unknown recall due to the mileage. The failure mileage was approximately 152,000.

- Albuquerque, NM, USA

problem #560

Oct 302022

Explorer

  • miles
The steering went

- Runnemede, NJ, USA

problem #559

Oct 252022

Explorer

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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.

- Olivehurst, CA, USA

problem #558

Aug 192022

Explorer

  • 200,000 miles
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.

- Gaston, SC, USA

problem #557

Mar 212022

Explorer

  • 106,000 miles
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.

- Friday Harbor, WA, USA

problem #556

Oct 182022

Explorer

  • 200,000 miles
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.

- Atlanta, GA, USA

problem #555

Oct 162022

Explorer

  • 210,772 miles
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.

- Benton, AR, USA

problem #554

Sep 262022

Explorer 6-cyl

  • 150,780 miles
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.

- Loganville, GA, USA

problem #553

Oct 162022

Explorer

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

- Cedar Hills, UT, USA

problem #552

Oct 052022

Explorer

  • miles
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's "expired"? My car is in decent condition. Even though the car is over 10 year old, I have not had this vehicle for 10 years. It shouldn't be a expiration on major safety issues. And if 10 years is the date it should be 10 years from ownership. I haven't owned this vehicle for 10 years. This is not okay to charge money for issues the manufacturer know is a safety issue.

- Stafford, VA, USA

problem #551

Jul 112022

Explorer

  • miles
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.

- West St. Paul, MN, USA

problem #550

Sep 132022

Explorer

  • 145,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the message -€œService 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.

- Yukon, OK, USA

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