The power steering failed completely, it was very dangerous to drive. It took GREAT EFFORT to turn the wheel at slower speeds. I very cautiously drove it to the dealer. I asked if there was a recall on this and they said no.
I own a 2012 Ford Explorer. In January the power steering fault alert came on and I could barely move my steering wheel. I dropped it at a mechanic (because Ford said it would take 3 weeks to look at my vehicle) and they said it was the battery. My vehicle started working again - 2 weeks later my steering failed again. This time they said I needed a new steering rack replacement. We paid for it to be replaced. YESTERDAY I was sitting at a light and the steering went out again! I had everything replaced - what could possibly be the issue now??
The power steering failed completely that it was very dangerous to drive. It took GREAT EFFORT to turn the wheel at slower speeds. I very cautiously drove it to the dealer. I asked if there was a recall on this and they said no, but if there was one, it probably wouldn't be covered because of the miles on the car (161,212 mi.).
I'm contacting you asking that since there was a recall in 2014, would the recall still apply since this is a SAFETY ISSUE?
Coming up to a stop sign and all the sudden I got a red notification box that said "Terrain System Management Fault" and then another red notification box that said "Service Power Steering Now". Man handled it to the dealer. They looked at it and said it was covered under the recall.
"Power Steering Assist Fault" message has appeared several times during start up and steering is heavy with symptom of no power. This message appear randomly for several months but appears to correct itself after a restart of the vehicle. On April 21, 2017, the message appears on the dash after starting car. This time, several restarts would not correct the problem. Had the car towed to Serramonte Ford service in Colma, CA where after several days of diagnostics, the service representative states his mechanic still could not give me an answer as to the cause and fix for this issue.
I truely love this style suv but I have never in my life owned a car whose power steering goes out and I am sol. I recently bought this auto from Carmax and as soon as this event happened where I was parked, started my car to back up and realized I had no power steering and could not steer the car, I couldn't believe it. There was nothing I could do and I could not take the car out of the parking lot.
I immediately called Carmax who told me they couldn't get to the vehicle until perhaps Thursday... and that I should call the dealer. I called the Ford dealer. I really wanted someone to tell me what was going on with my vehicle and explain this steering default warning that I had gotten on my dash board. I pressed ok when I saw this but it didn't fix the problem. I knew I wasn't inventing the wheel but no one was telling me that this had been occurring with these vehicles. Perhaps they all just love getting warranty work if you are alive to get it done after the fact. The dealer didn't tell me anything about these problems when I asked the repair desk. All they wanted me to do was get a tow and they would check the vehicle. When asked about reported steering problems, he had no info.
I decided to Google it 25 Dec 2016 and up comes all this stuff about the power steering and exactly what happened to me. I had turned the vehicle off for a while as I was talking to the dealer. When I hung up and decided to turn the car back on before calling the tow, and the steering worked again. Today I started my vehicle and put it in reverse in the driveway. Initially as I was backing out the power steering was hard and then clicked on.
Now that this has happened, I simply don't trust this vehicle and its electronic power steering system. Heaven help me if I'm making a turn in traffic and the power steering goes out. This vehicle was impossible to guide from a parked position. With all this info on the internet, I'm surprised the dealership acted as though they have never heard of this problem. Nor could they suggest possible temporary fixes like turn off and start again. All they wanted in motion was get a tow and bring us the business. They may get the business but I woudn't have bought this vehicle if I had known this happens. Thanks for the internet. Unfortunately this didn't happen within the 30 days of warranty. Car was bought 8/11/2016.
Took my 2012 Explorer in to dealer on October 27, 2014 for a recall I received from Ford stating there was an issue with the power steering that needed to be fixed. On December 27, 2014 I was driving when suddenly I received two alerts (power steering & Traction control failures). I managed to pull the car into a parking lot and believe me it was extremely difficult to maneuver the vehicle. This could have caused a serious injury had it happened at a higher rate of speed or while trying to turn.
Called the dealership that had "fixed" the power steering and they told me I would have to have the vehicle towed to them and since it had already been in for the recall it would mostly likely have to be repaired at my expense. This seems unacceptable to me that Ford wont stand behind their product. The power steering going out is not my fault and judging by all the complaints about this exact problem there appears to be a flaw in the steering components.
I took to Twitter to call out Ford and received a message back stating this is not the experience they wanted me to have and was assigned a customer service rep to assist. I still haven't heard anything from them yet. I guess someone will have to be injured for Ford to do something to resolve this issue. I don't feel safe driving this vehicle anymore especially with two small children and will be trading it for something else after it is driveable again. I may even just tow it to another dealer if they want me to pay for it.
Update from Jan 16, 2015: Wanted to share some information regarding the recall for the power steering relating to model years 2011-2013 for the Ford Explorer. After taking my Explorer in for the power steering recall it failed 60 days later. I had never had any problems before I took it in. After another attempt to fix the power steering it failed 15 miles later. The dealership initially wanted me to pay $2,200 to have the vehicle repaired. Obviously I didnt think I should have to pay so I got Ford's Corporate customer service involved. They initially offered to cover a portion of the cost. After I asked to speak to someone else they stated they would pay all but $350 of the repair. I asked if I could email them a copy of the recall that clearly stated Ford would update the Power Steering Control Module free of charge and that if there was a history of a loss of motor position sensor signal when the vehicle was brought in they would replace the steering rack/gear free of charge. Once they had this in their hands they finally offered to cover the full cost of the repair. If yoy are experiencing this problem do not pay for they repair. It took me two weeks of haggling but I finally got them to do what they said they would do from the start which is fix the vehicle for free. After replacing the steering gear I drove about 30 iles and traded it in. Not going to deal with that problem again.
The steering issue I'm having is dangerous and happens often. After breaking through a sweeping left turn at about 50 miles per hour the steering will lock or tighten. Once that happens the steering will tighten making it difficult to stay in lane. I have shut the car off and tried to reset but it does not always work. My wife drives this car to work daily and does not feel safe. 40 miles per day. I have been to the dealer several times for this issue and now I'm over 48000 miles and out of warranty. I currently have a case open with Ford Corporate.
I was driving at 90 km/h and the power steering stopped functioning. Two warning lights came on - one being the traction control. If I had have been turning at the time it would have been a serious accident. I muscled the car to a stop and restarted it and it appeared to be reset. I took it to Ford and they said the whole steering assembly needs to be replaced. Checking the internet this seems to be a common problem. Why is this happening?
Why has there not been a recall. Someone will be seriously hurt or killed if this isn't corrected.
I have also had problems with the brakes locking up. This truck must have been built on a Friday afternoon at 4:00 P.M. My biggest problem is that when you take it to the dealership they give you a card with head office. You have to argue with the dealership and the head office to get anything done. I have just left it with head office and they will get back to me in four days. If it isn't dealt with LOOK OUT!!!
Told by Lindsay Ford of Wheaton that the parts would be ordered last friday, its now tuesday and we are told there is a competition for the few parts that are available. I guess what is broken is rare. Interesting thing is a quick google search reported the NHTSA is already investigating this for the 2011 model year, so I reported it to them also.
Update from Jul 25, 2012: Update: After contacting Ford Consumer Relations, the good news is I was told the part I was waiting for was the steering rack. The bad news was there were over 730 of these parts currently on order with less than 100 available for shipment, which means there are almost 650 other people waiting for this same part with and before us. A little later this afternoon, we got even worse news, the "ETA" just for filling the order (not including shipping or installation) is August 13, 2012, and that's a pretty feeble statement. It also puts the time frame of this repair dangerously close to the 30 day limit for the Lemon Law in the state of Maryland.
If anyone else has or is experiencing this similar problem, please let me know.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
The power steering failed completely, it was very dangerous to drive. It took GREAT EFFORT to turn the wheel at slower speeds. I very cautiously drove it to the dealer. I asked if there was a recall on this and they said no.
- Roberto M., Plano Tx, US