The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became firm and was difficult to maneuver. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was included in a recall and then transferred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.

- Chicago, IL, USA

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist with the power steering assist warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 155,044.

- Queens Village, NY, USA

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated that the advance track, traction control, and ABS warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the failure as the electrical power steering. The contact stated that the rack and pinion and electrical motor for the steering wheel needed replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that parts were on back order. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure however, no assistance was offered. The approximate failure mileage was 116,000.

- Essex, MD, USA

This is an addition to initial complaint #11464655 regarding partial loss of steering. My initial complaint was for partial loss of steering while operating at 40 mph.. I had the vehicle inspected and it was determined that the rack and pinion failed. My mechanic attempted to order a new rack and pinion from Ford but Ford states that rack and pinion's for 2014 Explorers are on back order since so many have had steering loss issues and that they have no clue when the rack and pinions for the 2014 Explorer will be available. It seems as if there must be an issue with the steering in the 2014 Explorer if Ford itself states that they do not have any rack and pinions on hand for the many 2014 Explorer owners who have experienced steering loss issues with their vehicles and with the non-availability of a replacement rack and pinion for the 2014 Explorer, owners have their vehicles sitting at dealership or repair shops since they are not able to safely operate until such time that Ford is can produce the replacement rack and pinion. Fords answer to this issue (lack of replacement part - rack and pinion) is for the 2014 Explorer owners to rent a vehicle until the part becomes available but that puts a financial burden on the many 2014 Explorer owners for them to pay for the rental out of their own pocket while their vehicle is just sitting at a dealership or repair shop awaiting a replacement part due to the lack of availability of such replacement part. With so many 2014 Explorers out of commission due to steering and the lack of replacement rack and pinion, I believe this is a serious problem nationwide that should be handled as a potential recall. Ford had steering issues with its 2011-2013 Ford Explorers and I believe the steering issues for the 2014 Explorer should be examined and added to the recall for safety issues before a 2014 Explorer is involved in a fatal crash resulting in fatalities.

- New York, NY, USA

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering locked in position. The contact stated that it was also difficult to steer the vehicle. The contact stated that excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle. The contact contacted the dealer ted russell Ford Lincoln - address: 9925 parkside dr, knoxville, tn 37922, phone: (865) 251-3673) who stated that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The failure was related to NHTSA campaign number: 14V286000 (steering) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle had not been repaired as of yet. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000.

- Knoxville, TN, USA

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. While the contact's husband was driving 5 mph and making a left turn, the steering wheel jerked and became difficult to turn. Also, the traction control warning indicator illuminated and "steering failed" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer (stuart powell Ford, Inc., 225 S danville byp, danville, ky 40422, (859) 238-1197) where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and provided case number: Cas 15916495. The failure mileage was 52,940.

- Hustonville, KY, USA