What 1,191 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Ford Explorer Police Intercept

WHILE PULLING INTO A BUSY INTERSECTION (ATTEMPTING TO TURN LEFT AT A T INTERSECTION) THE POWER STEERING FAILED. I RECEIVED ERRORS ON THE CLUSTER STATING THAT POWER STEERING AND STABILITRAK HAD FAILED. I WAS UNABLE TO STEER THE CAR INTO TRAFFIC; LUCKILY THERE WAS A DRIVEWAY A FEW DEGREES OFF CENTER FROM THE T AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL IN THERE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10475661

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.

NHTSA ODI 10475302

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH THE POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON AND THE POWER STEERING IMMEDIATELY STOPPED WORKING ON MY 2011 FORD EXPLORER. LUCKILY THERE WAS A TURN LANE TO MY RIGHT I COULD MOVE INTO TO STOP THE CAR AND ATTEMPT TO RESET THE SYSTEM. I WAS LUCKY. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN ON A WINDING MOUNTAIN ROAD. I TOOK MY EXPLORER TO THE CLOSEST DEALER TO BE LOOKED AT. I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD HAVE TO ORDER THE PARTS AND THAT IT WOULD COST $1600.00 TO FIX. THIS VEHICLE IS LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD. THE DESIGN OF THIS STEERING SYSTEM IS POTENTIALLY FATAL NO STEERING SYSTEM SHOULD EVER FAIL WITHOUT WARNING! *TR

NHTSA ODI 10475200

I WAS DRIVING MY PARENTS AND MY TODDLER DAUGHTER BACK FROM VISTING A SIBLING (APPROX. 5 HOUR DRIVE) WHEN WE STOPPED BRIEFLY TO TAKE A BREAK ABOUT 2 1/2 HOURS AWAY FROM HOME. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR UP AGAIN, I RECEIVED WARNINGS RELATED TO A POWER STEERING FAILURE AND ADVANCE TRAC FAILURE. THE CAR HAD NO POWER STEERING AND THERE APPEARED TO BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE BLINKERS AS WELL. ON TUESDAY, FOLLOWING LABOR DAY) I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAD PURCHASED IT FOR REPAIR. MORE THAN A WEEK LATER, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE PART WAS ON BACKORDER WITH FORD UNTIL OCTOBER 1ST AND THAT THERE WAS A WAITING LIST TO GET THE PART AND THERE WERE ALMOST 1000 PEOPLE ON THE WAIT LIST AHEAD OF ME. I'M GREATFUL THAT I HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, HOWEVER, EVEN UNDER THE WARRANTY THEY ONLY HAVE TO PROVIDE A RENTAL CAR FOR 10 DAYS. I'M HOPEFUL THAT THE DEALERSHIP WILL DO THE RIGHT THING AND KEEP ME IN A CAR UNTIL SOMETIME IN HOPEFULLY OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER WHEN THEY CAN REPAIR THE VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WHICH SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE. THIS APPEARS TO BE HAPPENING TO A NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND IS BOTH A SAFETY HAZARD AS WELL AS POSSIBLY A DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10475217

DURING A LATE AFTERNOON DRIVE ON THE LOCAL FREEWAY AND UNDER DRY WEATHER CONDITIONS, I WAS DRIVING MY 2010 FORD EXPLORER AT APPROX. 70 MPH WHEN SUDDENLY THE LUXURY OF POWER STEERING VANISHED. IMMEDIATELY, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER, ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING ON SURFACE STREETS AT SLOWER SPEEDS AND ATTEMPTS TO PARK. WITHIN MOMENTS OF THE POWER STEERING GOING AWAY, A POP-UP WINDOW APPEARED ON MY DASH BOARD INSTRUCTING ME OF A POWER STEERING PROBLEM AND INVITING ME TO BRING IT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE LOCAL FORD DEALER. I REACHED MY DESTINATION AND TURNED OFF THE CAR. AFTER SEVERAL HOURS, I TURNED ON THE CAR AND THE POWER STEERING WAS RESTORED. AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS, I WAS AGAIN DRIVING THE LOCAL FREEWAY AT 70 MPH UNDER DRY WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE SAME EXPERIENCE OCCURRED. I AGAIN REACHED MY DESTINATION, TURNED OFF THE CAR AND ATTENDED TO MY DUTIES. AGAIN, AFTER SEVERAL HOURS, I TURNED ON THE CAR AND FOUND NO POP-UP WINDOWS ON THE DASH BOARD OR POWER STEERING DIFFICULTIES. I HAVE TAKEN IT IN TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT IT NEEDED A NEW STEERING GEAR, WHICH IS PRESENTLY ON ORDER AND SHOULD BE IN WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10475233

POWER STEERING FAILED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10475071

WHILE THE CAR WAS MOVING THE DASH ANNUNCIATOR CAME ON AND, IN SUCCESSION, INDICATED "TERRAIN MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FAULT", "SERVICE ADVANCETRAC" AND THEN "POWER STEERING ASSIST OFF". THIS LAST ONE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AS THIS CAR IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER/TURN WITHOUT POWER ASSIST. THE POWER STEERING ASSIST STOPPED COMPLETELY WITHOUT WARNING. IF I WERE AT HIGH SPEED, AT A CURVE, OR HAD TO AVOID ANOTHER CAR OR PERSON, I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN BIG TROUBLE. SOME TIME LATER THE CAR CORRECTED ITSELF. THEN IT HAPPENED A SECOND TIME 9/10/2012. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10475098

STARTED TO BACK OUT OF THE GARAGE AND THE STEERING WOULDN'T MOVE. CHIME WENT ON AND "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" APPEARED IN THE DISPLAY NEXT TO THE SPEEDOMETER. SHUT THE CAR OFF WAITED THEN RESTARTED THE CAR AND THINGS FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. WILL CALL FORD DEALER AS THIS COULD BE DANGEROUS, STEERING WAS VERY, VERY HARD TO MOVE AND I'M A HEALTHY MALE IN THE MID 40'S. I DON'T KNOW WHAT MY WIFE WOULD DO IF THIS HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10474222

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STOPPED, THE TRACTION CONTROL AND POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TURNED ON VEHICLE AND THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED. THE CONTACT HAD TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTART IN ORDER TO RESOLVE FAILURE MOMENTARILY HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION BUT THE TECHNICIANS WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 27,000. UPDATED 10/17/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE LAST TIME THE FAILURE HAPPENED, THE DEALER REPLACED THE POWER STEERING UNIT AND REPROGRAMMED THE CONTROL MODULE. UPDATED 10/18/12

NHTSA ODI 10473869

THIS VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE (20+) POWER STEERING FAILURES. IT TYPICALLY OCCURS WHILE I AM DRIVING ON THE TACONIC STATE PARKWAY, A 55 MPH ROAD IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY. THE POWER STEERING FAILURE OCCURS QUICKLY WITH LITTLE TIME FOR THE DRIVER TO REACT. YOU SIMPLY GET A SMALL CHIME WITH AN INDICATOR ON THE DASH STATING "POWER ASSIST FAILURE' FOLLOWED BY A MESSAGE STATING 'POWER STEERING FAILURE'. BY THE TIME YOU READ THE MESSAGE, YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPENED AS YOU HAVE NO POWER STEERING THE MOMENT THE CHIME IS HEARD. THE LATEST INCIDENT OCCURRED AS I WAS TURNING OFF THE EXIT RAMP FOR THE TACONIC STATE PARKWAY ONTO A LOCAL ROAD TO GO HOME. HALF WAY THROUGH THE TURN, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND I ALMOST DROVE MY CAR INTO ANOTHER CAR AT THE INTERSECTION. WITH MY STRENGTH, I WAS ABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL TO COMPLETE THE TURN. OTHERWISE, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A HEAD ON COLLISION INTOP A CAR STOPPED IN THE INTERSECTION. HAD THIS BEEN MY PREGNANT WIFE, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A SCARY RESULT. THIS CAR WAS BROUGHT TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER (PLEASANTVILLE FORD) SEVERAL MONTHS AGO TO HAVE THIS ISSUE ADDRESSED. THEY CLAIMED AT THE TIME THAT IT WAS DUE TO A CROSSED WIRE THAT WAS FIXED. THE PROBLEM HAS CONTINUED TO OCCUR, AND THEY PRESENTLY HAVE A NEW RACK AND PINION STEERING SYSTEM ON ORDER FROM FORD TO TRY AND ADDRESS THE ISSUE. BASED ON THE LATEST OCCURRENCE, AS WELL AS A SLEW OF OTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE, I AM DROPPING IT AT THE DEALER TODAY AS I NO LONGER DEEM IT SAFE TO BE DRIVEN. I AM EXTREMELY UPSET WITH FORD AND THEIR PRODUCT OVER THIS ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10473887

I WAS DRIVING ON A MAJOR HWY WHEN I LOST THE ABILITY TO PROPERLY STEER THE VEHICLE AT 55 MPH, LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH A LOT OF EFFORT. AT THE TIME MY 4 YEAR OLD AND 4 MONTH OLD WERE IN THE VEHICLE AND LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED. I CALLED MY HUSBAND IN A PANIC AND HE CAME TO PICK ME UP. WHEN HE GOT THERE THE POWER STEERING FAULT LIGHT WAS ON AND THE TERRAIN MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WOULD NOT ENGAGE. AFTER TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF AND ON THE STEERING CAME BACK BUT THE WARNING LIGHT WAS STILL ON. HE DROVE THE VEHICLE STRAIGHT TO THE DEALER AND THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF FIGURING OUT WHAT IS WRONG. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10473909

THE CAR'S POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING AROUND 10 MPH PULLING OUT OF A GAS STATION. THE SCREEN SAID IT WAS A POWER STEERING FAILURE. TURNED CAR OFF AND TURNED BACK ON AND IT WENT AWAY, HOWEVER IT HAPPENED ONCE MORE LATER AROUND 5 MPH. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10474011

AS COASTING TO A STOP LIGHT FROM APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH DOWN TO 5 AND MAYBE EVEN COMPLETELY STOPPED, THE SERVICE ADVANCE TRAC WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN NOTICED POWER STEERING WAS NEARLY LOST. I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO A SIDE STREET, STOP AND RESTART THE CAR, AND THEN IT DROVE FINE. TAKING IT INTO A DEALER FOR EVALUATION TODAY AND HAVE NOTIFIED A FORD PERSON VIA ONLINE MESSAGE BOARD. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10473706

POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING. CANNOT DRIVE CAR. ERROR MESSAGE "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT". *TR

NHTSA ODI 10473731

DRIVING SLOW SPEED WITH 1YEAR OLD AND 3 YEAR OLD BABIES POWER STEERING FAILED. WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. GLADLY I WAS CLOSE TO HOME AND VEHICLE WAS PICKED UP BY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WILL SEE WHAT FORD SAYS TOMORROW. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10473850

I WAS MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN, WHEN THE WARNING MESSAGE CAME ON LETTING ME KNOW THE "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED" AND THEN LOST ALL POWER FOR STEERING. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER, STOP & RESTART THE VEHICLE AND THE POWER STEERING CAME BACK. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE ELECTRICAL POWER STEERING UNIT WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE 'RACK & PINION' ATTACHMENTS. I TOW A BOAT FROM TIME TO TIME AND THIS COULD HAVE DEVELOPED INTO A DANGEROUS SITUATION, AS THE VEHICLE WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER. FORTUNATELY, I WAS CLOSE TO A PARKING LOT AT THE TIME AND I WAS ABLE TO PERFORM THE RESTART. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10473242

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.

NHTSA ODI 10473047

WHILE TURNING RIGHT AT ABOUT 6 - 10 MPH THE STEERING FAILED AND VEHICLE WAS EXTREMELY HARD TO CONTROL. LUCKILY NO DAMAGE OR INJURY, WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY UNSAFE IF HAPPENED AT HIGHER SPEED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10472955

"TERRAIN MANAGEMENT ASSIST FAULT" AND "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" WARNING LIGHTS POP UP AND STEERING LOCKS UP WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. HARD TO REGAIN CONTROL OF STEERING AND HAVE TO MUSCLE CAR OVER TO CURB AND TURN OFF ENGINE AND RESTART CAR TO GET DRIVABLE THIS HAS HAPPENED ON TWO OCCASIONS. VEHICLE AGAIN AT FORD DEALER. FIRST OCCASION LAST WEEK AND DEALER COULD NOT REPLICATE ISSUE, REPROGRAMMED COMPUTER AND RELEASED US. PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN THIS MORNING AND CAR TAKEN TO DEALER. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10472743

THE MANAGEMENT TERRAIN AND POWER ASSIST WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. THEN I HAD NO POWER STEERING. IT BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER AND CONTROL CAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LOW SPEED 3 TIMES AND AT A DEAD STOP 3 TIMES. I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RESET BY TURNING THE CAR OFF AND RE-STARTING. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10472602

DRIVING ALONG AND THE POWER STEERING HAS FAILED THREE TIMES. TURN CAR OFF AND RESTART AND IT WORKS AGAIN. TAKING TO FORD DEALER ON AUGUST 27 FOR REVIEW. SAME AS INHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE12017. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10472618

AFTER STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN, I BEGAN TO ACCELERATE THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. APPROXIMATELY HALF WAY THROUGH THE INTERSECTION, THE POWER STEERING WAS LOST AND A CHIME SOUNDED WITH A MESSAGE STATING"POWER ASSIST FAILURE" AND THEN ANOTHER MESSAGE OF "SERVICE ADVANCETRAC" WERE SHOWN IN THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY. I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AND PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND WHEN I RESTARTED IT, THE POWER STEERING WAS WORKING AGAIN. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAS HAPPENED IN THIS VEHICLE. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN JUNE OF 2012, BUT I WASN'T AWARE OF THIS WEBSITE TO REPORT THE PROBLEM. I ALSO DID NOT MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR IT TO BE LOOKED AT AS IT SEEMED LIKE A RARE EVENT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10472624

I WAS TRAVELING APPROX 60MPH WHEN AN ALERT FROM THE DASH SOUNDED, THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED AND 2 MESSAGES APPEARED ON THE ONBOARD MESSAGING SYSTEM: 1) "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" AND 2) "SERVICE ADVANCE TRAC". AT THAT TIME I LOST ALL POWER STEERING ABILITY. I AM VERY FORTUNATE THAT I WAS DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT STRETCH OF ROAD AT THE TIME AS I AM UNSURE IF I COULD HAVE KEPT THE VEHICLE FROM GOING OFF OF THE ROAD. I PULLED OVER AT A GAS STATION AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. I RESTARTED THE CAR APPROX 5 MIN LATER AND IT HAD NO WARNINGS AND THE POWER STEERING HAD BEEN RESTORED. THE NEXT DAY, THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED, EXCEPT I WAS GOING APPROX 10MPH TURNING LEFT INTO THE FORD DEALERSHIP TO LET THEM LOOK AT THIS PROBLEM. THEY INFORMED ME TODAY THAT THEY NEEDED TO ORDER A NEW "RACK" AND THAT THE PART WAS "BACKORDERED" AND HAD A DELIVERY DATE OF NOVEMBER (TODAY'S DATE IS 8/27/12). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10472703

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A STEEP AND CURVY ROAD AND THE STEERING LOCKED AND THE POWER STEERING FAILURE LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH THE ALL TERRAIN ASSISTANCE FAILURE LIGHT. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS BEHIND ME AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER ... I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND THE FAILURE LIGHT REMAINED FOR BOTH THE POWER STEERING AND ALL TERRAIN. I TURNED THE CAR OFF WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION AND THE FAULT CAME BACK ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER WHEN I WAS DRIVING HOME. I HAVE AN 8 MONTH OLD CHILD AND I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR. WE HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE ... ABOUT A YEAR AGO THE SYNC SYSTEM TOTALLY CRAPPED OUT AND THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING AT THE DEALER FOR ABOUT A MONTH. WE PAY ABOUT $700 A MONTH FOR THIS ON A LEASE AND CAN'T WAIT TO TURN IT BACK IN. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10472448

A WARNING MESSAGE SAYING "SERVICE AUTOTRAC" CAME ON, FOLLOWING QUICKLY BY A POWER STEERING WARNING MESSAGE. AT THAT POINT, I COULD NO LONGER STEER THE VEHICLE ENOUGH TO CONTINUE DRIVING. *TR

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