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

SINCE I GOT MY EXPLORER IN DEC 2014 OFF AND ON I'VE HAD AN ISSUE WITH A FOUL SMELL IN THE CAR. SINCE IT WOULD COME AND GO I JUST WOULD USE MORE AIR FRESHENERS WHEN IT HAPPENED. BUT RECENTLY IT HAS GOTTEN MUCH WORSE! THE SMELL NOW IS UNBEARABLE ,I'VE BEEN RECENTLY DEALING WITH REAL BAD HEADACHES AS WELL. THE CAR ONLY HAS 64K MILES AND NOW AFTER SO RESEARCH I SEE IT'S A PROBLEM WITH OTHERS ALSO! I NEVER USED TO LIKE FORD BEFORE BUT THE LOOK OF THIS ONE CAUGHT MY EYE. I SHOULD'VE STAYED AWAY, THIS PURCHASE WAS A HUGE MISTAKE! UNTIL I CAN GET RID OF THIS CAR MY KIDS WILL NOT RIDE WITH ME IN IT AGAIN. THIS HAPPENS BOTH WHEN I'M DRIVING AND WHEN I PARK AFTER DRIVING. IT SMELLS AND SMOKE COMES FROM UNDER THE CAR WHEN I STOP AT RED LIGHTS

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FREQUENT STRONG EXHAUST SMELL IN THE CAB, WORSE AFTER DRIVING FOR AN EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME AT HIGHWAYS SPEEDS THEN SLOWING DOWN OR STOPPING AND SITTING WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING

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WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY OR WHEN ACCELERATING THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE SMELLS OF ROTTING EGGS. FROM TIME TO TIME IT IS SMELT WHEN SITTING AT AND IDLING. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH OUR 2011 FORD EXPLORER.

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STRONG ENGINE EXHAUST SMELL IN VEHICLE CABIN WHILE DRIVING, DURING ENGINE OPERATION ABOVE 3000-3500 RPM WITH WINDOWS CLOSED AND CLIMATE CONTROL ON. OUTSIDE AIR ON OR OFF SEEMS TO MAKE NO DIFFERENCE.

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WHILE DRIVING AND ESPECIALLY AFTER, THERE IS A BURNING HAIR SMELL THAT IS IN THE CAR AND WHEN YOU STEP OUTSIDE THE CAR IT IS VERY STRONG IN THE ENGINE. UPON LEARNING OF THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT TOO LATE, IT HELPED MAKE SENSE WHY I WAS SMELLING THE "BURNT HAIR" SMELL WHEN I RAN THE HEATER AND/OR AC. THIS WAS ANYTIME I DROVE THE CAR WHETHER HIGHWAY DRIVING OR AROUND TOWN.

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WHEN ACCELERATING UP INCLINES OR HILLS OR WHEN ENTERING THE HIGHWAY FROM THE ACCELERATION LANE OR ACCELERATING TO PASS A STRONG ODOR OF EXHAUST GAS CAN BE DETECTED IN THE PASSENGER CABIN. THE SMELL IS SO STRONG THE WINDOWS HAVE TO BE LET DOWN TO EVACUATE THE CABIN OF THE EXHAUST GAS.

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WE HAVE EXPERIENCED CLEARLY DISCERNIBLE EXHAUST GAS LEAKS INTO THE CABIN OF THE 2011 EXPLORER, WHICH ARE MOST NOTICEABLE WHEN ACCELERATING. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP RECENTLY, AND THEY IMPLEMENTED A TSB FROM FORD THAT INVOLVED ADDING SMALL VENTS IN THE REAR DOOR AREA. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT TELL US IF THIS WOULD ACTUALLY RESOLVE THE ISSUE. AND WE HAVE NOT DRIVEN THE VEHICLE SINCE THAT TIME, SO DON'T YET KNOW IF THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN RESOLVED BY THE TSB IMPLEMENTATION.

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MY 2011 FORD EXPLORER HAD A FAULTY TRANSFER CASE, WHICH SET ME BACK $2000.00. THE ISSUE I WAS EXPERIENCING WAS A GRINDING NOISE IN MY FRONT END WHILE DRIVING. I WOULD EXPERIENCE HESITATION WHEN INCREASING SPEEDS, AS IF THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING. WHILE GOING IN REVERSE, THE CAR WOULD STALL AND THE GEAR WOULD LOCK. I WOULD HAVE TO PUT THE CAR BACK IN PARK AND TRY TO REVERSE AGAIN, IN ORDER TO MOVE. MAZDA HAS THE SAME ISSUE WITH THEIR TRANSFER CASE, WHICH IS THE SAME TRANSFER CASE ON THE 2011 FORD EXPLORER!!!!!!! THIS CAR HAS MAJOR ISSUE ACROSS THE BOARD. I JUST RECENTLY REPLACED THE POWER STEERING RACK, WHICH WAS EVENTUALLY RECALLED BY FORD AFTER NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS. THE 2011 FORD EXPLORER TRANSFER CASE SHOULD BE RECALLED BY FORD. THE TRANSFER CASE CAN DISMANTLE AND CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT WHILE YOUR ARE DRIVING!!

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MY STEERING GEAR WENT BAD ON 1-18-2017 I REPLACED IT AT MY COST $1,666.73 IT LASTED ABOUT 10 DAYS AND WENT OUT AGAIN.

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DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY IN MY CAR LOST CONTROL. THIS WAS REALLY SCARY. I SAW SEVERED CRAVING FOR WELD. THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS -25. I REPORTED IT TO THE DEALER. HE REFUSED TO HELP ME. NOW I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR. I FEAR FOR THE LIVES OF THEIR LOVED ONES. DATE OF INCIDENT: 27 JANUARY 2017 VIDEO SCENE: HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=59M8A1KXYPO I'M FROM RUSSIA. HOPE ONLY ON YOU. MY ADDRESS [XXX] TELEPHONE [XXX] I DO NOT WISH THAT EVEN SOMEONE HURT. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE POWER ASSIST WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 146,000.

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AT START, VEHICLE SHOWS POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE AND BECAUSE VEHICLE IS PARKED, ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN STEERING WHEEL - STARTED 2 MONTHS AGO AS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM, THEN PERMANENT FAILURE NOW. ISSUE HAS NOT OCCURRED, YET, WHILE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. VEHICLE SUBJECT TO RECALL 14V286000 - EVALUATED IN OCT 2014 WHEN NO FAULTS OR DTCS WERE SHOWING UP - DEALER SAID SOFTWARE UPDATED PER RECALL ACTIONS - DTC IS NOW U3000 WHICH IS THE REPLACE GEAR CODE. PRIOR EVALUATION WASNO REPLACEMENT NEEDED THEN BECAUSE NO FAULTS WERE SHOWING WHICH APPEARS TO BE A USELESS RECALL ACTION THAT DID NOTHING TO PREVENT SAFETY ISSUE. EVEN THOUGH THE SAFETY RECALL ITEM (DTC U3000) IS NOW OCCURRING 2 YEARS AFTER INITIAL EVALUATION, DEALER & FORD WILL DO NOTHING. WHY IS YOUR RECALL # 14V286000 SO USELESS? *TR

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I STARTED THE CAR AND A NOTICE CAME UP: "SERVICE POWER STEERING NOW" WITHOUT WARNING. I PULLED OFF AND THE CAR DRAGGED TO THE RIGHT AND INTO THE CURB. I WASN'T INJURED. I HAD TO DRIVE IT HOME AS IS. I WAS PARALLEL PARKED BY A BUILDING. THE POWER STEERING OF THE FORD EXPLORER IS A FAULTY SYSTEM AND THEY'RE QUOTING ME OVER $2,000 TO FIX IT.

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MY WIFE HAS A 2011 FORD EXPLORER. IT WAS AROUND CHRISTMAS WHEN WE NOTICED THAT GIFTS IN THE BACK STORAGE AREA WERE SOAKING WET. I REMOVED THE SPARE TIRE AND IN THE SPARE TIRE HOLDER WAS APPROXIMATELY 2 INCHES OF WATER. I SEARCHED WATER LEAKS ON THE INTERNET AND WAS OVERWHELMED HOW MANY PEOPLE HAD THE SAME TYPE OF PROBLEM WITH THERE 2011 EXPLORER. I TOOK IT TO A DEALER AND FILED A CLAIM WITH OUR INSURANCE. NEITHER WOULD COVER THE DAMAGE. THEY BOTH SAID ITS FAULTY SEAM SEALER AND WAS OUR RESPONSIBILITY. THIS IS SO RIDICULOUS. ITS A 5 YEAR OLD VEHICLE.

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MY WIFE WAS BRINGING MY KIDS HOME FROM SCHOOL AND HAD A COMPLETE STEERING FAILURE BUT WAS NOT INJURED AND DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT

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THE BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM COMES ON WHILE DRIVE AT NORMAL SPEED AND THE STEERING BECOMES VERY HARD AND THEN EVERYTHING SHUTS DOWN AND IF YOU ARE LUCKY YOU MIGHT MAKE IT OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS IS VERY SCARY AS I LIVE IN A RURAL AROUND WHERE YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET OVER IN AN APPROPRIATE AREA. IN THE PAST I COULD LET IT SET FOR A MINUTE AND RESTART IT AND WOULD BE FINE. RECENTLY HAD TO HAVE IT JUMP STARTED FOR IT TO RUN AGAIN AND THEN SEEMS FINE. JUST LAST NIGHT/THIS MORNING IT WAS SO BAD THAT WE HAD TO LET IT SIT FOR SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE WE COULD GET IT TO JUMP START IT AGAIN. I HAVE SAW THAT OTHERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. WHEN I SEARCHED MY VIN NUMBER IT SAYS THERE IS NO RECALLS BUT WHEN I WAS SEARCHING FOR RECALLS IT MENTIONS THE POWER STEERING AS A RECALL. THE RECALL WAS PRIOR TO ME PURCHASING THIS UNIT. I AM FRUSTRATED AND THIS IS A GREAT SAFETY RECALL THAT FORD SHOULD FIX ON ALL VEHICLES. THE DATE ENTERING AS EVENT HAPPENED WAS THE LAST EVENT BUT IT STARTED BACK IN MAY OF 2016. *TR

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD EXPLORER. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE POWER ASSIST WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED, BUT THE TECHNICIAN COULD NOT FIND A FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V286000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

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EXHAUST FUMES IN CAB UNDER HARD ACCELERATION

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I HAD STARTED THE CAR BEFORE OUR TRIP WITH THE REMOST START AND IT WARMED UP FOR 10 MINUTES. WE WERE ABOUT 15 MINUTES INTO OUR TRIP AND DRIVING DOWN THE I-96 EXPRESSWAY IN GRAND RAPIDS, MI NEAR EXIT 43 (28TH STREET), 65 MPH, 9:45PM, 32-33 DEGREES OUTSIDE AND RAINING, REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER ON AS WELL AS AUTO TEMP CONTROL AT 70 DEGREES. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE REAR WINDOW LOUDLY EXPLODES INWARDS AND SHOWERS OUR 10 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WITH GLASS (SHE WAS THE ONLY PASSENGER IN THE THIRD ROW) AS WELL AS INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AT THE NEXT EXIT, THERE WAS NO SIGN OF IMPACT, NO SNOW OR ICE IN THE CAR, NO ROCKS, NO BULLETS. WHERE IT OCCURRED THERE WERE NO OVERPASS OR SIGNS OVER THE ROAD (NOTHING COULD HAVE FALLEN ON OUR CAR). AFTER INSPECTING THE WINDOW, IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE WHOLE WINDOW WAS SHATTERED WITH A LARGE GAPING HOLE IN THE LOWER MIDDLE (12" X 18") WITH MOST OF THAT GLASS IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER HAD CAME THROUGH THE HOLE AND WAS INSIDE THE CAR (BUT STILL ATTACHED TO ITS OUTSIDE POSITION). THE EDGES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE REAR WINDOW HAD BROKEN OFF. *TR

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DIAGNOSE AND ADVISED THAT DRIVER PRETENSIONER IS FAULTY. I HAVE TO PAY $400 PLUS TO HAVE THIS REPLACEMENT. MY AIR BAG LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON WITH FAULTY PRETENSIONER IT MAY NOT GO OFF IN AN ACCIDENT.

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THERE ARE ALLOT OF ISSUES GOING ON WITH THE TRUCK WE HAVE JUST HIT AROUND 70K MILES, THIS STARTED A FEW MONTHS AGO THE PASSENGER BACK DOOR IS NOT LATCHING CORRECTLY UPON BEING CLOSED. THE WHOLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAS BEEN FAULTY FOR SOME TIME NOW A/C DOESN'T WORK CORRECTLY/ REMOTES AND LIGHTS ON CAR ON CONSTANTLY FLICKERING... HAPPENS WHILE VEHICLE ISNT IN MOTION AND WHEN IN MOTION

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IT WAS A POWER STEERING WHEEL RECALL BUT THE FORD COMPANY COULD NOT FIX IT BECAUSE OF OVER MILEAGE BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IT'S A RECALL AND I HAVEN'T HAD MY FORD EXPLORER FOR ABOUT 5 WEEK AND I REALLY NEED IT BACK THANK YOU *TR

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT A STRONG FUEL ODOR WAS PRESENT IN THE VEHICLE AFTER THE CRASH OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT COULD NOT PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT COMPONENT FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 37,000. UPDATED 01/26/2017*CT UPDATED 7/11/18*JB

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MY VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET WHEN MY POWER STEERING QUIT. THE STEERING JUST QUIT. I COULD NOT STEER MY VEHICLE. IT COULD HAVE EASILY RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. I AM SO GRATEFUL IT DID NOT AND SOMEONE WAS CLOSE BY TO HELP ME GET MY VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD.

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WHILE DRIVING THE 2011 FORD EXPLORER THE AUTOMATIC STEERING WENT OUT MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE AND STEER. I FOUND THAT THE SAME SITUATION HAS HAPPENED ON MULTIPLE 2011 FORD EXPLORERS. IT SHOWS ON LINE THERE IS A RECALL BUT THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THERE IS NOT. WE ARE AT 152K MILES AND WE WOULD HAVE NEEDED TO BE AT 150K OR LESS FOR THE REPAIR TO BE COVERED. EVEN THOUGH ONLINE SHOWS A RECALL FOR THIS MAKE AND MODEL IM TOLD WE ARE NOT COVERED. IT HAD TO OF "HAPPENED" WHILE DRIVING AND THEN WE NOTIFY THE DEALER. WITH SOMETHING AS SERIOUS AS STEERING GEARS GOING OUT NOT BEING COVERED BY A RECALL MAKES ME SICK. IT WAS MY MINOR CHILD DRIVING WHEN THIS HAPPENED. NOW I MUST PAY 2K TO HAVE THIS REPAIR DONE WHEN IT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS MULTIPLE REPORTS OF IT HAPPENING INCLUDING AT LEAST 15 RELATED ACCIDENTS THE DEALERSHIP HAS CONFIRMED THAT MY VEHICLE FALLS UNDER THE PARAMETERS BUT BECAUSE OF 2K OVER THE MILEAGE REQUIREMENT IT IS NOT COVERED.

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