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

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle intermittently lost power steering functionality. The blind spot sensors also displayed an error message on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the traction control and several other electrical systems failed intermittently. The contact stated that the message “Brake Failure” was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with power steering braking sensor failure. The vehicle had been repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The contact stated that after the software update, the steering seized and was no longer operable. The vehicle was returned to the dealer where it was confirmed that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); however, the failure had called for the warranty coverage associated with the recall under Manufacturer ID Number: 15N01 (Steering), requiring that the gearbox be replaced. The contact stated that the warranty coverage had expired due to the mileage and year limitation. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000.

NHTSA ODI 11604740

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact observed that the door panel was separating from the door frame on the driver's side. The contact stated that the panel was separating from the middle of the panel and was creating a gap from left to right. The contact stated that the gap had trapped his left arm shirt sleeve and was more noticeable while wearing a coat. The contact stated that the failure impeding drivability. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer and the contact was forwarded to an auto body shop for the repair. The contact stated that the passenger’s side door panel was also separating from the center top. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.

NHTSA ODI 11603970

While driving in the rain, I lost power steering and had several unrelated waring lights come on. Dash lights flickered. Engine continued to run normally but warning lights came on and off. I was able to drive to a safe location and turn the car off. When I restarted the car everything was normal including the power steering. This happened 2 more times on the 12 mile trip home. In the last 60 days this has happened 3 more times during a rain. On one of these occasions the steering came back on like normal with out me stopping.

NHTSA ODI 11603564

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to steer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with steering gear failure. The contact was informed that the steering gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that the repair was not eligible for coverage under the Customer Satisfaction Program: EPAS - Steering Efforts program. The contact was informed that the steering gear repair needed to be completed prior to the three unrepaired recall repairs being performed. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.

NHTSA ODI 11602669

The steering rack and pinion failed causing our steering wheel to lock while driving. This was a major safety risk/hazard for my family, me, and other drivers on the road. We lost all steering capabilities, something we'd never experienced before. This could have caused an accident leading to serious bodily harm and or fatal injuries to all involved. This problem has been confirmed by a Ford Dealership. The vehicle has been inspected by a Ford Dealership service team. There were no warning lamps or messages until after the vehicle steering locked up.

NHTSA ODI 11600333

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering failed to function as intended. The contact stated that while reversing out of a parking area, the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact stated that the power steering malfunction and tire sensor warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed with a failed rack and pinion and a failed passenger's side tire sensor. The contact was informed that the rack and pinion and the passenger’s side tire sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed of recall NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 195,468.

NHTSA ODI 11597921

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and making a left turn, the power steering and 4WD suddenly failed, causing the steering wheel to become difficult to turn in either direction. The 4WD was independently deactivated. During the failure, the message "Service Power Steering" and "Service Power Track" were displayed. The cause of the failures was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failures, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 110,000.

NHTSA ODI 11595560

Steering Fault Service Now" with no symptoms. Then, a minute later the steering locked up and ran myself and my two little kids off the road. Then when I turned my car off. I started it back up and then the steering was fine. Then 3 days later it locked up again driving down the highway. Thank God I was in the right lane and not the middle. It threw me off the road again. I'm scared to death of my explorer. I'm afraid to drive it now.

NHTSA ODI 11595399

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at various speeds, the engine overheated. The contact stated that the water pump was leaking, and the contact replaced the water pump himself. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was scanned with an ODB scanner an engine overheating code was retrieved. The contact stated that the radiator cooling fan failed to turn on. The contact stated he had installed a new temperature sensor, but the vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

NHTSA ODI 11594371

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the "Service Power Steering Now" message was displayed, and the steering wheel was very difficult to turn in either direction. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under a Manufacturer's Extended Customer Satisfaction Campaign related to the power steering malfunction. The failure mileage was 160,000.

NHTSA ODI 11593842

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving the vehicle at 35 MPH. The contact noticed a failure with her power steering gear. The contact stated that the steering gear would lock in which made it very difficult to turn the vehicle a power steering assist fault warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contact home. The dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 146,000.

NHTSA ODI 11592915

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact used excessive force to pull to the side of the road. The power steering failure and Service Power Steering messages were displayed. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 114,401.

NHTSA ODI 11592122

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the A-pillar on the passenger’s side of the vehicle. The contact stopped the vehicle and observed that a part of the trim on the A-pillar near the top of the trim had loosened. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer or repair facility. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 188,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11591466

My son was on the highway and his Ford Explorer 2011 just stopped, he could have been killed! He was able to get off safely and had car towed. Our mechanic told us today it is the Water Pump leakage and we need to take to Ford. We called Ford and they said at least $5,000 to repair possibly more. This is a huge safety concern when the act can just stop dead on highway. There are no safety recalls on this water pump. My son was lucky to make it off the highway alive.

NHTSA ODI 11591572

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The contact stated that four unknown messages were displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a power steering failure, but recommended no repairs at the time. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The contact was advised to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

NHTSA ODI 11589240

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while observing the vehicle, the A-pillar trim on the driver's and passenger's sides was detaching. The contact stated that there was water leaking inside the vehicle on both the driver's and passenger's side. The contact stated that mold and mildew was growing inside the vehicle and there was a mildew odor. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11589338

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The power steering assist fault warning light was illuminated. The failure had occurred several times; however, the power steering was reset independently when the vehicle was turned off and restarted. The contact stated that after the last failure had occurred, the vehicle failed to regain power steering functionality and the vehicle became inoperable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was informed that the failure description was like an unknown recall however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was advised to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.

NHTSA ODI 11587458

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. While the contact's wife was driving at a moderate rate of speed, the power steering assist failed to operate as needed. The contact was unaware of any warning lights being illuminated. Due to the failure, the contact's wife used excessive force to steer the vehicle back home. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

NHTSA ODI 11586280

Vehicle became very hard to steer and warning lights came on warning of steering module failure.

NHTSA ODI 11586383

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The steering assist warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the electronic power steering. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000.

NHTSA ODI 11584437

Hidráulic problem

NHTSA ODI 11580448

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure). The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, she observed an unknown noise from the outside of the vehicle. The contact stated that when she opened the driver's door, the A-Pillar trim fell to the ground. Additionally, the contact stated that her hair got caught in the tar where the A-Pillar trim was supposed to be. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,373.

NHTSA ODI 11580524

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the exterior A-Pillar trim detached from the vehicle on the highway. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11580103

The airbag warning light keeps coming on after continued checks and fixes. The dealership zip tied connector c211 and the light went off for a bit then came back on, the seat belt has been replaced but the light came back on, and all other components have been checked but no matter what the fix the light stays on. This is an issue many people have and Ford should be responsible for fixing it.

NHTSA ODI 11578701

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 75 MPH, the power steering assist fault message was displayed, and the steering wheel was very difficult to turn. The contact was able to stop the vehicle, and the vehicle was turned off and restarted and regained power steering functionality. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent and occurred at various speeds. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and became aware of two Customer Satisfaction Programs associated to the VIN; however, the contact was informed by the dealer that the program for EPAS Steering Efforts 15N01 (Steering) was no longer covered under warranty. The failure mileage was 108,045.

NHTSA ODI 11577939