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

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn to the left or the right. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, there was an abnormal rumbling sound coming from the vehicle and the steering wheel started shaking. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (STEERING); but the repair failed to fix the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had occurred after the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 199,455.

NHTSA ODI 11747972

The pillar covers fell of the vehicle when driving last week. Both plastic covers are on the side of the interstate. I was told and found there is a recall for the clips on these covers, but when I searched, they are not listed for this vehicle. There appears to be an issue with this recall and the explorer.

NHTSA ODI 11745751

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 local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the dealer and manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the trim piece was almost detached. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11744504

While stopped at a stop sign my engine suddenly died, before restarting a low oil pressure light came on but went out immediately. I was approximately 40 miles from home when I got to my destination. The car was showing no signs of issues, no warning lights or errors. When I went back out to start it and head home it would not start. I had to pay additional expense beyond my insurance road side coverage due to the distance. I have had an independent mechanic going over the vehicle since it died. Starter has been replaced because it appeared to be the issue. (the original was bad) Once replaced while attempting to start it he found out the engine had locked up. I bought the vehicle March 30, 2026 & this happened on June 10, 2026. The vehicle had 132,344 miles on it when bought and 135,716 when it seized up. After looking through other reports I have found this to be a reported issue.

NHTSA ODI 11744176

I contacted chapman ford in phila to have the recall corrected and it has been almost 2 yrs and no parts or follow up. They told me for months that the parts were backordered. My trim is loose and the rubber around my windshield almost gone. I also contacted ford main and was told an advisor would follow up and they did not.

NHTSA ODI 11742300

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger's side exterior A-Pillar Applique Trim detached. The contact stated that the exterior A-Pillar Applique Trim was flapping and hitting the ground. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the parts were unavailable. The contact was advised to remove the detached exterior A-Pillar Applique Trim. The contact received a recall notification, NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) however the parts were unavailable. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1000,000.

NHTSA ODI 11742184

In early 2024, we learned our 2011 Ford Explorer was under open recall (NHTSA #24V031) for the A-pillar windshield trim, which could detach and create a road hazard. For two years, our Ford dealer said repairs could not be done due to parts availability. The A-pillar trim detached three separate times, including once at 75 mph on a highway, causing fear and danger. The vehicle’s elderly owner stopped driving for safety. On May 26, 2026, a non-Ford mechanic attempted a repair due to the delay at Ford, but the part broke during that attempt. The recall remains incomplete, and we have ongoing safety concerns, out-of-pocket expenses, and no timeline for a real fix.

NHTSA ODI 11740507

Vehicle is very hard to steer, will not reset when restarting the vehicle. two dash messages; advance track warning and power assist failure. I have not attempted to drive on road due to difficulty of steering the wheel. I am afraid the vehicle is uncontrollable at this point and needs to be towed to a repair facility. Not sure if this incident is linked to the recall under 14S06 for ford recalls.

NHTSA ODI 11739398

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after parking in the garage and turning the engine off, approximately 5 minutes later a loud noise came from the rear of the vehicle. The contact discovered that the rear hatch window had exploded and glass shards fell into the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not determined. The contact indicated that at the time of the failure the rear window defroster was not activated. The manufacturer and local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 227,000.

NHTSA ODI 11738141

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The message that the "Vehicle Needed Attention" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to back to the residence. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 270,000.

NHTSA ODI 11734002

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 A-pillar trim clip detached, and the vehicle was taken to the local dealer where a temporary repair was performed using tape to secure the trim. 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 approximate failure mileage was 135,000.

NHTSA ODI 11732408

The steering wheel got stiff and impossible to turn. I had to use extreme force to be able to make a left turn. It happened in a large intersection. No warning appeared.

NHTSA ODI 11730954

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became extremely stiff. The steering wheel was extremely difficult to turn. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 160,000.

NHTSA ODI 11727331

The contact owned a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, turned off, and unoccupied, the vehicle caught fire. The contact was in her residence, and a neighbor knocked on her door, making her aware that the vehicle had caught fire. The fire has been extinguished by the local fire department. The fire department indicated that the failure may have occurred due to a wiring malfunction in the vehicle. A police report was not filed, but a fire report was filed and was unavailable. There were no injuries reported. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.

NHTSA ODI 11726405

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side A-pillar trim on the windshield started to detach. 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; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired, and the dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The approximate failure mileage was 116,035.

NHTSA ODI 11726432

The electrical power steering stopped working while in motion was real hard to steer and avoid hitting curbs or vehicles close to our vehicle. It was previously replaced by Ford for the same reason but now it happened again and they are telling me it doesn’t have warranty which is fine but if i buy the part which is not cheap by the way it just going to keep failing after a few years.

NHTSA ODI 11724849

Back up camera inoperable. Screen is black. Apparently a common problem. Safety issue of hitting a person or object.

NHTSA ODI 11720702

During a red-light, as I was coming to a stop, the vehicle gave the warning saying “service power-steering now” and “traction control off.” I was unable to turn the steering wheel much due to it being so heavy. My official complaint: Vehicle: 2011 Ford Escape XLT Safety Recall: NHTSA Campaign Number 14V284000 (Ford Recall 14S05) Issue: Loss of Electric Power Steering Assist (EPS) / Steering Torque Sensor Fault I am submitting this complaint regarding an unresolved safety defect involving my 2011 Ford Escape XLT. This vehicle is subject to a federally recognized safety recall for loss of electric power steering assist: NHTSA Campaign Number 14V284000, Ford Recall 14S05, which involves the electric power steering (EPS) system and steering torque sensor faults that can cause the vehicle to suddenly lose steering assist. The safety issue covered under this recall is still present and represents an ongoing risk. The vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, which makes the steering wheel extremely difficult to turn and increases the risk of a crash, especially at lower speeds, in traffic, or during turns. On February 13, 2026, I had a scheduled appointment at Kingman Ford (Arizona) at 3:00 PM specifically to address this safety recall issue and the continuing steering assist problem. Kingman Ford declined service and refused to perform any recall-related repair, stating they could not provide service related to the recall. After the dealership refusal, I contacted Ford Corporate Customer Service directly. Ford Corporate also declined to provide any repair assistance, and stated they had no knowledge of any federal directives or requirements regarding safety issues connected to this recall. Because this is a federally recognized safety recall and the defect continues to occur, I am requesting that NHTSA document this as a recall remedy failure / unresolved safety defect, and review Ford’s refusal (and the dealership’s refusal) to correct a known steerin

NHTSA ODI 11717906

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was difficult to turn to the left or the right. The steering wheel seized, and the steering wheel symbol was displayed on the instrument cluster. The vehicle was turned off and restarted to reset the steering assist function. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the electric power steering assist system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

NHTSA ODI 11715978

The wheel locks in low speeds. It does not happen often, maybe about 3 times per year. I have brought this up to Ford dealer in Encinitas CA for several years and the problem is seldom that they did not find anything wrong with it. Recently I found the recall online and brought it to their attention. I never received the notice of recall back in 2015. They are refusing service because it has been more than 10 yrs since the recall and my vehicle is at 180,000 miles. I use the car to carpool my kids and other people's kids. Please help fix the problem.

NHTSA ODI 11710555

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH, the power steering suddenly failed while attempting to make a right turn, causing the steering wheel to seize. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact turned off the vehicle and followed the owner's manual instructions on how to reset the power steering; however, all attempts failed. The contact left the vehicle parked at the incident location. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

NHTSA ODI 11708272

Loss of power steering

NHTSA ODI 11708118

My vehicle is subject to NHTSA Safety Recall 14S06 related to loss of electric power steering assist. The Power Steering Control Module was reprogrammed in 2014, and Ford now considers the recall closed based on that reprogramming. In 2025, the vehicle again experienced loss of electric power steering assist and currently exhibits the EPAS diagnostic trouble code associated with the recall defect. This condition has been verified by a Ford dealer. On November 13, 2025, the dealer attempted reprogramming of the steering control module as a diagnostic and customer service step to determine whether reprogramming would resolve the condition. This attempt did not correct the defect, and the loss of steering assist persists. Supplement 3 to Recall 14S06, issued in 2019, includes a Dealer Q&A section (Attachment 4, Question 3) that specifically addresses what happens if a customer experiences loss of steering assist after the module has been reprogrammed. Ford’s guidance states that any subsequent loss of assist after reprogramming may be eligible for extended coverage under a related program. This guidance acknowledges that reprogramming alone may not prevent recurrence of the defect and that further corrective action may be required when the loss of assist returns. Despite this acknowledgment, Ford has denied further remedy solely because the recall is marked “closed” in its internal system and because the vehicle exceeds the time and mileage limits of customer satisfaction program 15N01. The recall defect remains present in the vehicle, and the original remedy has not been adequate to correct it. I am requesting NHTSA review whether Ford has met its obligation under 49 U.S.C. §30120 to provide an adequate remedy for this safety defect. Component: Steering Issue: Loss of power steering assist Recall Remedy: Remedy failed / not provided

NHTSA ODI 11704918

Loose/Detached Bilateral Exterior C-Pillar around the rear window. Both sides are lifted and very loose with the potential to cause driver to lose control if detached resulting in damage to other vehicles on the road or even a traffic collision… this is a safety defect

NHTSA ODI 11704644

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, there was a grinding sound coming from the steering column while making left and right turns. Additionally, the contact stated that the steering wheel jerked while driving and making left or right turns. The contact stated that three unknown warning lights were illuminated, and the traction control warning light was also illuminated. Additionally, there are unknown messages displayed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but the diagnosis was unknown. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 193,000.

NHTSA ODI 11704721