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

RECALL EXPIRED WAS ALSO TOLD WARRANTY FOR RECALL EXPIRED(WAS TOLD ON PHONE THEY DIDN'T KNOW IF WARRANTY WOULD COVER UNTIL THEY RUN TEST IT THEN WAS TOLD IT EXPIRED) IN FEB I LOSS POWER STEERING AND A CLUSTER OF LIGHTS CAME ON DASH. HAPPENED IN FEB BUT CALLED AND SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT W FORD ON 3/1 BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE AVAILABLE OPENING UNTIL THE FOLLOWING WEEK WE TOOK IT IN AND OF COURSE THEY SAY IT'S NOT COVERED. THIS IS BIG SAFETY ISSUES AND LOSS IT IN CURVE WHICH WAS SCARY. I DIDN'T PURCHASE CAR UNTIL 2017 SO NEVER HEARD OF RECALL AND SAME DEALER FIXED ANOTHER RECALL SO WHY DID THEY NOT FIX THIS RECALL AT THAT TIME OR MENTION THIS.

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THE EXPLORER WAS PUT INTO PARK AND LEFT RUNNING IN THE DRIVEWAY AS I WENT INTO THE HOUSE TO GET MY KIDS. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE CAR IT DIDN'T MOVE AT ALL. WHILE I WAS GETTING MY KIDS TOGETHER I HAPPEN TO LOOK UP AND SEE MY EXPLORER CRASHED INTO A TREE IN THE BACKYARD. I WENT OUT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED AND THE EXPLORER HAD GONE UP A SLIGHTLY INCLINED DRIVEWAY, DOWN A HILL, THROUGH AND ALUMINUM FENCE, AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. WHEN I OPENED THE DRIVER DOOR THE GEAR SHIFTER STILL SHOWED IN PARK.

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I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AT AROUND 20 MPH WHEN THERE WERE CARS THAT SUDDENLY STOPPED. WHEN I WAS BRAKING I FELT AS IF THE STEERING WAS ALLOWING ME TO TURN AND IT HAPPENED SO FAST I FELT AS IF I LOST BRAKING POWER. THEN I HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME HARD. *TR

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2011 FORD EXPLORER WAS JUST RETURNED TWO WEEKS AGO FOR NATIONAL RECALL ON ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE FAILURE. ON AUGUST 21ST AT 9:30 AM MY WIFE WAS APPROACHING A RED LIGHT. SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES AND FELT AN IMMEDIATE POWER LOSS ISSUE WITH THE BREAKS. SHE IMPACTED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER AROUND 15 MPH. AIR BAGS WERE NOT DEPLOYED AT TIME OF ACCIDENT. SHE DID NOTICED THE TERRAIN MANAGEMENT FAILURE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AT TIME OF IMPACT. MY WIFE DID NOT FEEL THE ANTI LOCK BRAKES ENGAGE, NOR WERE THERE ANY SKID MARKS VISIBLE ON THE ROAD. MINOR FRONT END DAMAGE IS EVIDENT AND RADIATOR WAS LEAKING FLUID. INSURANCE COMPANY HAS BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT RECENT RECALL. *TR

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DURING TRAFFIC IN HOT WEATHER ON HIGHWAY THERE IS SQUEALING SOUND COMING FROM FRONT DRIVERS SIDE OF VEHICLE AND SMOKE COMING FROM REAR DRIVER TIRE AFTER EXITING HIGHWAY TO CHECK THE NOISE. AFTER EXITING HIGHWAY I FELT ALL 4 METAL WHEELS AND DRIVER'S SIDE REAR WAS EXTREMELY HOT AND OTHER WHEELS WERE WARM TO THE TOUCH. I HAD THE EXACT SAME CONDITIONS ON PASSENGER REAR BRAKES LAST SUMMER AT ~50,000 MILES, AND THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED REAR PASSENGER CALIPER IMMEDIATELY. THIS TIME THEY CLAIM ARE NOT ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE SEIZING OF CALIPER AFTER 3 MILE TEST DRIVE AND CALIPERS APPEARED TO BE IN WORKING CONDITION. I ARGUED THAT THE PROBLEM MAY OCCUR DURING LONG DISTANCE HIGHWAY TRAVEL AND MAY NOT HAPPEN ON SHORT TEST DRIVE. DEALERSHIP ARGUED THAT IT IS FORD POLICY NOT TO PERFORM WARRANTY REPAIRS/REPLACEMENT WORK WHEN THEY ARE UNABLE TO REPRODUCE PROBLEMS DESCRIBED BY CUSTOMER. I AM VERY UPSET THAT I HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT MY CAR STARTING ON FIRE EVERY TIME I DRIVE ON HIGHWAY. 2011 FORD EXPLORER XLT 3.5L V6 TIVCT. NORTHWEST CHICAGO IL. *TR

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AIR BAG LIGHT HAS BEEN ON SEVERAL TIMES. EACH TIME I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE AND THEY TELL ME EACH TIME THEY FIXED IT. I DRIVE IT SOME AND THE LIGHT COMES BACK ON. IT IS BACK IN THE SHOP FOR THE TENTH TIME I HAVE PAPER TRAILS AND PICTURES TO PROVE IT. I ENDED UP MAKING AN APPOINTMENT THE LAST TIME BUT BEFORE I GOT THERE I HIT A DEER END OF MARCH AT 60 MPH AND THE AIR BAG DIDN'T GO OFF ONCE THE BODY WORK GOT DONE I TOOK IT INTO THE FORD SHOP AND THEY SAID THERE WAS A FAULTY SENSOR WERE THE DEER HIT. THEY REPLACED IT THE I DROVE IT EIGHT MILES AND THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON SO I TURNED AROUND AND THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT THERE ARE NO CODES THIS TIME I HAVE TRIED TO GET THEM TO BUY IT BACK AND THEY WILL NOT. THE REAR BRAKES HAVE LOCKED UP FOUR TIME AND THEY HAVE REPLACE THEM EACH TIME AND IT CONTINUES TO DO THE SAME WITH THEM ALSO. *TR

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PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THE AFORE NOTED VEHICLE, ON JUNE 7TH , 2012 ON OR ABOUT 5PM WAS INVOLVED IN A SINGLE VEHICLE ACCIDENT ON ROUTE 63 AT MT WASHINGTON, ST. CROIX. SHE WAS TRAVELLING SOUTHWARD ON ROUTE 63 CROSSING THE SMALL BRIDGE ENTERING A SHARP RIGHT HAND TURN IN THE ROAD. SHE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN, INSTANTANEOUS, LOSS OF RESPONSE IN THE STEERING AND BRAKING OF THE VEHICLE. AS A CONSEQUENCE, IN THE FEW SECONDS FOLLOWING, THE VEHICLE LEFT THE ROADWAY AND STRUCK A WOODEN UTILITY POLE. *TT

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I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY AT A SLOW RATE OF SPEED, AS I WAS BRAKING THE CAR WAS NOT STOPPING, AS I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL IT COLLAPSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR BUT THE BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE, JUST BEFORE THE CAR HIT THE GARAGE DOOR WHICH WAS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE ENGAGED, FULLY, STOPPING THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE ONLY, THE CAR PULLED TO THE RIGHT AND INSTEAD OF HITTING THE GARAGE DOOR IT STRUCK A CONCRETE COLUMN TO THE IMMEDIATE RIGHT OF THE GARAGE DOOR. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELTS AUTOMATIC LOCKING RETRACTOR DID NOT ENGAGE SO I WAS THROWN FORWARD INTO THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP IT WAS PURCHASED FROM. WE CONTACTED FORD, FILLED OUT AND RETURNED THE PAPERWORK THEY REQUESTED, AFTER ALMOST FOUR MONTHS OF THE VEHICLE SITTING AT THE DEALERSHIP WAITING ON FORD THEY DECIDED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CAUSED BY A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. I AM NOT SURE HOW THEY COULD COME UP WITH THAT ASSUMPTION AS THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN DRIVABLE CONDITION AND ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP FORD NEVER CHECKED IT. WE HAVE PICTURES SHOWING THE ONE SKID MARK FROM THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE AND NONE FROM THE OTHER THREE TIRES. *TR

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I PULLED INTO A PARKING STALL AND APPLIED THE BRAKES. THEY FAILED AND I ONLY STOPPED AFTER HITTING THE GLASS DOORS OF A CLOSED BUSINESS. I DID NOT HIT THE GAS PEDAL AND WAS STOPPED DUE TO THE BUSINESS' GLASS FRONT DOORS. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER 37 YEARS AND NEVER ENCOUNTERED A PROBLEM LIKE THIS. NO ONE WAS HURT THANKFULLY, BUT THE PROBLEM IS STILL UNRESOLVED. INTERNET SEARCH REVEALED OTHER EXPLORERS FROM OTHER YEARS (2005, 2007 & 2009) ALSO HAD SIMILAR BRAKE FAILURES AND FORD COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEMS ON THOSE CARS, BUT SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY NOT RIGHT. SEE WWW.EDMUNDS.COM & TYPE IN "EXPLORER BRAKE FAILURE". CHECK OUT POSTS #12, 37, 38, 39, 40 AND 42. FORD DEALERSHIP FOUND NO PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES, BUT THEY CLEARLY FAILED. I DON'T WANT SOME INNOCENT PERSON HURT DUE TO BRAKE FAILURE DOWN THE ROAD. ANY HELP YOU CAN PROVIDE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

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