What 821 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Ford Explorer Gas

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 55 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The "Power Steering Assist Fault" message was displayed. The failure almost caused a crash. The contact helped his wife steer the vehicle and pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the rack and pinion were replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.

NHTSA ODI 11588553

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, he became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, and the steering wheel was stiff and required increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The power steering assist warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. 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 167,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11586635

On December 29,2023 while driving on highway the Power Steering failed. I was unable to steer vehicle off roadway.I avoided getting killed, but very frightning.Warning lights appeared on the dash after failure , Service Power Steering now, Service Advance Trac, Terrain Mgt System Fault. Danvers Ford, Danvers, MA said the Steering gear needed to be replaced approx. $3,000 and that Ford Customer Relationship Center is unable to assist because the vehicle was outside the Recall criteria. I am horrified regarding the safety of the driver when the power system fails in real time and the cost to repair a faulty electronic steering that Ford should be responsible to repair.

NHTSA ODI 11578041

While driving in my driveway, the steering froze up, I could not turn the wheel at all. I had it towed to the dealer.

NHTSA ODI 11577142

The hazard lights have never worked in my vehicle and after spending months at the dealership they were not able to fix this. Also my window pillar flew off hitting another car while I was doing 75mph and the window cowl did the same thing. I've been working with a Ford dealership in Evansville, Indiana on Walnut Street and the window cowls need recalled and I was told that it will take 6 weeks to fix the pillars but the window cowl is so loose it's going to fly off in due time plus most of the vehicles the hazard lights do not work at all. Also I was able to turn the My Key feature on and I can't get it to turn off and my dealership can't figure it out. My electrical power steering unit, the steering gear box and steering knuckle also went out. And the rear end fractured on me while driving I lost steering 4 times while driving and almost hit a semi.

NHTSA ODI 11576385

Power steering assist failure. Fortunately happened in a parking lot. Was told recall is no longer in affect. Will have to get to dealership for repair. No warning other than the failure that produced a code on the dash when the steering stopped working.

NHTSA ODI 11573896

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the steering wheel seized. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer and the contact was informed that the failure was due to the steering however, the parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who reprogrammed the computer. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.

NHTSA ODI 11567699

One morning I got in my Explorer and it beeped 3 times with a display light saying, "service power steering." When I took it to a mechanic to get looked at, he said Ford had issued a recall on this part. However, when contacting Cloninger Ford of Hickory, my year make and model are covered under this recall but not my VIN. I do not understand this because clearly the power steering control module was an issue with the 2012 Ford Explorers and mine is having this problem but is not covered by the recall. Until this is fixed I cannot drive it because it highly increases risk of accident. The fix is very expensive. Any help getting this resolved would be greatly appreciated.

NHTSA ODI 11565174

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH and making a turn, the steering wheel was significantly difficult to turn. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering control module (PSCM) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

NHTSA ODI 11563526

We seen multiple online post about our make model and year Ford having a recall. When our steering wheel locked and we lost complete control of our car more than once with kids and a baby in the car we brought it to Ford to be fixed. They told us as long as the computer matched up with that issue it would be covered under an existing campaign. They then said ford denied it because it just missed the cut off time limit by a couple months and we would have to come out of pocket. They had no loaners for us or any help. We borrowed money from a family Member, had to pay for a rental and we were reassured it was fixed. Then we have the same issue but worse happen Christmas Eve, weeks after getting it repaired and assured it was fixed . We repaired it at the dealership and then once again lost power steering. We have an infant and kids. If we would’ve been on a major road it would’ve been possibly deadly as the steering wheels randomly locks and power steering fails. This is not okay. Ford said they will get to it when they can and they have no loaners for us.

NHTSA ODI 11561831

Failure of electronic power assist steering system. Without power steering, maneuverability becomes difficult as effort required for steering the vehicle drastically increases, putting the driver and those around them at risk. The dealer has reproduced and confirmed the issue. It has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. No warning lamps appear until failure is already evident. There is already a safety recall concerning the EPAS system. The service action for this recall at Ford dealers is to check for diagnostic trouble codes and replace the power steering rack if certain codes are found. If none are found, however, they are to reprogram the EPAS system and extended coverage is provided should the EPAS system still fail with 10 years or 150,000 miles. EPAS system failure is not a common occurrence on any other Ford models outside those affected by this recall, yet many still fail in affected vehicles shortly after the extended coverage expires. Reprogramming the EPAS system does not fix the defective part but merely delays the inevitable, passing the cost of the repair to the owners and potentially putting those on the road around them in danger when the failure occurs. My vehicle has had the reprogramming done, closing the recall, and has aged past the extended coverage for replacement of the defective steering rack, which has now failed, and Ford will not cover the cost of the repair.

NHTSA ODI 11561576

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized in position. After the failure, the contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly. The power steering assist fault warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the steering gear. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11560353

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while his wife was driving 45 MPH, she became aware that the electric power steering was not functioning properly with the "Service Power Steering” message displayed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was diagnosed and determined that the rear suspension toe link needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V435000 (Structure) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11558536

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon her son starting the vehicle, he became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly. The EPS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the electronic power steering control module. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The VIN was included but the repair had already been completed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 101,000.

NHTSA ODI 11557288

We were driving along when all of a sudden power steering completely went out and then warning lights came on for first time. There was no warning until already happened. We were in middle of traffic and almost impossible to get to side of road. Almost got slammed by other vehicle trying to get to side of road.Had to tow car to shop and found out electric power steering component failed and have to replace rack and pinion for thousands of dollars. There was a recall for this problem but we were never notified.

NHTSA ODI 11556479

Driving my daughters home from cheer practice and there was all of a sudden a lot of alerting from the vehicle. My steering the vehicle became very hard, even just managing around corners I was having a hard time not going into the oncoming traffic lane. At a stop sign, I needed to turn towards home, I could barely turn the steering wheel and ended up driving on someone's property before I could complete the turn. I made a hard five point turn in the middle of traffic after turning on my emergency flashers. I did this also turning into my road and driveway. It was nerve racking as I felt, not only my life, but my children's were at risk. It was out of the blue because the vehicle was handling great, and when the "Service power steering now" and "Service AdvanceTrac" indicators came on most steering control was all of a sudden lost. A dealer or Service has not looked at the vehicle yet. We have an appointment with a Ford dealer in three weeks, it is not driveable.

NHTSA ODI 11556251

My power steering has locked up now for the 3rd time. It is crazy dangerous and puts my life and others in danger. I had it repaired at ford and it happened again. So it was towed back to ford and fixed again. Both visits at this ford location were awful experiences. And I refuse to go back. And now my car is having the same issue yet again. And I dont want to be told again that I have to pay for a diagnostic test or anything like that. Ridiculous! It's the same thing again. Exact same thing. I'm not an idiot. And I dont want to end up dead driving an unsafe vehicle. What's wrong with ford that they are ignoring so many people having the same issue with the same car? Why? I don't understand it? My family has always been loyal ford owners. However this has us very concerned.

NHTSA ODI 11556138

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the steering wheel seized and failed to turn as intended. The power steering warning light illuminated. The contact veered over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 143,000.

NHTSA ODI 11555580

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the power steering suddenly failed, and the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was later driven to the local dealer who diagnosed that the Electronic Power Steering Module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11554347

My power steering assists quit working, and My stabilizer control. and my traction control, and my TPMS light came on, but all of my tires are at the recommended air pressure. Ford tells me that my ford is not covered in the recall for this problem. I lost control of my vehicle and almost crashed into the ditch.

NHTSA ODI 11554144

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the steering wheel was firm, making it difficult to maneuver the vehicle. The contact stated that the power steering assist failure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 168,000.

NHTSA ODI 11551337

My wife is driving to work when the dash beep twice saying power steering fault then she lost power steering and nearly crashed the vehicle , this is a known problem from Ford that was not repaired by them and now they're telling me that they won't repair it This was what I found online by just doing a quick search after my wife nearly crashed! By Matt Schmitz May 29, 2014 Vehicles Affected: About 177,500 model-year 2011-13 Ford Explorer SUVs share The Problem: A potential electrical issue in the steering gear may result in the loss of electric power steering assist while driving. This could cause the steering system to default to manual mode, making the vehicle more difficult to steer, especially at lower speeds, and increasing the risk of a crash. According to the Detroit News, Ford said drivers will hear a chime and see a message in the instrument cluster if electric power steering assist is lost. The Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will either update software for the power steering control module or replace the steering gear for free. What Owners Should Do: Ford has not yet issued an owner notification schedule. Owners can call Ford at 800-392-3673 for more info. Need to Find a Dealer for Service? Go to Cars.com Service & Repair to find your local dealer.

NHTSA ODI 11551046

Power Steering and Advancetrac

NHTSA ODI 11550383

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the steering wheel seized. Additionally, the power steering warning light was illuminated. An independent mechanic arrived at the residence to diagnose the vehicle. The contact was informed that the electric power steering had failed. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11547676

Steering wheel locked up, while driving.

NHTSA ODI 11546784