What 821 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Ford Explorer Police Intercept

LOST ALL POWER STEERING SUDDENLY ON THE FREEWAY, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. WAS ONLY ONE MILE FROM MY DEALER, SO I DROVE THERE. VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER TURNS. LATER DETERMINED BY DEALER THAT THE POWER STEERING GEAR NEEDED REPLACEMENT. HAS BEEN ON BACK ORDER FOR ONE WEEK NOW, PART WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL FOLLOWING WEEK AT LEAST. NEW VEHICLE, ONLY 11,000 MILES. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10463593

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE WAITING AT TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 11,000.

NHTSA ODI 10463196

POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH ON HIGHWAY CHANGING LANES. SECOND TIME POWER STEERING HAS FAILED ON FREEWAY AT LOWER RATE OF SPEED. VEHICLE NOW AT FRITTS FORD IN RIVERSIDE FOR THIRD TIME REGARDING SUDDEN POWER STEERING FAILURE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10456824

WHILE DRIVING GRANDCHILD TO SCHOOL THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY WENT OUT REQUIRING A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TORQUE TO TURN CAR. I RECEIVED SEVERAL FAULTS INCLUDING TRACTION CONTROL, TRACTION CONTROL OFF, POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT. I WAS ABLE TO MANHANDLE THE CAR TO A SAFE PLACE AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND AFTER A FEW MOMENTS RESTARTED AN ALL FAULTS CLEARED. IF MY WIFE HAD BEEN DRIVING AT THIS TIME WE WOULD HAVE BEEN REPORTING AN ACCIDENT FOR SHE COULD NOT HAVE POSSIBLY HAVE TURNED THIS CAR. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR TO RIGGINS MOTORS (SELLING DEALER) AND HAD TO LEAVE THE CAR WITH THEM FOR INVESTIGATION. THIS IS A PROBLEM FORD NEEDS TO OVERCOME NOW AND NOT STALL LIKE THEY DID ON THE MY TOUCH PROBLEM FOR THIS COULD EASILY CAUSE A LOSS OF LIFE IF IT HASN'T ALREADY HAPPENED. *JS

NHTSA ODI 10455846

WHILE CHANGING LANES ON THE 60 WEST FREEWAY I ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE LANES AND VEHICLE POWER STEERING SHUT DOWN. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF MY LANE CHANGE AND WAS NEARLY STRUCK BY A TRAILING DIESEL TRUCK. I WAS ONLY ABLE TO MOVE STEERING WHEEL ONE INCH TO THE RIGHT AND ONE INCH TO THE LEFT. I PULLED OFF HIGHWAY BASED ON MY ADVANCED DRIVING SKILLS AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER. THIS VEHICLE IS MY ASSIGNED WORK VEHICLE. SEVERAL FAULTS TO INCLUDE HILL FAULT, TRACTION FAULT FLASHED ON THE DASHBOARD. I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND ON AND THE POWER STEERING WORKED. I IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED MY WORKPLACE. A COWORKER FOLLOWED ME TO THE FRITTS FORD IN RIVERSIDE, CA. I TOLD THEM ABOUT THE SAFETY ISSUE. FRITTS FORD TESTED MY VEHICLE FOR TWO DAYS. THEY SAID THE ERROR COULD NOT BE REPEATED BUT MY VEHICLE HAD NUMEROUS FAULTS RECORDED WITH THE DRIVETRAIN, STEERING, HILL, TRACTION CONTROL. THEY SAID IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE. THERE IS A SERIOUS ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED BUT IT NEARLY COST ME MY LIFE. I FEAR SIMILAR INCIDENTS WILL CAUSE FATALITIES WITH UNSKILLED CIVILIAN DRIVERS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10454017

I STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN AND TOOK A LEFT HAND TURN AS I PROCEEDED DOWN A HILL. MY STEERING WHEEL WOULDN'T TURN,LIKE THE WHEEL LOCKED UP, AND THE BRAKES WERE HARD TO PUSH, NOT SLOWING ME DOWN. THE EXPLORER WENT OFF OF THE ROAD STRIKING A CONCRETE POLE. IT DESTROYED THE ENTIRE RIGHT FRONT END, AND DESTROYED THE POLE. THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY COULD FIX THE PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING, AND THE BRAKES, BUT THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAMAGE. THEY SAID THAT IT'S NOT FORD'S FAULT FOR THE DAMAGE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10442868