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

SERVICE POWER STEERING. ADVANCE TRAC LIGHT CAME ON. UNABLE TO STEER VEHICLE WHILE ON HIGHWAY DOING 55MPH. WE ARE UNABLE TO GET THIS CAR REPAIRED DUE TO HIGH COST TO SHIP CAR 572MILES OUT OF TOWN. TOLD US THAT WE NEED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR AND WILL GET REIMBURSED AT LATER DATE. HOWEVER AFTER EXPLAINING WE DON'T HAVE MONEY TO SHIP IT THEY OFFER LITTLE TO NO HELP. THERE IS A LOCAL SHOP THAT DOES WARRANTY REPAIRS BUT WE HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET UP TO $1,600 NOT INCLUDING LABOR COSTS OF REPAIRS DONE TO VEHICLE. FORD THEN SAID 'REPAIRS AND SERVICES WOULD BE OUR RESPONSIBILITY' EXPLAINED IN PHOTO DOCUMENTATION

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MY 2012 FORD EXPLORER LIMITED EDITION HAS AN EXHAUST LEAK THAT IS PUSHING FUMES INTO THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. THE NOXIOUS FUMES ENTER THE CABIN AND INDUCE NAUSEA AND SEVERE HEADACHES. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO A CERTIFIED FORD DEALERSHIP WHO HAS CONFIRMED THAT THIS LEAK IS PART OF A LARGELY KNOWN ISSUE THAT OCCURS WITH THE EXPLORERS'. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT WHILE FORD RECOGNIZES THE PROBLEM, THEY HAVE YET TO PRODUCE THE PARTS REQUIRED TO FIX IT, AND I HAVE TO SIT AND WAIT FOR FORD TO DO WHAT IS NECESSARY ON THEIR PART, WHICH IS GOING TO TAKE AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF TIME. IN THE MEANTIME I AM FORCED TO DRIVE AROUND WITH THESE FUMES ENTERING MY VEHICLE.

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I SMELL EXHAUST WHEN IDLING OR WAITING AT STOP LIGHTS- EVEN WHEN DRIVING. AM I IN DANGER?? IT IS ONGOING AND HAPPENS OFTEN.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 72 MPH, THE CONTACT TURNED ON THE HEATER. APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES LATER, THE CONTACT BECAME TIRED AND SLEEPY. THE CONTACT ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOW AND FELT BETTER APPROXIMATELY SIX MINUTES LATER. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE SEVERAL TIMES WITHIN THE PAST TWO YEARS, MAINLY DURING THE COOLER MONTHS DUE TO HAVING THE WINDOWS ROLLED UP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS SEEMED TO BE A CARBON MONOXIDE FAILURE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THERE WERE NO RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

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I HAVE A 2012 FORD EXPLORER AND I REALLY LIKE IT BUT I'VE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH IT. SINCE NOVEMBER OF 2016 EVERY TIME IT RAINS OR SNOWS I COME IN TO THE TRUCK TO FIND A PUDDLE OF WATER ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR. LATELY WHEN IT RAINS IT'S LIKE IT IS LITERALLY RAINING INSIDE MY TRUCK. THE WATER LEAKS RIGHT THROUGH THE TOP WHERE MY LIGHT AND THE BUTTONS FOR MY SUNROOF IS. NOW MY BACK UP CAMERA DOESN'T WORK AND MY TRUCK IS STARTING TO SMELL LIKE MOLE. I'M ALSO AFRAID THAT THE WATER LEAKAGE IS GOING TO DESTROY ALL ELECTRICAL PROBLEM OR CAUSE A AN ELECTRICAL FIRE WHILE I'M IN MY TRUCK WITH MY KIDS. I ALSO DON'T WANT MY FLOOR TO RUST. CAN YOU PLEAS HELP ME IN FINDING OUT WHERE IS THE PROBLEM COMING FROM? A COWORKER OF MINE IS THE SAME PROBLEM WITH HER TRUCK AS WELL.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 7 MPH, A GRINDING METAL SOUND WAS HEARD AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED. THE CONTACT SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND RESTARTED IT, BUT IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE INTO GEAR. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO HIS PERSONAL AUTO MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AXLE MOUNT FRACTURED. THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE PASSENGER SIDE AXLE MOUNT. WHILE TEST DRIVING THE VEHICLE AFTER THE REPAIR, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING, INCLUDING THE WRENCH ICON, THE SERVICE ADVANCE TRACK INDICATOR, AND THE CROSS TRAFFIC SYSTEM FAULT INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE TO BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE REPROGRAMMED SO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING WOULD DIM. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HELFMAN FORD (12220 SOUTHWEST FWY, STAFFORD, TX 77477) TO BE REPROGRAMMED. THERE WERE NO RECALL FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000.

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MY VEHICLES IS EXPEDITING RECALL 14S06 AND HAS HAPPENED 2X AND FOR DINNER IS AS SAYING MY VIN NUMBER IS BORN UNSER THE RECALL. HELP

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STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE TO TURN THE CAR OFF IN ORDER TO UNLOCK THE STEERING WHEEL. VERY DANGEROUS. DEALER MADE ME BUY A NEW BATTERY AND "REPROGRAMMED" VEHICLE, BUT THE PROBLEM CAME BACK.. IT'S HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. MOST RECENTLY ON 1/10/18.

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STRONG CARBON MONOXIDE ODOR COMING THROUGH THE HVAC VENTS WHEN I WAS DRIVING TO WORK. I ROLLED DOWN MY WINDOW TO GET THE ODOR OUT OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE NOTICED THIS ODOR IN THE PAST BUT I FIGURED THAT IT WAS COMING FROM OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE FROM OTHER MOTORISTS. AFTER RECEIVING NOTICE THAT THIS IS A RECALL AND IS POTENTIALLY COMING FROM MY VEHICLE, I WILL GO AHEAD AND SCHEDULE AN APPT. TO GET THIS RESOLVED. THIS IS A DANGEROUS ISSUE TO HAVE. MORE IMPORTANTLY WITH MY FAMILY IN THE VEHICLE. IF THE FORD "FIX" DOESN'T RESOLVE THE ISSUE MY QUESTION IS, WHAT AM I TO DO ABOUT THIS? THE FINAL PAYMENT FOR MY 2012 FORD EXPLORER IS DUE ON 01/15/2018. I REALLY DO NOT WANT TO HAVE TO PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE AFTER PAYING $698 FOR THE PAST 6 YEARS. IF THIS ISSUE CONTINUES I'D EXPECT FORD TO DO 1 OF 2 THINGS, 1. TAKE BACK THE FORD EXPLORER AND LET ME TRADE FOR ANOTHER FORD VEHICLE OF EQUAL COST TO WHAT I PAID FOR MY EXPLORER, LESS THE INTEREST. 2. REFUND MY $46K THAT I PAID FOR MY FORD EXPLORER AS YOU HAVE SOLD ME AN UNSAFE VEHICLE. I'VE ALREADY HAD THE ISSUE OF LOSING POWER STEERING WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. LUCKILY I GOT THAT ISSUE RESOLVED FROM A PREVIOUS RECALL. PLEASE HELP US NHTSA AS WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO TOLERATE UNSAFE VEHICLES AT OUR EXPENSE. IT SEEMS LIKE THE HARD WORKING PEOPLE ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT PAY FOR MANUFACTURER'S MISTAKES. LET'S START PUNISHING THESE BIG COMPANIES SO THAT THEY DO A BETTER JOB REGARDING PEOPLE'S SAFETY. THANK YOU!

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HEAVY FUMES ARE ENTERING MY CAR CAUSING HEADACHES. RECALL WAS PERFORMED AND PROBLEM CONTINUES TO PERSIST.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WEATHER STRIPPING BECAME LOOSE. ALSO, THE INTERIOR DOOR PANEL MOLDING ON THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES SEPARATED FROM THE DOORS. FURTHERMORE, THE REAR HATCH WAS NOT WELDED TOGETHER, WHICH CAUSED WATER TO ENTER THE TRUNK AREA. THE FAILURES OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (RANDALL REED'S PLANET FORD 59, 19000 EASTEX FWY, HUMBLE, TX 77338). THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL AND THAT THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AT 800-392-3673 AND ASKED THE CONTACT TO CALL NHTSA. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,000.

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POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT, LOSE OF STEERING AT LOW SPEED LOST CONTROL AND HIT CURB

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THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON. IT DOES NOT FLASH IT'S JUST ON ALL THE TIME. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND ASKED THE FORD DEALERSHIP TO CHECK IT OUT AND THEY SAID THEY DID NOT HAVE TIME AND WHEN I ASKED IF IT WAS COVERED THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. I CALLED THE FORD DEALERSHIP TODAY AND ASKED ABOUT BRINGING IT IN AND ERIC AGAIN SAID I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT AND HE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT A RECALL OR ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE AIR BAGS. I HAVE READ ONLINE THAT THERE ARE OVER 850,000 FORDS WHO HAVE A RECALL DUE TO THE AIRBAGS MALFUNCTIONING. I AM ALSO TOLD THAT THE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY. THIS IS MY ONLY TRANSPORTATION AND I FEEL THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD AGAIN. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE IS HORRIBLE.

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GEAR STEERING ASSY PROBLEM. STIFFNESS IN STEERING

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A FEW TIMES AT SLOW SPEEDS THE 'POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT' LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. IF THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND BACK ON, IT WOULD CLEAR THE ISSUE. THIS LAST TIME IT HAPPENED THE 'SERVICE ADVANCETRAC' LIGHT ALSO CAME ON AND THE ISSUE COULD NOT BE CLEARED. THE CAR WAS TOO DIFFICULT TO STEER AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. ALL OF THESE HAPPENED AT SLOW SPEEDS.

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THE VEHICLE WOULD RANDOMLY GO INTO LIMP MODE. IN LIMP MODE THE VEHICLE WOULD NO LONGER RESPOND TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND WOULD STAY AT A ROUGH IDLE. IT DID NOT MATTER WHETHER YOU WERE GOING 10 MPH OR 70 MPH. IT HAPPENED ONCE WHEN ON A NARROW BRIDGE DURING RUSH HOUR. IT ALWAYS HAPPENED WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE BUT DID NOT MATTER WHAT POSITION THE PEDAL WAS IN TO BEGIN WITH. SHUTTING THE CAR OFF AND OPENING THE DOOR WOULD RESET IT AND IT WOULD WORK AGAIN UNTIL THE NEXT TIME. IT TURNED OUT THAT THE THROTTLE BODY WAS DEFECTIVE. IT TOOK TWO VISITS TO THE DEALERSHIP UNTIL THEY COULD FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM AND COST $500 TO FIX. THE FACT THAT IT WAS RANDOM AND YOU LOST ALL MEANS OF ACCELERATION COULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY WHEN MERGING INTO HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC. MY WIFE REFUSED TO DRIVE IT.

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OUR POWER STEERING SYSTEM FINALLY WENT OUT ON OUR 2012 XLT. IN FACT, THE WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE WITH OUR TWO TODDLERS AT 75MPH WHEN IT WENT OUT. SHE PULLED OVER AND I HAD TO MEET UP WITH HER AND DRIVE IT HOME (NOT EASY). WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ELIGIBLE FOR THE RECALL IF THIS HAPPENED 8K MILES AGO, BUT SINCE WE ARE OVER THE 150,000 LIMIT, I GET TO PAY $1940.00 TO GET IT REPAIRED(GETTING REPAIRED AS THIS IS TYPED). ITS SAD REALLY, BECAUSE WHEN I WAS AT 120K, I WAS HAVING ISSUES WITH THE POWER STEERING AND WAS HOPING TO GET IT REPLACED AT THE DEALER, HOWEVER AT THE TIME, THEY WERE "UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE" SO NO ACTION WAS TAKEN. I AM DISAPPOINTED, BECAUSE IT TAKES A COMPLETE FAILURE (AND ENDANGERMENT TO LIVES) FOR THE RECALL TO BE INITIATED. I WONDER IF GM'S IGNITION RECALL IS THE SAME WAY? I COULD REPAIR IT MYSELF AS ITS NOT TOO BAD OF A JOB, BUT DUE TO BEING BUSY, IT WOULD PROBABLY TAKE A WEEK OR TWO FOR ME TO DO ALONE AND THIS IS OUR PRIMARY FAMILY VEHICLE. MY SERVICE ADVISER HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT HELPFUL BUT HAVE TO SAY THAT I AM DISAPPOINTED IN FORDS APPROACH TO THE FAILURE OF A MAJOR COMPONENT OF THE VEHICLE.

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ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS OVER THE LAST 3 YEARS THE AIRBAG WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE DASH HAS COME ON, FOR NO APPARENT REASON. ON EACH OCCASION I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL FORD SERVICE CENTER WHERE THEY FINALLY DETERMINED THAT THE SOLUTION WAS TO APPLY SOME DIELECTRIC GREASE TO THE ELECTRIC CONNECTORS UNDER THE DRIVERS SEAT. THIS FIX WAS COVERED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE FIRST 2 OCCASIONS ON THE 3RD THEY AGREED TO APPLY THE GREASE AT NO COST TO ME. MY SERVICE CENTER HAS TOLD ME THAT WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS THE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY. WONDERING WHY SOMETHING AS IMPORTANT AS AN AIRBAG HAS LOOSE CONNECTORS WHICH HANG DOWN UNDER THE DRIVERS SEAT, SEEMS LIKE A DESIGN FLAW? WHY IS THERE NO RECALL TO PERMANENTLY FIX THIS ISSUE.

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AFTER STARTING THE CAR WHILE PARKED THE 'SERVICE ADVANCE TRAC" WARNING CAME ON. AFTER DRIVING APPROX. 100 FEET THE WARNING WENT AWAY. THERE WAS A SLIGHT HARDNESS IN THE STEERING AT THIS TIME. THAT WENT AWAY WHEN THE WARNING WENT AWAY. THIS OCCURRED ON NOV. 10, 2017. THE SECOND PROBLEM OCCURRED ON NOV. 23, 2017. WHILE PARKED OVERNIGHT AND ALL DAY IN OUR GARAGE I STARTED THE CAR AND THE "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT'' WARNING CAME ON. I COULD NOT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AT ALL. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND WITHIN 10 TO 15 SECONDS I STARTED THE CAR AGAIN. NO WARNING CAME ON AND THE POWER STEERING WORKED O.K. I STARTED THE CAR AGAIN THIS MORNING AND NO WARNING OR PROBLEM.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE OIL PRESSURE AND POWER TRAIN WRENCH WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO START ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT. THE FAILURE RECURRED OVER THREE TIMES. THE CONTACT NOTICED THE FAILURE AFTER SHE DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AFTER A COMPLETE STOP. THE LOCAL DEALER (GULF COAST FORD, N, 3000 STATE HWY 288, ANGLETON,TX, 77515) WAS CONTACTED SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT FOR TWO DAYS LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 155,000.

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THERE IS A SMELL OF GASOLINE IN AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AT ALL TIMES. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS REAPPEARING EVEN AFTER CONTINUOUS EXAMINATION.

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2012 FORD EXPLORE LIMITED. WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, THE CAR SUDDENLY WITH NO WARNING DECREASED SPEED THEN A WRENCH WARNING LIGHT CAME ON IN THE LOWER LEFT DASH PANEL, AND THE CAR WAS IDLING VERY ROUGH. EVEN THOUGH I WAS PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL TO ACCELERATE, THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. I WAS ABLE TO LIMP IT HOME AT LITERALLY 2 MPH IN "LIMP MODE". THE CAR DID NOT RESPOND WHEN I PRESSED THE ACCELERATION PEDAL ALTHOUGH I STILL HAD POWER. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO DEALERSHIP TO BE CHECKED OUT. AFTER RESEARCHING WHAT IT COULD BE, I LEARNED IT IS POSSIBLY THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY (ETB) AND/OR PURGE VALVE. I AM PASSED EXTENDED WARRANTY NATURALLY AND PROBABLY GOING TO BE LEFT WITH A HUGE BILL. WHY IS THIS NOT A RECALL FORD????? IT IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURED ISSUE WITH THIS MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCING THIS SAME ISSUE.

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BRAKE SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONING AND FORD DEALERSHIP HAS THE VEHICLE FOR 2 MONTHS AND UNABLE TO REPAIR DUE TO BAD PRODUCTION PARTS

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POWER STEERING QUIT WORKING IN THE PARKING LOT. HAS NO POWER STEERING. HAS HAD A SOFTWARE UPDATE TO FIX THE STEERING AND WAS TOLD THE STEERING NEEDED REPLACED BUT THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER AND THEN WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE DIDN'T QUALIFY TO HAVE THE STEERING RACK REPLACED AND NOW IT HAS FAILED.

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GEAR SHIFT MESSAGE - 'SHIFT TO PARK' AFTER PUTTING VEHICLE IN PARK AND IGNITION IS TURNED OFF.

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