What 2,224 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Ford Explorer Police Intercept

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? While driving home and turning on to our street I lost control of Power Steering. Was very difficult to steer - scary. Yes available for inspection, although we have an appt to check it and repair estimate on March 10, 2022 with Cutter Ford. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Scary. This is my wife's vehicle, It's a blessing that wife was not driving vehicle home from work in traffic on the H-1 freeway in Hawaii. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? There was a recall for 2013 Explorers in June 2014. Dealer Manager had denied any recall for my VIN. was not any help to , seem like he didn't care there was a recall on Ford 2013 Explorer. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Not yet, Dealer with Cutter Ford appt March 10, 2022 Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Lamp illuminated as soon as problem occurred saying " POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT"

NHTSA ODI 11455218

My REARVIEW CAMERA is faulty. When it works, the pictures are reversed. For example if a vehicle or person is coming from the left, it will show it/them coming from the right. The camera often just stops working and the screen is blank. I have seen recalls on Ford vehicles with faulty rearview cameras stating my exact symptoms yet my vehicle is not included in this recall. I have called my local dealership and Ford Customer Service, Corp. and have also been told I must wait for a recall although this same problem is identified on Ford vehicles. Please give me guidance on what I can do for my local Ford Dealer to fix this problem which has been identified by the manufacturer as a safety problem which increases the risk of a crash, which can lead to property damage or injury to people behind the car, especially small children. Thank you for your prompt attention to this very dangerous situation. I have not had a crash yet but have had many abrupt stops. Please contact me for any further questions or information.

NHTSA ODI 11454732

Carbon monoxide levels in the cab. Persistent 10ppm co2 in the cab of the vehicle. Peak at 30ppm. The recall for this issue had previously been completed. 2nd issue was a valve allowed oil to infiltrate the intake which resulted in odor in the vehicle

NHTSA ODI 11454216

WATER PUMP LEAK INSIDE THE ENGINE, CAUSING COOLANT AND OIL TO MIX. CAR OVERHEATS

NHTSA ODI 11454239

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while her son was driving 45 MPH, the engine overheated. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven home and the contact added antifreeze to the engine however, the liquid poured out. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was provided a service date in May 2022. The contact was informed that the water pump, timing chain, and other unnamed parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 183,460.

NHTSA ODI 11453640

There is an open recall for 2011-2013 Explorers (#14V286000) for the exact cause of the submission of this complaint. My family and other's lives were at risk when my explorer lost power steering capabilities while driving. The power steering was completely disabled almost making it impossible to navigate. The vehicle had to be towed because it was such a hazard to drive with local traffic. Upon the loss of the power steering a "power steering assist" light illuminated on the dash. The local Ford dealership noted that this was a known problem and the 2013's were actually recalled for this exact issue. Once they looked up my VIN number they noted that mine was not included even though it is textbook for the other 2013 explorers which noted the same problem that caused this recall. Ford has not been of any help and instructed I submit this complaint here. The repair is not an affordable cost to swallow when there is an open recall for the exact problem on the SAME years, but for some reason mine was not included.

NHTSA ODI 11453222

Vehicle has lost ability to steer and several warning light illuminated indicating power steering problem. Diagnosis revealed the problem is a failed rack and pinion.

NHTSA ODI 11453274

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving, the power steering and advanced tract warning lights illuminated. The steering wheel failed to move. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the steering gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

NHTSA ODI 11452748

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the engine failed. The contact mentioned that there was coolant going onto the engine. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact called the dealer to notify them of the issue. The vehicle was not repaired. No further information was available.

NHTSA ODI 11452284

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 2 MPH in a parking lot, the vehicle rolled forward and power steering assist fault warning light illuminated. The contact was able to safely pull over and had to have the vehicle towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the power steering control module replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that she had researched online and found NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) which was similar to the failure experienced. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure however, the contact was informed that the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11451424

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reversing out of the driveway, the steering wheel locked up. The contact was unable to turn the steering wheel in either direction. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed and remained at the dealer. The contact was informed that the power steering assist failed and would be an out-of-pocket expense. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was contacted and notified of the failure. The contact was provided with a case number. The failure mileage was 59,800.

NHTSA ODI 11450399

I was stopped in the middle median waiting to make a left turn. Once there was a gap with on coming traffic I started to make the left turn and I lost control of the vehicle, not sure what happened in the moment. Once I gripped the steering wheel to try and regain control before I jumped the curb and hit the apartment building that was in front of me I was able to park the vehicle and assess the situation. I looked down and noticed the warning light that said “Power steering fault.” I had the vehicle towed to the nearest Ford dealership and they have diagnosed the problem as needing to replace the whole “steering rack.” This is a $2300 repair. Under further investigation I have become aware that there is already a recall “14S06” for this exact problem, but due to my build date being out by a couple months my Explorer is not covered. I have read online many other experiencing the same concern I am having, and their Explorers are not covered as well. This is a huge safety concern and could cause accidents relating to injury/death. This needs to be addressed immediately!

NHTSA ODI 11449754

I’ve had this recall for awhile now. I’m tired of constantly replacing tires due to this recall and improper wearing. When reaching out to dealership I’m told Covid stopped the production of the part and I need to just “deal with it and replace tires frequently /rotate them” I can’t afford 2 new tires every 6 months

NHTSA ODI 11449508

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. 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 contact indicated that while driving over a bump in the roadway, there was a clunking sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not determined. VIN tool confirms parts are not available. The failure mileage was 112,000.

NHTSA ODI 11448819

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while having routine maintenance performed by an independent mechanic, she was informed the brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. Additionally, the suspension was compressed onto the tire. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11448641

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH and making a turn, the steering wheel inadvertently lost power steering assist functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact turned off the vehicle and as he restarted it, the steering wheel regained power steering assist functionality. The contact was able to continue to drive the vehicle; however, the failure reoccurred upon starting the vehicle the next day. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring intermittently while driving. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised the contact that he would be responsible for the cost of the repair since the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

NHTSA ODI 11448002

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at various speeds, she heard abnormal loud banging sounds coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that water had been leaking through the sunroof onto the headliner down to the driver’s side door and floorboard of the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had damaged the sunroof motor. The contact replaced the sunroof motor himself; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact also stated that the master power door switch keypad on the driver’s side door had been blinking continuously and had been draining the battery. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

NHTSA ODI 11447860

While on the highway July 2021 a red warning light flashes, I didn’t get to see exactly what it said, it went away. Shortly after that I stopped at a Walmart service location off the highway, but by then the light wasn’t on and the mechanic said “they don’t do anything regarding engines”. Then about a week later it flashed again then I was ready and able to take a picture (attachment #1) it said “engine coolant over temperature”. I called several repair shops and dealerships and had gotten a few estimates (attachment #2). One place added a lot of coolant (Grease Monkey) and that seem to get me going and I didn’t see the light again until about 3 to 4 weeks later. Then my husband and I had to start checking my coolant level daily to see if more coolant had to be added which most times it did. The high cost for repair - is in getting to the water pump - which I’m being told by at least 4 people can take 11 to 12 hours of labor. One repair place said “I may be better off by getting rid of the SUV”. I previously had a 2003 Ford Explorer (original owner) kept it for 10 years then upgraded to a 2013 Ford Explorer (original owner) and thought I could do the same, however costly problems started in 2021. Ford is aware of all of the water pump related issues and should have a recall and/or make repairs free of charge. This has been apparently going on for 10+/- years. In October 2021 once while on a rural highway in Colorado about 30 minutes from home my car ran hot and stalled on me and my son who is disabled and cannot walk. We putt putted over to a restaurant lot, had to let the car cool down to then add water. After that we almost made it home before the light came on again, we were about 3 minutes from home. That was very scary to be driving in traffic and your car stalls. My car has been sitting for the last 4 months because of the cost for needed repairs.

NHTSA ODI 11447762

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving, the speedometer failed to provide the vehicle's speed. Additionally, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated that the power steering assist message was displayed. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer to be inspected. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

NHTSA ODI 11447206

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the power steering became inoperable. The steering fault warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 135,000.

NHTSA ODI 11446893

Driving on freeway interchange from one freeway to another am alarm went off that my steering had faulted out. The steering wheel was almost impossible to turn and I nearly hit the retaining wall. Vehicle was almost uncontrollable.

NHTSA ODI 11446818

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while making a right turn at 15 MPH, the power steering assist warning light was illuminated, and the steering wheel seized. The contact was able to park on the side of the road. The contact stated he turned off the vehicle 3-5 times until the warning light turned disappeared, before continuing to drive to his residence. The contact is called LaFayette Ford, Inc. (5202 Raeford Rd, Fayetteville, NC 28304, (910) 424-0281) & Crown Ford (256 Swain St, Fayetteville, NC 28303: (910) 600-6598) and made them aware of the failure. The contact stated that in September 2021, he experienced the failure for a second time. The contact took the vehicle to Crown Ford and was informed that the brakes needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

NHTSA ODI 11446183

See the Recall report.

NHTSA ODI 11444934

I came out of Lowes and got into my vehicle and when I tried to back it out, I could not turn my wheels and the message on the instrument panel stated, "Power Steering Assist Fault". I shut of my engine and restarted the Explorer and after a few seconds I was able to steer my vehicle. I am afraid to drive the Explorer because I have two car seats in the car that carry two children. My Explorer was made in the Chicago plant in March of 2013, but my vin number appears not to be included in the ones to be covered.

NHTSA ODI 11444267

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated they had taken their vehicle to a local dealer for a crack in the water pump which the dealer repaired, After the repair, the contact noticed a burning abnormal odor when turning on their heat from their a/c unit, which caused the contact and his passenger to become light-headed and dizzy. The contact drove to a local hospital where it was confirmed that the reason for the symptoms was due to high level of carbon monoxide levels. The contact called the local dealer about the abnormal odor but the dealer informed the contact they would not be able to fix the issue and inform the contact to reach out to the manufacturer for the failure. The contact decided to take the vehicle's independent mechanic who diagnosed the failure as small oil leaks around the engine that contribute to the odor coming into the interior of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made of failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

NHTSA ODI 11444001