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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM COULD HAVE BEEN WITH THE STEERING, AXLE OR THE TRANSMISSION. THE DEALER DID NOT HAVE SPECIFICS PERTAINING TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 2,000. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10511073

I EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING, AS WELL AS STABILITY CONTROL, TRACTION CONTROL, AND TERRAIN MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ERRORS. I WAS STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION WAITING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. ONCE I STARTED MOVING TO MAKE THE TURN (@ 5 MPH), A NUMBER OF BEEPS WENT OFF, WARNINGS WERE DISPLAYED ON THE VEHICLE INFORMATION SCREEN, AND I LOST POWER STEERING. AFTER PULLING OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH NO POWER STEERING, I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND THEN RESTARTED. AT THIS POINT THE POWER STEERING WAS WORKING, BUT THE TRACTION CONTROL AND TERRAIN MANAGEMENT ERRORS WERE STILL HAPPENING. AFTER A MINUTE, THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT WENT OFF. THERE WAS STILL AN ERROR WITH THE TERRAIN MANAGEMENT. AFTER GETTING HOME SAFELY 90 MINUTES LATER, I RESTARTED IT AGAIN, AND ALL SYSTEMS SEEMED TO BE WORKING, WITH NO ERRORS REPORTED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10509678

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE THE ENGINE WAS STARTED AND ALSO, WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEED. THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE THEN FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,000 AND THE APPROXIMATE MILEAGE WAS 8,000. UPDATED 5/24/13 *CN

NHTSA ODI 10508516

WHILE ACCELERATING UNDER FULL THROTTLE THE VEHICLE STEERING BECOMES ERRATIC AND THE VEHICLE WANTS TO WEAVE SIDE TO SIDE WITH NO INPUT FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED THAT THIS WILL EVENTUALLY CAUSE ME TO HAVE MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISION WHEN TRYING TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE, GET UP TO SPEED ON FROM A HIGHWAY ON RAMP, OR WHILE TRYING TO AVOID ANOTHER SITUATION. I WOULD LIKE THE NHTSA AND FORD TO EVALUATE THEIR 2013 FORD EXPLORER LIMITED 4WD FOR UNINTENTIONAL STEERING SWAY UNDER FULL ACCELERATION. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10505567

I DROVE MY RECENTLY ACQUIRED AND NEW FORD EXPLORER SPORT FOR FIRST TIME ON THE HIGHWAY ON MARCH 4, 2013. WHEN ACCELERATING TO PASS A TRUCK, I LOST CONTROL OF FRONT END TO POINT OF SWIRLING AND NEAR COLLISION WITH THE TRUCK. I DON'T CONSIDER THIS A FLUKE AS SAME HAPPENED A WHILE LATER DURING SAME HIGHWAY TRIP. I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH HIGH HORSEPOWER PASSENGER VEHICLES AND SPORTS CARS FOR THAT MATTER. I AM ALSO VERY FAMILIAR WITH HIGHER AND ALLOWABLE SPEEDS HAVING DRIVEN AND HANDLED SPORT CARS AND PASSENGER VEHICLES ON GERMAN AUTOBAHNS WHILE LIVING IN EUROPE. IT IS MY EXPERIENCE AND BELIEF THAT THE COMBINATION OF CHARACTERISTICS (WEIGHT BALANCING IN COMBINATION WITH SIGNIFICANT HORSEPOWER, POSSIBLY LARGE TIRE SIZE, TRACTION AND FOUR WHEEL/FRONT WHEEL DRIVE ASPECTS, THRUST ETC.) MAKE THIS VEHICLE, THE FORD EXPLORER SPORT, EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ON HIGHWAY WHILE ACCELERATING AT ALLOWABLE SPEEDS. A LOCAL DEALERSHIPS' EXPERT (READ: DEALER IS AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR) IN INDIANA CONFIRMED MY OBSERVATIONS AND BELIEFS AND USED TERM "SQUIRLYNESS" TO DESCRIBE VEHICLES' HANDLING WHEN ACCELERATING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. FORD INDICATES THAT VEHICLE OPERATES AS DESIGNED, I CONTENT THE DESIGN IS BAD, CAUSING THIS FORD EXPLORER SPORT VERSION TO BE VERY DANGEROUS. IN MY MIND IT IS ENTIRELY FORESEEABLE THAT ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN TO UNSUSPECTING DRIVERS OF THIS VEHICLE BASED ON THE VEHICLE CHARACTERISTICS. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WILL NOT BE ADMITTED TO BY FORD DUE TO PRE-EMPTIVE LIABILITY ASSUMPTION IN CASE OF ACCIDENTS. I OFFERED FORD TO TAKE THIS NEW VEHICLE BACK. ONCE AGAIN I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY WOULD NOT AS THIS WOULD IMPLY ADMITTANCE OF SAFETY CONCERNS REGARDING THE FORD EXPLORER SPORT VERSION. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10502773

AS I WAS TURNING LEFT AT A LIGHT, MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT COMPLETELY IN THE CAR. I LOOKED DOWN AT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND IT WAS BRIGHT YELLOW AND SAID ADVANCE TRAC FAILURE. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO CONTROL THE SUV AND IT TOOK EVERY OUNCE OF UPPER BODY STRENGTH IN ME TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT. I BARELY AVOIDED A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH ANOTHER SUV AS I TURNED INTO THE LOT. I PULLED INTO THE BACK OF THE LOT AND PUT THE SUV IN PARK AND TURNED IT OFF. UPON TURNING IT BACK ON THE POWER STEERING WAS WORKING AGAIN. I WAS VERY SHOOK UP SINCE I HAD MY 6 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WITH ME AS WELL. I HOPE SOMEONE LOOKS INTO WHAT IS CAUSING THIS TO HAPPEN. MY BRAND NEW CAR IS AT THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP AND WHEN I DROPPED IT OFF THIS MORNING I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING HAPPENING TO ANYONE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10487903

POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE BACKING UP AND DRIVING. TURNING VEHICLE OFF AND ON CAUSES POWER STEERING TO WORK. VERY HARD TO STEER, NOT SAFE TO DRIVE... DEALER IS PUTTING A HOLE NEW POWER STEERING UNIT IN... *TR

NHTSA ODI 10482910