What 1,671 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Ford Explorer Gas

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle jerked abnormally, and the advancetrac, traction control, steering assist, and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that an unknown message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was determined that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11609655

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the steering wheel seized with the message “Steering Loss – Stop Safely” displayed. The contact was unable to turn the steering wheel. The contact stopped, turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the steering wheel remained seized. The vehicle was towed to the contact's lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and informed the contact that there was no recall on the VIN related to the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 168,000.

NHTSA ODI 11609688

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the electric power steering stopped functioning as intended. The traction control warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the steering seized, and the vehicle was difficult to steer. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was jerking. The contact stated that the failure occurred while his minor children were seated in the rear seat of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed power steering module. The contact was informed that the steering assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 84,700.

NHTSA ODI 11608942

Have electric power steering and have had it fixed plus had the rod and piston fixed. Still having issues after less than a year with steering becoming stiff. Been told twice now the problem has been fixed with paying thousands for issue after issue and the steering still having issues.

NHTSA ODI 11608235

Power Steering (Steering Assist) failure appeared during driving, steering suddenly was very hard and required a lot of force. After restarting the car, it initially worked, then failed again. Upon further restarts the Steering Assist warning appeared right at starting the car, power steering was not working, just made it to the shop to get it repaired. This is exeactly the same problem as in the 2011-2013 Ford Explorer (NHTSA 14V286000, Ford Recall 14S06). Ford needs to expand the recall to the 2014 model.

NHTSA ODI 11608065

The contact owned a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering rack failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the steering wheel was independently pulling to the left or the right. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with steering rack failure. The contact was informed that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was informed of an unknown recall however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact stated that the vehicle was involved in a crash that was not the owner’s fault, and the crash was not due to the failure. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and two cases were filed. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11608086

Steering fault warning message came up service now and stability control lights engaged both on and off, I lost control of my steering and it completely tightened up as I was driving. I was driving 60 miles per hour when this happened. Depending on the severity of the failure, I was completely at risk with colliding with anything on the road. I brought it straight to the dealership where it has been sitting for a week since they are not able to drive it into the garage because the steering is locked up and the wheel will not move even though it will start and engage in drive. They need to actually tow it into the garage to complete diagnostics, I expect from other reports this is an expensive fix, but the risk to my life and others on the road is worth reporting. Ford needs to include this steering fault on the 2014 explorers in a recall. There were no issues with the steering prior to this happening. Ford knows about this issue, how many complaints and near misses is it going to take to fix this problem?

NHTSA ODI 11606642

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The steering assist warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the electronic power steering gear. The contact was informed that the electronic power steering column needed to be replaced. 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 notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 60,000.

NHTSA ODI 11606060

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with his 12-year-old child in the vehicle, the steering wheel tightened up, and the vehicle drove straight and crashed into a sand barrier. The air bags deployed. The driver sustained injuries to his chest, head, and shoulder. There was no injury stated for the 12-year-old child who was also in the vehicle during the crash. Medical attention was provided to the driver. A Police report was filed but was not provided to the contact. The vehicle was towed to the Police Precinct. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that prior to the crash, the vehicle was parked and rolled back and struck another vehicle. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension). The contact called an unknown local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired after the crash. The contact stated that the vehicle was totaled; however, the Insurance Provider had not yet rendered a decision on the vehicle. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11606028

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and restarted; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering gear assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 125,000.

NHTSA ODI 11604799

Lost of power steering while driving and ABS not engaging only flashing lights when getting close to object in front of you at higher speeds. Car inspection at oil change shows seized u joint for steering shaft

NHTSA ODI 11603097

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the "Service Power Steering" warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to make a steering adjustment to stay in the lane and became aware that the steering wheel had seized. The contact was unable to turn the steering wheel to the left or to the right. The contact stopped and turned off and restarted the vehicle however, the power steering functionality had not returned. The contact had the vehicle towed back to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

NHTSA ODI 11602265

My steering is making a scretching noise when I try to turn it either way. With it being hard to turn I'm afraid for my safety with driving it and I dont have another vehicle to drive. Yes, I have a quote from a repair shop that my steering rack is going out I didn't notice a warning light as of yet.- this happened about a week ago I have found several complaints about the 2014 Ford Explorer Steering issues so I feel for safety purposes that this should have a recall.

NHTSA ODI 11601257

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH and turning the steering wheel to remain in the lane, the felt that the steering wheel had seized, and the contact was unable to turn in either direction. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stopped the vehicle and had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the rack and pinion and steering gears needed to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact that the steering gear teeth were fractured. The mechanic related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

NHTSA ODI 11600901

While driving on the highway, it was noted that the steering had started to feel a bit different, sluggish. We were able to pull off the highway, where complete loss of electrical assist on the power steering occurred. Warnings for loss of steering, traction control, and the 4WD system were displayed. Checked all fuses for the electric assist system, no problems noted. Being less than 15mi from home, I struggled to maintain the vehicle in the lane, but made it home. A call to my local Ford Service Center, and they tell me that there is no recall. Had this failure occurred at highway speeds it would have been catastrophic.

NHTSA ODI 11600160

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at slow speeds, the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were 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 notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 102,000.

NHTSA ODI 11598632

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the steering wheel seized, and the contact used excessive force to steer the vehicle. The contact stated that the "Steering Assist Fault - Service Required" and "Service Advancetrac" messages were displayed on the instrument panel. Despite the failure, the contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence at slow speeds with the hazard lights flashing. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that the steering failure was a common failure with similar vehicles. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls or Extended Warranty on the vehicle related to the power steering. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

NHTSA ODI 11595084

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while the contact's daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the steering was difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with rack and pinion failure. The contact was informed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with front strut assemblies failure. The contact was informed that the front strut assemblies needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed rack and pinon. The contact was informed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 71,500.

NHTSA ODI 11595146

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH in a parking lot, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. An unknown warning light was illuminated, and the Wheel Drive indicator light was turned off. The contact was able to pull into the parking space. The vehicle was towed to Pep Boys, where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion had failed and needed to be replaced. The part was purchased from the Ford dealer and the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred while driving 6 months later. The vehicle was towed to Pep Boys, where the rack and pinion was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact was able to drive to the residence using added force. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

NHTSA ODI 11591474

My 2014 Ford Explorer has developed a serious problem where the power steering intermittently stops working. I'm now afraid to drive this vehicle since it is almost impossible to steer this SUV without power steering. What happens if the power steering cuts out while I'm driving at 60 or 70 mph in dense traffic? I understand other drivers have reported the same problem. This is a very serious condition and should warrant an immediate recall, investigation, and repair by Ford and the NTSB.

NHTSA ODI 11589978

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact's husband stated that while driving 65 MPH, the steering wheel began to stick intermittently with the "Service Steering Now" message displayed on the instrument panel. Due to the steering wheel failure, the contact's husband used excessive force to steer the vehicle home. Upon restart of the vehicle, the steering wheel seized in place and then failed to move regardless of the excessive force used. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls on the vehicle for the steering. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

NHTSA ODI 11589746

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the "Service Steering Assist" and the traction stability warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact pulled over to the side of the roadway with difficulty and turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to regain power steering functionality. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering gears needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was recurring. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

NHTSA ODI 11589232

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, after which the vehicle started to pull to the left. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the steering rack and pinion. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 121,000.

NHTSA ODI 11589137

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving out of the driveway, the steering wheel became extremely stiff. Additionally, the power steering sensor fault message was displayed. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000.

NHTSA ODI 11588075

The Steering Assist system or power steering component stopped working causing unsteerable vehicle. This was part of the Ford recall [XXX]. We purchased this explorer used from Colvin Ford in Mcminneville, Oregon when the recall was still open and the dealer never notified us of the recall nor did they fix it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11583157