What 1,747 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Ford Explorer

WHILE DRIVING IN WET CONDITIONS WITH THE AUTOMATIC CRUISE CONTROL ENABLED THE VEHICLE PULLS TO THE SIDES. FORDS RESPONSE IS THAT THE BRAND NEW WINTER TIRES ARE CAUSING THE SLIPPING.

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WIFE DROVE TO GROCERY STORE PARKED WENT IN STORE CAME OUT TO TRUCK STARTED IT PUT IN REVERSE IN THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING. TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT IS O ABS LIGHT IS ON AND BRAKE LIGHT IS ALSO ON . VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. LOOKED UP THE PROBLEM ON INTERNET AND LOTS OF SAME PROBLEMS WITH THIS.

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THE STEERING RACK AND PISTON MUST BE FULLY REPLACED. I NOTICED THE STEERING FELT A LITTLE ODD THE DAY BEFORE. I RECEIVED AN EMERGENCY WARNING WHEN I PARKED. WHEN I WAS PARKED I WAS UNABLE TO START THE VEHICLE. I HAD TO GET IT TOWED TO KOONS FORD OF BALTIMORE. NOW KOONS FORD SAYS IT WILL COST ME ROUGHLY $4000+ TO FIX THE VEHICLE, ALIGNMENT AND FEES. I'M UPLOADING AN IMAGE OF THE EMERGENCY ERROR. I'VE HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. IF I WERE DRIVING I WOULD HAVE DIED, AND/OR KILLED SOMEBODY.

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WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 55MPH THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING WENT OUT WITHOUT WARNING. THIS CAUSED ME TO GO OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND INTO A FENCE. VERY DANGEROUS, AS I HAVE READ SEVERAL OTHER STORIES ONLINE STATING THE SAME THINGS AND SOME AT HIGHER RATES OF SPEED ON THE INTERSTATE. LUCKILY I WAS ALONE AND NO ONE WAS HARMED. IT COULD HAVE BEEN ALOT WORSE.

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DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH I RECEIVED A TERRAIN MANAGEMENT FAULT ON THE DASH BOARD AND THEN A POWER STEERING FAULT AND THEN I LOST POWER STEERING. I PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. RESTARTED AND STARTED TO DRIVE HOME HAD THE SAME ISSUE AND LOST POWER STEERING AGAIN. RESTARTED A SECOND TIME AND WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME.

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THE RACK AND PINION STEERING WENT OUT ON OUR 2015 FORD EXPLORER AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A WEIRD RUBBING NOISE AT LOW SPEEDS. WHEN I GOOGLED THE ISSUE, I FOUND OUT THAT FORD HAD A RECALL FOR 2011-2017 FORD EXPLORERS FOR THE RACK AND PINION STEERING, HOWEVER THEY WERE ONLY FOR VEHICLES MANUFACTURED IN CHICAGO AND APPARENTLY MY VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL. I HAVE ATTACHED REPAID INVOICE. THE COST OF THE REPAIR WAS OVER $2500 (SEE JOBS 1 & 2 ON THE ATTACHED INVOICE.

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POPPING/KNOCKING NOISE WHEN TURNING AT LOW SPEED, GRADUALLY GET GETTING MORE SEVERE OVER TIME. IN ADDITION THERE HAVE BEEN INSTANCES WHERE THE CAR HAS NOT TURNED AS THE STEERING WHEEL IS MOVED. FORD GARAGE HAS DIAGNOSED THIS AS A STEERING RACK AND PINION UNIT PROBLEM. WITH ON 40K UNACCEPTABLE EARLY FAILURE OF THIS COMPONENT WITH A $3,000 REPAIR COST.

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MY STEERING IS VERY DIFFICULT. IT DOES NOT TURN AT TIMES. I NEVER GOT A RECALL NOTICE ON THIS, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A RECALL ENDING ON AUGUST 19. 2019. IT IS WHEN TURNING WHEN DRIVING--WITHER PULLING OUT OF AN INTERSECTION, MOVING FROM A PARALLEL PARKING POSITION, AND ALSO DRIVING ON THE ROAD. THER3E IS A RECALL AS FOLLOWS:RECALL REAR SUSPENSION TOE LINK REPLACEMENT NHTSA RECALL NUMBER: 19V435 NHTSA DATE:JUN 10, 2019 FORD RECALL NUMBER: 19S17 STATUS:11 - RECALL INCOMPLETE I DID NOT RECEIVE THE RECALL NOTICE TO HAVE THIS FIXED. IT CONTINUES TO GET WORSE AND I FEAR THAT IT WILL CAUSE A CRASH.

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GOT IN MY 2015 FORD EXPLORER THIS MORNING STARTED THE CAR BACKED OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND IT WOULD NOT STEER NO POWER STEERING AT ALL. APPARENTLY THERE IS A STEERING MODULE WITHIN THE STEERING COLUMN THAT GETS LOCKED BECAUSE OF TRACTION CONTROL? APPARENTLY IF THIS MODULE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THERE ARE SEVERAL INCIDENTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED WHILE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY.

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I GOT IN MY 2015 FORD EXPLORER THIS MORNING STARTED THE CAR BACKED OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND IT WOULD NOT STEER NO POWER STEERING AT ALL. APPARENTLY THERE IS A STEERING MODULE WITHIN THE STEERING COLUMN THAT GETS LOCKED BECAUSE OF TRACTION CONTROL THERE'S BE SEVERAL ACCOUNTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA WHERE THIS HAS HAPPENED WHEN PEOPLE ARE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY.APPARENTLY IF THIS MODULE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $3,000.

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POPPING/KNOCKING NOISE WHEN TURNING AT LOW SPEED, GRADUALLY GET GETTING MORE SEVERE OVER TIME. IN ADDITION THERE HAVE BEEN INSTANCES WHERE THE CAR HAS NOT TURNED AS THE STEERING WHEEL IS MOVED. FORD GARAGE HAS DIAGNOSED THIS AS A STEERING RACK AND PINION UNIT PROBLEM. WITH ON 77K THIS SEEMS TO BE AN UNACCEPTABLE EARLY FAILURE OF THIS COMPONENT.

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TURNED ON VEHICLE, BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, CAR MAKING A STRANGE SOUND AS I TRIED TO TURN STEERING WHEEL. COULD NOT TURN WHEELS, CAR WOULD NOT TURN. I MANAGED TO FIGHT THE STEERING WHEEL AND PULLED BACK INTO DRIVEWAY. I'M EXTREMELY CONCERNED AND VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THIS SITUATION. UPON RESEARCH I UNDERSTAND THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER CONSUMERS, FORD MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ISSUE BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED.

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THE POWER STEERING ASSIST ALERT CAME ON. WE FOLLOWED THE MANUAL SUGGESTION OF PULLING OVER, TURNING OFF VEHICLE AND RESTARTING AND IT DID NOT REPEAT. IT ALSO DIDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN FOR WEEKS. TODAY THAT ALERT AND ANOTHER POWER STEERING WARNING CAME ON AND THERE IS NO POWER STEERING. WE LIVE ON A PLATEAU WITH CURVY ROADS DOWN TO ANY REPAIR CENTER SO ARE FEARFUL OF DRIVING NOW. WHY DOES A VEHICLE WITH UNDER 60,000 MILES EVEN HAVE A SECTION IN THE MANUAL ABOUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT A WARNING THAT WILL MOST LIKELY COST YOU $2500 (PER FORD DEALER IN SPRINGFIELD TN) AND CAUSE A DANGEROUS DRIVING SITUATION? WE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TODAY AND RECEIVED THE WARNING EACH TIME. WE NEVER LEFT THE DRIVEWAY.

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DRIVING ON MN 61 IN MAPLEWOOD MN. WITHOUT WARNING THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT THE LITE CAME ON THAT STEERING NEEDED SERVICING NOW! MANAGED TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE TO STOP THEN DROVE IT TO SIGNAL GARAGE IN WEST ST PAUL, WITHOUT POWER STEERING. IT COST ME $2,789.00 TO HAVE THE STEERING REPAIRED. THEY REPLACED THE WHOLE POWER STEERING AND ALIGNED THE FRONT END. THE VEHICAL HAS ONLY 96,000 MILES. IT APPEARS THE STEERING IS TOO CLOSE TO THE CATILISTIC CONVERTER AND THE TURBO, THERE IS A HEAT SHIELD BUT IT NOT ENOFF TO PREVENT THE ELECTRONICS FROM OVERHEATING. YOU CANNOT REPLACE JUST THE ELECTRONICS YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE STEERING.

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REAR TOW LINK SNAPPED WHILE WIFE WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH, LOST CONTROL, FISHTAILED ACROSS TRAFFIC LANES BEFORE REGAINING CONTROL AND PULLING OVER. WIFE WAS SCARED TO DEATH. HAD TOWED TO FORD SERVICE CENTER. TOLD IT WAS A RECALL ISSUE, REPAIRED FREE OF CHARGE. REPAIRED AND PICKED UP THE CAR. TWO DAYS AFTER REPAIR, 7 YEAR OLD GRANDSON AND I WERE DRIVING 65 MPH ON HWY WHEN REAR TOW LINK SNAPPED AGAIN, LOST CONTROL, FISHTAILED ACROSS TRAFFIC LANES BEFORE REGAINING CONTROL AND PULLING TO SIDE OF HIGHWAY. GRANDSON AND I WERE TERRIFIED. TOWED TO FORD SERVICE CENTER, REPAIRED TOE LINK AND REPLACED REAR TIE RODS. TOLD THE TIE RODS WHERE SO WORE OUT THAT VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. NO MENTION OF TIE ROD ISSUE FROM PREVIOUS SERVICE CENTER. PICKED UP CAR AFTER ALL REPAIRS COMPLETED. FOUR DAYS AFTER PICKING UP VEHICLE, REAR TOE LINK SNAPPED, WHILE SAME 7 YR OLD GRANDSON AND I WERE DRIVING NORTH ON INTERSTATE AT 75 MPH. LOST CONTROL, FISHTAILED ACROSS BUSY TRAFFIC LANES, CROSSED THE MEDIAN AND HIT REFLECTOR POST ON THE EDGE OF THE SOUTHBOUND LANE BEFORE REGAINING CONTROL NARROWLY MISSING ON COMING TRAFFIC. REFLECTOR POST HIT AN ONCOMING CAR CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE DRIVERS DOOR AND SIDE MIRROR. GRANDSON AND I ARE IN SHOCK, SCARED TO DEATH AS WE ALMOST HIT A CAR HEAD ON. CAR TOWED TO SAME FORD SERVICE CENTER FOR REPAIR. WHEN WE WENT CHECK ON CAR WAS TOLD BY THE STAFF THAT HE WOULD GIVE ME THE KEYS VERY HESITANTLY BECAUSE HE FELT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. DID NOT TAKE CAR BECAUSE WE ARE TERRIFIED TO DRIVE IT AS WE HAVE ALMOST DIED WHILE DRIVING ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. ALL WITHIN 400 MILES OF DRIVING. HAVE YET TO TAKE POSSESSION OF VEHICLE. WE ARE NOW STUCK WITH A VEHICLE, AND A LOAN, THAT WE ARE TOO AFRAID TO DRIVE. I'VE HAD TO SEE MY THERAPIST TO DISCUSS THE LEVEL OF STRESS, ANXIETY AND FEAR. GRANDSON WILL NOT GET IN A CAR ALONE WITH ME AS HE IS TO AFRAID.

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POWER STEERING WENT OUT AND WILL COST OVER 2000 TO FIX

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VEHICLE BEGAN TO EXHIBIT A POPPING NOISE WHILE TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL AT LOW SPEEDS OR WHILE STOPPED. INITIALLY BEGAN ONLY WHILE IN REVERSE, SLOWLY PROGRESSED TO FORWARD MOTION AS WELL. GENERALLY OCCURS ONLY WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL CLOCKWISE. TOOK TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED IT AS FAULTY ELECTRONIC STEERING RACK, HOWEVER DUE TO DESIGN COULD NOT PERFORM FURTHER DIAGNOSIS. ENTIRE RACK REPLACED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. MILEAGE OF VEHICLE IS APPROXIMATELY 80,000, ISSUE BEGAN APPROX 78,000 MILES. NO DASH LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, NO FAILURE OR LOSS OF STEERING AT SPEED.

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MAKING RIGHT TURN AND STEERING FAULT ASSIST LIGHT CAME ON AND NO POWER STEERING AND VEHICLE WENT OFF TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD. VEHICLE IS BEING REPAIRED AT JONES FORD AND NEW STEERING WAS INSTALLED AND FOUND DEFECTIVE AND NEW PART IS ON ORDER FOR INSTALLATION FOR THE SECOND TIME.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE STEERING CEASED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MANEUVERED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROADWAY AND THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE THEN OPERATED AS DESIGNED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MIKE BURCH FORD BLACKSHEAR (304 WARE ST, BLACKSHEAR, GA 3151) AND IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE POWER STEERING ASSIST WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000.

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LOST POWER STEERING AT 33558 MILES AND TOOK TO DEALER FIR REPAIR. THEY CLEANED POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE TERMINAL CONTACTS AND APPLIED GREASE. 1000 MILES LATER WARNING LIGHT CAME BACK ON "STEERING ASSIST FAULT SERVICE NOW" WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND NOW THEY HAVE TO REPLACE THE THE POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE. FIRST REPAIR COST $323.54. COST TO REPLACE STEERING CONTROL MODULE WILL BE ABOUT $2300.00

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95K MILES. I STOPPED TO USE RESTROOM AND CANE OUT STARTED CAR TO ALARMS THAT SAID 'STEERING ASSIST FAILURE SERVICE REQUIRED. IT HAD NO POWER STEERING. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THIS WAS RECALLED FROM ONE FACTORY BUT IT SEEMS THE ISSUE IS MUCH WIDE SPREAD. I WAS ABLE TO STOP AND RESTART AND IT CLEARED UP ONLY TO GO OUT WHILE DRIVING

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VEHICLE IN MOTION ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WHICH WAS BEING RESURFACED. UPON THE TRANSITION FROM SMOOTH PAVEMENT TO PAVEMENT WHICH WAS BEING SCRAPED FOR RESURFACING, THE "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE" AND "SERVICE ADVANCETRAC" MESSAGES WERE DISPLAYED AND THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE AND THE DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS ONLY WORK BY HOLDING THE STALK IN THE PROPER POSITION MANUALLY. THIS OCCURRED TWICE DURING A TRIP FROM CHARLOTTE, NC TO FORT WORTH, TX. IN BOTH INSTANCES, THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE THE SAME - TRANSITION FROM SMOOTH TO UNDULATING PAVEMENT.

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THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOSES POWER STEERING. HAS HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 55MPH, AT LOWER SPEEDS 25MPH, AND WHILE STOPPED IN A PARKING LOT. VEHICLE BECOMES NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. ERROR MESSAGES OCCUR INCLUDING POWER STEERING FAULT, POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE.

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I BOUGHT MY 2015 EXPLORER BACK IN 2018 WITH THE POPPING NOISE IN THE STEERING. I WAS TOLD BACK THEN IT WAS NORMAL. AS TIME WENT ON, THE POPPING NOISE HAS BECOME WORSE. I HAVE ADDRESSED IT OVER THE PAST WEEK, AND HAVE DETERMINED TWO THINGS. 1, THE TSB PUT OUT BY FORD FOR THE THRUST WASHERS ON THE AXLES IS A WASTE OF MONEY. 2, THE RACK AN PINION SHOULD BE THE TRUE RECALL ON THE 2011-2015 FORD EXPLORER, AND POSSIBLY NEWER MODELS FROM WHAT I HAVE READ. MINE WAS TROUBLESHOT DOWN TO THE RACK AND PINION TODAY BY MY MECHANIC, AND JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE HERE, IT'S GOING TO COST $2300 TO REPLACE. I HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS OF THE STEERING LOCKING UP OVER PROLONGED SITTING AS WELL. THIS IS ALARMING AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE NHTSA, SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.

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DRIVING ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY AND THE POWER STEERING COMPLETELY FAILED. WE WERE TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED THE CAR TO BRING IT IN BUT IT SOUNDED LIKE "STEERING ASSIST FAULT" SINCE THAT WAS THE ERROR MESSAGE, DUH.IT WAS COST $500 FOR AN ALIGNMENT? REPLACED FAULTY RACK AND PINION GEAR AND CHECKED ALIGNMENT(SHOULD BE OK SINCE THEY ALIGNED IT THE SAME DAY) TOTAL BILL $2291.00 THIS IS A 2015 EXPLORER LIMITED THAT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP SEVERAL TIMES FOR CAR A CARBON MONOXIDE LEAK IN THE CABIN OF SUV FOR REPAIRS, POWER SEAT REPAIRS AND INTERIOR DOOR PANEL COMING APART.

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