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

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.

NHTSA ODI 11366916

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.

NHTSA ODI 11351047

DRIVING AT 20MPH OVER A BRIDGE, MY TOE LINK SNAPPED, CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL AND VEER OFF THE ROAD LOSING CONTROL. I LOST COMPLETE CONTROL OVER MY STEERING AND TIRES REMAINED TURNED, LOSING ALL CONTROL AND ABILITY TO DRIVE. THE TOE LINK WAS SERVICED BECAUSE THERE WAS A RECALL. HOWEVER, THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THE TOE LINK WAS FIXED ON THIS VEHICLE. NOW, ONLY MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE, THERE IS ANOTHER ISSUE REGARDING THE TOE LINK AND BUSHINGS. FORD AND DEALERSHIP REFUSE TO COVER THE CHARGES BECAUSE RECALL HAS ALREADY BEEN SERVICED. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE PROBLEM WILL BE FIXED TEMPORARILY FOR A FOURTH TIME AND WILL SNAP AS I AM GOING FASTER SPEEDS THAN THE 20 MPH I INITIALLY LOST CONTROL AT. THERE NEEDS TO BE ANOTHER RECALL ON MY ALREADY RECALLED PART, OTHERWISE THERE WILL NEVER BE ANY SAFE DRIVING DISTANCE IN THIS VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11330293

WAS DRIVING AND THE STEER WELL BECAME LOCK COULDN'T TURN THE WHEEL, TRIED TO PUMP THE BRAKES AND THEY DIDN'T CATCH. END UP DRIVING RIGHT INTO A POLE AND THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY WITH EVERYONE HITTING THEIR HEADS AND KIDS GETTING CONCUSSIONS.

NHTSA ODI 11153565

WHILE DRIVING W ON M-81 HIGHWAY 5 MILES WEST OUTSIDE CASS CITY, NI. SUDDENLY LOST POWER STEERING ASSIST ENTERING CURVE.. VEHICLE DEPARTED ONTO GRAVEL WHILE TRYING TO CRANK WHEEL CCW TO GET BACK IN LANE.. THEN WHILE TRYING TO CORRECT WHEEL CW TO STAY IN WESTBOUND LANE, VEHICLE CROSSED INTO EASTBOUND LANE BEFORE REGAINING CONTROL AND REDUCING SPEED - POWER STEERING REMAINED IN MANUAL MODE UNTIL REACHING HOME - NO PRE-WARNING, POWER ASSIST DISENGAGED UPON DISPLAY WARNING FOR "STEERING FAULT", "TERRAIN MANAGEMENT", AND "ADVTRACTION". WOULD HAVE BEEN MANAGEABLE IF FAULT OCCURED ON STRAIGHT ROAD, BUT AT ENTRANCE TO CURVE AT HIGHWAY SPEED, WAS UNABLE TO HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO MUSCLE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL. BAD SITUATION IF WIFE OR DAUGHTER HAD BEEN DRIVING. TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP TODAY, STARTED UP WITH POWER ASSIST FUNCTIONAL ONCE AGAIN, STILL SHOWS FAULTS FOR TERRAIN AND TRACTION CONTROL. POWER STEERING SHOULD NOT DISENGAGE IF A FAULT IS DETECTED IN TERRAIN MANAGEMENT OR TRACTION CONTROL. NO INJURIES, BUT SOME WRIST STRAIN IN MANEUVERING THE STEERING WHEEL UNDER MANUAL CONTROL. NO MEDICAL TREATMENT SOUGHT.

NHTSA ODI 11122772

STEERING FAILED AT 65 MPH NOT ALLOWING ME TURN THE VEHICLE. HURT WRIST TRYING TO AVOID OTHERS CARS.

NHTSA ODI 11113911