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

Total loss of Power Steering ! Warning light display: "Steering Assist Fault", "Service AdvanceTrac", turn signals unable to lock and release. Hard Fault codes present: U3000 96-C8, C200D, 49-48 C1B00, 64-48. This problem started somewhere in the last quarter of 2025, it started with intermittent and sudden loss of power steering, while driving, which is very much a safety issue, especially when my wife does not have a lot of strength in her arms while trying to maneuver a vehicle with manual steering only. It has happened to me as well. It used to be that when you get to a save pull over point, shut vehicle off and do a restart, it would reset back to normal operation, most of the time, until it would go into fault mode again. As of about XXX, 3 weeks now, the (EPAS) steering, has been in permanent fault or fail mode and will not reset. With all my research on this, I can't believe Ford has not extended model year and or VIN's, from the previous recalls on this very same issue that the Explorer has. Again, based on research, it appears the complete steering rack would need replacing. That is a very very expense repair, that is just not in our budget. So we still drive it, because we have to, I try to drive it mostly other than my wife, but it is still a bit scary. We have had this vehicle since new, it now has 112000 miles. Thank you for reading and accepting my compliant on this issue. Any help would be greatly appreciated, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11746687

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the power steering feature was intermittently inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. A technician attempted to diagnose the vehicle, but no diagnostic trouble codes were retrieved. The contact was informed that the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that the failure had progressively worsened, causing the power steering to become inoperable. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.

NHTSA ODI 11746204

This 2015 Ford Explorer XLT - The power steering goes out. Multiple times. No recall with many many of these vehicles reporting to have the same problem. I was 200 miles away from home when this happened. The steering becomes extremely stiff and jerks. Making it very dangerous.

NHTSA ODI 11744178

My Ford Explorer has less than 97,000 miles on it and im experiencing popping noises and slight play in steering. upon inspecting the tie-rod I found that the rack and pinion had play in it. the vehicle hasn't been wrecked so there's no reason I should be losing my steering rack under 100k miles.

NHTSA ODI 11739961

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the front ball joint and lower control arm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 197,000.

NHTSA ODI 11725194

on 8/1/25 service steering assist light came on, vehicle was driven to the auto repair shop with no hard codes to diagnose. Vehicle was driven towards home on 8/6/25 and lost all steering within a matter of seconds while on the highway at 60 mph. Steering assist light came on and stabilitrac light flashed. Vehicle had to be towed and rack and pinion needed replacing. Once fixed the vehicle was driven until 9/23/25 infrequently when the steering assist fault came back on and vehicle would not move as steering locked up and the rack and pinion needed to be replaced again. 12/13/25 steering assist light came on while backing up and steering locked up. This is terrifying to say the least.

NHTSA ODI 11706769

I am filing an official safety complaint regarding my 2015 Ford Explorer Sport 3.5L due to a dangerous and sudden power-steering failure that occurred while I was driving with my children in the vehicle. There were no warning lights, alerts, or symptoms leading up to the failure. The power steering went out instantly and without any indication that something was wrong. The moment it failed, the steering wheel locked up and became extremely difficult to turn, nearly causing multiple accidents. I had children in the car at the time, and this situation created an immediate and severe safety hazard for everyone in my vehicle and on the road. After this happened, I contacted (by phone) Ford directly. Without any inspection, hesitation, or further explanation, I was immediately told that the vehicle “needs a new steering rack and pinion.” The quoted repair cost exceeds $3,000, on a vehicle I am still paying $500 a month for. I have since discovered that there are thousands of other Ford Explorer owners reporting the exact same issue, with the same model years, same sudden failure, and the same required repair. This is clearly not an isolated incident. This pattern strongly indicates a widespread manufacturing or component defect that poses a significant risk of injury or death. I am deeply concerned that Ford has not issued a formal recall for a problem that can cause an immediate loss of steering control at highway speeds and in everyday driving conditions. The number of publicly documented complaints online demonstrates that this is a systemic and dangerous failure that should not be ignored. I am requesting that NHTSA fully investigate this issue and require Ford Motor Company to issue a recall for the defective steering rack/power steering system in the 2015 Ford Explorer Sport 3.5L ecoboost w/o park assist, as well as any related model years or trims using the same components. Vehicle is available for inspection.

NHTSA ODI 11704766

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that on four occasions when the vehicle was started, the message "Steering Assist Service Required" was displayed. The contact stated that the steering wheel was very stiff and would not move. The vehicle was restarted, and the vehicle operated as needed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11699136

I was going to the pharmacist. When I started my vehicle there was an alert for ""steering assist fault service required". I tried to turn the steering wheel and it would not turn. I could not use my vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11688702

Steering wheel when turned to right or left makes a loud screeching sound. It was brought to dealership and diagnosed that the steering wheel computer is failing and only way to fix is to replace the entire steering wheel rack. 5k to replace. Vehicle was inspected in April ‘25. Same issue has been happening constantly since. 80k miles Also, rear back up camera goes blank intermittently.

NHTSA ODI 11688361

Power steering service required message Power steering instantly failed at 55 mph Warning messages for AdvanceTrac and Terrain Assist Blinkers only work if held after all this Every other motorist in the road at the time (this morning) was put at risk as the vehicle was nearly impossible for my wife to steer. Multiple dealers claimed there is no recall for this. After online investigation, it appears there are quite a lot of instances of this happening. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. It has not been inspected by any dealer, police, insurance or any others.

NHTSA ODI 11688077

I was in a parking lot when the electric power steering went out. Couldn’t turn wheel at all

NHTSA ODI 11684832

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 50-55 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The message "Power Steering Failure -Service Immediately" was displayed. The contact was able to pull over to the side road. The contact was able to drive to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 139,160.

NHTSA ODI 11681605

The factory installed headlight screw punctured the coolant line of my 2015 Ford Explorer causing my transmission to stop working properly. This resulted in a $725 tow bill and $1,067.56 in repairs. The certified mechanic verified that the screw was an original part and it punctured the line, likely after some time rubbing against it. The transmission did not appear to be damaged however my safety was at risk trying to pull over to when the vehicle would no longer shift gears. I have a video of the leak that lines up with the screw placement but was not able to upload it...I am happy to email it to you.

NHTSA ODI 11679847

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the power steering assist was inoperable. The failure occurred while the contact’s husband was stopped for fuel. The driver turned on the vehicle and the steering wheel had seized. The engine maintenance warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion and steering needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired by the dealer. The contact stated that an independent mechanic confirmed that the steering and rack and pinion needed to be replaced, but the parts were on backorder. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was opened. The owner was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

NHTSA ODI 11678555

As I was parking my 2015 Ford Explorer Sport, a warning appeared on the instrument panel stating “Power Steering Assist Fault,” and the steering suddenly became so difficult that I was unable to move the vehicle. Although this has only happened once, I’m very concerned about the possibility of it occurring again—especially while driving on the highway. Losing the ability to steer could put my family’s lives, and the lives of others, in serious danger. I have read numerous customer complaints about this exact issue on the NHTSA website. It’s time for the manufacturer to issue a recall for these vehicles and fix the problem before someone loses their life due to this defect.

NHTSA ODI 11678042

The power steering assist in my vehicle is becoming progressively worse, I would welcome an inspection. Basically, the power steering assist will vary throughout the sweep of the steering wheel. During a turn or lane change the power steering may feel normal, be non-existent, or alternate between the 2 conditions, often requiring significant force to steer the vehicle (vehicle speed seems to make no difference.) This condition is an obvious safety risk for vehicle occupants or any other vehicles, pedestrians, or property in the vicinity. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer or service center - I have gathered from researching various message boards that Ford will disavow the issue and tell me that I will need a new steering rack at a charge of approximately $3,000. No inspection has been done as of yet. No warning lamps or messages have presented as of yet and there are no unusual sounds accompanying the problem. The problem has been going on for approximately 3 weeks.

NHTSA ODI 11676282

When you are in park and the car is on there is a lot of play in the steering wheel and it sounds like something is broken and when you are driving, the steering wheel and car itself starts shaking. I believe it is the rack and pinion as everything the dealer quoted it was the rack and pinion and steering box. it is now undrivable because we took it to the dealership and couldn't afford the parts and labor to fix it even though it was clearly a manufacturing issue.

NHTSA ODI 11673422

I own a 2015 ford and the power steering system just stopped working with abs and traction being lost as well. My husband owns a 2016 Ford F150 and has the same thing going on with his truck. I am seeing this is being reported as a common problem with Fords electric power steering.

NHTSA ODI 11669972

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver before the steering wheel seized. The contact stated the message 'Steering Wheel Default" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact was able to pull over to the side. The contact turned the vehicle off and after a few minutes, the vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle functioned normally for the rest of the drive. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to costs. The failure was progressively worsening, and the vehicle was no longer being driven. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000(STEERING). However, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.

NHTSA ODI 11669526

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 40 MPH, there was a clanking sound coming from the steering wheel. The contact stated that the steering wheel shifted to the left and the contact immediately corrected the steering wheel; however, in the process the vehicle became airborne. The contact stated that upon landing, the front driver’s, the front passenger’s, and rear driver’s side tires were deflated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was advised that the control arms, wheel axles, wheel bearings, rims, and tires were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11669161

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his mother was driving and stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The contact stated an unknown message was displayed on the instrument panel before the steering wheel seized. After several attempts, the vehicle was restarted, and the vehicle returned to normal functionality. The vehicle was taken to Jamie Tires; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while her sister was driving the vehicle, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired for the most recent failure. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

NHTSA ODI 11666272

Loss of power steering assist

NHTSA ODI 11664849

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after having the tires replaced, while in reverse or while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was losing power steering functionality. The failure had become a persistent failure. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 149,466.

NHTSA ODI 11664537

Lost control of steering. Was extremely hard to contor vehicle. Put me at great risk of accident.

NHTSA ODI 11651932