2011 Ford Explorer Steering Problems
- 424
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 424 stored complaint records:
- 12 indicate a crash
- 2 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- Electric Power Assist System · 2 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 1–30k mi | 143 |
| 30–60k mi | 120 |
| 60–100k mi | 78 |
| 100–150k mi | 38 |
| 150–400k mi | 21 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Steering
Vehicle was traveling on an interstate when three warnings came up, all referring back to the power steering. The vehicle became extremely difficult to turn. We were able to move the vehicle off to the side of the road. Vehicle was turned off and seem to reset. We then drove the vehicle to the dealership where it still sits. *tr
ODI 10470732
Steering
Power steering failed in my 2011 ford explorer while on the highway. Was able to pull to the side safely but was a very dangerous situation with my 2 young boys in the car. *tr
ODI 10470620
Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip · Door · Latches/Locks/Linkages · Seats · Steering · Tank Assembly · Traction Control System
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving 5 mph the power steering assist failed message came on the instrument panel, immediately after it became extremely difficult to make any turns or maneuver the steering wheel. The contact mentioned that after powering off and restarting, the vehicle was performing as normal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was…
ODI 10470387
Steering
Driving my explorer at a speed of 45 mph a warning light came on and said the power steering had failed. Which it had. Also received warnings my traction control had failed. Stop vehicle and turned off and restarted. The problem reset it self. This occurred twice within 5 days. *tr
ODI 10470273
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the power steering failed with the illumination of the warning light. The steering wheel then seized and the contact was barely able to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection or repairs. The manufacturer was notified and they stated that there was nothing that could be done and to take the…
ODI 10470093
Steering
I was slowing to stop for a stop light and a light appeared on the dash that the advance traction failed. Seconds later, a light came on saying the power steering failed, i tried to turn the wheel and it was very difficult to turn. *tr
ODI 10469928
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford explorer. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the power steering fail warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact restarted the vehicle and it resumed normal funtion. Also, the contact stated that while attempting to make a left turn, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the rack assembly needed to be…
ODI 10482216
Steering
I was driving my ford explorer and i got a warning alarm that the power steering failed. It was very difficult to steer the vehicle. I reported it to the dealer and when they looked at the car, the power steering was working but they are going to fix it. *tr
ODI 10469915
Steering
Started car and proceded to back out of driveway. Power steering was not working. A warning showed on dash screen "power steering assist" off failure. Stopped car / restarted and the power steering returned. Drove 5- 10 miles, no other failure. *tr
ODI 10469687
Power Train · Steering
I was pulling out of my garage and only got about 6 feet out of the garage and i immediately lost power steering - there was a message showing on the dash "power steering module fault". 2 days before this happened there was a very hard shaking in the front end. You could see the front passenger seat shake. The ford dealer said that was caused by a problem with the drive shaft. And also said that ford is aware of…
ODI 10472108
Steering
On three separate occasions within the past two weeks the power steering has failed. The most recent event occurred while my wife was driving at highway speeds. She said the car was uncontrollable and she had to brake to a stop in the travel lane. The problem can be resolved temporarily by shutting off the ignition and power and restarting, but it is obviously a recurring issue. *tr
ODI 10471729
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford explorer. The contact stated that the power steering failed while driving 40 mph. The contact shut off and restarted vehicle however, the train management mode was non-functional and all of the gear box lights on failed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who advised that the steering rack failed. The manufacturer was made aware of failure. The current and failure mileage was 22,000.
ODI 10469964
Steering
Traveling at 55 mph and received an alarm and warning message of a power steering fault. Vehicle became very hard to steer but i was able to get off of the highway. Restarted vehicle with all messages clear and vehicle drove ok. Vehicle was taken to dealer. Awaiting outcome. *tr
ODI 10469086
Steering
I was driving down the highway when the powersteering failed. Fortunately i was able to gain control of the vehicle without crashing. However it happened a second time and i slightly lost control of the car and ended up in the grass on the side of the road. *tr
ODI 10469049
Steering
On july 31,2012 i went to drive the explorer and the power steering warning came on. It reset itself. On august 2,2012 i took it to my ford dealer but the system was working. Later that day the system failed again with two additional codes. Ford agreed to have the car towed to the dealership. Today i was informed that it will cost me half of a $1500 repair bill. *tr
ODI 10469318
Steering
Steering wheel locks up when vehicles in motion suddenly lost power steering assist and made it harder to steer the vehicle. The dash board indicated "power steering assist fault" and "service advancetrack". This happened three time and after switching off the power and restarting the vehicle corrected the problem.. When steering locked up i almost hit the curb and telephone pole. Scared to drive the car have not…
ODI 10468468
Steering
While traveling down a highway at approximately 70 mph the power steering went out on our ford explorer. Obviously this was not a good situation. We almost caused an accident. We pulled to the side of the road. Shut the car off. Eventually restarted the vehicle and continued on our travels. When we returned home from vacation we contacted ford and they now have our explorer in their shop and we have been driving a…
ODI 10471285
Steering
Suddenly lost power steering assist and made it harder to steer the vehicle. The dash board indicated "power steering assist fault" and "service advancetrack". This happened twice and after switching off the power and restarting the vehicle corrected the problem. *tr
ODI 10467796
Steering
Was driving to work and was turning into the parking lot and the instrument panel suddenly showed "power steering default" and then the steering became extremely hard. Vehicle acted as if it had no power steering at all. Made it to a parking spot. Turned off vehicle. Got out checked for leaks, checked to see if power steering was low. (no leaks, fluid level was fine) restarted vehicle, the computer seemed to reset…
ODI 10467745
Electrical System · Steering
Power steering failure on 2011 ford explorer while traveling in neighborhood. Started the vehicle with remote start to cool vehicle in hot, humid houston, texas about 3 to 4 minutes before entering it. We drove 1.2 miles to an acquaintance's residence to co-sign a check for non-profit payment. Left vehicle running for +/- 3 minutes in his driveway. Backed out of his driveway and drove 1/2 mile when lost power…
ODI 10467719
Steering
Vehicle owner was driving to work this morning and when vehicle let out a chime and the message center stated that the electronic power steering assist had failed. Immediately, steering became quite difficult, but the driver was able to maneuver the vehicle safely to the side of the road. Driver shut engine off, waited a minute, and restarted vehicle. Systems appeared to be reset, message center was clear, and…
ODI 10467210
Electronic Stability Control · Steering
I was making a right turn onto a service drive to go on the expressway. As i was completing the turn i lost the power steering & the car started to decelerate. I got 2 messages on the dashboard, the only one i paid attention to was "service advance track", i think the 2nd message was about a loss of power steering. If it was, it was because of the advance track breaking. I was able to pull over to the side of the…
ODI 10471637
Steering
I was driving with my children on june 5, 2012 when suddenly the steering wheel locked. Shortly there after a yellow alert message appeared saying that a "power steering asst fail" had occurred. I could not do anything with the car and was frantic hoping that we would not be hit by other traffic. As a last resort i totally shut off the car and turned it back on. The car was then drive-able and i immediately took it…
ODI 10467087
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering assist would fail and cause the steering wheel to become inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that they were aware of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no additional assistance. The…
ODI 10476700
Steering
2011 ford explorer limited exhibiting variable power steering failure code . When fault occurs, power steering is lost on car until car is shut off and restarted. Failure has occurred more that 12 times in last month at speeds up to 35 mph. Dealer cannot recognize fault or recommend fix as the computer resets itself and clears the fault code upon restarting. This is a serious safety concern when traveling with…
ODI 10468915