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
While driving my steering column locked up and lights on my dash indicated that the power steering and traction control were no longer working. I was forced to attempt to pull over which was nearly impossible due to my power steering no longer working. I turned my vehicle on and off 2 times (giving it time between to resent itself) before it would work properly however the lights indicating the power steering and…
ODI 10583248
Steering
The service advance track warning appeared followed the power steering failure. The power steering totally went out. The result could have been disastrous had i been turning sharply at the time of failure. Luckily i was able to pull to the side of the road. This appears to be an ongoing problem with this vehicle and many have reported it. It is only a matter of time before this known issue results in a fatality. *tr
ODI 10586446
Steering
While driving my steering column locked up and lights on my dash indicated that the power steering and traction control were no longer working. I was forced to attempt to pull over which was nearly impossible due to my power steering no longer working. I turned my vehicle on and off 5 times (giving it time between to resent itself) before it would work properly however i continued to have the same issues with it…
ODI 10583246
Steering
The steering power assist fault was lite up and then i lost all steering and all i could do was turn my flashers on to avoid being hit and drive off to the side of the road. *tt
ODI 10583231
Steering
We have had multiple incidents where the power steering would lock up and we would get a "power steering assist fault". So far, shutting down the car then restarting has cleared the issue. We have been lucky; this has occurred only at low speeds (backing out of the garage or in a store parking lot). Took the car to get checked today and it is going to cost $2,000 to repair the electronic power assist steering (epas)…
ODI 10585776
Steering
Upon starting the vehicle a warning appeared on the dash stating that the power steering assist had failed. Turning the car off and restarting it cleared the problem. When the vehicle went in for service in august of 2014 there was a recall from ford (14s06) that reprogrammed the computer module. After the service there were still intermittent occasions where the warning appeared, but it always went away when…
ODI 10713322
Electrical System · Steering
While driving on the interstate at about 70 mph, an electrical light came up on the dash and i immediately lost power steering. My family was in the car and it was extremely frightening. I was able to muscle the car over to the right lane at which point, power steering was restored. The issue happened again around 20 minutes later and then rectified itself after a minute or so. I drove the car to the dealer and…
ODI 10594974
Steering
Driving around a curve and the steering locked up. We swerved into the other lane and luckily didn't get hit. The power steering assist fault notification came on. *tr
ODI 10575858
Steering
I was driving in the highway approximately 65 mph, all of the sudden the "powersteering assist failure" message popped up. I exited the highway but had a very difficult time turning the steering wheel. I turned the vehicle off and then restarted it again; the steering wheel went back to normal. This is a very dangerous issue; i have children and depend on my vehicle daily. *tr
ODI 10574679
Power Train · Steering · Traction Control System
I was driving on a major street during heavy afternoon traffic. The steering became extremely difficult and i could barely turn the wheel. The warning lights for advanced traction failure and power steering assist fault came on. I also noticed the terrain management control was no longer illuminated. I tried to turn off the road into the driveway but it was extremely difficult. I am a reasonably strong adult woman…
ODI 10575449
Steering · Suspension
While driving the power steering shut down along with the traction control.
ODI 10568345
Electrical System · Steering
The car basically shuts off and you lose power steering. No warn lights just cuts off immediately. We brought the car to the dealership and they ran a diagnostic and told us the issue was with the power steering sensor and that it would cost $2,000 to fix. I took to the internet and searched the issue to find out that there have been a number of owners that have had the same problem. I called ford customer service…
ODI 10585498
Steering
Power steering fail light came on and i lost my power steering. After killing the car, letting it sit then restarting it i started back working. *tr
ODI 10566243
Steering
While driving on a highway received a warning for steering failure,shortly after power steering completely failed.resulting in very hard steering at highway speeds.vehicle towed to a ford dealer who reset computer fixing problem but could not duplicate or explain why it happened. *tr
ODI 10585878
Air Bags · Electronic Stability Control · Steering
I was driving down the street at 55 mph when the 'power steering assist fault' displayed on the dashboard interior display. The steering wheel immediately locked up & i lost complete control of the vehicle & drifted to the right. I stepped on the brakes to avoid crashing & turned the car off. Once i turned the car back on the fault was no longer there & i drove home. I called the ford dealership & made an…
ODI 10561703
Steering
I was driving my explorer when the power steering went out suddenly, making it almost impossible to steer to safety. A message appeared on the dash about the problem, but i was too busy trying to steer to safety to memorize what it said. *tr
ODI 10559524
Steering
After starting the car, a warning occurred for the first time saying power steering needed service "soon". We turned the car off and restarted. The notice did not appear and my entire family continued to our destination. During the course of our ride, we did not receive another warning. Then while attempting to make a turn we veered into the other lane nearly crashing into another car.due to power steering loss. The…
ODI 10558159
Steering
Driving in the mountains at night, proceeding up a steep and icy grade, the vehicle gave a warning signal about a power steering problem and immediately the power steering unit failed. The extremely difficult steering capability of this vehicle during this failure, forced us to creep along a major highway to finish the eight miles to the nearest town. After researching this problem, i stumbled onto the nhtsa website…
ODI 10557874
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the power steering failed without warning. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnosis or repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 37,000.
ODI 10557269
Steering
Driving and all of a sudden the power steering warning light comes on and the vehicle locks up. Very scary situation because i couldn't control the vehicle. I purchased this vehicle brand new??? *tr
ODI 10555766
Steering
I was parked at a store parking lot. I got in the car to back up and this message "powersteering assist failure" popped up on the screen and i was not able to turn the steering wheel at all. I shut the car off and then restarted it...then the power steering went back to normal. *tr
ODI 10566256
Electronic Stability Control · Steering
I was rounding a curve in an intersection when the steering became impossible to steer . I managed to get it off the road and i noticed the traction controls were lit up along with the steering failure warring came on. After restarting the car everything returned to normal. *tr
ODI 10551205
Steering
The power steering assist on my 2011 ford explorer has just stopped working suddenly on two different occasions. Both times happened in parking lots and the steering started working again after turning the vehicle off and back on again. I'm reporting this because the ford dealer will not attempt to fix it since it reset itself and is now working again. However, research shows this is happening to many people with…
ODI 10587320
Steering · Vehicle Speed Control · Wheels
I was getting ready to turn into the parking lot .. When 2 sets of lights came on ..the system indicators came up .. One indicating the power steering error and another indicating the power steering locked ... Then the steering wheel became very hard to turn .. Making so very hard to turn into a parking space .. Someone had to push me into the parking lot out of the way .. Later to call ford dealership doesn't want…
ODI 10551043
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford explorer. The contact stated the steering wheel locked while driving and it became hard to turn. The power steering light illuminated as the failure occurred. The failure was experienced several times. The dealer reset the power train computer; however, the failure was not corrected. The steering wheel continued to lock while driving. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure.…
ODI 10562858