2012 Ford Explorer Steering Problems
- 168
- 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 168 stored complaint records:
- 6 indicate a crash
- 3 indicate injury
- 1 indicate fire
What owners report
- power steering · 132 records
- steering wheel · 35 records
- steering assist · 33 records
- assist fault · 22 records
- needed replaced · 14 records
- steering failed · 13 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 1–30k mi | 61 |
| 30–60k mi | 35 |
| 60–100k mi | 24 |
| 100–150k mi | 20 |
| 150–400k mi | 16 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Steering
I had a customer whose 2012 explorer had power steering failure (july 15, 2012). The vehicle was still running but he could not turn the steering wheel. I contacted ford mtr co and ask if they were having issues like this. They said no. I told them they may want to see all the complaints about the problem on line and they said again they did not have a problem. I called other dealers and found that all of them had…
ODI 10470610
Steering
As i was driving through two consecutive 90 degree turns at approximately 15 mph, the power steering failed causing the vehicle to be extremely difficult to turn. Due to the loss of power, the vehicle nearly left the road into an adjacent ditch. The vehicle warning lights on the dash did light up indicating a failure. Once regaining control of the vehicle, i turned the vehicle off. Upon restarting the vehicle, the…
ODI 10465525
Steering
Power steering assist was lost, suddenly and drastically increasing the strength needed to turn the steering wheel. *tr
ODI 10474586
Steering
We had just driven 1 1/2 hours (about 100 miles) from home to a campground, pulling our fleetwood pop-up camper. Drove highway speeds, with air conditioning on (as it was hot outside), sometimes using the "tow" mode other times not. Vehicle acted fine during our trip. Pulled into the parking lot to register at the office and shut off the motor for about 15 min. Started it again to pull into our site and there was no…
ODI 10466468
Steering
I was on the entrance ramp to the get on the highway and my steering locked up. I lost my power steering and the power steering assist fault light came on and the service advance trac warning also came on flashing back and forth between the two. This terrified me and thank goodness there wasn't much traffic and i was able to exit the highway and stop the car. The power steering came back on when the car was started.…
ODI 10463923
Steering
I imported this 2012 ford explorer to bolivia, bought in miami, fl. I was driving on a straight road, relatively slow (30mph). Suddenly the steering got stiff, making it extremely hard to turn. I slowly parked on the side of the road. The dashboard showed a sign that read: steering fault assist. I turned the vehicle off, then back on again. The problem went away. I am lucky that i was not going any faster, on a…
ODI 10465051
Steering
While driving approx 45mph the system track warning light came on & beeped, immediately followed by the power steering failure light. I was in an area with heavy construction & could not pull off the road immediately & steering became less & less responsive & in less than a minute as i found a place to pull off, the steering locked up totally. I called for tow service after turning off & back on with the same…
ODI 10464495
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford explorer. The contact stated that while waiting at traffic light, the power steering failed and the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The vin was not available. The failure and current mileages were 11,000.
ODI 10463196
Steering
Lost all power steering suddenly on the freeway, making it very difficult to steer. Was only one mile from my dealer, so i drove there. Very difficult to maneuver turns. Later determined by dealer that the power steering gear needed replacement. Has been on back order for one week now, part will not be available until following week at least. New vehicle, only 11,000 miles. *tr
ODI 10463593
Steering
I was driving my ford explorer on a road when a "service advance trak" warning appeared on the left hand dash. My steering wheel locked, and i had to forcibly muscle the car to the side of the road. I turned the car ignition off, then back on, and the error went away. Clearly, this was dangerous, as i could have crashed into another car. A few weeks went by, this happened again sporadically during this time, usually…
ODI 10469522
Steering
We purchased our vehicle in august 2011. In june of 2013 the power steering gave out. We dropped it off at our local ford dealership on june 18. Two days later the mechanic informs me that they could not figure out what was wrong and had to call ford motor company directly. They informed the mechanic that our vehicle's power steering rack (epas) needed to be replaced and it is not covered under the powertrain…
ODI 10524033
Steering
Power steering failure while driving 40 mph on highway changing lanes. Second time power steering has failed on freeway at lower rate of speed. Vehicle now at fritts ford in riverside for third time regarding sudden power steering failure. *tr
ODI 10456824
Steering
While driving grandchild to school the power steering suddenly went out requiring a tremendous amount of torque to turn car. I received several faults including traction control, traction control off, power steering assist fault. I was able to manhandle the car to a safe place and shut down the engine and after a few moments restarted an all faults cleared. If my wife had been driving at this time we would have been…
ODI 10455846
Electrical System · Steering
While changing lanes on the 60 west freeway i attempted to change lanes and vehicle power steering shut down. I was in the middle of my lane change and was nearly struck by a trailing diesel truck. I was only able to move steering wheel one inch to the right and one inch to the left. I pulled off highway based on my advanced driving skills as a law enforcement officer. This vehicle is my assigned work vehicle.…
ODI 10454017
Steering
Ford explorer 2012 with vibration and grinding sound in the steering column and loss of all steering. Initially infrequent however after two years the occurrence is common at all speeds and road conditions. I have experienced sudden and temporary loss of all steering on the interstate highways. I took my vehicle to three separate ford dealers four times for this problem. I was told by the service adviser there were…
ODI 10593895
Steering
I have had 4 different instances where i received a "power steering assist failure" while driving the vehicle straight or entering a turn. This has occurred at speeds ranging from 10 mph and up to 40 mph. When i can finally pull over and turn the car on and off the warning goes away, and the power steering starts working again. *tr
ODI 10467868
Steering
Complete loss of power steering. Happened multiple times. It showed power steering assist fault in the instrument cluster. Very dangerous. When will it happen again at highway speeds on a corner? Hopefully someone can help because i really don't feel like driving this vehicle with my wife and 2 small children. Please note i live in toronto, ontario, canada, m8w2h8. *tr
ODI 10468012
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Steering
I stopped at a stop sign and took a left hand turn as i proceeded down a hill. My steering wheel wouldn't turn,like the wheel locked up, and the brakes were hard to push, not slowing me down. The explorer went off of the road striking a concrete pole. It destroyed the entire right front end, and destroyed the pole. The dealer said that they could fix the problem with the steering, and the brakes, but they are not…
Crash reported
ODI 10442868