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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
6 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
5 / 0
Average Mileage:
69,908 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Ford Explorer steering problems

steering problem

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2012 Ford Explorer Owner Comments (Page 2 of 16)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #281

Nov 202023

Explorer

  • 126,402 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My power steering has locked up now for the 3rd time. It is crazy dangerous and puts my life and others in danger. I had it repaired at ford and it happened again. So it was towed back to ford and fixed again. Both visits at this ford location were awful experiences. And I refuse to go back. And now my car is having the same issue yet again. And I dont want to be told again that I have to pay for a diagnostic test or anything like that. Ridiculous! It's the same thing again. Exact same thing. I'm not an idiot. And I dont want to end up dead driving an unsafe vehicle. What's wrong with ford that they are ignoring so many people having the same issue with the same car" Why? I don't understand it" My family has always been loyal ford owners. However this has us very concerned.

- Dekalb, IL, USA

problem #280

Nov 112023

Explorer

  • 143,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the steering wheel seized and failed to turn as intended. The power steering warning light illuminated. The contact veered over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 143,000.

- Saint Michael, MN, USA

problem #279

Nov 052023

Explorer

  • 130,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the power steering suddenly failed, and the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was later driven to the local dealer who diagnosed that the Electronic Power Steering Module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.

- Rogers, MN, USA

problem #278

Nov 022023

Explorer

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My power steering assists quit working, and My stabilizer control. and my traction control, and my TPMS light came on, but all of my tires are at the recommended air pressure. Ford tells me that my ford is not covered in the recall for this problem. I lost control of my vehicle and almost crashed into the ditch.

- Saint Paul,Mn, MN, USA

problem #277

Oct 212023

Explorer

  • 168,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the steering wheel was firm, making it difficult to maneuver the vehicle. The contact stated that the power steering assist failure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 168,000.

- Fort Payne, AL, USA

problem #276

Oct 172023

Explorer

  • miles
My wife is driving to work when the dash beep twice saying power steering fault then she lost power steering and nearly crashed the vehicle, this is a known problem from Ford that was not repaired by them and now they're telling me that they won't repair it This was what I found online by just doing a quick search after my wife nearly crashed! By Matt Schmitz May 29, 2014 Vehicles Affected: About 177,500 model-year 2011-13 Ford Explorer SUVs share ? The Problem: A potential electrical issue in the steering gear may result in the loss of electric power steering assist while driving. This could cause the steering system to default to manual mode, making the vehicle more difficult to steer, especially at lower speeds, and increasing the risk of a crash. According to the Detroit News, Ford said drivers will hear a chime and see a message in the instrument cluster if electric power steering assist is lost. The Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will either update software for the power steering control module or replace the steering gear for free. What Owners Should Do: Ford has not yet issued an owner notification schedule. Owners can call Ford at 800-392-3673 for more info. Need to Find a Dealer for Service? Go to Cars.com Service & Repair to find your local dealer.

- Mesa, AZ, USA

problem #275

Oct 162023

Explorer

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Power Steering and Advancetrac

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #274

Sep 302023

Explorer

  • 130,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the steering wheel seized. Additionally, the power steering warning light was illuminated. An independent mechanic arrived at the residence to diagnose the vehicle. The contact was informed that the electric power steering had failed. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

- Kansas City, MO, USA

problem #273

Jul 312023

Explorer

  • miles
Steering wheel locked up, while driving.

- Jefferson, TX, USA

problem #272

Sep 202023

Explorer

  • miles
Power steering fails while in motion with no warning until it happens making it very difficult to get control of the vehicle. When it happens a power steering failing light comes on but there is no warning before the steering locks up on you. Dealer has not been contacted as every time I call they don't answer. Was inspected by an independent garage who states it is the rack.

- Annville, PA, USA

problem #271

Aug 012023

Explorer

  • 159,658 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the steering wheel became firm. The contact stated that the "Check Power Steering" message was displayed with an unknown red warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over on the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. Additionally, the contact was informed that the warranty had expired. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 159,658.

- Woodford, VA, USA

problem #270

Aug 082023

Explorer

  • miles
Steering locks

- Kissimmee, FL, USA

problem #269

Jul 032023

Explorer

  • 183,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 20-30 MPH, the steering wheel became significantly difficult to steer. The contact was able to continue driving by using his physical strength to steer the steering wheel. There was no further information provided. The contact stated that as he arrived to the residence, the steering wheel locked. The vehicle was towed to the used car dealer it was purchased from, and it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The Ford dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be covered under Ford Campaign Number: 15N01, as the campaign had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V435000 (Suspension). The manufacturer were contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 183,000.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #268

Jul 212023

Explorer

  • miles
We recently purchased this vehicle and after getting is home and researching the vehicle, we discovered that there is an open recall involving the rear toe link with the potential to diminish steering control and potentially increasing the risk of a crash. Our local Ford dealer does not see the seriousness of this recall and refuses to look at the vehicle in a timely manner.

- Panama City Beach, FL, USA

problem #267

Jul 082023

Explorer

  • 140,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at slow speeds, the steering wheel was firm while turning. No warning light was illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that Customer Satisfaction Program: 15N01 (EPAS Steering Efforts) had expired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

- Olathe, KS, USA

problem #266

Jul 042023

Explorer

  • miles
Power steering failure as laid out in NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: 14V286000. The car does not qualify for recall and we would like Ford to be notified and have our VIN qualify for recall.

- Palm Beach Gardens , FL, USA

problem #265

Jun 082023

Explorer

  • miles
Our Power Steering Assist went out and the truck couldn't steer then this code came up and we looked up the Recalls and found this very problem. 2012 FORD EXPLORER RECALL NHTSA 14V286000 SPONSORED Release Date: May 29, 2014 Applicable Country: USA NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company Component(s): -??STEERING oELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured May 17, 2010, through February 28, 2012. The affected vehicles may experience an intermittent connection in the electric power steering gear, which can cause a loss of the motor position sensor signal resulting in a shut down of the power steering assist. Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) software, free of charge. If a vehicle shows a history of a loss of motor position sensor signal when the vehicle is brought in for the recall remedy, its steering rack assembly will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on July 23, 2014.

- Farmington Hills, MI, USA

problem #264

May 032023

Explorer

  • 86,974 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while his wife was driving at approximately 25 MPH, his wife attempted to make a turn however, the vehicle lost power steering assist functionality. The contact then stated that he pushed the vehicle into his driveway. The contact-??s son retrieved the error codes: U300049-48, U300072-48 and U300096-C8 for the power steering module. The son's friend, an independent mechanic, determined that the power steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that Customer Satisfaction Program: 15N01 (EPAS Steering Efforts) had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 86,974.

- West Chester, OH, USA

problem #263

Apr 282023

Explorer

  • 168,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the steering wheel was seized. Additionally, the service advancetrac warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 168,000.

- Dacula, GA, USA

problem #262

Apr 242023

Explorer

  • 97,563 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 10 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 97,563.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

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