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.
With the vehicle on, will sometimes get simultaneous warnings for "Hill Descent Control Fault" and "Service AdvanceTrac" along with 3 warnings/flags (ABS, Service AdvanceTrac, and Service AdvanceTrac OFF). Additionally, the instrument cluster/display will occasionally (less often) reset while the vehicle is still on and driving.
Was at a restaurant and when Vehicle was started to leave, power steering was out along with "Power steering assist fault" message on dash. Vehicle was able to be driven back to residence, but unsafe to drive. Vehicle is now parked until repairs can be made.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, with the power steering warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). A case was opened, and the manufacturer referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
While driving in a straight line the steering wheel seems momentarily disconnected from the wheels. The car feels like it is "fishtailing" and veers violently to one directing before returning to it's previous direction of travel. This action is random with no identifiable cause. The occurrences seem to be increasing in frequency. The last incident started with the vehicle traveling approximately 60mph on a straight, flat road. The vehicle suddenly, with no driver input, violently crossed the centerline, struck the shoulder on the opposite roadside before veering back across the highway. The brakes were applied as soon as the vehicle veered left and the ABS was working. The vehicle is currently parked at a service garage and not being driven as it is a safely hazard to others and the driver/occupants.
- Boyne City, MI, USA
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The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became firm and excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle. The message "Steering Assist Fault" was displayed on the instrument panel. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a dealer where the contact was informed that the rack and pinion assembly needed to be replaced. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); which was linked to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 218,000.
The steering wheel locked at a 45degree angle while I was driving. It locked and I was unable to turn the wheels in any direction. (Diagnosed by dealership as power steering failure steering wheel locked) My safety was absolutely compromised. Imagine losing the ability to turn the steering wheel or steer in any direction while going around a corner, without any warning. Luckily I wasn't on the freeway when the steering wheel locked without warning. Yes, this problem has been reproduced by the dealership at Elk Grove Ford CA, and reported to the Ford Motor corporate office, who refused to look into the safety issue or pay for the repair. The vehicle or component has been inspected by the Ford dealership. There were not any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and the problem appeared on 11/10/24.
While driving vehicle started pulling in curves. When we pulled into a gas station steering became locked up. Apparently due to a failure in the EPAS system on the car. We were fortunate that it did not occur while driving as the wheel will not turn left or right at all. Ford dealership advised that since it was 1 year and 24000 miles over they could repair at cost of $3227.02. FMC advised it was not a safety issue which concerns me as if that had occured while driving it could have been catastrophic.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the steering wheel was turned left, however, the steering failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the steering proceeded to go forward. In addition, the contact depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle slid onto the grass and crashed into a barrier. The air bags deployed. The engine seized. The vehicle started, and the vehicle was driven to the contact's residence. The contact stated that this was an extremely terrifying situation. The contact was the only occupant in the vehicle. The contact sustained a skinned left shoulder and a stiff neck, however, no medical attention was required. No Police report was filed. The vehicle was damaged to the passenger's side front grill. The contact stated that due to his fear, the vehicle had not been driven since the crash occurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. In addition, the contact was a certified mechanic and stated that the failure indicated a possible failed electronic steering module. The contact referenced recall NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000(Steering) which had a similar failure description, however the contact VIN was not associated with the recall. The dealer was made aware of the failure, however the contact was informed that the contact's vehicle was not associated with the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the contact's VIN was not associated with any unknown recalls. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,953.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced a death wobble. The contact stated that there was an abnormal clunking sound coming from the vehicle while driving or while idling. The failure became more persistent and more pronounced over time. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, a final diagnostic result was not provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000. The VIN was not available.
My vehicle a 2013 ford explorer has a power steering assist fault rendering my vehicle un usable which i just bought through carvana this last summer has had a multitude of issues including a piller trim flying off the same day I bought it and the warranty carvana gave me provided no where close to me to have repaired plus my backup camera stopped working within 2 months of buying it and now the power steering assist fault has ultimately stopped me from being able to drive the car and I see that ford stopped allowing the recal of this issue to be fixed since 177,000 vehicles are affected by this problem I just think this wrong
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving in reverse, she became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. After which, a warning message displayed reading "Service advanced track." After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 177,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated 6 months after installing new tires on the vehicle, the front tires were damaged. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was inspected, and the mechanic determined that the shocks, the control arms, and rack and pinion failures had caused damages to the tires. The mechanic informed the contact that the front tires, the shocks, the control arms, and the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in an unknown recall. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed, and the steering wheel seized. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road by using physical strength to turn the steering wheel. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the power steering functionality returned. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving, and there was significant play in the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
The contact owned a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized with the power steering warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the power steering control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 155,645.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to move. The contact pulled over and the steering wheel seized. The contact turned the vehicle off however, the steering wheel failed to regain proper functionality. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering wheel had failed due to a failure with the suspension. The contact was informed that the failure was related to an unknown recall for which the vehicle was previously included in. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired free of charge because the VIN was not currently included in any recalls. The contact was informed that the steering assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case for the failure. The manufacturer confirmed that the VIN was not covered under recall or warranty. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a safety complaint. The failure mileage was 202,000.
Power steering assist went out on vehicle while driving down the road. Power steering assist light came on and locked up entire system causing car wheel not to be able to turn. Took to body shop and notified rac and pinion electrical system shut down
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the "Power Steering Assist Fault" message was displayed, and the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was later towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the steering rack assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 173,289.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the steering column was stiff to turn and had seized. The Lane Keep and power steering warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 200,013.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Deltona, FL, USA