I couple of years ago, I traded in a 2011 Ford Explorer XLT with approx. 97,000 miles. It had a long term issue with the steering popping/ whooshing sounds under the vehicle's engine compartment. The sound amplified in the cab and was so loud that people in parking lots would hear it and look at me like "what was that?" I was unable to determine what the cause was, but I took a loss on the vehicle when the dealer noticed it and deducted $1,500, for the repairs, from what he was going to give me for trade. I had hoped Ford had gotten the steering issues worked out after 5 year models later.

The new model body style was appealing and we took the chance, buying the 2016 Ford Explorer Limited. Unfortunately, after 18 months we now have steering issues with this vehicle. Approx. 2 months ago (73,000 miles) it started making popping sounds, but are getting worse as time goes on. I'm highly concerned, I'm losing more than my $1,500 from trading, but now I have a loan on this vehicle for $30,000 with potentially a couple thousand dollars worth of repairs. I'm also concerned for the safety of my family, as this is our only vehicle we have at our disposal. I'm going to be taking it in to the shop before long, but only because I luckily have total vehicle repair coverage I purchased from the dealer when I bought it. But, I will have a deductible and I doubt it will cover a car rental while it's down, so that will cost me more money.

While Ford gets rich and doesn't want to fix the problems at their expense, I'm getting more in debt. This should really be recalled!

On February 4, 2020, I began to notice some serious safety concerns after the steering system had malfunctioned while turning at intersections, driveways and parking lots. During one incident, the steering system temporarily locked up and make a distinct clunking sound; it almost caused my wife to hit another car during a left hand turn at an intersection. She is the primary driver of this vehicle 99% of the time to transport our grandchildren while the remaining 1% has involved my commute to work.

Our Reynolds Ford of Norman dealership failed to duplicate the steering malfunctions we experienced. They also made it known that our extended five-year warranty would not cover any repairs related to the steering system. On March 6, 2020, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2016/FORD/EXPLORER/SUV/FWD, there were seven recalls, one investigation and 918 complaints on the 2016 Ford Explorer. Of those 918 complaints, 189 were related to the same safety related steering problems experienced by our vehicle. Many of those 189 complaints also indicated that the vehicle owners had to pay out of pocket at a cost of $2,200 to $2,500 dollars for a premature failure of steering system components.

Ford needs to accept responsible and own up to their premature/defective steering problems to prevent deaths or serious injuries. I should not have to pay for defective/premature steering components. At this point, I have zero quality and safety confidence with my current steering system and replacement parts.