NHTSA Complaint #10466974 — 2011 FORD EXPLORER

I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK AND CARPOOLING WITH 2 OTHER COWORKERS. I HAD EXITED OFF THE HIGHWAY GOING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH. ALL OF THE SUDDEN, I RECEIVED A MESSAGE, "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT", AND MY STEERING LOCKED UP. LUCKILY I WAS ON THE STRAIGHT PART OF THE ROAD HEADING TOWARD A STOP SIGN. ONCE THERE, I PUT THE CAR IN PARK, SHUT IT OFF, AND THEN RESTARTED IT. THE ERROR WAS GONE AND MY STEERING WHEEL WORKED AGAIN. I TOOK IT IN TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A SENSOR THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IT TOOK A WEEK FOR THE PROBLEM TO BE FIXED. ON JULY 19, 2012, JUST 3 MONTHS AFTER THE PROBLEM WAS SUPPOSEDLY FIXED, I TOOK OFF FROM A RED LIGHT GOING ABOUT 25 MPH AND AGAIN I RECEIVED THE "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" MESSAGE AND MY STEERING LOCKED UP AGAIN. I HAD MY CHILDREN WITH ME IN THE CAR AND THANK GOODNESS THERE WAS NOBODY BEHIND ME AND I WAS ABLE TO SLOWLY PULL INTO A PARKING LOT. I SHUT OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTED IT AND THE ERROR WAS GONE AND I COULD DRIVE MY CAR AGAIN. IT IS CURRENTLY AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP AWAITING TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED AGAIN. READY TO GET RID OF THIS VEHICLE AS IT POSES A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD! *TR