NHTSA Complaint #10510570 — 2012 FORD EXPLORER

I WAS DRIVING WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL JERKED. THE STEERING IMMEDIATELY BECAME VERY HARD TO OPERATE AND THE ENGINE APPEARED TO LOSE POWER. INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE STEERING JERKED. THE LIGHTS SAID "SERVICE ADVANCE TRAC" AND "TERRAIN MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FAULT". I HAD TO PULL OF THE ROAD AND JUST TRYING TO MAKE TO LEFT TURNS TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT TOOK ALL THE STRENGTH I HAD IN BOTH ARMS. MY TURN SIGNALS WOULD ALSO NOT WORK. I EVEN TRIED TURNING THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE KNOB, AS I NOTICED THAT THE LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING ON THAT AS WELL AND NOTHING WOULD LIGHT UP OR SHOW UP ON THE DASH SCREEN. I TURNED OFF THE CAR WHILE I PULLED OUT MY OWNERS MANUAL TO LOOK UP INFORMATION ON THESE INDICATORS. AFTER LETTING THE CAR SIT FOR A WHILE, I RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE INDICATOR LIGHTS WERE STILL THERE. I CALLED FORD ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE AND HAD THE CAR TOWED. I ALSO WAS PUT IN A RENTAL CAR. THEN TODAY THE FORD DEALER TOLD ME THAT SINCE MY CAR HAD 47, 627 MILES ON IT THAT THIS PROBLEM WASN'T COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THEY TOLD ME ONLY IF IT HAPPENED IN FIRST 36,000 MILES. THEY ALSO SAID I WOULD HAVE TO PAY $1865 FOR A NEW RACK AND PINION STEERING OR THEY WOULD CLEAR THE CODE AND I COULD CHANCE IT TO SEE IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN. THEY SAID IT WAS COMMON AND MOST TIMES YOU JUST NEED TO LET THE CAR COOL DOWN AND RESTART IT. THIS IS VERY UPSETTING- THEY KNEW THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THEN I INVESTIGATED THIS FURTHER ONLINE AND FOUND MANY OTHER PEOPLE REPORTING THE SAME ISSUES. SOME IN JUST THE FIRST MONTH OF OWNING THE VEHICLE. THIS IS THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENED TO ME WITH THIS VEHICLE AND THE ENGINE FAN NOT WORKING CAUSING THE CAR TO OVERHEAT IN THE FIRST 6 MONTHS OF OWNING IT. LATER I GOT A RECALL ON IT. THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING- I HAVE A CAR THAT IS 18 MONTHS OLD AND I HAVE TO PUT $1865 INTO IT TO FIX A COMMON PROBLEM/DEFECT. THIS IS A SERIOUS DEFECT! *TR