NHTSA Complaint #10541691 — 2011 FORD EXPLORER

WHILE DRIVING, POWER STEERING ASSIST ABRUPTLY FAILS, AS DOES ADVANCE TRAC STABILITY CONTROL. THE VEHICLE BECOMES MUCH HARDER TO CONTROL. IF THE CAR IS IN A TURN WHEN THE STEERING FAILS, THE STEERING WHEEL LURCHES AND TRIES TO RE-AIM THE VEHICLE STRAIGHT AHEAD, DISRUPTING THE TURN. DASHBOARD WARNINGS CONFIRM THE STEERING AND ADVANCE TRAC FAILURES. ALSO, THE TURN SIGNAL SUSTAIN FAILS, SO USING THE TURN SIGNAL REQUIRES CONSTANT PRESSURE ON THE SIGNAL ARM. ON AVERAGE, THIS PROBLEM HAS RECURRED EVERY 2000 MILES, AT ANY SPEED. TURNING THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTING "FIXES" THE PROBLEM TEMPORARILY UNTIL THE NEXT FAILURE. TWO TRIPS TO THE DEALER FOR EXAMINATIONS HAVE RESULTED IN NO ANSWERS - BOTH TIMES THE RESULTS OF LEAVING THE CAR FOR SEVERAL DAYS HAVE BEEN SHRUGGED SHOULDERS AND "WE COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, AND THERE IS NO TROUBLE CODE. IT WORKED FINE FOR US." AS IS NOTHING EVER WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR, AND EVEN IF THERE WERE SOMETHING WRONG, THERE IS NO WAY TO REPAIR IT! HOW THE NHTSA AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY CAN ALLOW THESE VEHICLES TO ROAM OUR HIGHWAYS WITH NO RECALL, OR EVEN A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN, KNOWING THERE IS A CHANCE THE DRIVERS MAY LOSE CONTROL AND CRASH, AS SOME ALREADY HAVE, IS A CRIME AGAINST VEHICLE SAFETY AND AGAINST THE VERY MISSION STATEMENT OF THE NHTSA. I WILL BE COPYING THIS COMPLAINT TO MY ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE IN THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS, WHO IN THE PAST HAS PROVEN TO BE FAR MORE INTERESTED IN MY SAFETY THAN FORD OR THE NHTSA. *JB