NHTSA Complaint #10561280 — 2011 FORD EXPLORER

OUR FIRST INDICATION OF STEERING PROBLEMS HAPPENED AROUND SEPTEMBER 2013. A DASHBOARD ERROR "SERVICE ADVANCETRAC" MESSAGE KEPT ILLUMINATING. FIRST THE DEALER REPLACED A "SENSOR" THAT DIDN'T FIX IT. THEN A SOFTWARE UPDATE, THAT DIDN'T WORK. THEY THEN REPLACED THE "RACK AND PINION", IN THIS CAR I AM TOLD IT IS AN ELECTRONIC STEERING MOTOR. THAT DID FIX THE PROBLEM WITH THE ERROR MESSAGE, HOWEVER AT TIMES THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD AND "INFOTAINMENT" SCREEN WOULD GO BLANK AND REBOOT. ALL SEEMED FINE FOR A FEW MONTH'S UNTIL AN UNEXPECTED EVENT OCCURRED IN JANUARY 2014. I WAS DRIVING MY 2011 FORD EXPLORER ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2014 ON ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE IN GUAM. IT WAS A BRIGHT, SUNNY DAY, AND WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE IDEAL. I STOPPED AT THE POST OFFICE AND WHEN I TURNED LEFT TO ENTER A PARKING SPACE, I NOTICED THE STEERING WAS A LITTLE JERKY. I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT UNTIL WE WERE LEAVING, AND THE STEERING CONTINUED TO BE CHOPPY. WHEN I LEFT THE PARKING LOT, THE CAR DID NOT RESPOND CLEANLY WHEN I TURNED THE WHEEL. I MENTIONED THE MY DAUGHTER THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG, BUT I WASN'T SURE WHAT WAS HAPPENING. AS I ENTERED A ROUNDABOUT TURN BEFORE EXITING THE AIR FORCE BASE, THE STEERING WENT OUT COMPLETELY MOMENTARILY. IT FELT LIKE I WAS DRIVING ON ICE! THE BRAKES WORKED PROPERLY, AND I WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN AND NAVIGATE SAFELY OUT OF THE TURN. I HAD NO PROBLEMS DRIVING STRAIGHT, BUT TURNING WAS JERKY. I CALLED MY HUSBAND TO LET HIM KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING, AND I DROVE SLOWLY HOME APPROXIMATELY FOUR MILES FROM THE BASE. THE CAR WAS TURNED INTO THE DEALER WHO "COULD NOT REPLICATE THE ERROR". THE "SERVICE ADVANCETRAC" ERROR HAPPENED AGAIN ON 22 JAN , WENT INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND I WAS TOLD AGAIN THAT THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE ERROR. *TR