NHTSA Complaint #10596959 — 2014 FORD EXPLORER

VEHICLE STOPPED TO LET PASSENGERS OFF. STOPPED ENGINE. RESTARTED THE ENGINE, STARTED TO PULL AWAY FROM CURVE AND POWER STEERING FAILED AND RECEIVED STEERING ASSIST FAULT ALARM. VEHICLE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DRIVEN WITH NO POWER STEERING. ALSO, NOTED THE FOLLOWING: TERRAIN MANAGEMENT FAULT, SERVICE ADVANCED TRACK. ANOTHER RELATED FAILURE IS THAT THE SIGNAL LIGHTS NO LONGER WOULD STAY ON WHEN INITIATED CREATING AN ADDITIONAL SAFETY ISSUE. TOOK VEHICLE TO FORD SHOP AND THEY STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING GEAR WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THEY REPORTED THAT THEY HAD ONE ON ORDER AND WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR INSTALLATION IN 3-WEEKS. UPON SEARCHING THE WEB, FOUND THAT FORD HAS HAD THIS, OR SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH 2011-2013 POWER STEERING AND HAS JUST ISSUED A RECALL FOR 2011-2013 VEHICLES. HAD THIS FAILURE HAPPENED DURING A U-TURN OR A FRONT TIRE FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEED, IT WOULD LIKELY HAVE ENDED UP WITH A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. IN ADDITION, THIS IS A VEHICLE DESIGNED TO GO OFF-ROAD. IF A FAILURE OF THIS TYPE OCCURRED OFF ROAD, SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE OR OCCUPANT INJURY COULD OCCUR. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT, ON THE SURFACE, APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS. *TR