NHTSA Complaint #10662612 — 2013 FORD EXPLORER

WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY, MY STEERING BEGAN TO FEEL TIGHTER AND TIGHTER, WITH THE WHEEL HARDER TO TURN. SOON IT BEGAN TO REQUIRE A "PUSH" TO MAKE THE MOVEMENT OF THE WHEEL BEGIN. I PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND THE DASH ALERTS CAME ON. ONE SAID, "SERVICE POWER STEERING NOW" AND ONE INDICATED THAT THE TRACTION CONTROL FUNCTION WAS OFF. THE MANUAL SAID I SHOULD SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND IT WOULD RESET THESE. INSTEAD, THE STEERING LOCKED ENTIRELY. NO DEALERS WERE STILL OPEN THE NIGHT BEFORE THANKSGIVING, SO I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A SHOP I'VE USED. THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE COMPUTER HOOKUPS NECESSARY SO I TOWED IT AGAIN TO ANOTHER SHOP. THEY "CLEARED" THE CODES, AND FOUND THE VEHICLE DID NOT MALFUNCTION AGAIN. THEY ALERTED ME TO THE RECALL, FORDS #14S06 THIS RECALL INCLUDED EXPLORES MADE BETWEEN MAY OF 2010 AND FEBRUARY 28, 2013. MY EXPLORER WAS MADE VERY SOON THEREAFTER, WITHIN DAYS, IN FACT. GIVEN THAT TIMING AND THE FACTS THAT INDICATE THAT MY VEHICLE SUFFERED THE SAME DEFECTS THE RECALL ADDRESSES, I FEEL MY VEHICLE REPAIR SHOULD BE COVERED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY. FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND THE LOCAL DEALER ADVISE ME THAT SINCE MY VEHICLE IS NOT WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF THE RECALL, THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO FOR ME. I HEREBY SUBMIT MY PETITION FOR AN NHTSA INVESTIGATION INTO WHETHER FORD HAS MET IT'S OBLIGATIONS IN THIS MATTER. I HEREBY REQUEST THE RECALL MANAGEMENT DIVISION OF THE NHTSA TO ENSURE THAT THE SCOPE OF THE RECALL [FORD #14S06] IS ADEQUATE. I FEEL THE SCOPE FELL SHORT, IN MY CASE, BY A FEW DAYS, LEAVING MY VEHICLE DANGEROUSLY UNPROTECTED. I CANNOT REPAIR THIS DEFECT MYSELF. THERE IS NO DIAGNOSIS AVAILABLE FOR ME. THE DEFECT MAY BE IN THE SENSOR, OR IN THE POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE, OR IN THE STEERING "RACK". THE LOCAL FORD DEALER ADVISES ME THAT THERE ARE NO "RACKS" AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME ANYWHERE. THE NHTSA IS MY ONLY HOPE.