NHTSA Complaint #10671469 — 2012 FORD EXPLORER

IN A PARKING LOT ON A FRIDAY DEC.19 AT 6AM, THE STEERING ASSIST DASH WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, AND IN SAME INSTANCE, STEERING LOCKED UP. I WAS UNABLE TO STEER, BUT WAS ABLE TO BRING MY 2012 FORD EXPLORER LIMITED TO A STOP. RESTARTING THE CAR ENABLED STEERING. I NOTIFIED MY SPOUSE WHO CALLED DEALERSHIP AND ARRANGED FOR A SERVICE VISIT THE NEXT MONDAY. DEALER HONORED RECALL ( 14S06 ELECTRIC POWER STEERING ) FOR ISSUE BY FLASHING THE SOFTWARE. MY 2012 FORD EXPLORER WAS PRESENTED TO ME AS REPAIRED & FIXED AND READY TO DRIVE IN A SAFE MANNER. SAME EVENT OCCURRED JAN. 8 AT 8PM IN A PARKING LOT. I TOOK MY EXPLORER TO SAME DEALER THE NEXT MORNING. THE DEALER CALLED AND STATED THE RACK & PINION AND SEVERAL STEERING MODULES REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. DEALER THEN STATED YOU ONLY GET ONE (1) FORD RECALL SERVICE FOR AN EVENT AND ANY FURTHER WORK WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY. AFTER THE FIRST REPAIR ATTEMPT WHICH WAS NOT A SOLUTION, ALL COSTS ($1700-$2300 FOR RACK & PINION/ASSOCIATED PARTS CONTRASTED TO A VIRTUALLY NO COST SOFTWARE UPDATE DONE UNDER THE RECALL AS A POTENTIAL FIX(THUS USING UP YOUR RECALL AND CLOSING YOUR CASE, WHEN THE RECALL ADDRESSES THE PARTS FAILURE) ARE BORNE BY THE VEHICLE OWNER EVEN IF IT STILL A RECALL EVENT. DEALER DID STATE THEY WOULD CHECK WHAT FORD WOULD DO SINCE THE SECOND EVENT OCCURRED 2 WEEKS AND 600 MILES LATER. BASICALLY, FORD HAS DEVELOPED A POLICY TO CIRCUMVENT COVERING THE COST OF A MANDATED SAFETY RECALL. AN INTERNET SEARCH SHOWS THIS IS A BUSINESS-AS-USUAL PRACTICE FOR FORD FOR THIS STEERING LOCK UP RECALL. BOTTOM LINE - FORD IS KEEPING UNSAFE VEHICLES, WHICH HAVE A RECALL NOTICE, ON THE ROAD AS PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS OR STAMINA TO FIGHT FORD, LEAVE THE FORD DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT WITH THE SAME UNREPAIRED SAFETY DEFECT PRESENT. *TR