NHTSA Complaint #10731380 — 2012 FORD EXPLORER

POWER STEERING FAILED ON INTERSTATE. DRIVER DROVE TO A SAFE PLACE. I MET THEM AND DROVE THE CAR TO A PLACE UNTIL IT COULD BE DRIVEN TO A DEALERSHIP. WHEN I TRIED TO DRIVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, VEHICLE WOULD NOT STEER AT ALL. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK. DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THE STEERING GEAR NEEDED REPLACED. THEY SAID IT WASN'T COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. I CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY SAID THE RECALL HAD BEEN PERFORMED AND WAS CLOSED, THEREFORE THE STEERING GEAR WAS NOT COVERED. WHEN THEY PERFORMED THE SOFTWARE UPGRADE FOR THE STEERING I HAD NOT HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING. I BELIEVE FORD AGREED TO THE RECALL AND PROVIDED THE SOFTWARE UPGRADE TO AVOID FIXING THE REAL PROBLEM, THE STEERING GEAR. IF THE STEERING HAD COMPLETELY LOCKED UP ON MY WIFE, SHE COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A VIOLENT ACCIDENT AT 70 MPH. I THINK THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE REOPENED ON THE STEERING FAILURE, DUE TO THE FACT PEOPLE COULD BE INJURED OR KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT AND BECAUSE I BELIEVE FORD CHOSE TO MAKE THE LEAST COSTLY REPAIR TO AVOID CORRECTING THE PROBLEM. I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON THAT HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE SEEN MULTIPLE POSTS WHERE FORD DID THE SAME THING TO OTHER OWNERS WITH THIS PROBLEM. IT IS OBVIOUS THE COST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SOFTWARE "FIX" AND THE STEERING GEAR REPLACEMENT AT A COST OF OVER $1,500.00 WOULD BE THE DESIRED FIX FOR FORD. THE SAFETY FIX WOULD BE REPLACEMENT OF THE STEERING GEAR. I BELIEVE YOU SHOULD INVESTIGATE ANY ACCIDENTS THAT MAY HAVE OCCURRED DUE TO THIS DEFECT AND MAY NOT HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATED DUE TO EXTENSIVE FRONT END DAMAGE. I COULD NOT STEER THE VEHICLE AT ALL, WHEN I WANTED TO DRIVE IT TO THE DEALER. THIS WAS WITNESSED BY RELATIVES AND THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER. I DON'T THINK FORD SHOULD BE ABLE TO OFFER A "SOFTWARE FIX" TO A PROBLEM THAT IS NOT FIXED BY THE SOFTWARE UPGRADE. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO. *TR