NHTSA Complaint #10808064 — 2011 FORD EXPLORER

I BEGAN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING WHEEL MOUNTED CONTROLS WHILE DRIVING, WHICH WERE INTERMITTENT. FIRST, THE VOLUME BUTTON FAILED AND THEN CRUISE CONTROL FUNCTIONS FAILED. THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD SOMETIMES CANCEL ON ITS OWN, CAUSING A SUDDEN UNEXPLAINED LOSS OF SPEED WHILE I THOUGHT IT WAS ENGAGED. THE "RESUME" AND "CANCEL" BUTTON FUNCTIONS ALSO SWAPPED. "RESUME" WOULD CANCEL THE CRUISE CONTROL AND "CANCEL" WOULD RESUME CRUISE. I ONLY FIGURED THIS OUT AFTER PRESSING CANCEL WHILE IN CRUISE CONTROL TO SLOW THE CAR FOR TRAFFIC AHEAD OF ME AND IT DID NOT RESPOND OR SLOW THE CAR. THE CAR CONTINUED AT ITS SET SPEED UNTIL I HIT THE BRAKES TO SLOW IT. THE DIAGNOSIS FOR THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE CLOCK SPRING HAD FAILED AND IT WAS REPLACED. I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE DRIVER AIR BAG MAY HAVE ALSO BEEN AFFECTED. THIS CAR HAS ONLY 43,000 MILES ON IT. THE FIRST TIME I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE, THEY REINSTALLED SOFTWARE WHICH DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I DO NOT YET HAVE THE INVOICE FROM THE REPLACEMENT OF THE CLOCK SPRING BECAUSE IT HAS NOT YET BEEN PAID WHILE I TEST THE REPAIR. THE CLOCK SPRING DID APPEAR TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE CAR WAS REPAIRED AT PERRY FORD IN SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA.