NHTSA Complaint #11023570 — 2015 FORD EXPLORER

CONSOLE STARTED FLASHING "SERVICE STEERING ASSIST SOON" AND "TRACTION ASSIST FAILURE". WOULD CLEAR UP WHEN CAR RESTARTED. NEVER LOST STEERING DURING THIS 2 WEEK TIME. JULY 9TH, 2017, DRIVING 70 MPH ON 405 FREEWAY NEAR LONG BEACH, CA, FLASHED "STEERING ASSIST FAILURE" AND LOST POWER STEERING. TRACTION ASSIST FAILURE LIGHT AS WELL. GOT THOUGH TRAFFIC, SLOWED DOWN AND EXITED WITHOUT ANY POWER STEERING, STOPPED AND RESTARTED AND ISSUE WENT AWAY. CALLED DEALER AND TOOK CAR IN THE NEXT MORNING. THEY RESET CODES AND SAID "IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN BRING IT BACK IN." WHICH SCARED ME. 9 DAYS LATER LOST STEERING TURNING INTO WORK PARKING LOT THEN LOST STEERING 3 MORE TIMES WITHIN 24 HOURS. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE EPAS RACK AND PINION SYSTEM FOR $1916.79. THE CAR HAD 46,7K MILES AND ONLY HIGHWAY DRIVING. OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY AS THEY DON'T CONSIDER THIS POWERTRAIN. HAD I BEEN IN A TURN OR EXIT RAMP OFF FREEWAY WOULD HAVE BEEN A CRASH FOR CERTAIN.