NHTSA Complaint #11104881 — 2013 FORD EXPLORER

MY VEHICLE (2013 FORD EXPLORER) LOST IT'S POWER STEERING, WHICH BASED ON THE OWNER'S MANUAL IS ELECTRIC POWER STEERING AND DOES NOT HAVE A MECHANICAL UNIT WITH FLUID. I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND A RECALL OF 1.1 MILLION VEHICLES FOR POWER STEERING UNITS EXISTS WHICH INCLUDES THE SAME MAKE MODEL AND YEAR AS MY VEHICLE. I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO MY DEALERSHIP AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT ALTHOUGH THERE IS A RECALL ON THE SAME MAKE MODEL AND YEAR AS MY VEHICLE, THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I WAS CHARGED $223 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC FOR THE DEALERSHIP TO TELL ME THAT THE POWER STEERING UNIT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1600. AFTER DOING MORE RESEARCH ONLINE, I HAVE FOUND THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME VEHICLE AND PROBLEM. I FEEL LIKE ANY VEHICLE OF THE SAME MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR AS THOSE THAT WERE RECALLED FOR POWER STEERING SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING. IN ADDITION, I FOUND THROUGH MY RESEARCH THAT THE RECOMMENDED $1600 REPAIR DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT THE SAME PROBLEM WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. I CURRENTLY HAVE A LOAN ON MY VEHICLE AND I'M NOT SURE I'M INTERESTED IN PAYING FOR SUCH A REPAIR THAT I BELIEVE SHOULD BE COVERED BY FORD, SINCE THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM ON VEHICLES OF THE SAME MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR. I ALSO FEEL LIKE THE DEALER WHICH I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC OVERCHARGED ME FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC WHEN THEY KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE FIRST PLACE. IN THE RECALL NOTICE THAT I READ IT STATES THAT "LOSS OF POWER STEERING IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND SINCE IT IS HARDER TO STEER AT LOWER SPEEDS THERE IS AN INCREASED CHANCE OF GETTING IN AN ACCIDENT". I FEEL LIKE SUCH A SAFETY CONCERN SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE DEALERSHIP SINCE IT IS OCCURRING WITH SO MANY VEHICLES AND THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE SAME PROBLEM WHICH INCLUDES VEHICLES OF THE SAME MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR.