NHTSA Complaint #11130956 — 2016 FORD EXPLORER

WHILE TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL WETHER STOPPED OR MOVING, THERE WAS A POPPING/CLUNKING NOISE. SOMETIMES THE CLUNK NOISE WAS LOUDER, SOMETIMES IT WASN'T AS LOUD. NOISE COULD BE FELT AND HEARD FROM STEERING COLUMN AND FLOORBOARD. STEERING WHEEL WOULD ALSO GRAB AT TIMES WHERE YOU PHYSICALLY HAD TO FORCE THE WHEEL TO TURN. THIS SEEMED TO HAPPEN MORE AT SLOW SPEEDS. WHILE DOING A SERVICE ON THE VEHICLE, I INSPECTED ALL STEERING COMPONENTS. WHILE ANOTHER PERSON WAS TURNING THE WHEEL, I COULD HEAR POPPING IN THE RIGHT SIDE STEERING BOOT THAT COVERS THE INNER TIE ROD END. I GRABBED THE BOOT AND SHOOK IT AND COULD HEAR METAL RATTLING INSIDE OF IT. LEFT SIDE DID NOT MAKE ANY NOISE. I REMOVED THE BOOT OFF OF THE RACK AND PINION AND FOUND 2 PIECES OF METAL THAT WERE HANGING ON THE GEAR OF THE RACK AND DAMAGED. THE PRICES OF METAL APPEARED TO BE A GREASE SEAL AS THERE IS RUBBER ATTACHED TO THE INSIDE PIECE(SEE PICTURE ATTACHED). FROM LOOKING AT THIS, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE HANGING METAL PIECE COULD GET HUNG UP ON THE CORKSCREW GEAR CAUSING CLINCH NOISE AND ALSO CAUSE THE STEERING TO GRAB. I DID CUT BOTH PIECES OFF FOR SAFETY AND IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING IT INTO THE FORD DEALER OF THE CERTIFIED WARRANTY WILL COVER IT. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE AND I HAVE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME ISSUE WITH NO FIX NOTED BY FORD.