NHTSA Complaint #11131130 — 2011 FORD EXPLORER

ELECTRIC POWER STEERING ASSIST SYSTEM INTERMITENTLY FAILS UPON START-UP OF THE VEHICLE CREATING A "POWER STEERING FAULT' WARNING MESSAGE IN THE DRIVER INTERFACE SYSTEM. AFTER TURNING OFF THE VEHICLE AND RESTARTING IT AFTER 30 SECONDS, THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM CONTINUES TO FAIL. THE FAILURE ALSO CONTINUES WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. FAILURE CAUSES A SHUTDOWN OF THE POWER STEERING ASSIST CAUSING DIFFICULTY OF CONTROL AND STEERING AT LOW SPEEDS, INCREASING THE LIKLIHOOD OF A CRASH. FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM ALSO CREATES A CASCADING FAILURE IN THE ADVANCED TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM, ALSO RESULTING IN A WARNING MESSAGE AND REDUCED SAFETY. THIS PROBLEM IS EXTREMELY SIMILAR TO THE PROBLEM DESCRIBED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 14V286000 AND FORD RECALL NUMBER 14S06. UPON SEARCHING FOR THIS VIN HOWEVER, IT APPEARS THAT FORD HAS NOT INCLUDED THIS SPECIFIC VEHICLE UNDER THE RECALL EVEN THOUGH IT HAS EXHIBITED THE SAME PROBLEMS.