NHTSA Complaint #11140626 — 2016 FORD EXPLORER

AT STARTUP A WARNING APPEARED ON THE DASH READING "STEERING LOSS- STOP SAFELY" ALONG WITH OTHERS CONCERNING ADVANCE TRAC, TERRAIN MANAGEMENT, AND HILL ASSIST. UPON TRYING TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL IT WAS LOCKED COMPLETELY. NOT JUST HARD TO STEER LIKE THE POWER STEERING QUIT - IT WAS LOCKED TIGHT. IT WAS TOWED TO A FORD DEALER AND THE TECH THOUGHT HE WOULD DRIVE IT INTO THE SHOP, BUT COULD NOT BECAUSE HE AGREED THE STEERING WAS COMPLETELY LOCKED UP. THE TECH TELLS ME HE WAS ABLE TO RESTORE STEERING BY CLEARING OUT SOME ABS CODES THAT WERE STORED. THIS IS CONCERNING BECAUSE IT SEEMS THERE IS A COMPUTER FAULT CONDITION WHICH LOCKS UP THE STEERING COMPLETELY. THE TECH NOW SAYS THE RACK AND PINION MODULE IS MAKING A LOUD NOISE AND THEY PLAN TO REPLACE IT. THANKFULLY THE VEHICLE HAD THIS PROBLEM AT STARTUP AND NOT WHILE IN MOTION AS THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO CONTROL OVER VEHICLE DIRECTION.