NHTSA Complaint #11144069 — 2015 FORD EXPLORER

I WAS LEAVING THE CRACKER BARREL IN LAKE CITY, TN. I COULDN'T STEER THE CAR. I MADE IT DOWN THE HILL AND TURNED INTO A CONVIENENT STORE PARKING LOT. MY HUSBAND LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD TO SEE IF HE COULD SEE ANYTHING. ALL HE SAW WAS A VERY CORRODED BATTERY. WE HAD HAD THE CAR SERVICED ONE MONTH EARLIER AND THEY DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE BATTERY. ANYWAY, I CALLED RAY VARNER FORD IN CLINTON, TN WHERE I HAD BOUGHT THE CAR AND TOLD THEM THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID IT WOUL HAVE TO BE TOWED IN, SO I CALLED A TOW TRUCK.THE SERVICE MAN SAID THEY WOULD CHECK IT OVER AND CALL ME LATER WHICH HE DID. THE NEWS WAS DEVASTATING WHEN HE SAID IT WAS THE ELECTRONIC STEERING RACK THAT HAD GONE OUT AND IT WOULD COST $1,731 PLUS TAX. I ALMOST FAINTED. MY CAR HAD GONE OUT OF WARRENTEE ON APRIL 24TH AND AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, MY CAR ONLY HAD 25,896 MILES ON IT. I IS NOT MANY MILES FOR A CARE THAT IS 42 MONTHS OLD. THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY IS TWO MONTHS OF MY SOCIAL SECURITY. A LITTLE WHILE LATER HE CALLED AND SAID MY BATTERY WAS LEAKING ACID AND EVEN THOUGH THE DEALER CHARGES WAY MORE FOR A BATTERY THEN YOU CAN BUY SOMEWHERE ELSE, I TOLD HIM TO PUT A NEW ONE IN. WE STILL WONDERED WHY THE GUYS WHO SERVICED MY CAR DIDN'T NOTICE THE CORROSION, UNLESS IT STARTED AFTER THEY SERVICED IT. THE TOTAL BILL CAME TO $2,166.79 AND THEN I WAS REALLY UPSET. I WAS HOPING THEY WOULD GIVE ME A BREAK SINCE I HAD SUCH LOW MILES ON MY CAR, EVEN THOUGH THE 36 MONTH WARRANTEE HAD ALREADY EXPIRED. I READ ON THE INTERNET THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEIR POWER STEERING WITH THEIR 2015 EXPLORERS, BUT THERE WAS NEVER A RECALL. THE 2011-214 EXPLORERS WERE RECALLED FOR THE SAME THING, SO HOW COME NOT THE 2015. MY HUSBAND SAID THE 2015 PROBABLY HAS THE SAME POWER SEETING RACK AS THE ONES THAT WERE RECALLED. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE MY CAR NOW AND IT HAS CAUSED ME A LOT OF STRESS.