NHTSA Complaint #11210656 — 2013 FORD EXPLORER

2013 FORD EXPLORER PARKED IN A PARKING LOT FOR ONE HOUR AFTER BEING DRIVEN 2 MILES AT 9:30 A.M. ON FIRST START ON A 95-DEGREE DAY. ON STARTING ONE HOUR LATER, 10:30 A.M., THE CAR STARTED, IT WAS SHIFTED INTO REVERSE, BUT ON HOLDING THE STEERING WHEEL TO MAKE A SLIGHT TURN WHILE BACKING UP FROM THE PARKING SPACE TO LEAVE, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS COMPLETELY FROZEN AND WOULD NOT MOVE AT ALL. I COULD NOT STEER THE CAR. I SHIFTED INTO DRIVE AND LET THE CAR DRIFT BACK FORWARD INTO THE PARKING SPOT. STEERING WHEEL COMPLETELY FROZEN, WOULD NOT MOVE. SHIFTED THE CAR BACK INTO DRIVE AND THE CAR MOVED FORWARD ON ITS OWN, SHIFTED INTO REVERSE AND THE CAR AGAIN MOVED A LITTLE, BUT I COULD NOT MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL AT ALL. THIS ERROR MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE DASH: POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE. TURNED OFF ENGINE, LEFT IT OFF 5 SECONDS, RESTARTED, AND POWER ASSIST STEERING FAILURE CODE DID NOT COME ONE. I DROVE THE 2 MILES HOME, PRAYING THE POWER STEERING WOULD NOT GO OUT AND FREEZE UP AGAIN WHILE BEING DRIVE. 3 HOURS LATER THE CAR IS OPERATING NORMALLY SO FAR, BUT A COMPLETE POWER STEERING FAILURE IS LIFE THREATENING AND COULD REOCCUR IN THIS VEHICLE AT ANY TIME, RESULTING IN INJURY, DEATH, AND DAMAGE TO THE CAR. FORD HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THIS PROBLEM IN 2011 FORD EXPLORERS AND ISSUED A RECALL. AS MY 2013 EXPLORER HAS THE SAME EPAS PROBLEM, FORD NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL AND REPAIR THE PROBLEM AT NO COST TO THE OWNERS. I HAVE READ ONLINE OF OWNERS HAVING THE POWER STEERING FAIL DURING TURNS, RESULTING IN INJURIES. THIS CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION.