NHTSA Complaint #11217711 — 2013 FORD EXPLORER

POWER STEERING FAILED AND REVERTED TO MANUAL STEERING WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE ON A CITY STREET. "POWER STEERING FAULT" MESSAGE DISPLAYED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER CENTER. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO VEHICLE TO A SAFE LOCATION, ALTHOUGH IT WAS QUITE DIFFICULT. IF MY WIFE HAD BEEN OPERATING THE VEHICLE UNDER THE THESE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY HARD FOR HER TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN ACCIDENT. ALSO, WE HAVE SMALL CHILDREN THAT COULD HAVE ALSO BEEN ON-BOARD WHICH MAKES THIS ISSUE ALL THE MORE CONCERNING, SINCE THIS VEHICLE IS MAINLY USED TO TRANSPORT CHILDREN TO AND FROM SCHOOL. AFTER DRIVING TO A PARKING LOT, I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND THEN BACK ON. THE POWER STEERING RE-ENGAGED AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME SAFELY WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ISSUES. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP AND SCHEDULED A SERVICE APPOINTMENT. THE DEALER SCANNED THE POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE FOR CODES AND FOUND A DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE THAT REQUIRES REPLACEMENT OF THE STEERING GEAR. TOTAL COST FOR PARTS AND LABOR WAS $2,000. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND WE HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANY OTHER ISSUES WITH THE POWER STEERING. IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND CURRENTLY HAS APPROXIMATELY 74,500 MILES. I WAS INFORMED BY FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT MY VIN NUMBER WASN'T PART OF ANY RECALL AND THERE WERE NO OTHER PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO ASSIST ME WITH THE COST OF THE REPAIR. PER MY ONLINE RESEARCH, THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE FOR THE YEAR OF MY VEHICLE, BUT IT APPEARS MY BUILD DATE IS OUTSIDE OF THE RECALL. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. IT MAKES NO SENSE WHY CERTAIN VEHICLES ARE EXCLUDED, WHEN THE ISSUE HAS CLEARLY BEEN IDENTIFIED AND ADDRESSED IN OTHER VEHICLES BUILT IN THE SAME YEAR. I AM REQUESTING THAT THE NHTSA INVESTIGATE THE ISSUE DESCRIBED ABOVE AND ISSUE ADDITIONAL RECALLS.