NHTSA Complaint #11296808 — 2011 FORD EXPLORER

WE'VE HAD OUR 2011 FORD EXPLORER FOR LESS THAN A YEAR. WE BOUGHT IT USED WITH APPROXIMATELY 130,000 MILES ON IT, IT NOW CURRENTLY HAS APPROXIMATELY 190,000 MILES. WE WERE ABOUT TO LEAVE OUR HOUSE, SO THE EXPLORER WAS STATIONARY AT THE TIME. I STARTED IT UP AND IMMEDIATELY AN ERROR POPPED UP ON THE DASH FOR "POWER STEERING FAULT" AND "ADVANCETRAC" WARNING. I ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, BUT WITHOUT POWER STEERING I WOULD BE PUTTING MY FAMILY AND MYSELF IN DANGER. LUCKILY THIS HAPPENED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. IF MY WIFE WERE OUT DRIVING AND THIS HAPPENED, IT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY BAD FOR HER AND MY KIDS. WE SET UP AN APPOINTMENT THE FORD DEALERSHIP IN OUR TOWN, THEY FOUND THAT THE POWER STEERING RACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND TOLD US THAT IT WOULD COST ~$2100. I TOLD THEM IT SHOULD BE COVERED BECAUSE OF A RECALL I FOUND ONLINE FOR THIS PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME TO CALL FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE. MY WIFE CALLED AND THEY TOLD HER THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I PROCEEDED TO CALL BACK THE FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SPOKE TO A REP. AFTER GETTING THE RUN AROUND HE FINALLY GAVE ME A CASE NUMBER TO GIVE TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP, EXPRESSING THAT THIS WOULD BE FULLY COVERED UNDER A FIELD SERVICE ACTION #: 15N01 FOR EPAS STEERRING EFFORTS, WITH NO COST TO ME. I GAVE THE CASE NUMBER TO THE FORD SERVICE REP. TODAY I GET A CALL BACK THAT THE CASE NUMBER IS DECLINED BY FORD BECAUSE OUR VEHICLE HAS OVER 150,000 MILES ON IT. WE NEVER GOT A RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL OR A CALL FROM FORD MENTIONING THE RECALL BEFORE THE 150,000 MILE DEADLINE. WE'VE HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR LESS THAN A YEAR AND STILL OWE $8000 ON IT, AND FORD WANTS $2100 TO REPAIR A PART THAT THEY KNEW WAS A COMMON PROBLEM.