NHTSA Complaint #11343701 — 2014 FORD EXPLORER

ONE WEEK PRIOR TO INCIDENT, THE CAR STARTED MAKING A CLICKING SOUND WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT, BOTH WHILE DRIVING AND WHILE SITTING STILL, BUT WAS MOST NOTICEABLE AT LOW SPEEDS. WE MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH FORD TO HAVE IT INSPECTED, THE FIRST AVAILABLE WAS 10 DAYS AWAY. OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS THE CLICKING SOUND INCREASED AND WAS MORE NOTICEABLE. ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT THE CAR WAS DRIVEN A SHORT DISTANCE, THEN PARKED. WHEN WE RETURNED TO DRIVE THE CAR AGAIN AND STARTED THE CAR THE STEERING WHEEL WAS COMPLETELY STUCK, AND COULD NOT BE TURNED IN EITHER DIRECTION. IT MADE A TERRIBLE SCREECHING SOUND WHEN TRYING TO TURN THE WHEEL. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP. THEY REPLACED THE POWER CONTROL STEERING MODULE AND STEERING ASSEMBLY (RACK AND PINION). THIS IS THE SAME PART THAT WAS RECALLED ON THE 2011-2013 FORD EXPLORERS, AND FROM ONLINE RESEARCH APPEARS TO BE THE SAME PART IN THE 2014 FORD EXPLORERS. THEREFORE, THIS PART SHOULD BE RECALLED AND SHOULD BE REPLACED BY FORD AS IT IS DEFECTIVE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AS THE INABILITY TO STEER INCREASES THE RISK OF CRASH AND DEATH. IF THE WHEEL HAD LOCKED UP WHILE DRIVING WE WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY CRASHED.