NHTSA Complaint #11343722 — 2016 FORD EXPLORER

OUR 2016 FORD EXPLORER WITH ONLY 50K MILES STARTED TO HAVE VERY STICKY STEERING AND IT WOULD MAKE SOME CLUNKING NOISES WHEN TURNING. THIS PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE WHILE MY PREGNANT WIFE USED THE SUV AS A DAILY DRIVE UNTIL ONE DAY SHE SAID SHE NEARLY LOST CONTROL OF THE FORD AND HAD TO SWERVE OFF THE ROAD TO AVOID HITTING ONCOMING TRAFFIC. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO HAROLD ZEIGLER FORD IN LOWELL, MI AND THEY SAID THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING GEAR HAD GONE BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THAT MEANS REPLACING THE ENTIRE STEERING ASSEMBLY WHICH IS A $2,200+ REPAIR. THAT IS WAY TO SERIOUS OF A REPAIR TO HAPPEN SO OFTEN AND THIS EARLY. BASED ON THE MANY SIMILAR ISSUES I HAVE READ ABOUT REGARDING THIS ISSUE AND THE FACT THAT FORD ALREADY HAD A SIMILAR RECALL FOR EARLIER YEARS OF THE EXPLORER, THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. SOMEONE WILL GET HURT AND FORD IS JUST TRYING TO SAVE MONEY BY NOT ADDRESSING IT. THE WORST PART IS THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE NO GUARANTEE THAT IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN IN 50K MORE MILES.