NHTSA Complaint #11501223 — 2014 FORD EXPLORER

I took my vehicle in for a recall repair for the toe kicks and a noise in the front of my car when I and upon inspection was told that I need a new left front tie rod replaced and a 4 wheel alignment after the job is completed. I came home and parked it , then when I was backing out of my driveway the camera stopped working it was black. I found it strange but thought maybe it has to reboot or something, I accidently hit the park assist button and the light came on see dealer. I called the dealer told them what was happening and they asked that I bring it in. I did and they did a diagnostic saying it was the sensors that need replacing. Fast forward I'm picking up my granddaughter at school and I hear a horrible noise when I turn the steering wheel. My granddaughter asked my why car was making that noise, I said I don't know but that I was not turning music or anything on just in case we need to pull over. I immediately take it to my mechanic on my way home, luckily he's a block away, I dropped it off and walked home. They found that its the Electronic Rack & Pinion Power Steering rack. They said they have seen so many of these with the same problem and that unfortunately the recall falls short of my year Explorer 2014 which should have been included, its not safe to drive and will be an expensive fix . The recall was only for the 2011-2013. This frightened me, because he said they don't have the capability to fix it because once the new rack is installed it needs to be programmed and the dealer is pretty much the only one that can do that. This is a dealer repair only and for my safety he recommended getting this done. It will lock while driving or break and has resulted in many accidents. Ford Motor Company should be held accountable for this ongoing safety issue with their faulty Steering Rack as this goes beyond the 2011-2013 model years. I'm petrified to drive this vehicle after researching this, knowing I'm not alone in this deadly problem with my vehicle.