NHTSA Complaint #11536377 — 2023 FORD EXPLORER

I leased a brand new 2023 Ford Explorer. The day I was driving it home I noticed a distinct cracking/popping sound when I turned the steering wheel to the left while lifting my foot off the brake. It is not a series of pops. It’s just one pop when the wheel is turned. When I got home I took out the paper mat that was on the floor to make sure there were no other sounds in the car. The sound happens each time I am in my vehicle & it only happens when the wheel is turned to the left going less than 1 mph. I took it to a Ford dealership. The service advisor heard the sound when I drove a few feet & turned the wheel to the left in the parking lot. The service technician was able to reproduce the sound without driving at all. He turned the wheel, while in the park position, and reproduced it. There are no warning lamps. As of now, I have not been told what it is but it’s concerning knowing cracking sounds could be rack, steering, tie rod, ball joint or any number of steering or suspension problems. I’m now worried driving my new SUV.