NHTSA Complaint #11539443 — 2016 FORD EXPLORER

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a grinding sound coming from the steering wheel while turning in either direction. The steering wheel became difficult to turn and excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle. The contact stated that the Steering Assist Fault Service Required message displayed. As the failure worsened, the contact lost steering capability of the vehicle and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with a defective power steering rack. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.