NHTSA Complaint #11567515 — 2013 FORD EXPLORER

We purchased a 2013 Ford Explorer in June of 2023. I had changed the rear wheel bearings on the vehicle and we had an alignment done at a local Firestone Auto Repair shop after the bearings were replaced. The Firestone shop did the alignment and the steering wheel felt stiff after. We drove the vehicle for two days after the alignment and around August 1, 2023 then the power steering went out on my wife when she had our infant son in the car. She said the service advance track light was flashing red and power steering light was flashing as well. She had no steering at all and luckily she was able to park the vehicle and get a ride home safely. I took the vehicle to a local Ford Dealer and they said the alignment computer showed the steering wheel was 30 degrees off. They re calibrated the alignment but could not confirm that was the reason the power steering went out but gave me a quote to repair the power steering unit. When they pulled it out of the shop, the power steering came back on. We drove the vehicle until around August 30 2023 and the power steering went out again when my wife was driving the vehicle. We had an independent shop look at it and when they hooked it up to the scan tool, it said power steering fault. When they pulled it out of the shop, the power steering came back on. We drove the vehicle until November 3, 2023 when the power steering went out again while driving and had a different Ford Dealer look at it. The diagnoses was intermittent power steering failure but it was not covered under the recall and the dealer nor Ford was provide any assistance. The diagnoses was exactly what the recall states but it was not covered. $4200 repair cost later we have an operational vehicle. Not very impressed with Ford. Reaching out to hope to get some kind of feedback and help in this matter. Three times total while owning the vehicle for six months intermittent power steering failure. Super dangerous situations luckily no one was hurt.