NHTSA Complaint #11605585 — 2016 FORD EXPLORER

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while turning the steering wheel to the right, the front end of the vehicle made an abnormal popping sound. The contact stated that the failure occurred while the vehicle was idling and while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion steering gear had failed. The dealer determined that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided because the vehicle was out of warranty. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.