NHTSA Complaint #11646834 — 2011 FORD EXPLORER

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the steering wheel became stiff, and difficult to turn in either direction. The contact was able to veer over to the shoulder of the road. The message "Power Steering Assist Failure" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and the contact was informed that the repairs were denied by the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. In addition, the local dealer diagnosed the vehicle and linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.