NHTSA Complaint #11654022 — 2013 FORD EXPLORER

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the steering wheel had became difficult to turn to the left or to the right, and there was an abnormal clunking sound coming from the steering wheel, underneath the front end of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the struts and bushings had failed. The struts and bushings were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the steering rack had failed and needed to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact that the vehicle was included in recall NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) and referred the contact to the dealer. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. No further information was available. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a safety complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.