2014 FORD EXPLORER Steering Problems

I was driving and there was a loud pop then the steering wheel lock up on me. The power steering assist warning light came on all at once. Lucky I turned to a stop sign and only ran off in the grass for a second. If I would have turned right me and my fiancée would probably be dead or in the hospital since the road I did not take is very busy and well none for crashes. I was in the middle of pulling out and had to forces the wheel to turn to keep us safe and able to park.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn left or right. The steering assist fault warning light was illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle and the vehicle worked as designed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where they informed the contact that the vehicle was working as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

My 2014 explorer was just diagnostic with a failing electric racket pinon steering defect. I am unable to drive my vehicle and not able to repair it, the cost is way to much. I see that the 2011 thru 2013 have a recall on steering failure that was addressed in August of 2014. The steering locks up on me and feels like its all over the road.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel would turn in the opposite direction of the driver input. The contact stated that the steering wheel made an abnormal noise. Occasionally, the vehicle intermittently lost power steering assist functionality. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The dealer and manufacturer were contacted and the contact was notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was 117,677.

While operating my vehicle at approximately 40 mph, I experienced partial loss of steering (hard steering) making the vehicle difficult to control. The partial loss of steering experienced put myself and the safety of others in my vehicle at the and on the roadway at risk for a crash. I immediately took the vehicle into a repair shop to have it inspected to ascertain what the issue was. Upon completion of the inspection, it was determined that the rack and pinion failed and needed to replaced. Prior to the loss of steering, I DID NOT receive any warning indications on my dash about steering issues or steering failures.

Steering gear is grinding and showing signs of the same condition that the 2013 models were recalled to repair. Is it possible the steering equipment in the 2014 vehicle was manufactured doing the period the suspect gears were built?

1. power steering system. Yes. 2. The steering becomes hard to steer while it is making the noise. 3. I have not taken it to the dealer yet. 4. No. I can't afford to get it fixed yet. 5. No. Several weeks ago. The steering becomes hard to steer and makes a lot of noise when it happens. It usually corrects itself after it happens. It is getting to the point where it is happening more frequently. I am at the point where I need to get it fixed but I can't afford the repair cost.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and entering the highway exit ramp and turning right, the power steering failed to operate properly. The contact stated that extra effort was needed to steer the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to his residence. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn to the left. The contact accidentally struck the curb; however, there were no injuries. There were no warning lights. There was minor damage to the front end of the driver's side. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximately failure mileage was 75,000.

I was traveling from Florida to Georgia on Sunday, May 1, 2022. I left Homosassa Springs, FL at 7:00 AM. At around 3:30 PM, I was traveling on Hwy 515, Jasper, GA. The traffic was heavy on the two lane road, speed limit was between 45 mph and 55 mph. I was traveling 45 mph when my car started driving very strange. I noticed it in the steering wheel, I pulled into the Jasper Walmart parking lot and could barely steer my car and then a message came on my dashboard stating that my electrical power steering system had shut down! Good Grief, I had just come through nightmare traffic through Atlanta...what if it had happened then! I researched this problem with the Ford power steering system. I saw that NHTSA investigated this issue in 2012 and found that this power steering problem posed a legitimate safety risk. A recall...

I was pulling into a parking space turning my steering wheel to the right when steering seized up causing me to barely miss the concrete pole in the garage. The error message "Steering Assist Fault" popped up.. Turned car off left it as is since was difficult to turn wheel. When I went back to turn car off it reset itself and I was able to drive it without issues, but now very cautious in case I am driving on the road and this happens. There are two recalls 21S32 and 19S17 on my vehicle for "replacement of rear suspension toe links" It appears after researching that this defect can cause "a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash"

Took to dealership to fix previous recall issues and was told clunking noise when turning right is do to needing new rack and pinion system. Previous recall for this excludes the 2014 explorer but covers the 2013 thru 2017.

When driving the Ford Explorer 2014, the power steering seems to be faulty, when turning corners or pulling out of parking spaces the steering wheel is very hard to turn. Re: safety it is very hard to steer and very dangerous, seems like it has a mind of its own. Been inspected by a Ford Dealer in Brattleboro and have been informed that i need to replace the Rack & Pinion Assembly R&R. I have been reading different websites and have noticed that ford explorers from 2013 to 2017 apart from 2014 have been recalled due to steering issues and there are many comments and complaints re: other ford explorers 2014 owners having steering issues. No warning lights have come up on the desk board.

my wife own's a 2014 ford explorer and we been having problems with the power steering assist fault. on 5/7/2021 we had a message display on the dash saying power steering assist fault while she was on the way to work. when this happens you have no steering and goes into manual steering and is hard to steer. she got the vehicle off to the shoulder of the road and turned vehicle off and restarted it and power steering message went away. she took it to our local ford dealer and the scanned it for the problem and they gave her a code of C1BOO and code U3000 and both codes ford manufacturer says it is a information code saying doesn't require parts or to be diagnosed or replaced. now on 2/23/2022 the same problem happened while taking my 7 yr old daughter to school and message on the dash...

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10-12 MPH and coming to a stop, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated that the failure almost caused a crash. The contact quickly veered to the emergency lane and turned on the hazard lights. The traction control warning light and the warning message "Steering Loss. Stop Safely" illuminated. The vehicle was being towed to the dealer and had not been diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because the VIN was not included. The manufacturer referred the contact to NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while pulling into a parking spot, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated that the power steering assist warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse from the residence, the steering failed to turn either to the left or the right. The power steering assist warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 97,658. Vehicle has not been repaired.*JB THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, BUT BELIEVED IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. THE CONSUMER REFERENCED RECALL 14V28600.

Was pulling up to gas pumps when steering failed/locked. Was able to stop vehicle to avoid collision with pumps. Steer Assist Fail warning light came on. Shut vehicle off and warning light went out and steering came back. Brought vehicle home and used other to go to work. Was told by dealer that the Steering Rack is faulted and needs replacement at 71000 miles. The 2014 Steering racks fail at between 60000-80000 miles just as the 2011-2013 Explorers do and need to be recalled before someone is killed.

While driving I noticed the power steering had failed. The steering was difficult and jerky while making turns and while coming out of turns. With the steering inconsistent the vehicle would on occasion not come out of the turn on it's own and put myself and my family at risk of an accident. The vehicle was brought to Salem NH Ford and the problem was found to be the steering rack and lower steering u-joint, shaft assembly, and pinion. There were no warning lights on the dash. Repairs for vehicle totaled $3,346.31

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while turning the steering wheel there was an abnormal knocking and ticking sound detected. The maintenance warning light was illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and was provided a fee for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number 21V537000 (Suspension). The manufacturer was contacted but no further assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 122,000.

Engine water pump leak the pump is internal and can potentially cause engine damage. Steering some times the power assist fails and you have to turn-off and restart the car to get the steering to work

My steering started going out when I was merging infront of a truck. I was almost run off the road and hit by the truck at the same time but I muscled it.. it started working again for a second then went completely out saying power steering disabled pull over safely. I finally got to a place where I could pull over. Called a tow truck and my car has been sitting at the shop for months because Ford won't send the parts that were ordered. In looking up ways to get the parts I saw that there were so many other complaints of the same exact problem. I then looked up to see if there was a recall and the make and model was part of a recall but in looking up the VIN# it didn't show a recall. This issue could have killed me and from the other...

Steering Gear Failure. Mileage: 119,000 - ERROR MSG: "Steering Wheel Default. Seek immediate attention". Visiting family over the holidays in a different State - December 23th. Complete Steering shutdown. There are already recalls by Ford on their 2011-2013 for this very problem. - This was a very early 2014 model Sept/Oct. of 2013. Ford dealer quoted greater than > $2500.00 to replace. No Parts availability - Amazing that other owners of 2014 Explorers have the exact same steering problem just within the past 2-3 months on this site. Please Ford !!!!! - Time to include 2014 as part of an earlier recall for SAME EXACT PROBLEM for previous 3 model years

Steering gear failure. Ford dealer estimate $2,900 to replace the entire steering gear. A new part is not available, and there is no ETA on re-manufactured parts. The vehicle is unsafe to drive, and therefore unusable. There are recalls on 2011-2013 and 2015-2019 electronic assist steering gear systems for the same exact issue, why was 2014 was excluded, why does the vehicle require the entire steering gear after only 7 years of use, and why wont Ford take responsibility for a known failing and dangerous product. Ford CRC case # CAS34688035 has refused to take responsibility or assist.

PCSM Power steering module. Sensor on Rack and pinion. Can inspect if needed. Steering goes out at random. Can be driving at any speed and loose all steering elements and traction control. Complete loss of steering occurs occasionally. Ford confirmed the issue and stated it was recalled in 2011-2013 models but not 2014, $2500 fix. Three lights appeared as all steering was lost on highway: Terrain management system fault, Power steering assist fault, service advanced track.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the “Steering Wheel Default, Seek Immediate Attention” warning message was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was 168,075.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the "Steering Wheel Default, Seek Immediate Attention" warning message was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was 168,075.

****** DUPLICATE VOQ ****** THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING MARKED FOR DELETION BECAUSE IT IS AN INADVERTENT DUPLICATE OF ODI# 11442983*DJR ***** DUPLICATE VOQ ******

Recently started experiencing a weird noise coming from the front end near the wheel area. The noise was also physical since I could feel it through the steering wheel. I did take it to a manufacturer locally they could not duplicate the issue. I explained to them that they needed to keep it longer than a couple hours in order to duplicate the problem. I did feel like the dealer did not inspect my vehicle long enough by keeping it and driving it.

When turning the steering wheel, you can hear a terrible squeaking noise coming from the front end of the vehicle in the center. Over time the squeaking gets worse and worse. Steering the vehicle is becoming harder to control, when letting off the gas, the whole steering wheel will stay straight but the actual wheels are quickly do a hard pull to the right. This is extremely unsafe and is likely to cause an accident. Yes the problem has been reproduced by a service center. They told me this is the same issue with the 2013 (1 year older) and there was a recall on that year, however not the 2014, even though the same part was used in the 2014 also. There are no warning lamps, or messages. They have been gradually getting worse since I purchased the vehicle.

After having the Water Pump exchanged (on 9/8/21) and a multi-point inspection done, and finding no issues, we went on a road trip. While driving on freeways, we noticed that while in a gentle curve of the road to the left, the steering wheel would not return to the neutral position when the road straightened. As we drove home, it became worse, to where we we would have to forcefully turn the wheel to straighten back to neutral. Returned Explorer to dealership 9/21/21. They finally were able to figure out it was the Rack and Pinion that needed replaced. We got the Explorer back on 10/13/21. Please hold Ford responsible for this issue as they have not fixed the problem that was on other years and this is no different.

The electric power steering is failing. Turning the steering wheel is becoming more difficult. I fear it will completely stop working. Earlier 2013 models have recalls for this. There has not been a recall for the 2014 model. I am bringing it to the Ford dealer 10/26/2021

On August 14th, whilst on vacation in New Mexico, the steering of my 2014 Ford Explorer completely seized in the middle of the road, and left us helpless. Thankfully, we were on a relatively quiet side street in Taos. Just a few days earlier we were traveling up and down the steep winding roads to the top of Pikes Peak. We are thankful that this malfunction did not happen during this time, as the results could have been catastrophic. I have since read related safety recall notices for this issue, and the symptoms described in thse notices are exactly as I experienced. I am very surprised that my vehicle is not covered by any of the safety recalls. The failed rack and pinion was sent back to Ford for analysis. It is a sealed unit so the Ford mechanics at Capitol Ford in Sante Fe were unable to comment.I have...

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the power steering failed, and the steering wheel became very difficult to turn in either direction. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 139,000.

Power steering stopped while driving

Steering is loose, and makes a sharp jerk to one side multiple times while driving and I am unable to keep control where the vehicle could crash.

The power steering assist on the vehicle produces a loud grinding noise when the steering wheel is turned in either direction. Additionally, the steering assist is sporadic during lane changes and turning corners. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic shop and they were able to replicate the same issues with the steering, namely loud grinding during the steering process and sporadic steering assistance. The vehicle has not been inspected by a dealership at this point and the independent mechanic advised to have a Ford dealership repair the vehicle since they have to complete some computer programming. Currently there has not been any warning lights or messages displayed and problem began about 2 weeks ago.

Power steering is hit and miss. At time’s, near impossible to turn the wheel and other times it’s fine. (This is all within full rotation of the wheel). 100% chance of the steering almost locking up and 100% it will be fine in certain spots. This problem arose rather quickly, within about 2 weeks. Looking online, these same symptoms are causing others to have their steering completely lock up due to the electronic steering fail. I’ve had this vehicle about a month and a half and I would say the steering is about 15% power steering and 80% no power.

Power steering is failing but no codes or any indication of what is failing other than tight steering and grinding noise.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 3 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated that the power steering assist failure message was displayed. The vehicle was towed and was diagnosed but not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) however, the Vin was not included. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and the contact was informed that the Vin was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Vehicle started making a grinding noise when turning and a slightly throbbing feedback through the wheel. We stopped driving immediately. According to the dealership the power steering module is failing needs a total replacement. Parts are on back order do to so many others needing same issue. 12-13 and 15-17 Explorers all had recalls do to this same part. However the 2014 models were not because of this I am out the $2700 even though Ford knows there is an issue. I am a single customer and have no power to show how bad for safety this is.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel stiffened while making a turn with a screeching sound. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed that the electronic steering rack and pinion was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.

While driving down the road a message popped up that said: Fault Service Required, Service AdvanceTrac, and Terrain System Fault. The vehichle lost power steering unexpectedly and was very difficult to maintain on the roadway. I pulled over and shut off my vehicle and when I restarted it the power steering was back. I have seen that this is a common issue with the 2014 Ford Explorer and it seems to be the same type of power steering system as the other years that have been recalled but the 2014 has been left out. I would just like to report this as I feel it is a very big safety issue if someone is driving in a turn when this happens or are not in a spot they can pull over when it happens. Thank you for your time.

My wife was driving on the highway and lost power steering completely!! The power steering assist light came on. She almost lost control of the vehicle! She was able to manage it off the highway. We had the car towed to the dealership. They had said that the power steering gear had failed! After researching the problem, I was SHOCKED to see this issue is not an anomaly. There was a recall on this issue for 2011 - 2013, but not for 2014. Yet, the complaints and horror stories for the 2014 model still continue. I called Ford and they documented my call (#CAS32404801) and suggested that we submit a claim from the dealership to Ford after the repar. I am really dumbfounded as to why this frightening issue with the steering has not been fixed!!!!

We were returning from a visit with my son in Ohio. Suddenly a notice appeared on the dashboard about steering control and it was extremely hard to turn the wheel. We tried several methods suggested to correct the problem such as disconnecting the battery and also checking the fuses but no success. Since it appeared I could drive the vehicle, we drove home but had to really work at steering. We finally arrived back at our home without further incident other than being extremely tired from turning the steering wheel. It was like driving a car which was never equipped with power steering but even harder. After returning home, I took the vehicle to the local Ford dealership. They checked the vehicle and said the steering column had to be replaced. Total cost is going to be $2384.73 plus tax.

WHILE DRIVING POWER STEERING FAILURE.. WHEN IT FAILED IT DINGED AND A MESSAGE CAME UP BUT FAILURE WAS WHILE DRIVING. NO OTHER PREVIOUS PROBLEMS. ONLY 44750 MILES AT TIME OF FAILURE.

Electrical power steering pump in failure. It's hard to steer and steering wheel gets stuck in a certain position. My wife wife was heading Into oncoming traffic, it allowed the steering to free up and be corrected right before she could have hit another vehicle head on. It is headed to our local dealership for a recall this week and we plan on having them confirm this, if we make it there. the bad part is there was no warning or dash indication light to let us know this was in failure and could have seriously hurt my wife and or kids IF they were in the vehicle.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at 55 mph, the service advanced track and power steering assist warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was parked and the vehicle loss power steering functionality. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed that the electronic power steering unit failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the mechanic. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 112,000.

The steering wheel suddenly became stiff while driving-and a power steering failure light came on-we had to park and be towed-and the Power steering rack and pinion/motor needs replacement. There are hundreds of people with the same problem-90,000 miles and barely driven

2014 Ford Explorer, steering wheel gets very hard when turning. Started four days ago, has not stopped since. Was not moving when the issue started. Ford dealership told me it is a very very very common issue with the rack and pinion on this year, and wanted to charge me $4000 to replace it. There is a recall on the power electric steering system of the 2011 through 2013 Ford Explorers, and apparently it is just as common on the 2014, so I’m wondering why it is not included in the recall. I absolutely am not paying out of pocket to get this fixed. if I die on the road, Ford is the cause..