2015 FORD EXPLORER Steering Problems

on 8/1/25 service steering assist light came on, vehicle was driven to the auto repair shop with no hard codes to diagnose. Vehicle was driven towards home on 8/6/25 and lost all steering within a matter of seconds while on the highway at 60 mph. Steering assist light came on and stabilitrac light flashed. Vehicle had to be towed and rack and pinion needed replacing. Once fixed the vehicle was driven until 9/23/25 infrequently when the steering assist fault came back on and vehicle would not move as steering locked up and the rack and pinion needed to be replaced again. 12/13/25 steering assist light came on while backing up and steering locked up. This is terrifying to say the least.

I am filing an official safety complaint regarding my 2015 Ford Explorer Sport 3.5L due to a dangerous and sudden power-steering failure that occurred while I was driving with my children in the vehicle. There were no warning lights, alerts, or symptoms leading up to the failure. The power steering went out instantly and without any indication that something was wrong. The moment it failed, the steering wheel locked up and became extremely difficult to turn, nearly causing multiple accidents. I had children in the car at the time, and this situation created an immediate and severe safety hazard for everyone in my vehicle and on the road. After this happened, I contacted (by phone) Ford directly. Without any inspection, hesitation, or further explanation, I was immediately told that the vehicle “needs a new steering rack and pinion.” The quoted repair cost exceeds $3,000, on a vehicle I am still...

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that on four occasions when the vehicle was started, the message "Steering Assist Service Required" was displayed. The contact stated that the steering wheel was very stiff and would not move. The vehicle was restarted, and the vehicle operated as needed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

I was going to the pharmacist. When I started my vehicle there was an alert for ""steering assist fault service required". I tried to turn the steering wheel and it would not turn. I could not use my vehicle.

Steering wheel when turned to right or left makes a loud screeching sound. It was brought to dealership and diagnosed that the steering wheel computer is failing and only way to fix is to replace the entire steering wheel rack. 5k to replace. Vehicle was inspected in April ‘25. Same issue has been happening constantly since. 80k miles Also, rear back up camera goes blank intermittently.

Power steering service required message Power steering instantly failed at 55 mph Warning messages for AdvanceTrac and Terrain Assist Blinkers only work if held after all this Every other motorist in the road at the time (this morning) was put at risk as the vehicle was nearly impossible for my wife to steer. Multiple dealers claimed there is no recall for this. After online investigation, it appears there are quite a lot of instances of this happening. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. It has not been inspected by any dealer, police, insurance or any others.

I was in a parking lot when the electric power steering went out. Couldn’t turn wheel at all

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 50-55 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The message "Power Steering Failure -Service Immediately" was displayed. The contact was able to pull over to the side road. The contact was able to drive to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 139,160.

The factory installed headlight screw punctured the coolant line of my 2015 Ford Explorer causing my transmission to stop working properly. This resulted in a $725 tow bill and $1,067.56 in repairs. The certified mechanic verified that the screw was an original part and it punctured the line, likely after some time rubbing against it. The transmission did not appear to be damaged however my safety was at risk trying to pull over to when the vehicle would no longer shift gears. I have a video of the leak that lines up with the screw placement but was not able to upload it...I am happy to email it to you.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the power steering assist was inoperable. The failure occurred while the contact’s husband was stopped for fuel. The driver turned on the vehicle and the steering wheel had seized. The engine maintenance warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion and steering needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired by the dealer. The contact stated that an independent mechanic confirmed that the steering and rack and pinion needed to be replaced, but the parts were on backorder. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was opened. The owner was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

As I was parking my 2015 Ford Explorer Sport, a warning appeared on the instrument panel stating “Power Steering Assist Fault,” and the steering suddenly became so difficult that I was unable to move the vehicle. Although this has only happened once, I’m very concerned about the possibility of it occurring again—especially while driving on the highway. Losing the ability to steer could put my family’s lives, and the lives of others, in serious danger. I have read numerous customer complaints about this exact issue on the NHTSA website. It’s time for the manufacturer to issue a recall for these vehicles and fix the problem before someone loses their life due to this defect.

The power steering assist in my vehicle is becoming progressively worse, I would welcome an inspection. Basically, the power steering assist will vary throughout the sweep of the steering wheel. During a turn or lane change the power steering may feel normal, be non-existent, or alternate between the 2 conditions, often requiring significant force to steer the vehicle (vehicle speed seems to make no difference.) This condition is an obvious safety risk for vehicle occupants or any other vehicles, pedestrians, or property in the vicinity. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer or service center - I have gathered from researching various message boards that Ford will disavow the issue and tell me that I will need a new steering rack at a charge of approximately $3,000. No inspection has been done as of yet. No warning lamps or messages have presented as of yet and there are...

When you are in park and the car is on there is a lot of play in the steering wheel and it sounds like something is broken and when you are driving, the steering wheel and car itself starts shaking. I believe it is the rack and pinion as everything the dealer quoted it was the rack and pinion and steering box. it is now undrivable because we took it to the dealership and couldn't afford the parts and labor to fix it even though it was clearly a manufacturing issue.

I own a 2015 ford and the power steering system just stopped working with abs and traction being lost as well. My husband owns a 2016 Ford F150 and has the same thing going on with his truck. I am seeing this is being reported as a common problem with Fords electric power steering.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver before the steering wheel seized. The contact stated the message 'Steering Wheel Default" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact was able to pull over to the side. The contact turned the vehicle off and after a few minutes, the vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle functioned normally for the rest of the drive. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to costs. The failure was progressively worsening, and the vehicle was no longer being driven. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000(STEERING). However, the...

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 40 MPH, there was a clanking sound coming from the steering wheel. The contact stated that the steering wheel shifted to the left and the contact immediately corrected the steering wheel; however, in the process the vehicle became airborne. The contact stated that upon landing, the front driver’s, the front passenger’s, and rear driver’s side tires were deflated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was advised that the control arms, wheel axles, wheel bearings, rims, and tires were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his mother was driving and stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The contact stated an unknown message was displayed on the instrument panel before the steering wheel seized. After several attempts, the vehicle was restarted, and the vehicle returned to normal functionality. The vehicle was taken to Jamie Tires; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while her sister was driving the vehicle, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired for the most recent failure. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage...

Loss of power steering assist

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after having the tires replaced, while in reverse or while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was losing power steering functionality. The failure had become a persistent failure. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 149,466.

Lost control of steering. Was extremely hard to contor vehicle. Put me at great risk of accident.

I experienced and continue to experience intermittent sudden loss of Electric Power Steering while driving. The sudden loss of Electric Power Steering (EPS) is not accompanied by any warning light or alarm indicating there may be a problem. EPS returns intermittently. Other model years of the 5th Gen Explorers have been recalled for similar issues with the EPS system, but my vin has not been included in those recalls. My personal safety and the safety of other drivers was put at risk because the steering wheel seized up and became very hard to turn resulting in me losing control of the vehicle for a few moments the first time it happened. The most dangerous part of this situation is that the sudden loss of the EPS happens unexpectedly; I almost drifted into the right lane while executing a turn from the left lane due to the steering wheel transitioning from...

The power steering failed while driving, which made it difficult to navigate the turn safely

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the front passenger's side and driver's side windshield exterior A-Pillar trims had detached and were flapping while driving. The contact stated that the failure had caused water to leak into the vehicle. The contact stated that there was water leaking into the infotainment system, onto the phone charging area, and onto the floor. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was confirmed that there was no water damage inside the vehicle. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that unknown steering components located underneath the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was...

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The contact stated an unknown message was displayed on the instrument panel before the steering wheel seized. The contact was able to pull over on the side of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle functioned normally. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving into a parking lot, the electric power steering became inoperable. The steering wheel was difficult to turn. The message that the “Electric Power Assist Off” was displayed. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but there was no response. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

Power steering has failed on the vehicle which causes serious safety risks when driving. During cold temperatures the power steering freezes completely and drivers are unable to turn the wheels at all leaving us stranded. We have had the rack & pinion replaced and the power steering re-programed by Ford 3 separate times with a professional repair/alignment shop and continue to experience the problem. Power Steering issues are a well known problem and many similar year/models have been recalled previously. I firmly believe this is a manufacturing defect on Ford's part and all models of the ford explorer from this year should have been recalled instead of only select models/VIN numbers.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Power Steering Failure" was displayed, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the power steering control module and power steering motor rotation angle sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 90,000.

Vehicle will Randomly flash service track soon and a steering assist fault while driving down the highway. This will cause the steering to completely lock up and you are unable to turn at highway speeds.

Steering rack failed while driving and locked the steering wheel. There was no early signs of failure nor any indications in the dashboard or any abnormal behavior prior to the failure of the steering rack. I was on a road with little traffic and was able to stop and turn the car off and back on while applying force to the steering wheel, whic eventually allowed me to turn the wheel. This happened at ~106,000 miles which seems to early to have this kind of catastrophic failure. I got lucky this time.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 - 35 MPH, the steering suddenly seized. The contact had to use an excessive amount of strength to maneuver the vehicle. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle and waited for a while before restarting the vehicle. After restarting the vehicle, the power steering regained proper functionality and the contact drove to the destination; however, once arriving at the destination, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The message “Steering Fault - Contact the Dealer” was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the rack and pinion and steering assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had been repaired. The contact learned of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) that was related...

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that on two separate occasions, the power steering assistance failed to operate as needed. The contact stated that the "Power Steering Assist Fault" and the traction control warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The contact was also referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

My steering fault light started to regularly come on. I took my vehicle to Firestone and was told they could not repair it, due to there being a steering recall. I was advised I would have to take my vehicle to Ford. Upon doing so, I was told at Ford there is no steering recall for my vehicle, only a panel recall. Yet, there is a steering recall for other Ford vehicles right now. The Ford Explorer is experiencing the same steering issue. I am having to pay more than $3,000 to fix an issue that should be a recall. Plus, the Ford advisor told me this is a safety issue.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the steering wheel seized, causing the vehicle to become difficult to maneuver. The message “Service Advance-trac” was displayed, and the traction control warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering rack and module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure was mileage was 63,450.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering assist failed to operate as needed. Additionally, the "Steering Fault Assist" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle due to the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the mechanic could not determine the cause of the failure. The contact continued driving the vehicle until the ABS and traction control warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. The steering wheel seized, and the vehicle was towed back to the independent mechanic. The contact was informed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

I had just pulled out of my driveway when I heard a "clunk" and the power steering seized up. Dash lights indicated "Steering Asist Fault Service Required" and "Service Advance Trac". I had to drive around the block (pulling very hard on steering wheel) to get it back in my driveway. It was frightening not having full control of the car. There is a Recall for Ford Explorer Steering Issues (NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V286000 and NHTSA CAMPAIGN# 21V537000) "Cross axis ball joint to seize" but my VIN is not in the recall but should be. This is a SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE that needs to be addressed by Ford Manufacturing.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reversing 3 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The power steering fault warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the power steering failure was caused by a rack and pinion failure. The contact was informed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V530000 (Steering). The manufacturer and dealer confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall and referred the contact to NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 187,800.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering failed to function as intended, and the turn signals were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the failure could not be duplicated due to a signal stating dealer locked. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with steering column failure. The contact was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

Part became loose in the steering rack. The metal piece that came loose was lodging itself in-between the teeth on the rack and would prevent steering to move without additional force. It appears that a washer or metal round piece came loose and then randomly becomes lodged/stuck in the steering rack. Pictures and full details are available upon request. My safety was affected by reduced steering capability. Problem is reproducible. No warning lamps or messages.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 55-60 MPH, the “Service Track Error” message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact continued to drive to the destination where the vehicle was parked for several hours. After restarting the vehicle, the “Service Track” and “Steering Loss - Stop Vehicle” messages were displayed. The vehicle was inoperable and towed to the residence. An independent mechanic arrived to the residence and inspected the vehicle, diagnosing that the steering motor and module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall relating to the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 240,000.

For a few weeks, I thought I had developed an air bubble in my power steering system, as occasionally, steering would have a very slight resistance that I could pull through with minimal effort. I went to check my power steering fluid and upon inspection and research, discovered that my vehicle (a Police Intercepter Utility, equal to a base model Explorer) has electric power steering, not hydraulic. I figured the issue was just a minor quirk of the electrical power steering motor kicking in. A few days ago, my power steering failed completely failed while driving at about 35mph. Only once did the dashboard light up with a warning about servicing advanced stabili-trac and something else closely related. The alert lights went out on their own after about 5 seconds and steering returned to normal. Later the same day, steering became very difficult again with no alert lights and it...

Power steering rack failure

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while attempting to turn the vehicle to the left or right, an excessive amount of force was needed to turn the vehicle. The contact believed that the power steering had failed. The contact stated that while turning the vehicle to the right the failure seemed more pronounced than while turning to the left. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure where it was confirmed there was no recall associated with the VIN. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a safety complaint. The failure mileage was 102,000.

The contact owns as 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering failed. The service advance track and terrain system management fault lights were illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle home unrepaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired a year prior due the power steering failure. However, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 109,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who diagnosed failures with the steering gear and outer tie rod. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 148,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that there was an abnormal grinding noise detected while making a turn. There was a crunching noise detected while entering the driveway. The contact stated that the passenger's front seat was not moving. The driver’s side rear inflator seat belt failed to latch. The rear seat belt warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who informed the contact the seat belt buckle needed to be replaced. The track on the seat needed to be replaced. The dealer was unable to determine the cause of the steering failure. The vehicle was not repaired. While driving at unknown speeds, the steering wheel seized. While making a turn, the driver had to pull the steering wheel to correct the steering. The steering power assist fault message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed...

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the power steering failed, and the steering wheel was difficult to turn in either direction. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 96,000.

My steering lost all power and basically froze going straight. I was almost home, within 500 feet and managed to strong arm it into my driveway. I have 2 warning lights on, Service Advance Trac and Service Power steering Now. Something with in the steering system is not right. My safety was not a concern when it happened as I was slowing down to turn into my driveway Looking online, this seems to be a major problem for many people No inspections as yet, since I would need to have it towed someplace I mentions those 2 warnings above.

The electric power steering shuts off at random times. The power steering goes out and the steering may lock according to the Sonora Ford Dealership. The dealership said that the car is not safe to drive without the steering rack replaced. The dealership also noticed a clunk in the steering rack when turned lock to lock. When the steering turns off a red warning signal appears on the dash with a Battery symbol and a message to check charging system.

Vehicle power steering failure, causing locked steering. After reading, am finding this is a major problem with many Ford models. There has been recalls on many other models. No warning at all just locked up. Luckily did not happen to my wife at highway speeds. DTC codes U3000-96 U2011-61 C1B00-2F U3003-68 U0415-00

The Power Steering was not working and a Low Voltage Warning came on saying power consumption was being reduced. I took the car to a mechanic and he tested the battery and alternator output. They both checked good. After driving for 10-15 minutes, the power consumption reduction turns off and things go back to normal. This happens on almost every drive.