2015 FORD EXPLORER Steering Problems

I was driving my 2015 Ford Explorer SUV and the wheels locked into going straight and I was unable to turn. This happened with no warning at all. We had the car looked at by a mechanic and they stated it was the power steering, and that the electronic module went out and the whole steering rack and pinion would need to be replaced. They suggested we contact Ford as there were recalls from the 2011-2013 models of the Ford Explorer for the same exact thing. Ford could not help us and suggested we contact the NHTSA to see if our VIN number had been missed for a recall. My safety and the safety of everyone else on the road around me was definitely put at risk. If I had been anywhere else, or going faster I would have crashed.

Clients steering locked up driving down the road. Had to stop and get a tow. Looking at the issue, found the electronic steering rack and pinion was locked, able to break it free but grinds bad. See other recalls for earlier and later years but not the 2014, seems to be the same issue, client could have been killed or killed others on the highway with no warning for a faulty part.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH down the driveway, the steering wheel was turned to the right and the contact heard an abnormal grinding sound. The contact stated that the steering wheel failed to return to center after completing the turn. The contact had to manually turn the steering wheel to center and heard the grinding sound again. The contact also felt a vibration in the steering column. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 107,657.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle steering wheel had become firm. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a faulty sensor that was integrated into the steering column. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and filed a case. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated the vehicle was very difficult to steer while in park or while driving at slow speeds. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.

I own a 2015 Ford Explorer. While turning out of the driveway the steering locked up and i cannot get it to unlock, we were lucky to get it out of oncoming traffic. We were terrified!!! After reading multiple complaints it seems to be a recurring problem for many. It happened on 9/14/2023. We had no warning of any type before it malfunctioned. Please help us Ford owners out, as Ford has already been aware of it happening many times.

The contact's son owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized while starting the vehicle. While driving at various speeds, the steering was making an abnormal sound. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the electrical motor, steering column, strut, and front end had failed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V530000 (Steering). The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000. The contact stated the vehicle is a 2014 not 2015.

when you hit the gas the steering turns when you let go it straightens back out please look into this i might cause an accident or loose control of the car

I encountered intermittent stiffness in the steering while driving. It felt like it might not steer. And then it loosens up and is okay for a moment or two. I took it to my local mechanic. At first, they thought it to be a lubrication issue. The situation increased. I took it back. They explained previous years of my model had a recall related to the power steering assembly. And that is what they believe it to be. I did reach out to Ford directly, but they are not going to do anything. There are no warning lights or additional inspections. I do see this has appeared on forums.

The power steering in my 2015 Ford explore completely locked up due to the steering gear going out. I am fortunate enough that it happened that low speed and no one was harmed. I could only imagine what would’ve happened if I were on a highway or interstate. It has been inspected and diagnosed by a Ford dealership, and they concluded that it was indeed the power steering gear. At the time it went out. There were no warning signs or lights on the dashboard that would have made me think it would go out.

I own a 2015 Ford Explorer. While turning out of the driveway the steering locked up and i cannot get it to unlock, we were lucky to get it out of oncoming traffic. We were terrified!!! After reading multiple complaints it seems to be a recurring problem for many. It happened on 07/15/2023, and we haven't been able to get it to a shop yet they are all closed until Monday. No one at this time has taken a look at it seeing how it was in the driveway of family. We had no warning of any type before it malfunctioned. Please help us Ford owners out, as Ford has already been aware of it happening many times.

I have a recall on rear suspension I have called to have the repairs done several times I was given response of they didn't have the parts needed and would take several weeks . Rear suspension is very unsafe and now the engine cooling component is causing issues with over heating and not giving any warning lights on dash and am afraid found cause fire or some unsafe issue

Last year I had to have the electric power steering pump replaced as it completely locked up almost causing an accident while trying to turn, this year now the steering shaft froze up while driving in traffic. Totaling $3,100.00 to fix when I was told this is something that should never need to be replaced and I drive my vehicle very carefully with my children in it .

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH and turning the vehicle to the left, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the steering wheel was also jerking while attempting to steer through the turn. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but recurring. The contact stated that the failure occurred mostly at slower speeds while turning. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the intermediate shaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

The steering wheel was no longer operable(loss control of vehicle) We were turning into a gas station to purchase gas and the steering wheel failed I was able to miss the car at the pump next to the one I was attempting to park at. I purchased this vehicle 3/10/2023 I was not aware of any recalls or anything until tonight. I did not have any lights on indicating an issue but I had been reaching out to the dealer because I sensed something was wrong with the vehicle. My attempts to get it diagnosed went ignored until 4/25/23 when this incident occurred.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the front windshield wipers activated independently. The contact removed the fuse to stop the windshield wipers. The vehicle was not diagnosed. On another occasion while starting the vehicle, the vehicle lost power steering functionality with the steering assist fault message displayed. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the message disappeared and the power steering functionality returned. The vehicle was not diagnosed. On another occasion while the contact shifted the vehicle into park(P), the vehicle delayed recognizing that the vehicle was in park(P) and failed to turn off as needed. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 170,000.

I am unable to take this matter to the dealer, as they have shut down thier business.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH and making a right turn, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and had the rack and pinion replaced on two separate occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The contact continued to experience the failure. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.

EPS unit started clunking loudly when turning right in a parking lot. Replaced by a mechanic and clunking no longer present.

Vehicle use an electrical power assist. Vehicle became hard to steer leading to unsafe condition.

Without any warning, the engine and power system failed while on the highway. There was no system warning lights preceding the event, and the vehicle had be well maintained. We were lucky to have been able to get off the road by safely coasting. Once towed to the mechanics, we were told that a rod had failed and entire would need to be replaced.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 55-60 MPH, the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. The contact stated that the vehicle had lost steering gear functionality. The contact was able to pull the steering wheel and regain control. There was an unknown steering message displayed. The contact stated that the traction control warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering gear, connecting rod, and rear toe link needed to be replaced, but the parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was unknown.

We have had power steering loss upon starting our 2015 Ford Explorer front wheel drive with park assist. This evening 2/13/2023 my wife called me to tell me the steering has stopped working again and she could not turn the wheels. The power rack has totally failed and I AS A STRONG MAN COULD HARDLY turn the wheels. I limped it home and it was all I could do to turn the wheels even going down the road. I am upset that Ford would of made this type of self sealed power rack that can fail and one will lose all control of the steering. Because it is so hard to turn the wheels. No woman can turn when in this situation and can wreak their Explorer because of this failure. Ford need to fix this issue and not just put the same part back into the Explorer. So anyone...

After several instances of intermittent loss of steering, the steering is now suck in manual mode (very stiff if not impossible to turn wheel). Luckily my wife was just pulling out of the driveway and not attempting to make a turn in traffic!! The dealer said it needs a new rack but at my expense!!?? $2500-3200. I am appalled that Ford has not addressed this issue yet. 2013/14 models covered, 2016 models covered. Why not 2015 models?? Its THE SAME EXACT ISSUE!!! Now I have a $12,000 brick sitting in the driveway. HEY, FORD!!! PLEASE HELP!! this is a very scary safety issue!

I was driving at about 50 mph and didn't have control of steering luckily I didn't panic and got safely off the highway. Never showed any signs that it was malfunctioning and it just went out. Took it the dealership and they told me it would be $2300 to repair.

My steering column was fine one day, and then very loud the next. We took the car to our dealership. They figured out what was wrong... the steering gear went out which caused the complete steering gear assembly to be replaced. But, then they could not get the part from Ford. They said it was a "known issue" and Ford was not releasing the necessary part to have this repaired. They had my car four weeks before Ford agreed to ship the part. I am guessing they had to make sure the parts in inventory would not have the same issue. They would not release my car back to me because they deemed it "unsafe to drive". Finally five-six weeks later, I have my car back repaired.

the steering makes a loud pop noise when turning sometimes locks up

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the steering became very difficult to turn. The contact was able to steer the vehicle; however, extra effort was needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven back to his residence and the vehicle regained power steering functionality after turning off and then restarting the vehicle. The contact stated that he recently started hearing a grinding noise coming from the transfer case. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the PTU transfer case needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

My 2015 Explorer power steering failed while I was driving and resulted in no control of my vehicle. The Ford dealer has indicated that the Rack And Pinion Assembly, Part Number: E5BZ3504AM needs to be replaced. This is a serious safety concern. I had replaced this part a few years ago but fortunately that time I only experienced creaking noise while turning. Now Ford is telling the dealer there are no parts nationwide and my car is sitting at a dealership and has since August. This needs to investigated as Ford Motor Company will likely supply the service department with another one of these dangerous parts.

Steering wheel becomes stiff, and at times locks up while vehicle is in motion no matter the speed. I almost lost complete control when the wheel locked briefly while exiting the highway on a curved off ramp. Thankfully my wife nor my teenage daughter where operating the vehicle, I was. Having had experience in vehicle operations while in combat, I was able to regain control without further incident. This unpredictable malfunction should truly be looked into and rectified by manufacturer.

Power Steering Assist Fault on 10/17/2022. Steering wheel would not move (or was very difficult to turn the wheels at all). Had this occurred while driving it would have been near impossible for my wife to steer the car and likely would have caused an accident. Fortunately it happened first thing in the morning when starting the car in our garage. Towed to repair shop and they confirmed the entire steering rack needs replacement (electric steering). Warning light for same problem occurred 11/23/2021, but after restarting vehicle the warning indicator went away and the steering unlocked. Took to service shop but they could not replicate the problem and cleared the codes, and the code did not come back. This time however there is no solution other than to replace the entire steering rack at great expense.

Driving down the road and making a right turn into a gas station, I heard a popping noise coming from the front, passenger, tire area. I let it go for a couple days but the noise didn't go away. A day earlier, I picked up the vehicle from Ford (had the recalls addressed). Never was informed of a problem with the front end what so ever...I decided to take the vehicle to Firestone. They checked and found the "rack and pinon" needed to be replaced because the popping noise was coming from inside the system. The repair was estimated to cost $2600.00. Firestone informed me that they called Ford for replacement cost and Ford said they didn't have any to sell. I've read various chat rooms for 2015 Ford Explorer issues and found NHTSA was aware of the problem but no recalls had been issued by Ford. NHTSA, I urge...

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, the steering wheel seized in a certain position with the "Steering Assist Fault Service Required" warning message on the instrument panel. Upon restarting the vehicle, the power steering failed to operate as needed and excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle. The contact was able to reset the vehicle and drove to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective electric steering rack. The manufacturer had been notified of the failure and was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle had yet to be repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

Vehicle lost power steering while driving on highway. My self along with 4 other passengers was in danger of running into other vehicles . I was able to get vehicle to repair and the dealership service department has t replace the Electronic Steering gear and program. There were no prior warning before we lost control.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact turned off the vehicle and allowed the computer to reset itself. The failure persisted. The power steering assists warning light was illuminated. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 79,000. The consumer stated that the vehicle was repaired but soon failed again. At the time of the second failure, the "Steering Assist Fault" was displayed on the dashboard, and it took multiple tries to get the vehicle moving again.

The power steering went out while I was driving. I had to hold the steering wheel all the way to the left just to go straight. Had the car towed to the dealership where I was informed the repair would cost $3000 and Ford will not cover any of it. Was told that Ford does not even make the part any more because they had so many problems so they would have to order a refurbished part in order to fix.

2015 FORD EXPLORER ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING ASSIST MODULE RACK AND PINION MY WIFE STARTED THE VEHICLE AND A POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME UP ON THE DASH.WE HAD NO POWER STEERING,THANK GOODNESS IT HAPPENED IN OUR DRIVEWAY AND NOT ON THE ROAD SOMEWHERE. WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALER AND THEY TOLD US THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING ASSIST MODULE RACK AND PINION WAS BAD. WE HAD TO PAY $2500 UP FRONT TO ORDER THE PARTS AND WERE TOLD THE PARTS WERE ON BACK ORDER AND MAY TAKE 2 WEEKS TO A MONTH OR MORE TO COME IN.THEY TOLD US IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE UNTIL FIXED.I STARTED LOOKING UP THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND OUT THIS WAS HAPPENING TO MANY OTHER VEHICLES,FORD EXPLORERS THANKS FOR LOOKING INTO THE PROBLEM AND SAVING LIVES

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while pulling into the driveway at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized with the Service Advance Trac and Steering Loss Stop Safely messages displayed. The contact related the failure to a faulty rack and pinion and steering column; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became inoperable. The power steering assist and advance track warning indicator lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 69,053.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized. The steering fault message was displayed while the advanced traction control warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

I was driving up north to spend the weekend camping with family and 2 hours into our trip two light went off one being the steering wheel check light a d the other being the advance trac light. I had to pull over completely because i was unable to drive the vehicle.

Every since I bought this vehicle I have intermittent power steering failure while driving. I was assured in the past that the toe link recall took care of this problem but I still continue to have this problem, although not as frequent as was before. While drive when it goes out I get the following errors flash: Service Advan Trac, Steering Assit Fault, and Hill start assist not available. These are the warnings that flashes. As of now, if I can get pulled over and turn off the vehicle and let it sit. Everything runs normal. But what is strange this last time I also got a Power Steering Low error flash up. This is dangerous and I can not believe FORD has not recalled my vehicle for the module when all the years and some of my years have been recalled for it. This is a $$$$ repair.

This has been an intermittent issue for approximately a year. The vehicle experiences binding popping when turning. The steering sticks and takes a second to return to function. I have almost missed curves because of the malfunction. It has not been examined by a dealership, but by a few independent mechanics. Sometimes it cannot be duplicated and in other instances it happens so quickly the tech cannot assess the issue properly. I have not had any warning lights or alerts other than the activity. I am scared to drive my vehicle especially with my kids inside. I have read several forums and this is clearly an issue that Ford is aware of, but has chosen to do nothing about. Please help.

I purchased this vehicle in May 2021. Within a week after purchasing, the power steering went out completely. When this happened, an indicator came on the dash that said "Steering Assist Fault-Service required". Another indicator came on as well that said "Service Advancetrac". Not only did the power steering go completely out, but the selector that allows me to change modes from grass, snow, sand, normal conditions was not working either. It was no longer lit up and would not respond when I tried to change it. This exact same scenario has actually HAPPENED 6 TIMES NOW in the past year, with the most recent happening on June 21, 2022. Each time, it happens when I am going to a relatively slow speed (under 25 mph) and it is VERY difficult to get it off the road due to the power steering being out. I am only reporting now because...

Driving 65-70 mph on highway headed home steering seemed a little stiff going into a curve then cleared up. 10 miles further down the road the steering seems a little hard to keep in my lane and then felt normal again. Coming into town slowing down to about 35-40 mph Service Advancetrac soon light came on. I slowed down as there was no where safe to pull over safely and turned on hazard lights until I could look for a spot to pull over and call my husband. Drove a couple more miles and pulled into a parking lot just as the steering loss light came on and all steering capability was lost. I’ve seen many complaints from owners of same make and model with this problem. Makes me curious why there is no recall on this year model when there are calls for this on previous year models

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized. The contact manually steered the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with power steering module failure. The mechanic informed the contact that the power steering module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

Steering locks up while driving, no warnings or anything just cannot steer the vehicle.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The Power Steering Assist Fault and Service Advance Tract messages were displayed. The contact veered to the side of the road and waited. The contact continued driving the vehicle using extra effort to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

The Ford electronic rack and pinion system just failed. No warning light, no advance notification. Driving vehicle down road and abs ability to steer vehicle becomes impossible. Stopped vehicle and brought to dealership. In any other circumstance this could have led to a crash with injuries or death. Googled problem, and innumerable instances of this happening with Ford vehicles. Surprised this isn’t a recall item already!!

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 25 MPH and making right turn, the steering wheel suddenly malfunctioned and became difficult to turn causing the vehicle to drive off the road. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 163,000.