2011 Ford Explorer: engine failure

Filed Jun 15, 2026 · Engine · OH

While stopped at a stop sign my engine suddenly died, before restarting a low oil pressure light came on but went out immediately. I was approximately 40 miles from home when I got to my destination. The car was showing no signs of issues, no warning lights or errors. When I went back out to start it and head home it would not start. I had to pay additional expense beyond my insurance road side coverage due to the distance. I have had an independent mechanic going over the vehicle since it died. Starter has been replaced because it appeared to be the issue. (the original was bad) Once replaced while attempting to start it he found out the engine had locked up. I bought the vehicle March 30, 2026 & this happened on June 10, 2026. The vehicle had 132,344 miles on it when bought and 135,716 when it seized up. After looking through other reports I have found this to be a reported issue.

Filed Feb 5, 2026 · Steering · 180,000 miles · NJ

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was difficult to turn to the left or the right. The steering wheel seized, and the steering wheel symbol was displayed on the instrument cluster. The vehicle was turned off and restarted to reset the steering assist function. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the electric power steering assist system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

Filed Jul 15, 2025 · Steering · 158,000 miles · NC

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to make a turn, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, and the steering wheel seized. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact stated that her daughter was inside the vehicle during the failure. The contact continued driving but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the power steering had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 15N01. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.

Filed Jun 20, 2025 · Steering · 205,616 miles · TN

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized and failed to turn to the left or the right. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included, and the contact was informed by the manufacturer that the warranty had expired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 205,616.

Filed Feb 19, 2025 · Steering · 114,000 miles · NC · crash

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 10 MPH, the steering wheel seized and was not functioning properly. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. As a result, the driver lost control of the vehicle, resulting in a crash into a gate where it came to a stop. The driver-side and passenger-side air bags did not deploy. No warning light was illuminated. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.

Filed Feb 3, 2025 · Steering · 199,000 miles · VA

The contact owned a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized with the power steering warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the power steering control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); because the mileage was over 150,000. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 199,000.

Filed Nov 26, 2024 · Steering · 200,000 miles · KY

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced a loss of power steering functionality intermittently. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated as needed; however, the failure progressively worsened. The contact stated while driving 50-55 MPH with her child in the rear seat, the vehicle made an abnormal beeping sound, the messages "Power Steering Failed" and "Service Advancetrac" were displayed, and the steering wheel seized. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact called an independent mechanic who instructed the contact to temporarily disconnect the battery. The contact followed the instructions; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the residence, where it remained. An independent mechanic diagnosed that the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) and the steering rack assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) software was previously updated under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

Filed Jul 26, 2024 · Steering · 75,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle intermittently lost power steering functionality. The blind spot sensors also displayed an error message on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the traction control and several other electrical systems failed intermittently. The contact stated that the message “Brake Failure” was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with power steering braking sensor failure. The vehicle had been repaired under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The contact stated that after the software update, the steering seized and was no longer operable. The vehicle was returned to the dealer where it was confirmed that the failure was associated with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); however, the failure had called for the warranty coverage associated with the recall under Manufacturer ID Number: 15N01 (Steering), requiring that the gearbox be replaced. The contact stated that the warranty coverage had expired due to the mileage and year limitation. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000.

Filed Mar 18, 2024 · Engine · PA

The internal water pump failed in my 2011 Ford Explorer without any warning signs and the coolant then leaked into my engine causing catastrophic engine failure. We were driving on a busy highway and the Ford Explorer simply started shutting down in the left lane. Nothing would happen when I pushed the gas petal and suddenly all the lights started flashing and heat went to above high. I was barely able to get over to the shoulder as smoke started to come out of the front of the engine. We were extremely afraid of getting hit since the car stalled on the highway only feet from the exit ramp. The car was towed and diagnosed at the Ford Dealership: Internal water pump failed causing engine failure - water mixed with oil. The car received state inspection and oil changed 17 days prior. Paid for engine replacement at the Ford Dealership with costs over $11,000.

Filed Dec 1, 2023 · Steering, Suspension · 205,000 miles · OH

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V746000 (Suspension). The contact stated that on two occasions while driving approximately 40 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated that the vehicle began jerking to the right. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 205,000.

Filed Oct 5, 2023 · Steering · 101,000 miles · GA

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the steering wheel seized. The messages "Power Steering Assist Fault" and "Service Advance Trac" were displayed. The contact stated that she turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the steering wheel operated as needed. The contact drove to the residence. The contact stated that the failure recurred while starting the vehicle. The contact stated that she turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that she would be charged a fee for the repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.

Filed Sep 22, 2023 · Steering · 144,000 miles · MA

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check charging system warning light was illuminated, and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where several unknown parts were replaced; however, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14E001000 (Steering). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.