The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed and the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred after starting the vehicle, and the steering wheel locked up. The dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 14V286000 (Steering) and 14E001000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
2011 Ford Explorer: steering wheel locks up
107 of the 1,198 complaints about the 2011 Ford Explorer describe steering wheel locks up.
- owner complaints
- 107
- of this car's complaints
- 9%
- typical repair cost reported
- $2,400
- typical mileage
- 86,000
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 1 service bulletin for this area of the car. See below
Steering wheel locks up by model year
What owners say
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.
Steering wheel locked up when I tried to restart car
I had a recall on my 2011 Ford explorer for toe Links and bushings. Since ever since this has been going on I have gone through 38 tires in the rear in the past two years alone no shop will fix my car because the camber is so out of whack I have to have the whole rear suspension redone again when it should have been fixed the first time with the recall link Ford spent 5 minutes going through my car and said that my car didn't qualify for any recall because my car is a front wheel drive and not an all-wheel drive so they did not do the recall now after bringing it to another shop I have the estimate of what it would cost to fix that needs to be done it is an emergency because when I hit a pothole I go in the ditch my friend and his smashed because I can't control my car my steering freezes while driving down the highway and this all has something to do with the rear suspension five Star automotive wrote down everything that needs to be replaced this is a hazard to be on the road, if I could afford another car I would have one I keep sinking money into this one, because of Link Ford and their mistake me and my car should not have to suffer for it or anyone else on the road because this is a hazard my car is going to kill someone if I would have had the recall replaced, I wouldn't have had to spend an additional $1,400 on parts and labor that never even got put in because they can't put them in until this is repaired I can't even get a front end alignment because of this the entire rear suspension is sagging to the ground and my tires tilt in about 42°. I have the printout from both Link Ford in mining and 5 star automotive in Superior WI because of the 22 times I've gone in the ditch due to my suspension and steering locking up I have a short in the ground wire somewhere that is now fried my ECU so when I put it in a $90 boot every time it lights on fire within 30 seconds I'm in closing that picture as well of the one I just put in little over an hour ago.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that on several occasions when the vehicle was started, the steering wheel was intermittently firm. Additionally, the contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the steering wheel locked. The contact stated that the following day while attempting to move the steering wheel, the steering wheel was back to normal. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 103,500.
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.
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.
The steering rack and pinion failed causing our steering wheel to lock while driving. This was a major safety risk/hazard for my family, me, and other drivers on the road. We lost all steering capabilities, something we'd never experienced before. This could have caused an accident leading to serious bodily harm and or fatal injuries to all involved. This problem has been confirmed by a Ford Dealership. The vehicle has been inspected by a Ford Dealership service team. There were no warning lamps or messages until after the vehicle steering locked up.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Steering: electric power assist system
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured May 17, 2010, through February 28, 2012. The affected vehicles may experience an intermittent connection in the electric power steering gear, which can cause a loss of the motor position sensor signal resulting in a shut down of the power steering assist.
- Risk
- If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist it will require extra steering effort at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) software, free of charge. If a vehicle shows a history of a loss of motor position sensor signal when the vehicle is brought in for the recall remedy, its steering rack assembly will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on July 23, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑800‑392‑3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S06.
Recall number 14V286000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2011 Ford Explorer steering lock-up
Is steering wheel locks up a common problem on the 2011 Ford Explorer?
107 of 1,198 owner complaints about the 2011 Ford Explorer (9%) mention steering wheel locks up. The model year with the most reports is 2013.
How much does it cost to fix steering wheel locks up on the 2011 Ford Explorer?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,400 (median of 8 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2011 Ford Explorer?
There is 1 recall and 1 service bulletin for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2011 Ford Explorer
Power steering loss 401Loss of power 143Engine failure 67Fuel smell 49Airbag light 31Backup camera 26Stalling 23Check engine light 20Jerking 14Grinding brakes 11Water leak 11Overheating 10ABS 9Fire or smoke 7Fuel leak 6Adaptive cruise 5No deployment 5
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