2012 Ford Explorer: sudden loss of power

Filed Jul 21, 2026 · Steering · OH

Loss of power steering assist . Yes it is available for inspection on request. I can't steer it . It has not been confirmed by anybody yet. It has not been inspected by anybody yet. There are no warning lights on dash .

Filed Jan 14, 2026 · Steering · 80,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reversing, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and struck another unoccupied parked vehicle. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the rear of the vehicle had sustained scratches. There was no injury sustained. No Police report was filed. The contact stated that the power steering failure was initially intermittent, but the failure had become a constant failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the electronic power steering and steering gear assembly needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered because the 10-year warranty period had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Filed Oct 6, 2025 · Steering · TX

While driving, my 2012 Ford Explorer displayed a “Service Power Steering Now” warning message, and the steering wheel completely locked, making the vehicle impossible to steer safely. This happened without warning and rendered the car undrivable, creating an immediate safety hazard. This issue matches the conditions described in Ford Safety Recall 14S06 (the federal safety agency Campaign 14V286000) and Customer Satisfaction Program 15N01, both addressing Electric Power Steering (EPAS) system failures in 2011–2013 Explorers. Ford’s Defect Information Report to the federal safety agency (PE12-017) states that intermittent electrical connections in the steering gear’s motor position sensor can cause a total loss of power steering assist exactly what occurred in my vehicle. Despite this, Ford and the dealership (Tommie Vaughn Ford, Houston TX) have stated that my VIN is “expired” for program 15N01 and refused assistance. However, the failure mode and symptoms are identical to those covered by these safety campaigns.My Explorer was manufactured in December 2011, which falls directly in the affected build range. The Carfax report for my vehicle even lists program 15N01 EPAS Steering Efforts as an associated service campaign. This is a critical safety issue, and Ford’s refusal to assist due to expired coverage should not override the need to correct a known steering defect. I am requesting that the federal safety agency investigate whether Ford’s current handling of EPAS steering failures is sufficient, and whether Customer Satisfaction Program 15N01 should be reopened or extended to cover affected vehicles like mine that are experiencing the same safety defect.

Filed Sep 6, 2025 · Steering · MI

Loss of power steering occasionally, getting a power steering fault, but as of now, starts working again

Filed Jan 31, 2025 · Electrical, Steering · PA

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while his wife was driving 70 MPH in the passing lane, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated while the driver was decelerating, the vehicle started shuddering significantly. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated, and a message advising of a power steering failure and to service the vehicle immediately was displayed. The tail lights and the hazard lights became inoperable. The driver was able to pull to the side of the road. The driver was able to continue driving at a lower speed. The contact stated that his daughter and his [XXX] grandchild were passengers in the vehicle during the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was uncontrollable while driving at higher speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering gear motor and an unknown parts needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 15N01; however, the dealer informed the contact that the manufacturer declined to cover the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Sep 12, 2024 · Steering · 155,000 miles · OK

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH and following the curve in the roadway, the steering wheel was extremely difficult to turn. The contact stated that the message "Loss of Power Steering Assist" and “Loss of Stability Control" were displayed. The contact stopped, and turned off and restarted the vehicle several times; however, the power steering functionality had not returned. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.

Filed Aug 12, 2024 · Steering · 175,955 miles · KY

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 15-20 MPH attempting to make a right turn into a parking space, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, causing the contact to use an excessive amount of force to steer the vehicle. The "Service Power Steering Now" message was displayed. The contact became aware of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 175,955.

Filed May 13, 2024 · Steering · 122,000 miles · MD

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 55 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The "Power Steering Assist Fault" message was displayed. The failure almost caused a crash. The contact helped his wife steer the vehicle and pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the rack and pinion were replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was previously repaired under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.

Filed Dec 26, 2023 · Steering · NJ

We seen multiple online post about our make model and year Ford having a recall. When our steering wheel locked and we lost complete control of our car more than once with kids and a baby in the car we brought it to Ford to be fixed. They told us as long as the computer matched up with that issue it would be covered under an existing campaign. They then said ford denied it because it just missed the cut off time limit by a couple months and we would have to come out of pocket. They had no loaners for us or any help. We borrowed money from a family Member, had to pay for a rental and we were reassured it was fixed. Then we have the same issue but worse happen Christmas Eve, weeks after getting it repaired and assured it was fixed . We repaired it at the dealership and then once again lost power steering. We have an infant and kids. If we would’ve been on a major road it would’ve been possibly deadly as the steering wheels randomly locks and power steering fails. This is not okay. Ford said they will get to it when they can and they have no loaners for us.

Filed Oct 20, 2023 · Steering · AZ

My wife is driving to work when the dash beep twice saying power steering fault then she lost power steering and nearly crashed the vehicle , this is a known problem from Ford that was not repaired by them and now they're telling me that they won't repair it This was what I found online by just doing a quick search after my wife nearly crashed! By Matt Schmitz May 29, 2014 Vehicles Affected: About 177,500 model-year 2011-13 Ford Explorer SUVs share © The Problem: A potential electrical issue in the steering gear may result in the loss of electric power steering assist while driving. This could cause the steering system to default to manual mode, making the vehicle more difficult to steer, especially at lower speeds, and increasing the risk of a crash. According to the Detroit News, Ford said drivers will hear a chime and see a message in the instrument cluster if electric power steering assist is lost. The Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will either update software for the power steering control module or replace the steering gear for free. What Owners Should Do: Ford has not yet issued an owner notification schedule. Owners can call Ford at 800‑392‑3673 for more info. Need to Find a Dealer for Service? Go to Cars.com Service & Repair to find your local dealer.

Filed May 26, 2023 · Steering · 86,974 miles · OH

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while his wife was driving at approximately 25 MPH, his wife attempted to make a turn however, the vehicle lost power steering assist functionality. The contact then stated that he pushed the vehicle into his driveway. The contact’s son retrieved the error codes: U300049-48, U300072-48 and U300096-C8 for the power steering module. The son's friend, an independent mechanic, determined that the power steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that Customer Satisfaction Program: 15N01 (EPAS Steering Efforts) had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 86,974.

Filed Mar 20, 2023 · Steering · 191,000 miles · OK

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering. The "Service Power Steering Now" and "Shift to Park" warning messages were illuminated. The vehicle was inoperable and was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering gear needed to be replaced. The VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The vehicle remained at the dealer awaiting the repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 191,000.