The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 15-20 MPH and pulling into a parking lot, the steering wheel became inoperable, and the vehicle stalled. There was an unknown red light displayed. The contact stated that the failure was related to Customer Satisfaction Program: 15N01 (Steering). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the EPS needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The mechanic informed the contact that there was no coverage on the vehicle for the repairs. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 168,000.
2012 Ford Explorer steering complaints
Page 3 of 13: complaints 41 to 70 of 361, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving out of the driveway, the message "Power Assist Fault" was displayed, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was eventually towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the steering rack was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that there was no Extended Warranty Coverage for the failure. Additionally, the vehicle was previously repaired under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The failure mileage was 143,223.
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.
My 2012 Ford Explorer Limited had a safety recall 14S06 performed in 2014. In 2020 the same problem happened. The steering wheel locked up while driving and the power steering stopped working. It was fixed again. Now it’s 2024 and it has happened yet again. This time I was on the highway with my children in the car and suddenly my dash lights up and my steering wheel basically locked. No power steering yet again. We are lucky we didn’t lose our lives yesterday. I was driving 70 mph on the highway when this happened.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the power steering suddenly failed, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. During the failure the "Power Steering" message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the steering rack was faulty and needed to be replaced. The steering rack was replaced but the failure later reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not yet contacted. The contact stated that the steering rack had been replaced on three previous occasions for the same failure. The failure mileage was 110,000.
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.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the power steering malfunctioned, and the steering wheel was very difficult the turn in either direction. The contact stated that the failure lasted for approximately 10-seconds before self-correcting. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the steering rack and power steering module were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 85,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with a failure with the power steering gear and the electrical components. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall; however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Steering. Yes. I was unable to steer the vehicle, steering wheel would not move. No. No. After I was unable to steer, a warning came up on my onboard computer screen saying electric steering assist fault.
Last year around this time, my steering went out suddenly. it was difficult to drive and then it just wouldn’t turn. We replaced the drive belt and it hasn’t had much issue until recently. The steering went out much more violently this time- with me fighting to drive it down to work. Fluids were great so didn’t think too much of it until I went to drive it again and it wouldn’t turn at all. it had threatened not to turn while I was driving and it scared me a lot. Took it to a shop and they said the entire steering column is out. I haven’t done any extraneous driving that would tear it apart like that but it is still broken
Power steering control module failure occured on 2012 Ford Explorer. Dash displayed a "Power Steering Assist Fault" randomly but would resolve itself after turning vehicle off and back on, and now it is permenantly. Recall 15N01 was open on this vehicle but manufacturer will not service this vehicle under recall due to a 10 year, 150,000 mile limit. After getting the vehicle diagnosed a DTC U3000-72 was revealed which is one of the codes under recall. Previously unable to effectively steer vehicle without notice, and now unable to steer without assist all together.
Electronic power steering assist quit functioning while driving. After I parked the vehicle the steering wheel could not be turned under manual power leaving the vehicle only able to go straight forwards or backwards. Leading to a $2,900 repair bill and an additional $100 tow bill
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 50 MPH, he became aware of a strong clicking sound coming from the steering wheel. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that an unknown safety recall related to the rack and pinion for the vehicle had expired. The contact had not received notification regarding the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
I purchased a 2012 Ford Explorer in April 2024. Less than a month later, the Power Steering Assist Fault light appeared. I had it checked by PepBoy and was informed there was a recall on this issue and to contact my local Ford. I made the call and was told this was no longer a recall but a Customer Service issue and may not be covered due to age and mileage. The vehicle is driveable but turning is problematic.
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.
It happened a year ago when I was parked I turned the car on and the steering wheel locked, giving me the power steer assist fault error on the dash. I had to turn off the car and turn it back on. This happened about 2 or 3 time that year. Yesterday while driving out of my driveway I got the error again. This time it was different I wasn't parked, the car locked while in motion. Thankfully I wasn't on the street driving with the wheel locked in a turning position. I called Ford and they said that they just extended the satisfaction for the warranty on power steer to 10 years or 150,000 miles. This isn't a warranty issue. No car should have its steering locked, it's a 2012 car not even that old to be posing a safety issue like this. This need to be made a recall not extended warranty.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, he became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, and the steering wheel was stiff and required increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The power steering assist warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 167,000. The VIN was not available.
On December 29,2023 while driving on highway the Power Steering failed. I was unable to steer vehicle off roadway.I avoided getting killed, but very frightning.Warning lights appeared on the dash after failure , Service Power Steering now, Service Advance Trac, Terrain Mgt System Fault. Danvers Ford, Danvers, MA said the Steering gear needed to be replaced approx. $3,000 and that Ford Customer Relationship Center is unable to assist because the vehicle was outside the Recall criteria. I am horrified regarding the safety of the driver when the power system fails in real time and the cost to repair a faulty electronic steering that Ford should be responsible to repair.
While driving in my driveway, the steering froze up, I could not turn the wheel at all. I had it towed to the dealer.
The hazard lights have never worked in my vehicle and after spending months at the dealership they were not able to fix this. Also my window pillar flew off hitting another car while I was doing 75mph and the window cowl did the same thing. I've been working with a Ford dealership in Evansville, Indiana on Walnut Street and the window cowls need recalled and I was told that it will take 6 weeks to fix the pillars but the window cowl is so loose it's going to fly off in due time plus most of the vehicles the hazard lights do not work at all. Also I was able to turn the My Key feature on and I can't get it to turn off and my dealership can't figure it out. My electrical power steering unit, the steering gear box and steering knuckle also went out. And the rear end fractured on me while driving I lost steering 4 times while driving and almost hit a semi.
Power steering assist failure. Fortunately happened in a parking lot. Was told recall is no longer in affect. Will have to get to dealership for repair. No warning other than the failure that produced a code on the dash when the steering stopped working.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the steering wheel seized. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer and the contact was informed that the failure was due to the steering however, the parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who reprogrammed the computer. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline. The contact stated that the failure was related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.
One morning I got in my Explorer and it beeped 3 times with a display light saying, "service power steering." When I took it to a mechanic to get looked at, he said Ford had issued a recall on this part. However, when contacting Cloninger Ford of Hickory, my year make and model are covered under this recall but not my VIN. I do not understand this because clearly the power steering control module was an issue with the 2012 Ford Explorers and mine is having this problem but is not covered by the recall. Until this is fixed I cannot drive it because it highly increases risk of accident. The fix is very expensive. Any help getting this resolved would be greatly appreciated.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH and making a turn, the steering wheel was significantly difficult to turn. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering control module (PSCM) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
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.
Failure of electronic power assist steering system. Without power steering, maneuverability becomes difficult as effort required for steering the vehicle drastically increases, putting the driver and those around them at risk. The dealer has reproduced and confirmed the issue. It has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. No warning lamps appear until failure is already evident. There is already a safety recall concerning the EPAS system. The service action for this recall at Ford dealers is to check for diagnostic trouble codes and replace the power steering rack if certain codes are found. If none are found, however, they are to reprogram the EPAS system and extended coverage is provided should the EPAS system still fail with 10 years or 150,000 miles. EPAS system failure is not a common occurrence on any other Ford models outside those affected by this recall, yet many still fail in affected vehicles shortly after the extended coverage expires. Reprogramming the EPAS system does not fix the defective part but merely delays the inevitable, passing the cost of the repair to the owners and potentially putting those on the road around them in danger when the failure occurs. My vehicle has had the reprogramming done, closing the recall, and has aged past the extended coverage for replacement of the defective steering rack, which has now failed, and Ford will not cover the cost of the repair.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized in position. After the failure, the contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly. The power steering assist fault warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the steering gear. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while his wife was driving 45 MPH, she became aware that the electric power steering was not functioning properly with the "Service Power Steering” message displayed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was diagnosed and determined that the rear suspension toe link needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V435000 (Structure) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the federal safety agency hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 130,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon her son starting the vehicle, he became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly. The EPS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the electronic power steering control module. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The VIN was included but the repair had already been completed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 101,000.
We were driving along when all of a sudden power steering completely went out and then warning lights came on for first time. There was no warning until already happened. We were in middle of traffic and almost impossible to get to side of road. Almost got slammed by other vehicle trying to get to side of road.Had to tow car to shop and found out electric power steering component failed and have to replace rack and pinion for thousands of dollars. There was a recall for this problem but we were never notified.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2012 Ford Explorer?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history