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2013 Ford Explorer steering complaints

Page 4 of 29: complaints 71 to 100 of 837, newest first, as owners wrote them.

See the summary of 2013 Ford Explorer steering problems: which part fails, at what mileage and related recalls.

Filed Aug 6, 2024 · Steering · 173,289 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the "Power Steering Assist Fault" message was displayed, and the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was later towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the steering rack assembly 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 in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 173,289.

Filed Jul 31, 2024 · Driver assistance, Steering · 200,013 miles · KS

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the steering column was stiff to turn and had seized. The Lane Keep and power steering warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 200,013.

Filed Jul 26, 2024 · Steering · 207,000 miles · MI

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH and making a left turn, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled off the road and turned off and restarted the vehicle however, the power steering functionality had not returned. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 14S06 Steering System Sensor Fault (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 207,000.

Filed Jul 15, 2024 · Steering · TX

Something is wrong with my power stirring when I am driving all of sudden my power stirring just quits working if i can get pulled over and turn off the car an let it sit for awhile it mite be fine and not always serve time's I'm turning the corners and it happens I never know when its going to do this.

Filed Jul 10, 2024 · Steering · 72,500 miles · WY

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 10 MPH, the steering wheel occasionally became difficult to maneuver. The message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed temporarily on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the electronic steering module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the VIN not being included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) or Ford Service Campaign 14S06. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 72,500.

Filed Jul 3, 2024 · Steering · PA

Mechanic informed me that there is a recall on the rear toe link, but it is not showing up for my car. I am on my 2nd set of rear tires in two months. When driving in Rain I have almost lost control of my steering many times when I drive over even a splash of water. My local ford dealership will not honor the recall because my VIN is not on the list.

Filed Jun 28, 2024 · Steering · 103,000 miles · OH

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH and attempting to make a left turn, the steering wheel seized. The contact was not able to turn and almost collided with another vehicle. The contact forcefully turned the steering wheel and heard a loud pop. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed as a failure with the steering wheel bearing. The contact was informed that the steering wheel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000. The VIN was not available.

Filed Jun 18, 2024 · Steering · 109,925 miles · CA · crash

I own a 2013 Ford Explorer. While driving in the rain exiting the freeway at approximate speed of 25 MPH the steering wheel seemed to lock up and then was extremely difficult to steer, making it impossible to maneuver the vehicle causing me to hydroplane across several lanes until I crashed into a mature bush. Causing damage to my radiator. I have not taken it to the dealer and have only shopped around for independent mechanics. I am not sure of the extent of other damage. I just became aware that this is a similar problem for other owners. The car is currently undrivable and is going to cost me a large amount of money - now the registration has lapsed (cannot smog) and I have DMV fees to. This was a solo car accident and no other people were in my vehicle at the time. I saw the recall notice (recently) on the federal safety agency but my VIN number is not included. I have not contacted anyone yet regarding this - I am already have trouble with FORD regarding covered repairs and being charged for a rental car (that was supposed to be included) Not sure what to do! Now i am making payments on a vehicle that i cannot drive and i cannot afford to purchase another one.

Filed Jun 18, 2024 · Driver assistance, Steering · 167,000 miles · IA

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the "Traction Control" and "Power Steering" warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel was very difficult to turn, and the vehicle was pulled over off the roadway. The contact stopped and turned off and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle had not fully regained power steering functionality. The contact drove the vehicle back to the residence. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed but was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact had researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 167,000.

Filed Jun 13, 2024 · Steering · 111,000 miles · NE

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, he became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly after the steering wheel seized in place, making it impossible to maneuver the vehicle. The power steering assist and traction control warning lights were 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 notified of the failure but referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 111,000.

Filed Jun 13, 2024 · Engine, Steering · CO

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering was difficult to steer. The vehicle was driven to the contact's residence. The contact stated that when the vehicle was parked, the vehicle lost motive power and would not restart. The contact The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with a failed water pump. The contact was informed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Filed Jun 10, 2024 · Steering · 153,000 miles · IL

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the steering warning light was illuminated. The stability-trac and loss of power steering messages were displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and was reprogrammed four times. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The contact stated that the failure was due to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 153,000.

Filed May 28, 2024 · Driver assistance, Electrical · 130,200 miles · OH

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 - 12 MPH and turning and or veering to the right or the left, the steering wheel failed to redirect to center. The contact had to use an excessive amount of force to maneuver the steering wheel. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that most recently while pulling into a parking lot at approximately 5 MPH, the steering wheel became firm. The contact pulled into a parking space and the steering wheel seized with the "Service Power Steering Now" and "Lane Keeping System Malfunction Service Required," illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that due to the amount of sensors, the vehicle needed to be serviced by the dealer. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was contacted; however, immediately referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but a case was not opened. The contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 130,200.

Filed May 28, 2024 · Steering · 166,394 miles · IA

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The traction control warning light was illuminated, and the "Service Power Steering Now" message was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 166,394.

Filed May 18, 2024 · Steering · FL

The steering system, a known problem which previously had a recall in 2014, is failing. My SUV is apparently not included in that recall, even though it is the same issue. There are no warning lamps. This was confirmed via OBD2 scanner and the SUV's behavior. Confirmed by dealer. It has been an issue since I purchased the vehicle in 2023. On 2/14/24, I took it in for a different recall issue - toe link. The tech told me I needed a front-end alignment, which he did not do. I took it to another mechanic for the alignment, at which time they informed me there was an issue.

Filed May 17, 2024 · Steering · NC

My 2013 explorer that I purchased is apart of the recall OEM 15n01 EPAS steering efforts. My VIN matches under the recall and my steering gear/rack seems to be faulty or broken. The service center confirmed the steering rack is faulty and is not safe to drive, It doesn’t let me drive in a straight acceleration and there’s knocking/grinding noise when it allows me to turn the wheel. What steps do I take in having this issue repaired?

Filed May 14, 2024 · Steering · LA

When I move my steering wheel in any direction there's a grinding noise and my steering wheel tries to get stuck.There was no warning lights on and now the vehicle is difficult to drive

Filed May 9, 2024 · Steering · 195,500 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that when the vehicle was purchased from an auction it was listed with power steering assist failure. The contact stated that the power assist failure and the traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The dealer confirmed that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 195,500.

Filed May 2, 2024 · Steering · 200,000 miles · UT

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the steering wheel was stiff and difficult to turn. The contact stated that moments afterward the steering wheel became firm with the "Loss of Power Steering" message displayed. The contact pulled over and stopped the vehicle. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle several times, but the power steering functionality failed to return. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed, and the mechanic informed the contact that there was a recall for the year, make, and model for a power steering failure, and the contact was referred to a dealer. The contact researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The contact called a local dealer and described the failure and was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

Filed Apr 19, 2024 · Steering · 159,321 miles · IL

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the contact depressed the brake pedal, and the steering wheel became firm, and the driver's side front tire began to vibrate. The contact stated that he shifted the vehicle into neutral(N) and took his foot off the brake pedal and was able to stop. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle regained steering functionality. The contact stated that the failure occurred several miles later and he repeated the same procedure and was able to return to the residence. The contact stated that an engine symbol light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related that failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The failure mileage was 159,231.

Filed Apr 16, 2024 · Steering · 170,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. After which, a message was displayed reading "Power Steering Assist Fault." The 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 notified of the failure but referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 170,000.

Filed Apr 12, 2024 · Steering · 112,000 miles · PA

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. While the contact's wife was driving at 40 MPH, the power steering assist failed without warning. The contact stated that excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle back home. The contact called the dealer and was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.

Filed Apr 3, 2024 · Steering · MN

I will lose power sterring while driving but this should be a recall and I can't seem to get it fixed without costing $3700

Filed Apr 1, 2024 · Steering · TX

Popping/Grinding Noises: experienced popping or grinding sounds when turning the steering wheel, especially at slow speeds. Steering Wheel Seizure: There have been instances where the steering wheel has seized, accompanied by error messages such as “service power steering now” and “service advancetrac,” indicating a potential failure of the rack and pinion system. Difficulty in Steering: A tight steering wheel, grinding noises, or shaking, particularly at higher speeds, can be symptoms of worn-out bushings or bearings in the rack and pinion. these issues are causing somuch more due to that steering wheel has play and i need to constantly get alignment, my tires are wearing out and tires are expensive to replace too, its causing me to spend absurd amount of money that i do not have

Filed Mar 12, 2024 · Steering · UT

The power steering failed and almost caused me to get into an accident. My safety was put at risk because I almost crashed into on coming traffic making a left hand turn. There are thousands of other who have complained about this issue from 2013-2017 models. Power assist fault light came on and I lost full control of the steering of the vehicle. This is absolutely ridiculous this hasn't been one of the biggest recalls of all time. 10's of thousands of these Explores have had the same situation happen and because my build date was out of the initial 14s06 recall I had to pay out of pocket over $2000 dollars. This is a major safety concern that needs to be addressed. I work at a Ford dealership and one of the employees just bought a 2017 Explorer a week ago and the steering gear just failed on that one. Recall 14s06 needs to be extended to all Explorers from 2013-2017.

Filed Mar 6, 2024 · Steering · WA

My power steering just stopped working while I was driving at 45 mph. Then all my warning light were going off saying faulty break system faulty hill decent something about my charging system. This has happened 4 times now where my power steering goes out WHILE I’M DRIVING.

Filed Mar 3, 2024 · Steering · FL

Power steering became very hard and got stuck suddenly while driving, very dangerous. Was very difficult to steer the car or move the steering even an inch. Good that was driving at low speed, otherwise could have been an accident. After 2 days it started showing warning message about power sterring but at time of steering got stuck there was no warning. In process to repair, it's very dangerous as steering got stuck out of no where and expensive to have it fixed (approximately 1600 dollars).

Filed Mar 1, 2024 · Steering · FL

The Electronic Power Steering Assit (EPAS) has had a failiure. When the failiure happens it completely locks up the steering without prior warning.When that happens the cars steering cannot be controlled as norrmal, and the driver cannot easily steer the vehicle. The first time this happened I was pulling into a gas station, the EPAS went out and I almost hit pedestrians, a fuel pump and other vehicles. Had it not been for my years of driving experience this could have inured or even killed several people. The issue has been confirmed by my local Ford dealerships service department. The service manager told me that this car has had recalls on it, but upon checking my VIN found that Ford Motor Company did not include my vehicles vin under the recall. Even though this issue is known with my make and model. This issue has also been reported on many Ford Explorer group pages for others who have had the issue but were missed under the recall umbrella. The failiure message only appears after the acutal failure, meaning the steering is already gone by the time the warning is shown

Filed Feb 26, 2024 · Steering · VA

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the steering wheel locked with the "Steering Assist Fault Service Required" message was displayed. The contact stated that upon restart of the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal operation; however, the failure returned later. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided the contact a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

Filed Feb 21, 2024 · Steering · CA

Vehicle steering stopped working and was towed to my mechanic. Mechanic was great and said that this was a Ford recall, however the dealer informed me that the vin number didn’t match. They have had a recall for Explorer that were manufactured 3 months prior to ours. This was expensive and new parts are unavailable because of so many issues, had to use rebuilt ones and installed at dealers. Please reopen the recall on explorer steering failure and see if maybe more explorers should be added to recall. Thanks for reading I hope this helps me and many other Explorer owners with same issue.

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