Sudden and complete loss of power steering assist while vehicle was in operation. Vehicle became extremely difficult to steer, creating safety hazard for driver and child passenger. Inspection revealed 150A EPAS Mega Fuse, Part #L0114875AA, was melted due to electrical short in Power Steering Control Module. This is identical to the defect described in the federal safety agency Safety Recall 14V316000 / Ford 14S06. Fire risk confirmed by melted/burned fuse condition. Photos of failed component attached. Component is available for inspection. Ford Customer Service denied assistance under Recall 14S06 on 07/10/2026, claiming vehicle was not covered despite physical evidence of the exact defect described in the recall. Vehicle manufacture date is 06/2014. Ford Technical Service Bulletin 15-0082 acknowledges some 2014 vehicles may still have defective modules installed. Vehicle is currently inoperable. Owner has dependent child with medical therapy appointments requiring reliable transportation. Current mileage approximate as vehicle cannot be driven. Request immediate the federal safety agency investigation and enforcement under federal safety law 49 USC 30120.
2014 Ford Explorer: sudden loss of power
65 of the 1,684 complaints about the 2014 Ford Explorer describe sudden loss of power.
- owner complaints
- 65
- of this car's complaints
- 4%
- typical repair cost reported
- $2,500
- typical mileage
- 106,000
- recalls
- 0
Sudden loss of power by model year
What owners say
While driving on [XXX] in Atlanta, GA, my 2014 Ford Explorer suddenly lost all power steering without warning. The dash displayed: “Steering Assist Fault – Service Required”, and the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn. I was in the vehicle with my wife and [XXX] daughter, and we were traveling at highway speed. We were extremely lucky to be in the right lane at the time — otherwise, I may not have been able to safely maneuver or exit traffic. This could have easily led to a catastrophic crash. I was barely able to keep control of the vehicle and managed to pull over onto the shoulder. A few days before this incident, I noticed a brief steering warning, but the system reset on its own. After the highway event, I had the vehicle scanned and received the following diagnostic codes: U2011:00-49 and U3000, indicating a Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) failure. This is the same exact failure that led to Recall 14S06 for 2011–2013 Ford Explorers, but my 2014 model is not currently included — despite having the same EPS system and failure pattern. The component is still in the vehicle and available for inspection. I have not yet had it inspected by a Ford dealer or a certified mechanic but intend to do so. I am submitting this complaint to request an investigation and to express my deep concern for the safety of my family and others who may be driving 2014 Explorers with the same defective system. This is a dangerous, recurring problem that demands immediate attention. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact’s daughter owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving on the highway at 55 MPH, the steering wheel seized, and the power steering assist was disabled. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off and restarted the vehicle however, the power steering assist feature was still inoperable. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the rack and pinion was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, 2 years later the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving 35 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and the steering wheel became stiff. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The driver pulled over, restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle regained power steering functionality and the warning lights turned off; however, the failure reoccurred. The local dealer was not contacted and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 129,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle was lost power steering functionality. The message "Steering Fault" was displayed. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the electric power steering gearbox had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that assistance could not be provided because the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The traction control warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the spindle rod, steering gear assembly, fuse, hex nut, and bolt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,745.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 2 MPH, the message "Loss of Power Steering Assist" was displayed. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized and was difficult to turn to the left or to the right. The contact stopped the vehicle, turned it off, and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle regained power steering functionality. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the power steering assist had failed and 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). The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, causing the steering wheel to become difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the steering rack was 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 60,346.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH and making a left turn, the vehicle suddenly lost power steering functionality. The traction control and the electronic stability control warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the failure might be related to the power steering control module(PSCM); however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. No further information was provided. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 170,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal sound and lost power steering functionality. No warning light was illuminated. The contact research and was made aware of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnostic tested. The contact was informed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle had lost power steering functionality with a message to “Drive Safely” displayed. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the steering wheel seized, and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and inspected the vehicle but was unable to find the cause for the failure. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the destination where the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and it was confirmed the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer opened a case for the failure. The manufacturer had referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 180,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Cabin light does not turn off, it could drain car battery, thereby causing a loss of power and a accident... did not notice this untill car was brought to Dealership,Beiner.They pointed out.Want alot to fix.
Lost of power steering while driving and ABS not engaging only flashing lights when getting close to object in front of you at higher speeds. Car inspection at oil change shows seized u joint for steering shaft
Service bulletins that may apply
- Oil leak from the turbocharger oil supply or return tubes, O-rings or 6.7L pedestal gasket
- Illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P013A and/or P013C...
- Certain 2011-2017 Model Year Explorer Vehicles
- Ssm 47948 - 2010-2019
- Certain 2011-2017 Model Year Explorer Vehicles
- For 2010-2019 vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines, when diagnosing and/or replacing turbo related...
- Certain 2013-2017 Model Year Police Interceptor Utility Vehicles
- Certain 2011-2017 Model Year Explorer Retail Vehicles
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2014 Ford Explorer loss of power
Is sudden loss of power a common problem on the 2014 Ford Explorer?
65 of 1,684 owner complaints about the 2014 Ford Explorer (4%) mention sudden loss of power. The model year with the most reports is 2011.
How much does it cost to fix sudden loss of power on the 2014 Ford Explorer?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,500 (median of 5 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 2014 Ford Explorer?
There are 0 recalls and 27 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2014 Ford Explorer
Fuel smell 206Power steering loss 179Steering lock-up 67Grinding brakes 64Engine failure 58Backup camera 53Airbag light 41Jerking 34Steering noise 21Check engine light 20Ball joint 18Headlights 18Stalling 18ABS 16Overheating 15Pulling 11No deployment 10Fire or smoke 10Seat belt 10Water leak 10Door locks 9Harsh shifting 9Screen failure 9Transmission failure 7Wipers 7Hesitation 6Collision warning 5Knocking 5Oil consumption 5Warning lights 5
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