2017 Ford Explorer: loss of power steering

Filed Jul 27, 2026 · Electrical, Steering · ID

Begin with cliff, I was not wanting to lock or locked or start the vehicle as I was driving. I stopped at the light vehicle started shaking, and as I drove through the light to pull over power steering assist failure, terrain, failure, and control failure.

Filed Mar 30, 2026 · Steering, Suspension · NY

Steering is difficult and makes noises when turning

Filed Dec 13, 2025 · Steering · NC

I am reporting a safety-related defect involving the electric power steering system on my 2017 Ford Explorer. The vehicle displays a “Steering System Fault” warning, and when this occurs the power steering assist is reduced or disabled, creating a safety risk during low-speed driving, turning, and parking. When the ignition is on with the engine off, multiple communication fault codes appear, including U0100, U0131, U0140, and U0151. After the engine is started, these communication codes disappear, but the steering fault warning remains illuminated and no active fault codes are stored. This behavior indicates the steering system enters a fail-safe state during startup and does not recover. The battery was tested and replaced. Fuses, relays, wiring, grounds, and voltage drop during engine cranking were checked and found to be normal. Steering system reset and relearn procedures were performed using diagnostic tools, but the issue persisted. No external electrical or communication network problems were identified. Based on these findings, the problem appears to be an internal failure of the electric power steering rack or its control module. The loss or reduction of steering assist can occur without warning and increases the risk of a crash. This issue is commonly reported on 2016–2018 Ford Explorer vehicles, suggesting a design or durability defect. I am submitting this complaint to request that the federal safety agency investigate this condition as a potential safety defect.

Filed Nov 16, 2025 · Steering · GA

The power steering went out with no warning. Stirring wheel went stiff and made it extremely hard to turn. All the traction and steering lights came on.

Filed Oct 8, 2024 · Steering · 50,000 miles · OH

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was later towed to the residence. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 17V530000 (STEERING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 50,000. The VIN was not available.

Filed Aug 26, 2024 · Steering · 130,000 miles · TN

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering assists warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the power steering had seized, and the vehicle was inoperable. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed power steering module. The contact stated that the dealer performed a power steering factory reset; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was parked and turned off. The contact stated that when the vehicle was restarted, the power steering had seized. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

Filed Jul 29, 2024 · Steering · 110,000 miles · NC

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and the steering wheel became firm. The contact stated that the power steering assist failure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and inspected. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the steering rack gear module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Filed Aug 18, 2022 · Steering · 69,000 miles · RI

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering assist would fail to operate as needed. The contact stated that excessive force was required to steer the vehicle due to the failure. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the tires and battery were the cause of the steering failure. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 17V530000 (Steering). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

Filed Nov 4, 2021 · Suspension · MN · crash · 1 injury

Vehicle was WB on I94 in Minneapolis when the rear toe link fractured causing loss of steering control and a crash. The driver and injured party is [XXX]. I am his attorney. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

Filed Feb 11, 2020 · Electrical, Steering · 65,000 miles · OH

Vehicle has an intermittent issue where it will lose all power (stall), and electronic components will inherent sporadic behavior, for instance the vehicle will refuse to completely shut-off. The error message on the dash show "power steering assist failure". This typically happens on a daily basis after the vehicle has sat for the night. It is a safety concerns as the car will randomly stall on the interstate driving at interstate speeds. The vehicle is under ford's extended warranty, and has been to (2) separate dealers to troubleshoot. The first dealer could not reproduce the issue, the dealer it is currently at, has been able to reproduce the issue multiple times, but not sure the root of the problem, as it doesn't store any codes. The dealer believes it is a high speed can network malfunction. It has been in the repair shop for a total of 12 weeks. I have video's of the occurrences, as well as voice-mails from the dealership stating that they can reproduce the failure.

Filed Jul 25, 2019 · Steering · 36,000 miles · TX

At around 35,800 miles, I noticed a slight jerk of the steering wheel when going around curves. I was going 70mph on the highway for a quick afternoon trip out of town. On the way home (36,000 miles) it was doing this even when driving straight. I had my husband drive it when I got back, and that's when we decided to get it to the nearest dealership (45 miles away). The whole rack and pinion steering column was severely corroded and needed to be replaced. I was without my vehicle for over a month while ford gave us the runaround on whether or not it would be covered since we were almost 200 miles out of warranty by the time the vehicle was at their facility. When driving it there going about 40mph on the highway, the power steering went out entirely and threw the car clear across the road. Thankfully it went to the right and into the ditch, because had it jerked to the left, we'd probably be dead. It jerked all over the road the whole way to the dealership.

Filed Jun 21, 2019 · Driver assistance, Steering · 49,000 miles · NY

I was stuck at a standstill in traffic on a city highway with my family on father's day when the dash lit up with multiple warnings such as "steering loss stop safely," "service advancetrac," "stability control off," and "hill start assist not available." I was not moving and could not understand what happened. No one was injured and the vehicle's power steering failed. The vehicle was not overheating. Roadside brought the vehicle to a nearby dealer. Eventually, two days later, the computer said we needed a new steering column (I thought a steering column should last the life of the vehicle...). There were no warning signs, no leaks, and no strange noises. Of course, I was past my warranty. Pretty hefty bill. There is an new recall for a rear suspension problem that was issued just days earlier.