2011 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 8 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOSS POWER STEERING ASSIST WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE, AND WHEN RESTARTED THE POWER STEERING FAULT MESSAGE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO MURRAY FORD OF KINGSLAND (2030 GA-40, KINGSLAND, GA 31548). THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS PREVIOUSLY COVERED UNDER A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM HOWEVER, THE MILEAGE WAS EXCEEDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 165,980.

POWER UNIT ASSIST FAULT. POWER STEERING FAILED WITH MY WIFE DRIVING AND SHE WAS LUCKY TO NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT. I FOUND THAT THERE IS A RECALL THAT WAS ISSUED FOR THIS YEAR AND MODEL BUT FOR SOME REASON OUR VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. IT IS THE EXACT ISSUE AS SPECIFED IN THE RECALL. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON BACK FROM THE STORE WHEN THIS FAILED. SHE WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD WITH SOME EFFORT AND NOTICED THE FAULT LIGHT ON THE DASH. SHE CALLED ME AND I TOLD HER TO STOP AND RESTART THE CAR. SHE DID BUT THE FAULT STILL SHOWS. THE CAR IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE IN THIS CONDITION AND A SAFETY HAZARD.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDISCLOSED SPEED, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND LOSS MOTIVE POWER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED, THE WATER PUMP WAS PLACED ON THE INSIDE OF ENGINE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE WATER PUMP FAILED, COOLANT ENTERED THE ENGINE WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. JEFFERSON MOTOR CO INC, LOCATED AT 141 LEE ST, JEFFERSON, GA 30549, (706)367-5217, WAS CONTACTED HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $8,000. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 136,000.

WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND MY VEHICLE REACHES 50MPH, I EXPERIENCE HESITATION AND/OR A PUTTING SENSATION THAT CONTINUES UNTIL I ACCELERATE TO 60MPH OR DROP TO 49MPH OR BELOW. WHEN I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO KOONS FORD OF BALTIMORE FOR SERVICE, THEY DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM STEMS FROM THE FACT THAT OIL HAS BEEN SEEPING INTO MY AIR INTAKE SYSTEM AND SATURATING MY AIR FILTER. I WAS TOLD THAT IT IS DUE TO THE DESIGN FLAW ON THE FACTORY INSTALLED VALVE COVER GASKET. I LEARNED THAT THE ISSUE OCCURS ON SEVERAL FORD VEHICLES INCLUDING 2011-2013 EXPLORERS AS THE DEFECTIVE VALVE COVER WAS USED ON THOSE MODELS AT THE TIME THE VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED. IN ORDER TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM I WOULD NEED TO HAVE THE EXISTING VALVE COVER REPLACED WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED VALVE COVER THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY CREATED TO RESOLVE THE OIL LEAKAGE/OIL SEEPAGE ISSUE. MY AFTERMARKET WARRANTY WILL NOT COVER THE REPAIRS AS THEY DEFINE THE REPLACEMENT PART AS "BETTERMENT" TO THE VEHICLE OR INSTALLATION OF AN UPGRADED PART. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE ADVISOR AT KOONS, THE VALVE COVER INSTALLED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IS OBSOLETE AND WOULD NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE EVEN IF IT WERE STILL AVAILABLE. I MUST HAVE THE NEWLY DESIGNED VALVE COVER INSTALLED IN ORDER TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE, STOP THE OIL FROM SEEPING IN AND AROUND THE AIR INTAKE SYSTEM AND THROTTLE BODY AND TO ALSO PREVENT CONTAMINATION OF THE MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR. THE COST FOR THE REPAIRS IS APPROXIMATELY $700. I CONTACTED THE FORD CORPORATE OFFICE AND LEARNED THAT THEY COULDN'T OR WOULDN'T BE OF ANY ASSISTANCE. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AT THE CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS ADVISED ME TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA.

LACK OF POWER STEERING ASSIST, THE STEERING EFFORT IS GREATER, ESPECIALLY AT LOW SPEEDS. AFTER AN APPOINTMENT (FOR RECALL) THE VEHICLE IS COMPLETE LACK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND NOT DRIVABLE AND THEY'RE ASKING FOR 5.0 HOURS OF DIAGNOSTIC.

MY SON WAS DRIVING AND MADE A U TURN ON A CITY STREET AND DURING THE END OF THE U TURN THE PASSENGER CONTROL ARM SNAPPED NEAREST TO THE WHEEL. THE CAR DID NOT HIT A CURB OR RUN OVER ANYTHING TO CAUSE THE BREAK. THE LOCAL POLICE DEPT, TOW TRUCK DRIVER AND MYSELF INSPECTED THE AREA AND THERE WAS NOTHING THAT WAS "HIT" TO CAUSE THIS. ONCE THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO LOOK AT THE CONTROL ARM WHEN IT WAS ON THE HOIST THEY POINTED OUT TO US THAT THE METAL CONTROL ARM WAS DEFECTIVE WHEN IT WAS CAST OR WASN'T FABRICATED CORRECTLY. THE METAL WAS LESS DENSE AND MORE HOLLOW ON ONE SIDE OF THE BREAK THAN THE OTHER SIDE. THE BREAK WAS A CLEAN BREAK WITHOUT JAGGED EDGES. THIS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE BROKEN CONTROL ARM. WE WHERE LUCKY SINCE MY SON DRIVES THE FREEWAY AT 65MPH SPEEDS ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS AND IF THIS FRONT CONTROL ARM BROKE AT THOSE SPEEDS HE WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF HIS CAR AND CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT AND THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A LOSS OF LIFE. WE HAD ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WORK DONE ON THE CAR IN OCTOBER AND THE MECHANIC SAID HE SAW NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR THEN AND SUGGESTED THAT SINCE THE DRIVER SIDE CONTROL ARM WAS ALSO AN ORIGINAL PART AND PROBABLY CAST AT THE SAME TIME AND USING THE SAME METHODS THAT IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE DRIVER SIDE CONTROL ARM GAVE OUT SIMILARLY. WE OPTED TO PAY THE ADDED COST TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT CONTROL ARMS SINCE OUR SON'S SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT.

THE INTERFACE MODULE ON FORD EXPLORER STOP WORKING AND HAZARD LIGHTS STAY ON AND ONLY FIX AND BY A DEALERSHIP

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HIS WIFE WAS DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD TO BE PUMPED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THE EXTENDED TRAVEL PLAY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED TWICE HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE STILL EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LOCAL DEALER (SHAWNEE MISSION FORD LOCATED AT 11501 SHAWNEE MISSION PKWY, SHAWNEE, KS 66203), AND THE SERVICE MANAGER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS INDEPENDENTLY ACTIVATED CAUSING A VISIBILITY HAZARD TO THE DRIVER. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER SAM SCISM MOTORS (5019 FLAT RIVER RD., FARMINGTON MO) AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE BOTH NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55MPH, UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE SAFELY HOME. THE CONTACT SCHEDULED A DIAGNOSTIC APPOINTMENT AT A DEALER (FINLEY MOTORS 942 3RD ST SE, MAYVILLE, ND 58257). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE 170,000.