2014 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

I WAS PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVE WAY TO LEAVE MY HOUSE AND NOTICED A GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT END, IT WAS VERY LOUD, AND CAUSED ME TO HAVE LOSS OF CONTROL OVER THE CARS STEERING; ESPECIALLY WHEN TURNING WHEEL LEFT AND RIGHT AT LOWER SPEEDS AND ON SHARP TURNS. (THE WHEELS DO NOT STRAIGHTEN OUT OR RETURN TO CENTER WHEN EXITING A TURN AND WILL THEN OVER COMPENSATE AND VEER TO THE RIGHT AFTER HAVING TO MANUALLY TURN THE WHEEL BACK.

POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT LIGHT CAME ON. POWER STEERING WENT OUT COMPLETELY. VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 20,000 MILES ON IT.

VEHICLE STARTED TO MAKE A GRINDING NOISE WHEN WE TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL. SO WE TOOK IT TO THE SHOP WHERE WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM SAYING IT WAS THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING RACK AND PINION. THE SHOP DID NOT WANT US TO DRIVE VEHICLE HOME DUE TO BEING UNSAFE TO DRIVE. VEHICLE HAS UNDER 80K MILES.

ON NOVEMBER 8, 2020 I WAS PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVE WAY TO LEAVE MY HOUSE AND NOTICED A GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT END, IT WAS VERY LOUD, AND CAUSED ME TO HAVE LOSS OF CONTROL OVER THE CARS STEERING; ESPECIALLY WHEN TURNING WHEEL LEFT AND RIGHT AT LOWER SPEEDS AND ON SHARP TURNS. (THE WHEELS DO NOT STRAIGHTEN OUT OR RETURN TO CENTER WHEN EXITING A TURN AND WILL THEN OVER COMPENSATE AND VEER TO THE RIGHT AFTER HAVING TO MANUALLY TURN THE WHEEL BACK.) WE TOOK IT TO A LOCAL FORD DEALER. AFTER REVIEWING MY EXPLORER THEY STATED THAT THE RACK AND PINION WAS BAD AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ASAP DUE TO THIS BEING A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND WE SHOULDN'T WAIT TO GET IT REPLACED TOTAL COST FOR THE JOB WOULD BE $4,284.59. I CALLED FORD COOPERATE AND EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE AS IT CAME ON SUDDENLY WITH OUT WARNING. I WAS MADE AWARE THAT THE PREVIOUS YEARS 2011-2013 HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS SAME ISSUE, AND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE 2014 AND 2015 HAVING THE SAME ISSUE BUT WITH ONLY A "WARNING" BEING PLACED ON THEM, NOT A RECALL FOR THE 2014 OR 2015. THEY TOLD ME THAT MY YEAR DOESN'T HAVE A RECALL AND STATED I COULD OPEN A CASE AND FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA AND THAT WAS ALL I COULD DO, BUT IF A RECALL WAS OFFERED IN THE FUTURE I COULD POSSIBLE GET REIMBURSED. WHEN WE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER, THEY INFORMED US THAT THERE WAS A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE TOE LINK THAT CAN AFFECT THE STEERING BUT NOT A RECALL ON THE RACK. THIS STEERING RACK ISSUE POSES A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. PLEASE CONSIDER WORKING WITH FORD TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF ALL WHO DRIVE THE 2014 EXPLORER AND PLACE A RECALL ON THIS ITEM ASAP. I AM VERY FORTUNATE NO ONE WAS PHYSICALLY HURT WHEN MY STEERING WENT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN THIS MATTER OF MAJOR SAFETY. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU.

WHEN REAR CAMERA IS IN USE IT TENDS TO HAVE A DELAY SHOWING REAR ACTIVITY, FLASHES ON AND OFF AND/OR THE SYNC SCREEN GOES COMPLETELY BLANK

HI MY NAME IS [XXX]. I PURCHASED THIS 2014 FORD EXPLORER FROM A CERTIFIED FORD GARAGE MECHANIC THIS SUMMER. THE PRIVATE PARTY PURCHASE WAS IN JUNE 2020 WITH 89,XXX MILES. THE SELLER SHOWED ME EVERY REPAIR, OIL CHANGE, BRAKES ETC. WERE DONE IN A FORD GARAGE. TEN THOUSAND MILES LATER THE VEHICLE SNAPPED A TOE LINK LATERAL ARM DRIVING DOWN A SMOOTH HIGHWAY 60MPH! THE VEHICLE SWERVED AND MY WIFE AND 2 YOUNG KIDS WERE IN DANGER.. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED, FOR THE WHEEL WAS TIPPED IN AND NOT STABLE...FLAT BED TOW $100 OUT OF POCKET... FORD OF HIBBING DEALER SAID THE VEHICLE WAS NOT RECALLED AND THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TIME TO REPAIR FOR OVER A MONTH.. THEY SOLD ME THE FACTORY FORD TOE LINK THAT WAS THE "FIX" UPGRADE... WITH ALL THE DEALERS AND LOCAL AUTO SHOPS WAY WAY BEHIND AND SHORT HANDED I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED AGAIN FOR $100 OUT OF POCKET TO MY GARAGE.. I WENT TO TECH SCHOOL OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL FOR AUTO MECHANIC AND RECEIVED A 2 YEAR DEGREE AND PREVIOUSLY WAS A AUTO MECHANIC FOR 10 PLUS YEARS.. ANYWAYS BEYOND THAT POINT I REPLACED THE TOE LINK IN MY SHOP AND INSPECTED OTHER POINTS.. AFTER I REPLACED THE LINK I WAS ABLE TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL TIRE AND ALIGNMENT SHOP IN HIBBING MN (IRON RANGE TIRE) WHICH THEY THAN PROFESSIONALLY ALIGNED AND TIGHTENED THE REAR SUSPENSION. 100 MILES LATER HAPPENS AGAIN TO MY WIFE AND KIDS DOWN THE HIGHWAY!! TOWED AGAIN $100! CURRENTLY AT LUNDGREN FORD DEALER EVELETH MN. $2800 TO REPLACE AND REPAIR SUSPENSION COMPONENTS! FILED A FORD CASE # [XXX]. FORD REFUSED TO COOPERATE OR POSSIBLY PAY FOR REPAIR! THE SERVICE DEPT MANAGER SAID THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED REGULARLY AT THAT SHOP AND SAID SERVICE RECORDS SHOW THE COMPLETE REAR SUSPENSION WAS REPLACED IN 2019!! 20,000 MILES AGO! AND ITS ALREADY BREAKING AGAIN! ITS UNSAFE FOR MY WIFE AND 4 & 6YR OLD BOYS! PLEASE HELP! IM SERIOUSLY NOT WASTING TIME! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

BOTH FRONT AND REAR CATALYTIC CONVERTERS FAILED AND WERE REPLACED BY SERVICE REPAIR FACILITY.

AS I WAS DRIVING, THANKFULLY AT A SLOW SPEED, AND MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN THERE WAS A COMPLETE FAILURE OF POWER STEERING. I LOSS COMPLETE CONTROL OF STEERING AND WENT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. WHEN FAILURE OCCURRED, SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS SIMULTANEOUSLY POPPED UP BUT AS I WAS UNDER THE DURESS OF TRYING TO AVOID A COLLISION, I DO NOT HAVE A COMPLETE LIST BUT I DID SEE THE STEERING ASSIST SYSTEM FAILURE AND REQUIRES SERVICE ALL BLINKING RED. THERE WERE NO ADVERSE ROAD CONDITIONS NOR DRIVING STYLE AND ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING WHATSOEVER. THE VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 93,000 MILES. I HAD TO COVER THE COST TO TOW THE CAR TO A FORD DEALER SHOP AND THEY TELL ME THAT THE ISSUE CANNOT BE REPLICATED BUT THEY BELIEVE IT IS A RACK AND PINION AND STEERING/COLUMN FAILURE AND ARE QUOTING ME OVER 2500 FOR REPAIRS. AS THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO HUNDRED IF NOT THOUSANDS OF OWNERS OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL, YEARS 2011-2014 AND 2015-2017 (IF NOT LATER) FALL UNDER THIS SAME FAILURE RECALL, THIS MATTER NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY. I FEAR GETTING BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THIS CAR AND AM LUCKY THAT I DID NOT CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS VEHICLE FAILURE.

I WENT TO GET IN MY CAR TO GET GROCERIES AND WHEN I WENT TO TURN INTO THE PARKING LOT MY STEERING FELT LIKE I WAS TURNING A TRUCK WITH NO POWER STEERING.I CALLED MY CAR DEALER AND HE TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NO RECALL ON MY CAR BUT THE YEARS BEFORE AND AFTER THE YEAR OF MY CAR , THEY HAVE RECALLS ON THIS PROBLEM. I ONLY HAVE 55,000 MI. ON IT.THEY SAID IT WOULD COST $2,500 TO FIX. I CAN'T AFFORD IT BEING RETIRED NOW AND CAN'T AFFORD A NEW ONE.

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TAKE A SLIGHT RIGHT TURN, THE VEHICLE DID NOT TURN AT FIRST. IT CONTINUED STRAIGHT FOR A SECOND. THEN IT SEAM LIKE THE STEERING JUMPED AND CAUGHT A GEAR. THE VEHICLE THEN TURNED TO THE RIGHT. I WAS TRAVELING AT AROUND 25 MPH