2014 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

WIFE WAS DRIVING AT 50MPH ON HIGHWAY AND STEERING SUDDENLY BECAME TO HARD FOR HER TO STEER. WARNING LIGHT CAME ON SAYING ANTI SKIDDING FAILURE. SHE MANAGED TO GET TO SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WARNING LIGHT LIGHT CAME ON SAYING FAILURE STOP SAFELY. SHE COULD HAVE WRECKED OR HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. I ARRIVED AND MOVED THE CAR TO SAFELY. I AM A BIG MAN AND IT WAS ALL I COULD DO TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. FORD NEEDS TO RECALL THESE VEHICLES AND REPAIR THEM AS LOSS OF STEERING IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD THAT COULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF LIFE.

ON FEBRUARY 18, 2020, AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, A WARNING APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD THAT READ 'STEERING FAULT SERVICE NOW'. WHEN I EXITED THE INTERSTATE AND FOUND A SAFE PLACE TO PARK TWO WARNINGS APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD THAT READ 'STEERING LOSS STOP SAFELY' AND 'SERVICE ADVANCE TRAC'. ONCE I WAS STOPPED THE STEERING COMPLETELY FAILED. SEEMS TO BE AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH THE EXPLORER EVEN AFTER THE 2011-13 RECALL.

LOSS STEERING WHEEL ASSIST WHEN DRIVING AT 60 MPH. CAR VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER THIS COULD CAUSE A FATAL ACCIDENT BECAUSE DRIVING IN 2 WAY ROAD.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V245000 (SUSPENSION) AND 19V435000 (SUSPENSION), AND THE STEERING MODULE WAS REPROGRAMMED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDISCLOSED SPEED, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO SOUTHGATE FORD LOCATED AT ((16501 FORT ST, SOUTHGATE, MI 481195), (734)282-3636), WHERE THE RECALL REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE STEERING KNUCKLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

VEHICLE IS EXHIBITING SAME EXACT PROBLEM AS 2013 MODELS UNDER RECALL, STEERING GEAR PROBLEM, WHICH WAS DIAGNOSED BY A FORD DEALER. CAR WAS BUILT JULY 2013. FORD REFUSES TO CONSIDER REPAIRING EVEN THOUGH PROBABILITY IS VERY HIGH THAT IT CONTAINS 2013 PARTS AS THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT ENGINEERING CHANGES FROM 2013 TO 2014 AND IS A VERY EARLY MODEL YEAR BUILD. CONTACTED FORD ON TWO OCCASIONS AND WAS TREATED BADLY BY CUSTOMER RELATIONS. REQUESTED ESCALATION OF COMPLAINT AND WAS NEVER CALLED BACK EVEN THOUGH THEY CLAIM THEY TRIED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE PLASTIC RUBBER ATTACHED TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING AND STRUCK THE PASSENGER'S SIDE SIDE MIRROR. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE AND FOUND NO CAUSE FOR THE FAILURE. THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,886.

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH AND NEGOTIATING A TURN THE POWER STEERING STOPPED WORK AND QUIT ASSISTING IN TURNING THE VEHICLE. THANKFULLY I WAS DRIVING AND WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO RIGHT THE VEHICLE AND AVOID LEAVING THE ROAD. MIGHT HAVE BEEN A DIFFERENT STORY FOR MY WIFE. TOOK IT TO LOCAL FORD DEALER AND THEY CLAIM THE POWER STEERING GEAR NEEDS REPLACED AND THAT THIS MODEL/YEAR DOESN'T QUALIFY FOR ANY STEERING RELATED RECALLS. AFTER SOME RESEARCH I FOUND THAT 2011-2013 EXPLIRERS HAVE A POWER STEERING ASSIST RECALL. MULTIPLE SHOPS CLAIM THAT THIS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE NEWER FORDS. AT THE TUNE OF 2700 BUCKS FOR PARTS AND LABOR I AM HOPING A RECALL CAN HAPPEN BECAUSE THIS IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURER'S ISSUE WITH THESE GEARS.

DURING MY TRAVEL INTO WORK TODAY THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. AFTER DOING SOME ONLINE RESEARCH THIS APPEARS TO BE A CONTINUAL PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL YEAR. FORD HAS EVEN RELEASED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN ON THIS ISSUE. (HTTPS://FORD.OEMDTC.COM/1203/AIR-BAG-WARNING-LIGHT-ILLUMINATED-WITH-DTC-B141B-B141C-2014-2016-FORD-EXPLORER). THIS FAULT SHUTS DOWN THE AIRBAG SYSTEM AND COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF LIFE. FORD HAS RECOGNIZED THIS AS RECALL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND IDLING WITH THE DEFROSTER TURNED ON, THE REAR HATCH WINDOW SHATTERED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED THE LOCAL DEALER WEST HERR FORD (5025 CAMP RD. HAMBURG NY) AND MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER HUSBAND WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TOE LINK FRACTURED WHICH CAUSED THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL TO TURN INWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO SPITZER FORD HARTVILLE LOCATED AT (543 W MAPLE ST, HARTVILLE, OH 44632) WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V435000 (SUSPENSION). THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO PROVIDE A SECOND FREE REPAIR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED WHILE HER HUSBAND WAS DRIVING AT 67 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS AGAIN TOWED TO SPITZER FORD WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE TOE LINK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.