2011 Ford Explorer Problems, complaints & recalls

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was pulled over to the roadside, where the steering wheel completely seized. The vehicle was parked and left unattended. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the vehicle was previously included in a recall prior to the contact purchasing the vehicle. The contact was advised that the vehicle was not longer covered under the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.

Estaba estacionado poniendo gas a mi exprorer y cuando la encendí el volante se puso muy duro y me marco el código P07AE-09 y también apareció falla en el sistema de dirección asistida.

Car has a history of showing a P07AE-09 code in the power steering control module. When the code logs in the computer the car loses power steering assist while driving causing the steering to be hard to turn. Upon researching the cars recall work we seen that the car had the power steering control module software updated but no steering gear changed. My wife and children ride in this car and I'm afraid that this is going to cause a serious accident.

I am reporting a serious safety concern involving my 2011 Ford Explorer, VIN [[redacted]]. After recently filling the vehicle with fuel, I went to drive it and received a "Power Steering Assist Fault" message on the dashboard. The vehicle then lost power steering assistance, making the steering extremely difficult and requiring significantly more effort to control. The vehicle was inspected by a repair shop, and I was advised that the power steering/steering gear requires replacement at an estimated cost of...

The power steering has fully stopped working , the car cannot be steered, this started to happen on the road, I had to steer the entire weight of the car myself, at fast speed it was difficult but not impossible, at slow speed and zero speed or while the vehicle is stationary it was impossible or unmovable to steer. there were no warning lamps about this, the Ford dealer has not detect this in my vehicle's previous recall, further vehicle has two more recalls this year, that have been cited this year by the dealer. this needs to be addressed on their recalls because this can cause a very severe problem on the road

On Friday 7/24/2026, I was driving and all the sudden my steering went out. Dash flashed No Power Steering Assist / AdvanTrac System Fail. I pulled over immediately to turn around & get home with zero power steering. The amount of strength to steer/control was extreme. To turn was almost impossible. I took my car to Ford AutoNation on Arapahoe in Centennial on 7/27/26, they ran full diagnostics & it came back that the car suffered a hard internal failure (DTC U3000) of the electronic Power Steering Control Module,...

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed and the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred after starting the vehicle, and the steering wheel locked up. The dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 14V286000 (Steering) and 14E001000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn to the left or the right. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, there was an abnormal rumbling sound coming from the vehicle and the steering wheel started shaking. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (STEERING); but the repair failed to fix the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had occurred after the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 199,455.

The pillar covers fell of the vehicle when driving last week. Both plastic covers are on the side of the interstate. I was told and found there is a recall for the clips on these covers, but when I searched, they are not listed for this vehicle. There appears to be an issue with this recall and the explorer.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the dealer and manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the trim piece was almost detached. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

While stopped at a stop sign my engine suddenly died, before restarting a low oil pressure light came on but went out immediately. I was approximately 40 miles from home when I got to my destination. The car was showing no signs of issues, no warning lights or errors. When I went back out to start it and head home it would not start. I had to pay additional expense beyond my insurance road side coverage due to the distance. I have had an independent mechanic going over the vehicle since it died. Starter has been...

I contacted chapman ford in phila to have the recall corrected and it has been almost 2 yrs and no parts or follow up. They told me for months that the parts were backordered. My trim is loose and the rubber around my windshield almost gone. I also contacted ford main and was told an advisor would follow up and they did not.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger's side exterior A-Pillar Applique Trim detached. The contact stated that the exterior A-Pillar Applique Trim was flapping and hitting the ground. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the parts were unavailable. The contact was advised to remove the detached exterior A-Pillar Applique Trim. The contact received a recall notification, NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) however the parts were unavailable. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1000,000.

In early 2024, we learned our 2011 Ford Explorer was under open recall (NHTSA #24V031) for the A-pillar windshield trim, which could detach and create a road hazard. For two years, our Ford dealer said repairs could not be done due to parts availability. The A-pillar trim detached three separate times, including once at 75 mph on a highway, causing fear and danger. The vehicle's elderly owner stopped driving for safety. On May 26, 2026, a non-Ford mechanic attempted a repair due to the delay at Ford, but the part broke during that attempt. The recall remains incomplete, and we have ongoing safety concerns, out-of-pocket expenses, and no timeline for a real fix.

Vehicle is very hard to steer, will not reset when restarting the vehicle. two dash messages; advance track warning and power assist failure. I have not attempted to drive on road due to difficulty of steering the wheel. I am afraid the vehicle is uncontrollable at this point and needs to be towed to a repair facility. Not sure if this incident is linked to the recall under 14S06 for ford recalls.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after parking in the garage and turning the engine off, approximately 5 minutes later a loud noise came from the rear of the vehicle. The contact discovered that the rear hatch window had exploded and glass shards fell into the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not determined. The contact indicated that at the time of the failure the rear window defroster was not activated. The manufacturer and local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 227,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The message that the "Vehicle Needed Attention" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to back to the residence. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 270,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the A-pillar trim clip detached, and the vehicle was taken to the local dealer where a temporary repair was performed using tape to secure the trim. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 135,000.

The steering wheel got stiff and impossible to turn. I had to use extreme force to be able to make a left turn. It happened in a large intersection. No warning appeared.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became extremely stiff. The steering wheel was extremely difficult to turn. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 160,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side A-pillar trim on the windshield started to detach. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired, and the dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The approximate failure mileage was 116,035.

The contact owned a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, turned off, and unoccupied, the vehicle caught fire. The contact was in her residence, and a neighbor knocked on her door, making her aware that the vehicle had caught fire. The fire has been extinguished by the local fire department. The fire department indicated that the failure may have occurred due to a wiring malfunction in the vehicle. A police report was not filed, but a fire report was filed and was unavailable....

The electrical power steering stopped working while in motion was real hard to steer and avoid hitting curbs or vehicles close to our vehicle. It was previously replaced by Ford for the same reason but now it happened again and they are telling me it doesn't have warranty which is fine but if i buy the part which is not cheap by the way it just going to keep failing after a few years.

Back up camera inoperable. Screen is black. Apparently a common problem. Safety issue of hitting a person or object.

During a red-light, as I was coming to a stop, the vehicle gave the warning saying "service power-steering now" and "traction control off." I was unable to turn the steering wheel much due to it being so heavy. My official complaint: Vehicle: 2011 Ford Escape XLT Safety Recall: NHTSA Campaign Number 14V284000 (Ford Recall 14S05) Issue: Loss of Electric Power Steering Assist (EPS) / Steering Torque Sensor Fault I am submitting this complaint regarding an unresolved safety defect involving my 2011 Ford Escape...