2017 Ford Explorer Steering
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
WHEN GOING LOW SPEEDS UNDER 50 THE CAR WILL JERK TO THE RIGHT AND IT'S LIKE SOMEONE ELSE HAS CONTROL OF THE WHEEL THEN YOU HAVE TO JERK IT BACK ON THE ROAD. IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND ONCE WHEN MY HUSBAND DROVE. WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING STRAIGHT IN A DITCH. HELP THIS IS NOT SAFE. *TR
STEERING TIGHTENS UP ON CURVES OR STRAIGHT A-WAYS. DEALER RAN TEST ON COMPUTER AND FOUND NO PROBLEMS, AND A TEST DRIVE DID NOT REVEAL ANY PROBLEM AT THE TIME. DEALER STATED THAT IT WAS ELECTRIC STEERING. STEERING IS STILL A PROBLEM....
THE VEHICLE HAS 34,450 MILES ON IT AND WAS PURCHASED OCT 1 2016 BUT IS A 2017 MODEL. THE STEERING FAILED ON OCTOBER 13TH WHILE I WAS IN ESTES PARK COLORADO. THE VEHICLE HAD SEVERAL ISSUES JUST PRIOR TO THE FAILURE WITH A WARNING THE TRACTION CONTROL HAD STOPPED WORKING FOLLOWED BY A HILL START ASSIST FAILURE AND THE STEERING LOSS STOP SAFELY. I'VE ATTACHED PICTURES OF THE WARNINGS. THIS FAILURE OCCURRED 14 DAYS AFTER THE 36 MONTH WARRANTY ENDED. THANKFULLY I HAD PARKED THE VEHICLE JUST PRIOR TO THE STEERING FAILING AS I WOULD HAVE BEEN DRIVING DOWN A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS MOUNTAIN CANYON WITHIN THE NEXT 10 MINUTES. THE FORD DEALER THUS FAR HAS REFUSED TO COVER THE REPAIR TO THIS KNOWN ISSUE WHICH IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.
WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS (25 TO 40 MPH) THE STEERING WILL FEEL LIKE IT IS "BINDING UP" SLIGHTLY WHEN TURNING. THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN EVERY TIME SO THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE IT. ALSO AFTER DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IN A STRAIGHT LINE FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, WHEN YOU TURN THE WHEEL SLIGHTLY I WILL FEEL THAT SAME BINDING. IF YOU PUSH THROUGH IF IT GIVES WAY AND THEN ACTS NORMALLY. FEELS LIKE THE CARS STEERING GEAR BOX HAS A GEAR LOOSE OR A GEAR IN MISS ALIGNING INTERNALLY. WE BOUGHT THE CARE WITH 15K MILES ON IT. WE NOTICED THE PROBLEM AT AROUND 20K AND IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM. THE CAR NOW HAS 30K MILES ON IT AND THE PROBLEM IS GETTING WORST.
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.
INTERMITTENT STEERING BINDING CONDITION AT SLOW TURNS MAINLY DURING HOT WEATHER. THIS BINDING ISSUE WAS DIFFICULT TO RECREATE AND EVENTUALLY THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO CREATE THIS AFTER A LENGTHY (30 MINUTE) ROAD TEST IN 80+ DEGREE WEATHER. THE BINDING ISSUE WAS A RESULT OF AN INTERNAL STEERING GEAR FAILURE. THE PART # HB5Z-3504-Z WAS FINALLY REPLACED THIS YEAR AFTER WE HAD THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE LATE 2017 WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 25,000 MILES ON IT. VEHICLE NOW HAS 67,000 MILES. THE BINDING ISSUE OCCURRED AT SPEEDS RANGING MAINLY BETWEEN 40 MPH TO 75 MPH WITH AND WITHOUT DRIVING ASSISTANCE FEATURES ENABLED. BINDING ISSUE OCCURRED BOTH TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT DIRECTIONS ON GRADUAL TURNS OR WHEN CHANGING LANES ON THE HIGHWAY AT HIGHER SPEEDS. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD STICK IN THE TURNED POSITION AND NOT RETURN TO THE CENTER ON ITS OWN UNLESS TUGGED OUT OF WHAT FELT LIKE A DETENT (NOTCH). THIS TOOK A LONG TIME TO GET IT FIXED BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT WORK ON THE CAR SINCE THEY COULD NOT RE-CREATE THE PROBLEM ON SHORT TEST DRIVES. THE INTERMITTENT NATURE OF THE STEERING ISSUE AND NEED FOR LONGER DRIVES AND HOT WEATHER CONDITIONS MADE IT DIFFICULT TO RECREATE.
DRIVING ONE DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND POWER STEERING LOCKED UP BRIEFLY INTERMITTENTLY, WITH THE ERROR MESSAGE. TURNED CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN AND WAS FINE, LATER ON IN THE DAY POWER STEERING LOCKED UP FOR GOOD AND THE ERROR MESSAGE IS ALWAYS THERE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING SEIZED AND THE "STEERING ASSIST FAULT, SERVICE REQUIRED" INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CROSSROADS FORD OF PRINCE GEORGE (877-331-9405, LOCATED AT 4500 WHITEHILL BLVD, PRINCE GEORGE, VA 23875) WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS OFFERED A DISCOUNT OF $1,082 TOWARDS THE REPAIR COST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000.
WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH MY STEERING WHEEL SEIZED COMPLETELY, A BELL STARTED RINGING, AND AN INDICATOR LIGHT ON MY DASHBOARD STARTED FLASHING THAT STEERING FAILED. PLEASE PARK SAFELY. THERE WAS NO WARNING AND MY CAR HAD BEEN WORKING PERFECTLY BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. THIS CAUSED SERIOUS THREAT OF COLLISION AND GRAVE BODILY DAMAGE/DEATH.
CLICKING NOISE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING LEFT OR RIGHT.I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT HE HEARD THE SAME NOISE FROM THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR VEHICLE. THIS NEEDS MORE ANALYSIS AS THIS MAY BE A SAFETY CONCERN IF THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS
LOSS OF POWER ASSISTED STEERING WHEN THE CAR IS IN MOTION, AND DURING TURNING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO RYE FORD (1151 BOSTON POST RD, RYE, NY 10580, (914)-967-6300) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE WARRANTIES WERE EXPIRED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000.
SUDDEN POWER STEERING FAILURE RESULTING IN AN UNSAFE AND UNUSABLE CONDITION IN WHICH THE VEHICLE CAN BE DRIVEN. DASH ALERTS BEGAN TO GO OFF, AND THE STEERING WAS STILL USABLE. NEXT TIME THE CAR WAS STARTED THE POWER STEERING WAS NO LONGER OPERATING AND SEVERAL ADDITIONAL DASH WARNING INDICATORS WERE GOING OFF.
MAKING A LEFT TURN IN THE SNOW AND MY POWER STEERING LOCKED UP AND I HIT THE CURB, THR DEALER IS TELLING ME THERE'S NO WAY THIS CAN HAPPEN AND HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. WON'T WARRANTY ANYTHING AND I'M STUCK WITH A VEHICLE I BELIEVE TO BE UNSAFE FOR MY WIFE AND CHILDREN TO RIDE IN.
2017 FORD EXPLORER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE ALERT GAUGE MESSAGE CENTER DISPLAYS FAILURE OF COLLISION WARNING SYSTEM, TRACKING CONTROL SYSTEM AND STEERING SYSTEM. ATTEMPTS TO REPLACE/REPAIR SENSOR AND STEERING COLUMN FAILS. *SMD THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER A SENSOR WAS REPLACED. TWO DAYS LATER, THE DEALER CALLED THE CONSUMER AND INFORMED HIM THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED AND STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *JB
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2017 Ford Explorer has 40 Steering complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.