2011 Ford Explorer STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

POWER STEERING FAILED. *TR

THE MANAGEMENT TERRAIN AND POWER ASSIST WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. THEN I HAD NO POWER STEERING. IT BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER AND CONTROL CAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LOW SPEED 3 TIMES AND AT A DEAD STOP 3 TIMES. I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RESET BY TURNING THE CAR OFF AND RE-STARTING. *TR

(MY WIFE AS ON HER WAY TO OUR DAUGHTER'S ONE MONTH DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT. SHE HAD JUST BEGAN MOVING FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT WHEN A BUNCH OF LIGHTS ON THE DASH CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE BECAME VERY HARD TO STEER (FOUND TO BE STABILI-TRAC ERRORS AND FAULTY ELECTRIC POWER STEERING). SHE MANAGED TO GET THE VEHICLE ONTO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT HARM. AFTER READING IN THE OWNERS MANUAL, SHE FOUND THAT WITH THIS ISSUE, TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF AND THEN BACK ON MAY "CLEAR" THE ISSUE. IT DID TAKE CARE OF THE STEERING ISSUE AND SHE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AGAIN. IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON THE WAY HOME FROM THE DOCTORS. FORD LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE AND HAS ORDERED ANOTHER STEERING ASSEMBLY. THE SAME FAULT HAS HAPPENED AN ADDITIONAL FOUR TIMES SINCE THE FIRST DAY. THAT IS A TOTAL OF SIX TIMES. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP HAS ONLY BEEN ABLE TO TELL US THAT THE PART IS ON BACK-ORDER BECAUSE FORD ENGINEERS ARE WORKING ON A REVISED PART TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED TO MY WIFE SHE HAD BOTH CHILDREN IN THE CAR AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO MERGE ONTO THE HIGHWAY. THANKFULLY SHE WAS ABLE TO STAY IN AN EXTENDED SHOULDER AFTER THE MERGE LANE ENDED. TURNING THE VEHICLE HAS CORRECTED THE ISSUE EVERY TIME SO FAR. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILURE ON 2011 FORD EXPLORER WHILE TRAVELING IN NEIGHBORHOOD. STARTED THE VEHICLE WITH REMOTE START TO COOL VEHICLE IN HOT, HUMID HOUSTON, TEXAS ABOUT 3 TO 4 MINUTES BEFORE ENTERING IT. WE DROVE 1.2 MILES TO AN ACQUAINTANCE'S RESIDENCE TO CO-SIGN A CHECK FOR NON-PROFIT PAYMENT. LEFT VEHICLE RUNNING FOR +/- 3 MINUTES IN HIS DRIVEWAY. BACKED OUT OF HIS DRIVEWAY AND DROVE 1/2 MILE WHEN LOST POWER STEERING AND NOTICED TWO MESSAGES ON THE DASH. ONE SHOWED "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" AND OTHER "SERVICE AUTO TRACKING". STOPPED ON THE STREET, SHUT OFF ENGINE, AND RESTARTED THE CAR. NO MESSAGE. DROVE 1/4 AND THE EVENT RECURRED AS DESCRIBED. RETURNED HOME AND PARKED CAR AT OUR PERSONAL RESIDENCE. CALLED RUSSELL & SMITH FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT 5:03PM AND LEFT MESSAGE. SUSPECT IT IS AFTER HOURS AND WILL NOT HEAR FROM THEM UNTIL MORNING OF JULY 26, 2012. THE MESSAGE IS NOT IN OWNER'S MANUAL. SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND NOTICED NHTSA INVESTIGATION AND CHOSE TO CONTRIBUTE AND PROVIDE CONTACT INFORMATION. *TR

INTERMITTENTLY, WHILE DRIVING, THE ADVANCTRAK AND TERRAIN MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND THE "SERVICE ADVANCTRAK" WARNING APPEARED. AT THE SAME TIME, THE POWER STEERING FAILED TO WORK, AND THE "POWER STEERING FAULT" WARNING APPEARED. THE TURN SIGNALS ALSO STOPPED WORKING DURING THESE EPISODES. THIS HAS HAPPENED 5 TIMES SINCE SEPTEMBER 9, 2012, ALL WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, INCLUDING YESTERDAY. IN ALL CASES, I HAD TO TAKE THE TRUCK OFF THE ROAD AND COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN THE VEHICLE - UPON RESTARTING, THE WARNINGS DISAPPEARED AND THE POWER STEERING WAS RESTORED. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TWICE NOW, WITH NO ISSUES FOUND. I HAVE A 3RD APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER TODAY. *TR

THE CAR'S POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING AROUND 10 MPH PULLING OUT OF A GAS STATION. THE SCREEN SAID IT WAS A POWER STEERING FAILURE. TURNED CAR OFF AND TURNED BACK ON AND IT WENT AWAY, HOWEVER IT HAPPENED ONCE MORE LATER AROUND 5 MPH. *TR