2011 Ford Explorer Problems: Steering (1,196 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2011 Ford Explorer is Steering (55% of 1,196 owner reports). There are 8 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Steering — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-10-15 1,196 complaints · 8 recalls
What problems show up on the 2011 Ford Explorer?
656 of 1,196 filings named Steering (55% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Body / frame (100 reports).
There are 8 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Steering, Body / frame, and Suspension. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2010 has 115 reports on file; this year has 1,196. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Steering 656 complaints · 54.9% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 30
- Fires 4
- Injuries 15
- Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-10-14 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering (STEERING) | 656 | 54.9% | 15 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 100 | 8.4% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 65 | 5.4% | 1 crashes · 1 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 49 | 4.1% | 1 crashes · 1 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 47 | 3.9% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 28 | 2.3% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 27 | 2.3% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 20 | 1.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 19 | 1.6% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 230 | 19.2% | 3 crashes · 1 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-10-15 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 14V286000 was reported 1,025 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 15V171000 was reported 1,134 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 17E048000 was reported 1,485 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 19V435000 was reported 2,136 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V746000 was reported 2,971 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 24V031000 was reported 4,357 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 94 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 54 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 37 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 21 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 26 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 35 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 28 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 34 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 30 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 23 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 26 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 31 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 28 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 11V063000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14E001000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V286000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V171000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17E048000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V435000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V746000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 24V031000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE12017 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE16008 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA17002 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE23001 |
Safety Recalls (8)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Steering, Body / frame, and Suspension.
-
Recall campaign 11V063000
Safety recall 11V063000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT BACK MAY NOT PROVIDE THE REQUIRED STRENGTH, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
- Remedy:
- FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE SEATS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 15, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.
-
Recall campaign 14E001000
Safety recall 14E001000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- The inability to steer the vehicle increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners and dealers will replace the suspect steering gears with new steering gears, free of charge. The recall began on January 29, 2014. Customers may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 13S14.
-
Recall campaign 14V286000
Steering
- Report date
- Component:
- Steering (STEERING)
- Consequence:
- If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist it will require extra steering effort at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) software, free of charge. If a vehicle shows a history of a loss of motor position sensor signal when the vehicle is brought in for the recall remedy, its steering rack assembly will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on July 23, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S06.
-
Recall campaign 15V171000
Body / frame
- Report date
- Component:
- Body / frame (STRUCTURE)
- Consequence:
- If the interior door handle return spring is unseated, the door may unlatch in the event of a side impact crash, increasing the risk of personal injury.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four of the interior door handles and either repair or replace them, free of charge. The recall began on July 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S11.
-
Recall campaign 17E048000
Suspension
- Report date
- Component:
- Suspension (SUSPENSION)
- Consequence:
- A loss of the wheel or wheel end can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify the distributors of the hubs specifying that they are to only be used on drive axles. It is believed that none of the hubs were purchased from Ford dealers for the incorrect application. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
-
Recall campaign 19V435000
Suspension
- Report date
- Component:
- Suspension (SUSPENSION)
- Consequence:
- A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, and inspect both rear toe link ball joints, replacing the rear wheel knuckle(s), if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S17.
-
Recall campaign 21V746000
Suspension
- Report date
- Component:
- Suspension (SUSPENSION)
- Consequence:
- A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealer will inspect for the presence of a CABJ. If a CABJ of any design is found, the dealer will inspect the tightness of the CABJ, and replace the CABJ, knuckle, and/or toe link as necessary, free of charge. Interim notification letters were mailed November 10, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 17, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S43.
-
Recall campaign 24V031000
Body / frame
- Report date
- Component:
- Body / frame (STRUCTURE)
- Consequence:
- A detached trim piece can fall off the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will inspect and replace the A-pillar trim as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model years. Owner notification letters were mailed between July 18, 2024 and December 16, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S02.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-10-14
Showing 5 of 1,196 complaints · page 1 of 48
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I am reporting a serious safety concern involving my 2011 Ford Explorer, VIN [XXX]. 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 $2,126.43. Because of the loss of steering assistance, I believe the vehicle is unsafe to drive and presents a serious safety risk, particularly during turns or emergency maneuvers. I understand that Ford previously recalled certain 2011–2013 Ford Explorers under NHTSA Recall 14V-286 (Ford Recall 14S06) for a defect involving the electric power steering gear that could result in loss of power steering assist. The symptoms I am experiencing appear very similar to the defect described in that recall. My vehicle does not appear to be covered by the existing recall based on its VIN. I am requesting that NHTSA review my vehicle and this failure to determine whether it should be included in the recall or whether additional action is warranted. I can provide the VIN, repair estimate, diagnostic information, photographs, and any other documentation needed. Thank you for investigating this potentially dangerous safety defect. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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, creating an immediate, dangerous loss of steering assist while driving. This vehicle was subject to Federal Safety Recall 14S06 (NHTSA Campaign 14V286000). According to official Ford OASIS data, Ford attempted to remedy this safety defect in 2014 using a software reflash shortcut (Labor Code 14S06A) rather than replacing the physical defective hardware. I have a text (via their service dept) from the service manager as well stating "it was a reflash" when I asked which labor code was done under the 14S06; "was it the software reflash or the full rack replacement?". I have a formal case with Ford Corporate created 7/31/26, and have that number as well. IBecause Ford's software patch completely failed to prevent the component's internal hardware failure, the original federally mandated safety defect remains active, unresolved, and dangerous in this chassis. Ford Corporate is refusing to honor the recall remedy because the vehicle is past an arbitrary 10-year limit on their internal customer satisfaction extensions, violating the permanent nature of safety recalls. I stated I would be filing with the NHTSA and they pushed my information on to the Safety Auto Office on 7/31/26.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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.
Ford Explorer Complaints by Year
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2011 Ford Explorer?
Owners named Steering most often — 656 of 1,196 reports (55%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2011 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA lists 8 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Steering, Body / frame, and Suspension. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2011 Ford Explorer?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for play in the wheel, noises on lock and whether it tracks straight. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-10-04
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-10-14. YearTell is not a government agency.