2011 Ford Explorer
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Steering is the leading concern among 1,196 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 10th highest complaint count among 26 Explorer model years with reports.
Of the 2011 reports, 30 involved a crash and 4 involved a fire. 15 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Structure, body, roof and pillarsJan 19, 2024
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Explorer vehicles. The A-pillar trim retention clips may not be properly engaged, allowing the trim to detach.
A detached trim piece can fall off the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 24V031000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, rearSep 22, 2021
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. These vehicles may be equipped with a cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) replacement part that could seize, and result in a fracture of the outboard section of the rear suspension toe link.
A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 21V746000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, rearJun 10, 2019
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.
A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 19V435000 on NHTSA.gov
Wheels, hubAug 28, 2017
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain Wheel Hub Bearing assemblies, part number HB5Z-1104-C, incorrectly listed as being for installation on the rear axles of 2011-2017 Ford Explorer 4X2 vehicles. These bearings assemblies were manufactured without a self retention feature, possibly resulting in the separation of the wheel or wheel end.
A loss of the wheel or wheel end can increase the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 17E048000 on NHTSA.gov
Structure, body, doorMar 24, 2015
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Explorer vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the interior door handle return spring may unseat, resulting in interior door handle that does not return to the fully stowed position after actuation.
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.
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.
Campaign 15V171000 on NHTSA.gov
Steering, electric power assist systemMay 29, 2014
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured May 17, 2010, through February 28, 2012. The affected vehicles may experience an intermittent connection in the electric power steering gear, which can cause a loss of the motor position sensor signal resulting in a shut down of the power steering assist.
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.
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.
Campaign 14V286000 on NHTSA.gov
SteeringJan 6, 2014
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain replacement steering gears installed on model year 2011-2012 Explorers as service parts in September 2013 and January 2014. The affected gears may lock, preventing the driver from being able to steer the vehicle.
The inability to steer the vehicle increases the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 14E001000 on NHTSA.gov
SeatsFeb 2, 2011
FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 EXPLORER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 15, 2010, THROUGH DECEMBER 13, 2010, EQUIPPED WITH SECOND ROW 60% SEATS WITH MANUAL RECLINER MECHANISMS THAT MAY HAVE COMPONENTS THAT ARE OUT OF DIMENSIONAL SPECIFICATION. THESE SEATS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 207, "SEATING SYSTEMS."
IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT BACK MAY NOT PROVIDE THE REQUIRED STRENGTH, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
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.
Campaign 11V063000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
1,196 reports, newest first.
Steering, Sep 7, 2022
Los steering control
Steering, Sep 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed and making a turn, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The driver was able to continue driving the vehicle. The contact stated that the power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was repaired in 2015 under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The contact was also informed that the warranty had expired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
Steering, Aug 26, 2022
I was driving out of my driveway and the power steering froze. There was no warning. I ended up hitting the rear of another car I have in my driveway. Luckily nobody was in the vehicle. A light then cam on to see your dealer! I see there was a recall by Ford of the power steering, but that recall has expiried for my vehicle due to the fact it is 11 years old. The recall was for 10
Steering, Aug 26, 2022
2011 FORD EXPLORER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO STEERING WHEEL LOCKING UP WHILE DRIVING. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS, A WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY.
Steering, Aug 25, 2022
The power steering suddenly went out. A "power steering assist fault" warning light came on. No power assist was available and the vehicle became extremely difficult to steer. Fortunately, I was traveling at a low rate of speed and was able to safely steer off the road.If this had occurred while taking a corner, it could have been catastrophic. When restarted, the steering worked again and the warning light went out. Since this happened, it had reoccurred twice, making the vehicle unsafe to drive.
Steering, Aug 23, 2022
Power steering randomly shut off while I was driving.
Steering, Electrical system, Aug 18, 2022
I was driving on the highway and the steering wheel locked on me. He was hard to turn and I also hit another car in the back.
Steering, Aug 15, 2022
The power steering failed while pulling into parking spot and garage approx 5 times in the last few months.
Steering, Aug 9, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering assist needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
Electrical system, Aug 9, 2022
I keep losing my power steering. i called ford and they told me the recall to fix it was out dated . this could cause an accident . and shouldnt have a time line to have it fixed . It has happened several times the last year
Steering, Jul 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while his wife was reversing out of a parking lot, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated that the power steering assists warning light was illuminated. The contact also stated he was unable to move the steering wheel. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact called an independent mechanic who serviced the vehicle at the parking lot. The mechanic was able to use the meteor sensor and stated the motor position sensor signal had to be reset. The motor position sensor signal was reset. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The contact was able to drive to the residence. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the steering rack to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
Steering, Jul 20, 2022
Upon starting the SUV an alert appeared stating “power steering assist failure” appeared. Attempted to reset the sensor multiple times with no success. It was impossible to move the steering wheel. Thankfully I wasn’t driving given I drive the highway everyday too and from work or I could have had serious harm to myself or others. There is no way I would have been able to control any sort of manual steering as I have a back injury. Now I will have to have it towed to get it repaired just so I can get too and from work.
Steering, Engine, Jul 20, 2022
The electric power steering continuesly Fails. The chain driver water pump failed while driving almost causing an accident with me and my son.
Steering, Jul 19, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while his niece was driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the electric power steering assists warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over, turned off, and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle operated as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that there was nothing that could be done because the vehicle was not under recall and the warranty had expired. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was 44,000.
Steering, Jul 8, 2022
I started the car and started to go then the car could not be steered and a warning came on that said "power steering assist fault". The steering wheel was impossible to turn and if this had happened in traffic or the freeway at a higher speed I could have been easily killed. Now every time the car is turned on the steering wheel will not turn.
Steering, Jul 7, 2022
while driving on the interstate my power steering went completely out and on the dash board the power steering assist light came on...scared me to death as coudnt steer. took off work next day and took to dealer said not under warranty bc i have 144k miles and is 11 years old and warranty was under 150k or 10 years...however i did find out this was a big safety issue and was a recall in 2014 on these with a recall...,,,the dealer said i was gonna have to pay 3100 and i had to get and pay for a rental car to drive home and leave at dealer to repair....i had no choice but to leave bc had to be fixed.they were nice at dealership in telling me out of warranty but i dont understand why this huge safety issue wouldnt be fixed and paid for by ford?I do not want to get nooone in trouble and not one to complain much but the money is hard to just come up with to repair a vehicle, rent a rental car and a day off work...im asingle father and have worked 2 jobs for many years to put my son thru college.i had to put all this unexpected money on my emergency credit card and will take a long time for me to pay off.and the issue scared me to death! i feel should have been fixed by the company bc of the issue.I never received nothing by mail of a safety issue recall or warranty expiring about this issue and i have owned since early 2021.I do not understand why and how a recall to repair this huge safety issue can expire?it could have been catastrophic on the interstate and piles of cars..... i thank god i was able to stay straight and wasnt turning when the power steering went out and was ok..but have no choice to repair as cant drive with no power steering.i feel this should be taken care of by ford no matter the year or mileage on explorer as it is a huge safety issue with going out while driving. nervous wreck over it and the money issue to repair.please help me get money back and before this happens again on the explorers(no matter the year or mileage) and serious injuriesoccur
Steering, Jul 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost power steering functionality with the power steering assist warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with steering gear malfunction. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
Steering, Jun 28, 2022, crash
Power steering & terrain assist fault would occasionally pop up and lock my steering wheel up. which I would just turn my car on & off to make go away.Only one day in mid turn it came on locked my steering wheel up was side swiped right into a pole. Not only was my car physically damaged but my 4 yr old daughter refuses to get in the car now which makes it extremely frustrating when we have to go places
Steering, Jun 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
Steering, Jun 1, 2022
While driving, my steering column locked and an error message saying power steering assist failure alerted. I immediately stopped, attempted to start the car 4 times and the steering column would not move. There is a recall for this same problem from March 2014. Ford is saying that the recall for the same issue not applicable to my vehicle.
Steering, May 31, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The vehicle was difficult to turn to the left or the right. The contact stopped the vehicle safely in the middle of the road. The contact stated that the power steering assist failure message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to a dealer the following day. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the power steering assist had failed. The dealer related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 156,000.
Engine and engine cooling, May 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while a friend was driving approximately 45 MPH, the driver inhaled an excessive amount of carbon monoxide. The friend accidentally drove into a ditch. The vehicle was pulled out of the ditch by nearby residents. The driver was not injured. There were minor damages to the passenger’s side front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed a failure with plugs underneath the engine. The plugs were not replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 168,000.
Steering, May 23, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the steering wheel seized with the power steering assist warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, turned off and then restarted the vehicle and drove to her residence. The vehicle was later taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with a faulty steering control module. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) as a possible solution to the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 157,000.
Steering, May 19, 2022
Power steering and terrain management system failure. Power steering assist failure has happened upon starting vehicle a few times but has reset after restarting. There is a recall for this but apparently not for my VIN
Steering, May 11, 2022
Loss of electric power assist, Backed out of drive and could not steer, was locked up. Pulled back in drive. Called wrecker and had taken to Ford. Ford states this is not covered due to it being a warranty out of date issue so repair will be at our cost.