2012 Ford Explorer
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Steering is the leading concern among 827 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 12th highest complaint count among 26 Explorer model years with reports.
Of the 2012 reports, 10 involved a crash and 6 involved a fire. 13 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
Representative owner complaints: steering
358 reports, newest first. Show all
Steering, Jun 3, 2025
Electric Power Steering was recalled a replacement was done In 2014 under a recall. Yet it broke again and the car is under 150,000 miles. I have talked to Ford and they will not replace it again. I am not the first person to experience this issue under 150,000 miles. My car is not a giant paper weight in my yard because it cost $2000 to fix more at the Ford dealership it was bought from. I am the second owner. We purchased Ford because it is a product made in the USA but I’m beginning to wonder if that means anything anymore. My Husband has [XXX] so the repair cost is too much for our budget. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Steering, May 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, with the power steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the power steering module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 206,000.
Steering, May 19, 2025
Power steeeing system cuts out and stops working intermittently. Especially when making u turns
Steering, Apr 14, 2025
I just bought this vehicle in the last 2 months. While my husband and I were driving down the road with our 2 daughters the power steering stopped working and the light came on for it ..... we noticed there was a recall ford says they serviced it in 2014 for the recall and won't again.... we're lucky we didn't get in an accident
Steering, Apr 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated the failure had occurred while out of state on a family trip. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with an electric power steering gear failure. The contact was informed that the electric power steering gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed about a recall; however, the contact was informed that the recall campaign was closed. The failure mileage was approximately 124,742.
Steering, Apr 2, 2025
Car was working fine and had been parked. Then the next morning got ready to take my youngest to school. Started it up, and began backing out of the driveway and out of nowhere the service power steering now light comes on as well as the service trac light. My wheel locks up and I almost hit the neighbor opposite side of the street who was getting ready to take her kids to school because of the difficulty cutting the wheel. We are a Ford family. My wife, myself and my oldest daughter all drive Fords. I would hope Ford reconciles this issue and support their loyal customers. This was a very scary experience loosing control of my vehicle. But even scarier with me having my youngest in the car. This is becoming a well documented issue as well as a safety concern and I hope Ford reconciles this immediately. Also, issue is affecting the turning signals.
Steering, Mar 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, with the power steering and traction control warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 121,000.
Steering, Feb 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the steering wheel was locked. The message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle functioned normally. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the failure was related to Customer Satisfaction Program: 15N01 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Steering, Electrical system, Jan 31, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while his wife was driving 70 MPH in the passing lane, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated while the driver was decelerating, the vehicle started shuddering significantly. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated, and a message advising of a power steering failure and to service the vehicle immediately was displayed. The tail lights and the hazard lights became inoperable. The driver was able to pull to the side of the road. The driver was able to continue driving at a lower speed. The contact stated that his daughter and his [XXX] grandchild were passengers in the vehicle during the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was uncontrollable while driving at higher speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering gear motor and an unknown parts needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 15N01; however, the dealer informed the contact that the manufacturer declined to cover the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Steering, Jan 12, 2025
Power steering assist. I can not turn my wheels and and was sliding on the ice. No. Unknown. Unknown
Steering, Dec 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the steering wheel was locked. The message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle per the owner's manual; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering gearbox needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) because the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 138,800.
Steering, Dec 16, 2024
Power steering (EPAS) has failed with no explanation
Steering, Dec 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 15-20 MPH and pulling into a parking lot, the steering wheel became inoperable, and the vehicle stalled. There was an unknown red light displayed. The contact stated that the failure was related to Customer Satisfaction Program: 15N01 (Steering). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the EPS needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The mechanic informed the contact that there was no coverage on the vehicle for the repairs. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 168,000.
Steering, Nov 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving out of the driveway, the message "Power Assist Fault" was displayed, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was eventually towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the steering rack was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that there was no Extended Warranty Coverage for the failure. Additionally, the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The failure mileage was 143,223.
Steering, Sep 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH and following the curve in the roadway, the steering wheel was extremely difficult to turn. The contact stated that the message "Loss of Power Steering Assist" and “Loss of Stability Control" were displayed. The contact stopped, and turned off and restarted the vehicle several times; however, the power steering functionality had not returned. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.
Steering, Sep 9, 2024
My 2012 Ford Explorer Limited had a safety recall 14S06 performed in 2014. In 2020 the same problem happened. The steering wheel locked up while driving and the power steering stopped working. It was fixed again. Now it’s 2024 and it has happened yet again. This time I was on the highway with my children in the car and suddenly my dash lights up and my steering wheel basically locked. No power steering yet again. We are lucky we didn’t lose our lives yesterday. I was driving 70 mph on the highway when this happened.
Steering, Aug 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the power steering suddenly failed, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. During the failure the "Power Steering" message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the steering rack was faulty and needed to be replaced. The steering rack was replaced but the failure later reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not yet contacted. The contact stated that the steering rack had been replaced on three previous occasions for the same failure. The failure mileage was 110,000.
Steering, Aug 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 15-20 MPH attempting to make a right turn into a parking space, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, causing the contact to use an excessive amount of force to steer the vehicle. The "Service Power Steering Now" message was displayed. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 175,955.
Steering, Aug 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the power steering malfunctioned, and the steering wheel was very difficult the turn in either direction. The contact stated that the failure lasted for approximately 10-seconds before self-correcting. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the steering rack and power steering module were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 85,000.
Steering, Jul 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with a failure with the power steering gear and the electrical components. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall; however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Steering, Jul 29, 2024
Steering. Yes. I was unable to steer the vehicle, steering wheel would not move. No. No. After I was unable to steer, a warning came up on my onboard computer screen saying electric steering assist fault.
Steering, Jul 18, 2024
Last year around this time, my steering went out suddenly. it was difficult to drive and then it just wouldn’t turn. We replaced the drive belt and it hasn’t had much issue until recently. The steering went out much more violently this time- with me fighting to drive it down to work. Fluids were great so didn’t think too much of it until I went to drive it again and it wouldn’t turn at all. it had threatened not to turn while I was driving and it scared me a lot. Took it to a shop and they said the entire steering column is out. I haven’t done any extraneous driving that would tear it apart like that but it is still broken
Steering, Jun 25, 2024
Power steering control module failure occured on 2012 Ford Explorer. Dash displayed a "Power Steering Assist Fault" randomly but would resolve itself after turning vehicle off and back on, and now it is permenantly. Recall 15N01 was open on this vehicle but manufacturer will not service this vehicle under recall due to a 10 year, 150,000 mile limit. After getting the vehicle diagnosed a DTC U3000-72 was revealed which is one of the codes under recall. Previously unable to effectively steer vehicle without notice, and now unable to steer without assist all together.
Steering, Jun 6, 2024
Electronic power steering assist quit functioning while driving. After I parked the vehicle the steering wheel could not be turned under manual power leaving the vehicle only able to go straight forwards or backwards. Leading to a $2,900 repair bill and an additional $100 tow bill
Steering, May 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 50 MPH, he became aware of a strong clicking sound coming from the steering wheel. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that an unknown safety recall related to the rack and pinion for the vehicle had expired. The contact had not received notification regarding the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.