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
827 reports, newest first.
Steering, Jan 12, 2024
One morning I got in my Explorer and it beeped 3 times with a display light saying, "service power steering." When I took it to a mechanic to get looked at, he said Ford had issued a recall on this part. However, when contacting Cloninger Ford of Hickory, my year make and model are covered under this recall but not my VIN. I do not understand this because clearly the power steering control module was an issue with the 2012 Ford Explorers and mine is having this problem but is not covered by the recall. Until this is fixed I cannot drive it because it highly increases risk of accident. The fix is very expensive. Any help getting this resolved would be greatly appreciated.
Steering, Jan 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH and making a turn, the steering wheel was significantly difficult to turn. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering control module (PSCM) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
Visibility, Jan 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the side fasteners on the driver's and passenger's side of the front windshield detached and separated from the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Steering, Dec 26, 2023
We seen multiple online post about our make model and year Ford having a recall. When our steering wheel locked and we lost complete control of our car more than once with kids and a baby in the car we brought it to Ford to be fixed. They told us as long as the computer matched up with that issue it would be covered under an existing campaign. They then said ford denied it because it just missed the cut off time limit by a couple months and we would have to come out of pocket. They had no loaners for us or any help. We borrowed money from a family Member, had to pay for a rental and we were reassured it was fixed. Then we have the same issue but worse happen Christmas Eve, weeks after getting it repaired and assured it was fixed . We repaired it at the dealership and then once again lost power steering. We have an infant and kids. If we would’ve been on a major road it would’ve been possibly deadly as the steering wheels randomly locks and power steering fails. This is not okay. Ford said they will get to it when they can and they have no loaners for us.
Steering, Dec 22, 2023
Failure of electronic power assist steering system. Without power steering, maneuverability becomes difficult as effort required for steering the vehicle drastically increases, putting the driver and those around them at risk. The dealer has reproduced and confirmed the issue. It has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. No warning lamps appear until failure is already evident. There is already a safety recall concerning the EPAS system. The service action for this recall at Ford dealers is to check for diagnostic trouble codes and replace the power steering rack if certain codes are found. If none are found, however, they are to reprogram the EPAS system and extended coverage is provided should the EPAS system still fail with 10 years or 150,000 miles. EPAS system failure is not a common occurrence on any other Ford models outside those affected by this recall, yet many still fail in affected vehicles shortly after the extended coverage expires. Reprogramming the EPAS system does not fix the defective part but merely delays the inevitable, passing the cost of the repair to the owners and potentially putting those on the road around them in danger when the failure occurs. My vehicle has had the reprogramming done, closing the recall, and has aged past the extended coverage for replacement of the defective steering rack, which has now failed, and Ford will not cover the cost of the repair.
Steering, Dec 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized in position. After the failure, the contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly. The power steering assist fault warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the steering gear. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Steering, Structure, Dec 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while his wife was driving 45 MPH, she became aware that the electric power steering was not functioning properly with the "Service Power Steering” message displayed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was diagnosed and determined that the rear suspension toe link needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V435000 (Structure) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 130,000.
Structure, Nov 30, 2023
February 2023 I was driving on interstate approximately 75 mph. This was not a particularly windy day. The passenger side windshield trim molding ripped off the vehicle. This is a piece approximately 2.5 feet long. Just a few weeks later the same thing happened on the driver side molding while driving on a state highway approximately 60 mph. After the first incident I have noticed multiple other Ford Explorers with this same cosmetic issue. I ordered a new set for both sides via Amazon and installed them in April 2023 but approximately 6 weeks later the passenger side tore off again while driving. The new driver side molding is hanging on but I hear it rumbling and cracking when on the highway. It is a matter of time before it will also fly off. I pray that no one is hurt when this happens. Aside from the cosmetic appearance issue this is a very dangerous problem as these pieces of the vehicle are flying off at high rates of speed & can damage other cars or cause a collision. I have talked to other owners with the issue and all complain of the problem on 2012-2015 Ford Explorer models.
Steering, Nov 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon her son starting the vehicle, he became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly. The EPS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the electronic power steering control module. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The VIN was included but the repair had already been completed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 101,000.
Steering, Electrical system, Nov 22, 2023
We were driving along when all of a sudden power steering completely went out and then warning lights came on for first time. There was no warning until already happened. We were in middle of traffic and almost impossible to get to side of road. Almost got slammed by other vehicle trying to get to side of road.Had to tow car to shop and found out electric power steering component failed and have to replace rack and pinion for thousands of dollars. There was a recall for this problem but we were never notified.
Steering, Nov 21, 2023
Driving my daughters home from cheer practice and there was all of a sudden a lot of alerting from the vehicle. My steering the vehicle became very hard, even just managing around corners I was having a hard time not going into the oncoming traffic lane. At a stop sign, I needed to turn towards home, I could barely turn the steering wheel and ended up driving on someone's property before I could complete the turn. I made a hard five point turn in the middle of traffic after turning on my emergency flashers. I did this also turning into my road and driveway. It was nerve racking as I felt, not only my life, but my children's were at risk. It was out of the blue because the vehicle was handling great, and when the "Service power steering now" and "Service AdvanceTrac" indicators came on most steering control was all of a sudden lost. A dealer or Service has not looked at the vehicle yet. We have an appointment with a Ford dealer in three weeks, it is not driveable.
Steering, Nov 20, 2023
My power steering has locked up now for the 3rd time. It is crazy dangerous and puts my life and others in danger. I had it repaired at ford and it happened again. So it was towed back to ford and fixed again. Both visits at this ford location were awful experiences. And I refuse to go back. And now my car is having the same issue yet again. And I dont want to be told again that I have to pay for a diagnostic test or anything like that. Ridiculous! It's the same thing again. Exact same thing. I'm not an idiot. And I dont want to end up dead driving an unsafe vehicle. What's wrong with ford that they are ignoring so many people having the same issue with the same car? Why? I don't understand it? My family has always been loyal ford owners. However this has us very concerned.
Steering, Nov 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the steering wheel seized and failed to turn as intended. The power steering warning light illuminated. The contact veered over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 143,000.
Steering, Nov 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the power steering suddenly failed, and the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was later driven to the local dealer who diagnosed that the Electronic Power Steering Module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.
Steering, Nov 8, 2023
My power steering assists quit working, and My stabilizer control. and my traction control, and my TPMS light came on, but all of my tires are at the recommended air pressure. Ford tells me that my ford is not covered in the recall for this problem. I lost control of my vehicle and almost crashed into the ditch.
Steering, Oct 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the steering wheel was firm, making it difficult to maneuver the vehicle. The contact stated that the power steering assist failure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 168,000.
Steering, Oct 20, 2023
My wife is driving to work when the dash beep twice saying power steering fault then she lost power steering and nearly crashed the vehicle , this is a known problem from Ford that was not repaired by them and now they're telling me that they won't repair it This was what I found online by just doing a quick search after my wife nearly crashed! By Matt Schmitz May 29, 2014 Vehicles Affected: About 177,500 model-year 2011-13 Ford Explorer SUVs share The Problem: A potential electrical issue in the steering gear may result in the loss of electric power steering assist while driving. This could cause the steering system to default to manual mode, making the vehicle more difficult to steer, especially at lower speeds, and increasing the risk of a crash. According to the Detroit News, Ford said drivers will hear a chime and see a message in the instrument cluster if electric power steering assist is lost. The Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will either update software for the power steering control module or replace the steering gear for free. What Owners Should Do: Ford has not yet issued an owner notification schedule. Owners can call Ford at 800-392-3673 for more info. Need to Find a Dealer for Service? Go to Cars.com Service & Repair to find your local dealer.
Steering, Oct 17, 2023
Power Steering and Advancetrac
Steering, Oct 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the steering wheel seized. Additionally, the power steering warning light was illuminated. An independent mechanic arrived at the residence to diagnose the vehicle. The contact was informed that the electric power steering had failed. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Steering, Sep 27, 2023
Steering wheel locked up, while driving.
Steering, Sep 20, 2023
Power steering fails while in motion with no warning until it happens making it very difficult to get control of the vehicle. When it happens a power steering failing light comes on but there is no warning before the steering locks up on you. Dealer has not been contacted as every time I call they don't answer. Was inspected by an independent garage who states it is the rack.
Structure, Sep 7, 2023
The windshield molding / trim on the driver side detached and flew off almost hitting a car behind me.
Steering, Aug 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the steering wheel became firm. The contact stated that the "Check Power Steering" message was displayed with an unknown red warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over on the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. Additionally, the contact was informed that the warranty had expired. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 159,658.
Seat belts, Aug 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the rear second passenger’s side seat belt was faulty. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the rear second passenger’s side seat belt to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to parts not being available. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. The contact stated the issue has been resolved via local dealer opening up mechanism and finding twist in seatbelt, which wouldn’t allow use of the seatbelt but haven't received a new seatbelt which seems to be on backorder.
Steering, Aug 13, 2023
Steering locks