2014 Ford Explorer Complaint Log

Vehicle lost all power steering, traction control, and AdvanceTrac features due to electronic steering gear failure(ASE certified diagnosis). Very dangerous, and costly problem for a vehicle with only 100k miles.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the front driver's side and the front passenger's side windshield exterior A-pillar trims had detached. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Steering has become stiff and unable to turn wheel. Have recall for toe link scheduled, but Ford says if steering is that tough than it’s not just the toe link causing issue.

The transmission failed without warning while traveling down the highway. The vehicle is currently being diagnosed but cost of repair is unknown at this time.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. Additionally, the steering wheel seized. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer and the manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated there was a leak coming from the sunroof. The contact took the vehicle to a collision center and diagnosed that there was tubing that needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000.

I had the toe link recall performed in 2022. Since that time, I have replaced brakes twice, tires twice (two full sets in less than 50k miles), control arms, sway bars, and bushings. The car will not come into alignment. There is ample evidence all over the internet that the toe link recall has been a failure. There are numerous stories just like mine of secondary suspension issues and burning through tires, especially in the rear, at an alarming rate. To my knowledge Ford has done nothing to correct the issues with the toe link, once and for all. To my knowledge, Ford is not reimbursing owners for the related losses they experience because of the issue with toe links.

Back up camera works intermittently. It frequently gives a message stating thet the camera is not available and owner should contact the dealer.

I am un able to steer my vehicle almost got into an accident on my way to work . I lost all steering function and lights displayed for power steering assist . I feel this issue needs to be part of the recall amd include 2014 explorers seems to be a common complaint as I was reading and very unsafe.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the front driver’s side windshield trim panel detached. The vehicle was taken to a body shop where the trim panel was replaced. The same failure also occurred with the passenger’s side trim panel and the panel was also replaced by the same body shop. Recently, the contact stated that the failure reoccurred on the driver’s side windshield panel. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where the contact was given an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE23001 (Structure). The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

Power steering went out while driving the vehicle and steering wheel was extremely difficult to maneuver. Received error “steering assist fault service required”

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the transmission warning light illuminated. The contact's wife was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the throttle body assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the power steering failed to operate as needed, without warning. The contact's husband was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with an electric power steering failure. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer since the parts for the repair were on back order. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

While driving down freeway at 65 mph, noticed on curves, steering was becoming "glitchy." Upon getting off freeway, noticed warning light for Loss of Accutrac warning came up on the message center. Turned engine off and looked under hood to see if there were any visible problems, no visible problems. I proceeded to turn ignition back on and red warning came up loss of power steering. I was able to drive vehicle to safe place, however with no power steering. 2014 ford explorer was then towed to dealership for repair/service. Contacted by dealership that the rack and pinion (electronic power steering) needed to be replaced and reprogrammed, not under warranty and cost would be $3200.00. It has been a month with no repair and part still on factory back order. Apparently 2014 is not under the recall for previous and post years (not sure why). Mileage on vehicle is 49500. My opinion is that Ford should cover this under recall, serious safety issue with vehicle.

Cranked car and began to drive home. Noticed there was a grinding noise when turning the steering wheel at low speeds. After approx 10 miles, while driving on a straight road, the steering wheel started jerking to the left and then automatically straightening itself up and then jerking to the right. This happened two times within a 6 mile distance. The second time it happened, there were two orange notifications that popped up. One said Service AdvanceTrac and one said Steering Fault Service Now. After that, the vehicle became extremely difficult to maneuver. I almost hit other vehicles several times as I was driving on a 6 lane divided road so traffic was on either side of me and the steering wheel wouldnt stay straight. Upon arriving at my destination, the vehicle sat in the driveway for 2 days until it could be towed to the shop. Upon cranking the vehicle, an orange notification popped up that said Service AdvanceTrac, as well a red notification that said Steering Loss Stop Safely. Problem persisted, vehicle had to be manhandled to be able to steer the wheel to get it loaded so it could be taken to the shop for diagnostic. Tech duplicated issue and diag as needing a new steering rack but cleared codes and vehicle began running as designed but quickly malfunctioned again. Mileage 142885 at time of fault.

I was driving home on the Bonne Carre Spillway Bridge from New Orleans to Baton Rouge and the warning lights came on while my car started swerving. Needless to say, I was Terrified when the warning message on my dashboard said, "Steering fault Service now" and both swervy line warning lamps under the directional panel on the dashboard came on. I had no steering power and had to drive 45 mph all the way to Baton Rouge on I-10 almost getting run over by 18 wheelers and other vehicles. I have 163,303 miles on the truck. Thank God for the Hollingsworth Ford Dealership employees (Lori) who were able to take my vehicle that same day. They had to tow it into the work bay, because the system completely froze up on them the following day. There is already a 2014 - 2017 Ford Explorer recall for Northeastern states, but Louisiana should be included also as we have a lot of flooding which can be worse than snow and ice nowadays. I have had to rent a vehicle for a month now and do not have anymore money to rent. I am over 50 years old so you can imagine how my body will be worn out if I have to take a bus to work. I know my truck was probably made in the same plant as the other 22 states vehicles who are included in the recall. I should NOT have to pay for these repairs!!! Please Help Me get Fair treatment as a 2017 Ford Explorer owner. I Appreciate your help.

The vehicle began to overheat in traffic and forced me to stop. This is a known problem with Fords from 2011-2016. The issue has been resolved in Canada but in the US customers are being forced to pay for repairs.

I was on my back from NJ and all of a sudden my vehicle had a power steering fault and Terrain managment fault, I had just decided to resolve the issue by turning the vehicle on/off again, and it worked, it got me safely home but the terrain managment fault persisted, I was confused and unsure whether to keep on driving, forward from that, it felt harder to steer and slow my vehicle down, while i was going at the speed limit at one point I had attempted to stop before a red light and my vehicle even though brakes were pushed, stopped after the red light. I managed to have parked my vehicle at home, and all the faults came through "Power Steering Fault", "Terrain Managment Fault", the car steering wheel refused to turn, and my vehicle has now been in the dealership for a week, due to the amount of ford explorers that have the same issue, I have not yet gotten by car issues diagnosed from them. If it were to have happened sooner it may have lead to a vehicle accident involving 5 people. This issue is persistent and has to be looked at and resolved

Exterior trim or molding, and weather strip on windshield, driver and passenger sides flew off vehicle while highway driving 65 MPH. The weather conditions were sunny skies during day time. Thank God no serious accidents occurred I'm aware of. After some research, I learned this is a common occurrence with Ford Explorer vehicles. I feel this is a safety concern. Hopefully Ford issues a recall or other type of compensation for owners. I contacted DACARS Ford in Lanham, MD for a repair estimates 2 weeks ago. I have not recieved a call back. I will look elsewhere for support.

Exterior trim or molding on windshield, driver and passenger (both) sides flew off vehicle while driving 65 MPH on the interstate. The weather conditions were sunny skies and wind during day time. This incident occured July 2022. Thank God no serious accidents occurred I'm aware of. After some research, I learned this is a common occurrence with Ford Explorer vehicles. I feel this is a safety concern. Hopefully Ford issues a recall or other type of compensation for owners. I replaced the molding on both sides via Amazon myself after I didn't hear back from a Ford Dearlership nearby.

Power Steering and Terrain Managment Sysyem Fault, Left me trapped in a completely different state, Vehicle only has 55,588 Miles on it, I haven't yet gotten it checked, but will update my complaint as soon as I do

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the steering assist fault warning light illuminated, with a message to “Drive Safely’ displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle with a failure within the electronic steering rack. The dealer stated parts were not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The approximate failure mileage was 104,200.

My 2014 Ford explore Set fire and lost control of steering on the highway the transfer case set fire, which made the driveshaft explode and twist. There were no warning signs of this. And we are very lucky that we were not hurt in this we have lost so much money and time there is no way that this was not due to a recall when I contacted Ford they pretty much told me the car was totaled and I was going to have to pay a lot of money depending on how much damage the fire did.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle. The contact stated that the "Service Advance Trak" and "Steering Assist Fault, Service Required" messages were displayed on the instrument panel. Two independent mechanics and three dealers were notified of the failure. The manufacturer was also notified about the failure and referred him to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 163,000.

I was driving several months back and heard a strange noise. I was on an interstate so I could not pull over but then suddenly I heard a very loud crack. I thought maybe something in the road had hit my car. Then a driver came alongside me in the other lane and he was yelling and pointing and seemed angry. I felt like it was unsafe to pull over so I waited until the next exit and I got off at the exit. At that time, the driver kept going and did not pull over with me. But as soon as I got out of my car, I saw what had happened. The trim on the side of my windshield had completely come off. I took it to my local Ford dealership and they fixed it the best they could but they said there’s not the parts to fix it. Now it looks like my other side might do it as well. And Ford doesn’t seem to know how to fix it. I feel like the trim piece had hit the car behind me and it could have caused damage to another vehicle. I don’t know because the man didn’t pull over. And now I’m afraid it might happen again on the other side. I’m going to put tape over it tomorrow to help secure it. But I feel like this is something that Ford should be aware of and at least be able to fix.

DRIVING DOWN ROAD AND LOST STEERING. WOULD NOT STEER AT ALL. THE STEERING RACK MALFUNCTIONED. HAD MECHANIC SHOP IDENTIFY ISSUE. THE POWER STEERING SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON WHEN STEERING WAS LOST AND THERE WAS NO NOTICE. HAD TO HAVE STEERING RACK REPLACED. LUCKY NOBODY GOT HURT. THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE. FORD HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH STEERING ISSUE BEFORE. I THINK FORD SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL AND I AM LOOKING FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE TOW AND REPAIRS.

Power Steering Assist Service Required error displayed on dash. Problem occurs intermittently upon starting. Vehicle inspected by Ford dealer but inspection was inconclusive. Safety concern if power steering module fails while driving.

My 'Rearview Camera system' does not work. When I put my truck in reverse, I get the message 'Please contact your dealer or manufacturer' for help with camera repair. Back in July 2022, my entire 'Steering system' went out and I was forced to borrow from my 401k to pay $2,000 for a new steering system after it went out on the [XXX] during rush hour from New Orleans to Baton Rouge. I almost got pushed off the spillway by two 18-wheelers that day. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power with the TPMS warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle was leaking coolant. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was stalling and while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The vehicle lost motive power and failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that she received assistance from a bystander to move the vehicle to the side of the roadway and noticed a puddle of water coming from underneath the engine. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that while driving up a hill, the vehicle was stalling and the parking brake was activated. The vehicle lost motive power and failed to restart. The vehicle was left on the side of the roadway to be towed; however, the contact's husband was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the power steering failed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled safely to the side of the road for 15 minutes and restarted the vehicle. The contact drove home safely; however, the steering failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 82,000.

The power steering went out and made the vehicle impossible to drive.We were on vacation 112 miles from home when this happen, so I had it towed 112 miles back home and I took it in the the dealer I purchased it from. They said there was a recall on 2011-2017 Explorers but excludes the 2014 model year. This vehicle only has 24517 miles on it and the dealer said I would have to pay the whole repair bill of almost $2200. Ford knows there is an issue with these vehicles so I don't understand why they would not include the 2014 Explorer also.

We purchased a 2014 Ford Explorer Police utility from the Raleigh Surplus in the summer of 2021. We also had another vehicle,  so rarely drove this Explorer until last summer 2022 when we had to sell one vehicle,  therefore putting us driving the Explorer only. I had a failed surgery and was no longer able to drive,  so that was another reason the Explorer didn't get driven much the first year. Since last summer my husband has been very sick and in and out of doctors and pulmonary specialist. We have tried to figure out what happened all of a sudden.  After talking with his pulmonary specialist and her doing numerous blood work,  we came to the conclusion it must be the Ford Explorer causing him sickness.  He has been put on nighttime oxygen and has lost a great deal of weight, and become very sick with shortness of breath and now with neurological issues. His recent blood work revealed carbon monoxide levels of 11.8 %. After a recent weekend admission to the hospital,  the pulmonary doctor orders were to get rid of this Explorer.  We need a vehicle to drive,  because this is our only way of transportation.  I called corporate and got a case number of CAS-41523358 and was told to call a Ford dealership and get the vehicle there asap. I called Alex at 919-366-8000 Leith Ford, the closest dealership and he said I need to get in touch with wford@ford.com . I did 2 weeks ago and he is ignoring me. I also get nausea and dizziness and headaches in the vehicle. My daughter drove it one night and became sick as well. Most of all my husband is still very sick from this vehicle. He almost fell asleep at the wheel! Luckily I was there to alert him! He Never ever falls asleep at the wheel!

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and making a left turn, the low coolant warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park on the side of the roadway. The contact stated that her husband later added coolant to the reservoir. After starting the vehicle, the warning light was off. The contact stated that her husband saw coolant leaking from the water pump. The contact was able to drive to her residence. The contact called multiple independent mechanics and made them aware or the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The steering assist warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road using physical strength to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an unknown dealer where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced; however, the dealer informed the contact that the parts were on a national backorder. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the parts were not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

Steering went completely out in a curve while my wife was driving. She had to manually steer the wheel to keep from wrecking, and it was very hard for her to turn. This isn’t the first issue I’ve had with the steering, but I’ve researched and other years of explorer with the same issue have recalls but not the 2014s. It’s VERY dangerous for my 110lb wife with our 4 children to drive a vehicle who’s steering may go out at any moment. There were never any dash lights to indicate any problems. I will be getting it serviced soon. Please put out a recall on the 2014s before the steering goes out and ends up killing someone.

Faulty water pump went out on roadtrip, hours away from home. It left me and my children stranded for 4 hours in 100° conditions. No engine light or indicators came on to warn there was a problem. Coolant mixed in with oil and engine started misfiring. I immediately turned vehicle off until a Mechanic could diagnose the problem.

I was driving down the street and my steering wheel locked up and all kinds of warning lights came on. I glided in to a parking lot and I am 7 months pregnant. I took it to dealer and they said it was the steering gear which was going to cost me over $2600. I started researching and see that this was a recall on 2011-2013 and 2015=2017 Explorers but not on the 2014. This is crazy. Luckily there were no other cars around or I would have been in a bad accident. I believe this should be a covered recall on my vehicle.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving approximately 15 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The driver was able to steer the vehicle safely to a nearby parking lot. The contact was unaware if any warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer and was diagnosed with the steering gear assembly failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V245000 (Suspension). The approximate failure mileage was 105,000.

second time loss of power steering, first time almost got in accident. they said it was battery, so they replaced battery and reprogramed it at dealership. second time it happened was parked and when restarted no power steering, brought to dealership they said it was the steering rack, replaced rack, cost 2400,00 this should be covered under the recall

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound, and then there was smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle and underneath the hood. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transfer case connected to the transmission was fractured. The dealer informed the contact that the transfer case and transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 107,361.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal grinding sound was coming from the steering wheel while steering in either direction. In addition, the contact also stated that the steering wheel would fail to readjust after making a turn and would stiffen while driving at various speeds without warning. The contact called the dealer where she was given an estimate for the repair and was informed that the parts to repair the steering wheel were on back order. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and provided the same information as the dealer. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

1st time steering went out my family and I had driven 4 hours away to veterans park in marrinette County, we enjoyed a walk and went to leave turned car on as normal and put in reverse and had no steering had it flatbedded to a shop near home. Had rack and pinion replaced. Few months later noticed I had a very hard time steering all of a sudden no returnablity once steering wheel turned in either direction, called shop again brought back in checked out the part was defective that was put in rack in pinion replaced again, now here we r again steering going again, this is the 3rd time in the last 3 years the cost is to high to repair again and I can't even drive my son to school or myself and feel safe doing so. Also went into local ford dealshipnfor last recall and was told my hubs were bad but I exceeded the time frame to have them replaced within the recall told me I needed to pay 2500.00 to have replaced, so now I have a 30,000.00 car with a bank loan on it that is unsafe to drive for me and other on the road, have to pay for full coverage insurance and can't get anywhere. Recall on ever year but mine for the steering issue and ford won't help me. I have called them.

the steering is getting hard and soft. when turning making it difficult to drive

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated the vehicle was at the dealer for an air bag customer service repair when a leak in the water pump was discovered. The contact stated that the water pump needed to be replaced; however, the water pump was not replaced due to the cost. The contact stated that the dealer informed him that the engine could fail. The contact stated that he had not experienced a failure but was concerned that a failure could occur with no warning as the issue was not discovered until the vehicle went to the dealer for an air bag customer service program. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no assistance was offered as there was no recall. The contact stated that he researched the failure and found a Customer Service Program in Canada for the issue but not in the United States. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000

Power steering stopped working, no warning lights or messages appear in the dashboard. Vehicle only has 44,000 miles on it. No power assist while i was driving and vehicle suddenly started going to the left, had to jam on brakes before i hit a vehicle parked on the left side if the street. Vehicle has not been looked at yet.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated that the advance track, traction control, and ABS warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the failure as the electrical power steering. The contact stated that the rack and pinion and electrical motor for the steering wheel needed replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that parts were on back order. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure however, no assistance was offered. The approximate failure mileage was 116,000.

The electronic steering assist is making noises. It’s hard to steer, steering locks up same issues as 2011-13 and 2016-17 Explorers. 2014 is the only model which hasn’t been recalled mileage is 112453 bought used with 109280 miles. When driving the steering wheel will suddenly lock up where you can’t turn then after a moment or so it will free up. This is very dangerous and I’ve seen a lot of other Ford Explorer owners with this same year 2014 having same problems and even wrecking their cars because of it. Ford recalled 2011-13 and 2016-17 but not 2014 or 2015 and these years are having same problems as the recalled vehicles.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the water pump failed which caused the vehicle to lose motive power. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 100,000.