2014 Ford Explorer Complaint Log

While driving my 2014 Ford Explorer from South Florida to Millegville Georgia the high temp Light came on and the engine slowed on I-16. Managed to get off The Interstate at Macon Ga. Almost caused accidents in traffic. Finally got to Ford dealer said water pump failed like so many others. $2600 estimate. End of my trip, had to rent car to get home car Still in shop in Georgia waiting for repairs.

Bought the vehicle used from a dealership. The windshield wobbles at highways speeds. Noticed today that the trim on the left side of the vehicle is detached partially. Dealership will not do anything to resolve the issue. Serious safety concern.

Air bag light is illuminated even after being cleared at the dealership. They claim its in the backseat only and that my airbag will still deploy, which to my knowledge is untrue. They refuse to help solve the issue afte purchasing from them only two weeks ago

UNKNOWN

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 manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side front windshield trim had detached. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 147,500. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

2014 Ford Explorer Limited: Power Steering Unit beginning to fail. Available for inspection upon request. Just received auto back from dealership (Crystal River Ford) after repair of yet ANOTHER recall for this auto and began hearing noise when turning wheel after only 2 brief drives with no noise heard. Took back to dealership and advised that it would require a new Power Steering Unit, that none available from Ford AND NO ETA and advised that a current customer waited 3 months to receive the unit. No warning lamp or message whatsoever, was prepared to take the vehicle long distance (~500 miles round trip) and could have been an extreme hazard should I not have had it investigated. Safety??? Look at message boards regarding this issue, NOT difficult to find. NOT new issue and NOT infrequent issue. This year auto is a hazard to be driven on the road.

The camera doesn’t work and if it does it shows the picture reversed. It has the right side of the vehicle on the left side of the camera. Checked for updates but there aren’t any. It started working correctly just last week, but then it goes back to saying call dealership or reversed.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side exterior A-pillar trim detached and flew off the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while driving on the Interstate Highway. The contact stated that whenever it rained or snowed, water was entering the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the contact was informed that the parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the parts had not been available for a year and a half. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, parts were still not available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The power steering stopped working while driving. My safety was put at risk because I couldn’t control where my car was going. I was unable to pull into a safe spot. It stopped working while traveling at a high rate of speed without any warning

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while his wife was driving 60 MPH, the power steering intermittently became inoperable and, after five minutes, returned to normal operation. The vehicle veered across the lanes of traffic. The failure occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on three separate occasions, but the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The dealer reset the codes. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.

Pillar on recall has come off on left side. In traffic a dangerous near miss to car behind us on interstate. One year of recall with no replacement parts. Other pillar is loose and will come off if not replaced. Cost to repair first pillar over $600. Ford has made NO progress in getting parts for this recall for almost 2 years

After driving several hours on a very busy interstate, I stopped to get gas. When pulling out of the gas station my steering became inoperable. The warning indicator came on after I started to drive. I never had any indication that I needed to get my vehicle serviced prior to losing power steering. I had to have the vehicle towed to our mechanic. We were told the steering rack and pinion needed replaced and the cost is $2500. After research, I found that the NHTSA had issued recall 14S06 for 2011-2013 Ford Explorers with the exact same issue I've reported. A quick Google search shows that Ford Explorers continue to have these same issues, yet another recall has not been issued. Had my steering wheel locked up on me on the 5-lane interstate I was on, I would have created a major accident hurting myself and many others. This particular interstate has over 2 million drivers daily and is the most dangerous interstate in the United States. It is unbelievable to me that Ford has not fixed this major failure in their vehicles. I've attached an article below that speaks to an additional recall and also mentions that the backup camera fails. Oddly enough my backup camera stopped working a couple weeks ago. It would be in Ford's best interest to issue additional recalls before more people lose their lives. Please see the additional sites I've included with other owners with the same issues. I am thankful I was in a safe place where I could get my vehicle pulled over. Please keep me updated with the status of my complaint. https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ford/2020/11/04/ford-explorer-suvs-recall-steering-control/6158847002/ https://www.carproblemzoo.com/ford/explorer/2014/steering-problems.php https://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Explorer/2014/steering/power_steering_failure.shtml https://www.vehiclehistory.com/questions/does-the-2014-ford-explorer-have-an-electric-power-steering-recall-54585

I was driving at about 55 mph coming back from Conway N.H. (which is a very curvy road) when I had messages come up stating "power steering assist has failed, service traction control, traction off, and engine on". After this the steering wheel became very hard to steer and I had to keep jerking it to try and slow down. I pulled over and waited about 10 minutes then restarted the vehicle but the messages remained on and the power steering was not working at all still. Attempted a restart 3 separate times and the power steering messages were still there. Losing your power steering while driving is extremely dangerous for people in the car and all others on the road. A recall for this issue was issued for 2011-2013 and 2015-2016 model years for Ford Explorer. This is obviously the same issue for the 2014 model that must also be recalled to keep all drivers safe.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the transmission warning light illuminated and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 152,000.

Power steering suddenly stopped working making it very difficult to steer. I was turning the corner at a stoplight and nearly ran into another vehicle in the next lane. 1) Power steering. Yes, available for inspection 2) Nearly crashed into another vehicle 3) Have not taken it to a mechanic yet 4) Has not been inspected by the dealer 5) No warning lights were on Looking on the internet, this is a widespread problem with this year of Ford Explorer. There should be a recall for this issue!

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge increased without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the water pump failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for service. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.

When backing up the screen will go black. When I place the car in drive again and back in reverse, it will work for a short period of time then go black again. A warning pops up stating the camera is unavailable and to contact the dealership.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the "Service Power Steering" warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to make a steering adjustment to stay in the lane and became aware that the steering wheel had seized. The contact was unable to turn the steering wheel to the left or to the right. The contact stopped and turned off and restarted the vehicle however, the power steering functionality had not returned. The contact had the vehicle towed back to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at 60 MPH, the A-pillar detached. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 ( STRUCTURE). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to costs. The contact repaired the vehicle on his own. 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 approximately 110,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available. 

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 manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving on the highway at 50 MPH, a piece of the A-pillar trim detached and separated from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired because parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was 85,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

We were driving down the road with our kids in the car when the steering completely went out with absolutely no warning mind you we were on the Thruway doing about 70 which is our speed limit where we live thank God my husband was able to keep the vehicle under control even though it threw us into the other lane and almost made a side swipe another vehicle doing further research on this stupid electric rack and pinion that y'all decided to put in instead of a regular power steering system has so many bad reviews hundreds of hundreds of complaints of accidents caused without warning to the driver something so dangerous and something that could take your lives or the lives of your children within a split second without no warning at all should definitely have a recall on it especially when it's happened to hundreds and hundreds of people if you can put a recall on the toe links because the suspension and that's considered dangerous this is a lot more dangerous than that and should be at the top of the recall list but I did my research there is no recall on it especially for a 2014 my family could have almost died because of a crappy part and people that have replaced the part has had it go out on them again so how safe are your vehicles really how can you stand behind a vehicle that can lock up all steering on you at a moment's notice with no warning and cause potentially a deadly accident do y'all even care about your customers or is it just the money signs you're concerned about.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the A-pillar applique trim detached. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the part was not available. The failure mileage was 60,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the contact noticed that both front door panels were damaged which led to the contact's wife being cut on her arm. The wife was seated in the passenger seat. No medical attention was needed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle hesitated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring for approximately six months. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to duplicate the failure. There was no warning light illuminated and the mechanic was unable to retrieve a fault code. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer. The dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The manufacturer informed the contact that the warranty on the vehicle had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Ford built the motor with a water pump when it leaks leaks right into the crank case where the oil is so the motor seizes up and that’s what happened to my car now my car is shot

Traveling at high speed the vehicle will either stay in a locked position while making turns or will have a jerking motion. The cause is Power steering failed completely. Resolution is the entire system needs to be replaced rack and pinion and ecu needs to be flashed due to complete electric power steering.

Fumes are leaking into the cabin of the car. Possibly issues with an exhaust leak that is causing nausea and headaches when driving vehicle.

Unknown

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was firm, and the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The traction control warning light was illuminated. The contact shut off and restarted the vehicle to correct the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.

I am writing to complain about the windshield pillar trim. I just had my left trim fly off while doing 80mph down the interstate. This already happened to my right side last year. This is a safety issue. It could have possibly hit a windshield of a car behind me and caused an accident. I have seen other complaints about this same issue. Can you please do something? I can't afford to keep buying aftermarket replacement trim for the rest of my life. That's like 60 dollars a pop. Also the aftermarket part cracks and doesn't fit snug like an OEM part. Please help. Please help others with this same issue. Thank you for your time. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

I was driving my car stopped at a gas station went to leave and had no power steering. Replaced the power steering angle sensor still didn't fix the problem had to have the rack and pinion replaced all in cost almost $3000. Now my car is leaking coolant from the motor where the water pump is located

I was driving down the freeway at 70 mph when the driver side windshield trim flipped off the car and hit the cars behind me and the roadway. Very dangerous situation. Scary to say the least. Is there a recall or a fix so this does not happen again?

April 17, '23 traveling down Mountains in WV to VA the STEERING on 2014 Ford Explorer lost PowerSteering VERY difficult control vehicle descending 9 degree grade on 2 lane highway no place to pull over right then. Had to fight the STEERING down the mountain until I was able to pull off in an Emergency stop area. No dash warning lights, under the hood P/S fluid was good all seemed normal, looked under the car no leak. Rack & Pinion Steering system t no signs of damage. Started car turned Steering wheel back/ forth a few times, heard a GRINDING noise each time I turned the wheel, like metal pieces binding. Since It scared the Wheaties out of me I called for a tow. Quote $400.00 to shop. I called my Husband to get a trailer, get this car as I'm not risking going down a mountain, injuring or killing anyone. 2 -1/2 hrs & 135 miles my husband arrives I finally felt safe. We took it to our mechanic he confirmed RACK and PINION Steering component needs replacing. Suggested to check for SAFETY RECALL seen many fail/break MY 2012-2017. Cost $2K/Part $1200. CERTAINLY a SAFETY HAZARD with little to no control over a 4000lb deadly weapon. Driver cannot manipulate 2nd MOST IMPORTANT (BRAKES being #1) FUNCTION - STEERING- whichever direction or get out of harms way. 2014 EXPLORER NHSTA reports of 1171 total complaints, 2 largest complaints: #1 STEERING(loss of steering control) 374 reported; #2 Suspension-86 reported. See NHTSA ID#11518075-Suspension 2014 Ford Explorer while driving vehicle made abnormal sounds, vibration, no steering. Dealer replaced Steering Rack & Bushings. NHTSA issues 3 Suspension Recalls :Ball Joint Knuckle Campaign# 19V435000 & 20V692000 & 21V537000 = Rear Suspension Toe Links May Fracture: 1)Toe links may fracture due stress rear suspension. 2)Rear toe link fracture can cause loss of steering control & crash. 3)Fractured rear toe link cause sudden change in handling, crash risk. 86 complaints=3recalls 374 Steering Complaints=0recalls WHY?PLS RECALL

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's and passenger's side windshield trims detached. The dealer inspected the vehicle; however, the contact was informed that the parts were not available to repair the vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

My 16 year old grandson was driving my car home from school when the traction control light came on and POWER STEERING went out completely. Not only did power steering go out and traction control wasn't working the turn signals were also not working properly making this situation even more dangerous. My grandson had a very difficult time getting the vehicle off the road with no power steering. We were very lucky he didn't have an accident. There was no warning lights prior to power steering/traction control going out as he was driving. I've done some research and it appears this has been a problem with Ford Explorers since 2011 (Safety Recall Notice 145061 NHT5A Recall 14V-286) for some reason 2014 was not included in the recall. I was surprised to find there have been many 2014 ford explorer owners that have experienced the same issues and filed complaints. I have contacted Ford customer service and filed a complaint with them; complaint # (42667416). I'm further angered/disappointed by the recall on 2011-2013 Explorers. WHY WAS 2014 EXCLUDED???!!! This problem has obviously not been corrected. This is a DEADLY situation!!!! My explorer is currently in a Ford shop and the problem was reproduced and diagnosed. They have ordered parts to have repairs completed which is costing approximately $2300 and my vehicle has been out of commission for 2 weeks by the time repairs are completed. I am very disappointed with Ford overlooking this issue which may cause major injury or death. Once I receive the vehicle back I will have invoice with description of repairs and parts that were replaced.

The power steering intermittently stops working and the steering wheel gets stiff while driving. I see that there is a recall for the Explorers 2011-2013, but mine is a 2014 and is now having this same issue.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after making a left turn, the vehicle jerked in the opposite direction, and then the steering wheel became difficult to turn, and she crashed into a parked vehicle. The check engine and air bag warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, she noticed a fluid leak underneath. The vehicle had not yet been taken to an independent mechanic or a local dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V675000 (Suspension). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was unknown. The contact stated that the air bags never deployed at the time of the incident. Also, it is difficult to click the seatbelt clip in. The local Ford Service Team was contacted but offered no help, stating that the accident had no correlation to the recall. They stated that they would not be covering the cost of repair for that incident.

Steering wasn't acting right kept pulling to left and right. Acted like it was locking up. Went to leave a parking lot and it wouldn't steer at all. A warning popped up and said Steering loss service immediately.

While driving down the interstate, a trim piece on the driver's side of the windshield flew off.

My wife and I purchased a 2014 for dd Explorer roughly 2 years ago with roughly 70,000 miles on it. After driving it and hitting 80,000 miles my wife called and said she was turning on a major road and all of the sudden lost power steering. Indicator lights came on afterwards revealing that the rack and pinion was faulty. My wife and children were in the vehicle and this was rush hour for them. This could have been more serious than it was but thank god there was no incident. Ford has recalls on certain explorers with the same issue bur for some reason feels this is safe. It most certainly is not and we can not afford 3500.00 dollars for a new rack. The car is barely worth that. This is a poor design by ford and it should be covered by ford.

Loss of power steering, electric steering assist is making noise when turning steering wheel. My mechanic said that i need new Gear Assembly, he also said that there is a recall for this for a Ford Explorer years 2011-2013 and 2015-2017 but for some reason there is no recall for 2014 even that its the same part

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the sunroof motor had failed due to water intrusion. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the sunroof motor was replaced. Additionally, the contact stated that after parking the vehicle in the independent mechanic parking lot on another occasion, he noticed a steal band underneath the rubber of the rear tires. The mechanic informed the contact that the suspension had failed, which was damaging the rear tires. The vehicle was being diagnosed. 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 97,745.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while inspecting the vehicle, the tech stated that the toe link needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer repaired the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension). The vehicle was taken to the inspection center again and the tech stated that the toe link needed to be replaced once again and advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that the rear passenger’s side knuckle needed to be replaced and stated that the vehicle had exceeded the 6 marks for warranty coverage. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The contact was advised to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 123,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made abnormal sounds and was vibrating abnormally. Additionally, the tires experienced a loss of traction while turning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the CV joints twice; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where the steering rack and bushings were replaced, and an alignment was performed. The failure recurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was determined that the CV joints needed to be replaced for the third time. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that the VIN was not included in an unknown TSB. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while making a left turn from a complete stop, the steering wheel failed to return to the center. The contact stated that he manually steered the steering wheel back to the center. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the failure was related to Ford Campaign Number: 14S06 and referred the contact to the dealer. An unknown dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under Ford Campaign Number: 14S06 as the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000. The VIN was not available.

Repeated catalytic converter failure. Issue was repaired at least twice. Converter failure caused both turbos to need replacement and has now caused engine damage. This appears to be a common issue with this engine model.

Lug nuts on wheel, swollen and hard to remove Not able to change or rotate tires, possibly breakage of lug nuts Confirmed by independent service center The vehicle lug nuts have not been inspected First noticed was changing brake pads

While driving on the highway, the passenger front windshield trim piece flew off, causing the driver behind me to swerve to avoid being hit by it. I was not positive what happened until I was able to stop and look at the vehicle. Dealership said it was not under recall so would cost $300+ to replace the part. Previously in the same day I had heard a tapping/rattling noise but could not identify where the sound was coming from.

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 manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that whenever it rained, rainwater leaked into the interior of the vehicle. The water had been leaking onto the dashboard and onto the center console. The contact stated that the carpet in the front of the vehicle was damaged due to the water leak. In addition, the front passenger's side-view mirror had an electrical shortage. The contact stated that the light independently turned on and remain on for a while before independently turning off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer cleaned the seal around the sunroof, however the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that wind could be heard coming through the windshield area. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

When turning on the rear Auxililary climate control the cabin of the vehicle had a large amount of exhaust smell enter the cabin.