Problems · by component

2015 Ford Explorer steering problems

348 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2015 Ford Explorer cite steering, 19% of all 1,814 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
348
19% of all complaints
Crashes
4
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
10
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the steering

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“Out of nowhere the steering assist quit when i turned on the car in question on to go work in the morning. Luckily for everybody it did not happen while on the road like many of the cases i have read about. Now i’m facing a $3,000 bill to repair a very common problem Ford refuses to recall.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 26, 2026SteeringODI 11773639
“The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving into a parking lot at approximately 20-25 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering assist functionality. The message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed after the failure. The contact was able to continue driving and pulled into a parking space, where the vehicle remained overnight. The vehicle was in the process of being towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing and repair. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 30, 2026SteeringODI 11767992
“Intermittent locking of steering wheel while driving for about 8 months. Now it has complete loss of power steering. [XXX] says service advance trac and complete steering loss pull over safely.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 29, 2026Steering, Electrical systemODI 11767702
“I was driving at 65 mph on the highway when the light for the steering came up and the power steering shut down. I had a hard time to turn the steering wheel until I was able to exit the road. I shut the car down and restarted and everything was ok, but there is a problem because the light came up again. More cars with same problem.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 6, 2026SteeringODI 11755187
“Power-assisted steering fails repeatedly. No warning lights, codes, or alarms are presented or shown. Steering reverts to manual control only and becomes very difficult to turn. This presents a potentially serious safety issue. Power-assisted steering returns to normal operation but fails again intermittently and repeatedly. Ford has not issued a recall and the price is exorbitantly expensive for consumer. additionally , only a dealer can replace or program the failing parts, consumer cannot replace them on their own using standard automotive repair tools. this is a serious safety risk and a known issue from Ford, and a clear violation of consumer protection acts. Ford's corporate behavior in this matter is inconscionable. I would not have purchased the vehicle had I known that Ford does not support warranty for this very common issue. it is a design flaw and a serious safety risk. consumers will soon be dying due to this problem, if they have not already.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 6, 2026SteeringODI 11755356
“ABS module has failed. Causing a number of other safety systems to be deactivated. Power steering, traction control, drive mode selection, and braking. All these lights are illuminated on dash. Independent auto repair shop verified this ABS module has failed and there is no replacement parts from Ford.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 28, 2026Steering, Unknown or other, Service brakesODI 11753363

Showing 6 of 348 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 4, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.