2011 Ford Explorer steering problems
740 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the steering on the 2011 Ford Explorer — 62% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“The power steering has fully stopped working , the car cannot be steered, this started to happen on the road, I had to steer the entire weight of the car myself, at fast speed it was difficult but not impossible, at slow speed and zero speed or while the vehicle is stationary it was impossible or…”
filed Jul 31, 2026
“On Friday 7/24/2026, I was driving and all the sudden my steering went out. Dash flashed No Power Steering Assist / AdvanTrac System Fail. I pulled over immediately to turn around & get home with zero power steering. The amount of strength to steer/control was extreme. To turn was almost…”
filed Jul 31, 2026
“The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed and the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred after starting the vehicle, and the steering wheel locked up. The dealer was…”
filed Jul 20, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- Affected vehicles may experience an intermittent connection in the electric power…Campaign 14V286000 · May 29, 2014
Steering problems in other Explorer years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 1 | 5% |
| 2025 Explorer | 8 | 9% |
| 2024 Explorer | 2 | 11% |
| 2023 Explorer | 12 | 12% |
| 2022 Explorer | 9 | 4% |
| 2021 Explorer | 5 | 1% |
| 2020 Explorer | 25 | 2% |
| 2019 Explorer | 9 | 3% |
| 2018 Explorer | 20 | 3% |
| 2017 Explorer | 75 | 4% |
| 2016 Explorer | 528 | 22% |
| 2015 Explorer | 343 | 20% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2011 Ford Explorer
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.