The Recall Desk
SevereNHTSA·14E001000·Announced 2014-01-06

Ford Recalls 2011-2012 Explorers for Steering Gear Locking Risk

Ford is recalling certain 2011-2012 Explorers because replacement steering gears may lock, preventing steering and increasing crash risk.

What this means for you

Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect (steering gear locking) that prevents steering, which the source states increases the risk of a crash, meeting the criteria for a Severe rating.

Plain-English summary

Ford Motor Company is recalling certain replacement steering gears installed on model year 2011-2012 Ford Explorers. These specific gears were installed as service parts in September 2013 and January 2014. The defect involves the steering gears potentially locking, which prevents the driver from being able to steer the vehicle.

The inability to steer the vehicle increases the risk of a crash. This recall affects only the specific replacement steering gears identified in the notice, not all vehicles of these model years.

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect steering gears with new ones free of charge. The recall began on January 29, 2014. Customers may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
FORD EXPLORER
Brand
FORD
Manufacturer
Ford Motor Company
Category
Vehicle — Steering System
Hazard
Affected units
300

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (1)

  • EXPLORER

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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