U.S. public vehicle records

2011 Ford EXPLORER problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

1,197 owner complaints analyzed

6 distinct recall campaigns

70,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2011 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 878 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Steering is the most frequently named component, appearing in 729 of 1,197 complaints (60.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Steering behavior	748	62.5%
Engine operation	60	5.0%
Braking behavior	52	4.3%
Electrical and battery issues	43	3.6%
Transmission and shifting	20	1.7%
Fuel system concerns	11	0.9%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Steering

729

Unknown Or Other

112

Electrical System

Engine

Power Train

Structure

Structure:Body

Air Bags

Steering: 729; Unknown Or Other: 112; Electrical System: 91; Engine: 83; Power Train: 62; Structure: 56; Structure:Body: 50; Air Bags: 44

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

177

25,000 to 49,999

154

50,000 to 74,999

130

75,000 to 99,999

111

100,000 to 149,999

173

150,000 and above

133

Under 25,000: 177; 25,000 to 49,999: 154; 50,000 to 74,999: 130; 75,000 to 99,999: 111; 100,000 to 149,999: 173; 150,000 and above: 133

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (177). 319 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2011

2012

141

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

103

2023

2024

2025

2026

2011: 20; 2012: 141; 2013: 98; 2014: 89; 2015: 67; 2016: 59; 2017: 91; 2018: 71; 2019: 73; 2020: 44; 2021: 53; 2022: 103; 2023: 84; 2024: 96; 2025: 82; 2026: 26

Pattern summary

Steering leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 748 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 60 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 52 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10417931 · 2011-08-08 (August 8, 2011)

POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. TURNING VEHICLE OFF AND ON THEN CAUSES POWER STEERING TO WORK AGAIN. HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. DEALER DID NOT FIND AN ISSUE AT FIRST VISIT. SCHEDULED FOR SECOND DEALER VISIT. WE FEAR SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE DRIVING. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 4,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10417931 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10418000 · 2011-08-08 (August 8, 2011)

MY NEW FORD EXPLORER IN ENGAGING THE BRAKES WITHOUT DRIVER INPUT. IT APPLIES ONE BRAKE AT A TIME AT ALL SPEEDS. IT TORQUES THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE POINT OF LOSING CONTROL. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10418000 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10433268 · 2011-10-22 (October 22, 2011)

I PULLED INTO A PARKING STALL AND APPLIED THE BRAKES. THEY FAILED AND I ONLY STOPPED AFTER HITTING THE GLASS DOORS OF A CLOSED BUSINESS. I DID NOT HIT THE GAS PEDAL AND WAS STOPPED DUE TO THE BUSINESS' GLASS FRONT DOORS. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER 37 YEARS AND NEVER ENCOUNTERED A PROBLEM LIKE THIS. NO ONE WAS HURT THANKFULLY, BUT THE PROBLEM IS STILL UNRESOLVED. INTERNET SEARCH REVEALED OTHER EXPLORERS FROM OTHER YEARS (2005, 2007 & 2009) ALSO HAD SIMILAR BRAKE FAILURES AND FORD COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEMS ON THOSE CARS,…

Owner-reported narrative. 7,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10433268 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10452634 · 2012-03-22 (March 22, 2012)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT RESPOND WHEN DEPRESSED. THE GAUGES ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ALSO STOPPED FUNCTIONING. THE VEHICLE DID NOT STALL. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND REGAINED STEERING AND BRAKE POWER AFTER RESTARTING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS WHERE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILE…

Owner-reported narrative. 22,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10452634 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10384824 · 2011-02-28 (February 28, 2011)

TL - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE TRIED TO PRESSED THE BRAKE HIS FOOT REST ON A BAR THATS NEXT TO THE BRAKE PEDAL INSTEAD OF THE BRAKE PAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT WAS THE WAY THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGN AND THEY COULD NOT ALTER IT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60. PM

Owner-reported narrative. 60 miles reported. Look up ODI 10384824 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10473242 · 2012-09-01 (September 1, 2012)

I WAS MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN, WHEN THE WARNING MESSAGE CAME ON LETTING ME KNOW THE "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED" AND THEN LOST ALL POWER FOR STEERING. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER, STOP & RESTART THE VEHICLE AND THE POWER STEERING CAME BACK. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE ELECTRICAL POWER STEERING UNIT WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE 'RACK & PINION' ATTACHMENTS. I TOW A BOAT FROM TIME TO TIME AND THIS COULD HAVE DEVELOPED INTO A DANGEROUS SITUATION, AS THE VEHICLE WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER. FORTUNATELY, …

Owner-reported narrative. 40,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10473242 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10473887 · 2012-09-05 (September 5, 2012)

THIS VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE (20+) POWER STEERING FAILURES. IT TYPICALLY OCCURS WHILE I AM DRIVING ON THE TACONIC STATE PARKWAY, A 55 MPH ROAD IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY. THE POWER STEERING FAILURE OCCURS QUICKLY WITH LITTLE TIME FOR THE DRIVER TO REACT. YOU SIMPLY GET A SMALL CHIME WITH AN INDICATOR ON THE DASH STATING "POWER ASSIST FAILURE' FOLLOWED BY A MESSAGE STATING 'POWER STEERING FAILURE'. BY THE TIME YOU READ THE MESSAGE, YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPENED AS YOU HAVE NO POWER STEERING THE MOMENT THE CHIME IS HEARD. THE L…

Owner-reported narrative. 33,651 miles reported. Look up ODI 10473887 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10451561 · 2012-03-13 (March 13, 2012)

WHEN PULLING OUT FROM A STOP SIGN, THE CAR ACCELERATED UP A HILL REACHING A SPEED OF CLOSE TO 90 MPH WITHIN A SHORT DISTANCE. THE CAR WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AND ALMOST COLLIDED WITH AN ONCOMING CAR. ONLY BY PUTTING THE TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL WAS IT POSSIBLE TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN AND PULL OFF THE ROAD. ONCE OFF THE ROAD THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN IN THE 6000 TO 7000 RPM RANGE. IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO SLOW DOWN THE ENGINE SPEED. AFTER SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTING, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN AT THESE HIGH RPM. THE CAR WAS TOWE…

Owner-reported narrative. 11,056 miles reported. Look up ODI 10451561 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10455226 · 2012-04-13 (April 13, 2012)

2011 FORD EXPLORER WAS PARKED. STARTED CAR AND POWER STEERING FAILURE LIGHT CAME ON ALARMS SOUNDING AND STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED, YET CAR WOULD BACK UP ...STRAIGHT. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT WHEN CAR WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT IT SEEMED TO HAVE A TRANSMISSION SLIP OR JUMP. AFTER WAITING FOR AN HOUR FOR TOW TRUCK THE EXPLORER STARTED FINE AND STEERING SEEMED TO WORK. TOO NERVOUS TO DRIVE. CAR WAS TOWED TO FORD DEALER. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 24,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10455226 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10438933 · 2011-12-07 (December 7, 2011)

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON MY 2011 FORD EXPLORER ON 11/21/11 AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AT WHICH TIME I WAS TOLD IT WAS A LEAK IN THE GAS CAP (BUT THIS CAR HAS A CAP-LESS GAS TANK) CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF AND BACK ON WITHIN 1 WEEK, TOOK IT BACK ON 11/26/11 AND AT THAT TIME THEY SAID THEY GOT THE SAME READING WITH THE GAS CAP ISSUE AND THEY CHANGED A SOLENOID. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF ONLY TO GO BACK ON 3 DAYS LATER. DROPPED MY CAR OFF AT DEALER ON 12/3/11 FOR 3RD TIME AND NOW THEY TOLD ME THEY KEEP GETTING SAME ERROR CODE AND THEY SE…

Owner-reported narrative. 3,503 miles reported. Look up ODI 10438933 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10545055 · 2013-09-23 (September 23, 2013)

VEHICLE GAS TANK WAS FILLED. FUEL GAUGE SHOWED 3/4 FULL - AFTER A BRIEF DRIVE (LESS THAN 20 MILES) VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND FUEL GAUGE SHOWED LESS THAN HALF A TANK. VEHICLE WAS PUT IN SHOP FOR REPAIR. ON 9/17 - IT WAS PICKED UP ON 9/20 - TRUCK WAS FILLED UP AGAIN ON 9/23 AND FUEL GAUGE AGAIN SHOWED 3/4 FULL.

Owner-reported narrative. 60,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10545055 at NHTSA ↗