2011 Ford Explorer: Loss of power steering
Common wear/failure (not a recall)
Symptoms
Owners of the 2011 Explorer report: loss of power steering. CarComplaints.com lists 28 owner complaints, average mileage 83,050 miles.
NHTSA has 742 owner complaints for the 2011 Explorer in this area. Examples:
- NHTSA complaint ODI #11762453 (filed 09/06/2026): “Car has a history of showing a p07ae-09 code in the power steering control module. when the code logs in the computer the car loses power steering assist while driving causing the steering to be hard to turn. upon researching the cars recall work we seen that …”
- NHTSA complaint ODI #11760576 (filed 08/29/2026): “I am reporting a serious safety concern involving my 2011 ford explorer, vin [xxx]. after recently filling the vehicle with fuel, i went to drive it and received a “power steering assist fault” message on the dashboard. the vehicle then lost power steering as…”
Likely causes
Sources do not establish a single root cause; diagnosis is needed. Owner-reported fixes are listed below.
Fix, in plain English
Most common owner-reported solutions on CarComplaints.com: replace power steering (6 reports) power steering gear replaced (3 reports) replacement of electric assist steering (3 reports) ford is going to have to come up with a solution to fix it (1 reports) replace steering gear (1 reports). Check for open recalls and extended warranty coverage with a dealer before paying out of pocket.
DIY difficulty: Pro
Electric power steering faults typically need module diagnosis with a scan tool and calibration. (Our assessment.)
Cost
CarComplaints.com owners report a typical repair cost of about $1,900 (owner-reported average, not a quote).
Typical parts (search links, no affiliate codes)
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