2013 Ford Explorer steering problems
835 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the steering on the 2013 Ford Explorer — 37% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“The steering rack limiter on the passenger side dislodged itself and got caught on the rack and pinion teeth causing my wheel to get stuck”
filed Sep 17, 2026
“This is a 2013 Ford Explorer experiencing the exact catastrophic power steering failure described in Recall 14S06 / 15S18. The rack has failed twice, creating an immediate crash hazard. The current recall parameters are inadequate as they exclude my VIN despite identical component failure. Not only…”
filed Aug 5, 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 | 3% |
| 2025 Explorer | 9 | 9% |
| 2024 Explorer | 2 | 10% |
| 2023 Explorer | 12 | 11% |
| 2022 Explorer | 9 | 3% |
| 2021 Explorer | 6 | 1% |
| 2020 Explorer | 25 | 2% |
| 2019 Explorer | 9 | 3% |
| 2018 Explorer | 20 | 3% |
| 2017 Explorer | 76 | 4% |
| 2016 Explorer | 530 | 22% |
| 2015 Explorer | 345 | 19% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2013 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.