Is steering a common problem on the 2015 Ford Explorer?

Yes. NHTSA lists 345 steering complaints for the 2015 Explorer, making up 19% of all complaints filed for that model year.

Does the 2015 Ford Explorer have a steering recall?

No steering-related recall is listed in the NHTSA data for the 2015 Explorer.

At what mileage do steering problems usually show up on the 2015 Explorer?

NHTSA complaint data shows a median mileage of 60,000 miles at the time of the steering failure.

How dangerous are the reported steering failures?

NHTSA data tied to steering complaints for the 2015 Explorer includes 4 crashes and 10 injuries, with owners describing sudden loss of power steering at various speeds.

How does the 2015 Explorer compare to other years for steering complaints?

The 2015 Explorer's 345 steering complaints (19% share) is lower than 2011 (742 complaints, 62% share) and 2013 (835 complaints, 37% share), but higher than 2017 (76 complaints, 4% share) and later years.

2015 Ford Explorer Steering Problems

NHTSA lists 345 steering complaints for the 2015 Ford Explorer, 19% of all complaints filed for the year, with 4 crashes and 10 injuries reported. No steering-related recall is listed for this year. Median mileage at failure was 60,000 miles.

Steering complaints: 345; 19% of 1,791
Crashes reported: 4
Fires reported: 0
Injuries reported: 10
Median mileage: 60,000 mi
Related recalls: 0

Typical steering symptoms owners report

Owners report sudden, complete loss of power steering while driving, with the wheel becoming very stiff or unresponsive.
Several complaints describe dashboard warnings like "service advance trac" and "steering assist fault" appearing right before or during the steering loss.
Some drivers say the fault clears temporarily after turning the vehicle off and restarting it, only to recur later.
A few owners report the steering wheel locking or requiring a hard yank to keep the vehicle going straight during turns.
One complaint describes a toe link snapping at low speed, causing loss of steering control and the tires to stay turned.
A separate complaint mentions a popping noise when turning the wheel left to right, even while parked.

When 2015 Ford Explorer steering complaints were filed

First complaint Feb 2, 2015, latest Aug 6, 2026.

345 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2015 Q1 to 2026 Q3; peak 2018 Q3 (28).

Steering recalls for the 2015 Ford Explorer

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Steering complaints by Explorer model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

20104 (4%)
2011742 (62%)
2012358 (43%)
2013835 (37%)
2014498 (30%)
2015345 (19%)
2016530 (22%)
201776 (4%)
201820 (3%)
20199 (3%)
202025 (2%)
20216 (1%)
20229 (3%)
202312 (11%)
20242 (10%)
20259 (9%)

Frequently asked questions

Is steering a common problem on the 2015 Ford Explorer?: Yes. NHTSA lists 345 steering complaints for the 2015 Explorer, making up 19% of all complaints filed for that model year.
Does the 2015 Ford Explorer have a steering recall?: No steering-related recall is listed in the NHTSA data for the 2015 Explorer.
At what mileage do steering problems usually show up on the 2015 Explorer?: NHTSA complaint data shows a median mileage of 60,000 miles at the time of the steering failure.
How dangerous are the reported steering failures?: NHTSA data tied to steering complaints for the 2015 Explorer includes 4 crashes and 10 injuries, with owners describing sudden loss of power steering at various speeds.
How does the 2015 Explorer compare to other years for steering complaints?: The 2015 Explorer's 345 steering complaints (19% share) is lower than 2011 (742 complaints, 62% share) and 2013 (835 complaints, 37% share), but higher than 2017 (76 complaints, 4% share) and later years.