2011 Ford Explorer Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 95 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2011 Ford Explorer, 8% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 56,300 miles. The words owners use most often: “lost power steering” (11% of reports).
- 95electrical system complaints
- 56,300median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 33%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Lost power steering: mentioned in 10 of 95 complaints (11%)
- Rear view camera: mentioned in 5 of 95 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 65 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 95 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 1 an injury.
Ford Explorer electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 9 | 21% | 1,000 |
| 2025 Explorer | 23 | 22% | 3,500 |
| 2024 Explorer | 2 | 10% | — |
| 2023 Explorer | 13 | 12% | 33,000 |
| 2022 Explorer | 39 | 14% | 24,850 |
| 2021 Explorer | 47 | 11% | 23,000 |
| 2020 Explorer | 186 | 15% | 9,900 |
| 2019 Explorer | 20 | 7% | 45,600 |
| 2018 Explorer | 58 | 8% | 35,000 |
| 2017 Explorer | 93 | 5% | 46,500 |
| 2016 Explorer | 128 | 5% | 41,785 |
| 2015 Explorer | 93 | 5% | 54,620 |
| 2014 Explorer | 100 | 6% | 60,000 |
| 2013 Explorer | 163 | 7% | 57,060 |
| 2012 Explorer | 63 | 8% | 39,000 |
| 2011 Explorer | 95 | 8% | 56,300 |
| 2010 Explorer | 12 | 10% | 60,000 |
| 2009 Explorer | 2 | 6% | 250 |
| 2008 Explorer | 38 | 26% | 72,000 |
| 2007 Explorer | 25 | 12% | 61,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 39 | 6% | 57,500 |
| 2005 Explorer | 36 | 7% | 78,000 |
| 2004 Explorer | 55 | 4% | 52,000 |
| 2003 Explorer | 54 | 5% | 51,475 |
| 2002 Explorer | 148 | 4% | 94,000 |
| 2001 Explorer | 29 | 8% | 71,500 |
| 2000 Explorer | 78 | 8% | 91,700 |
| 1999 Explorer | 92 | 7% | 75,000 |
| 1998 Explorer | 114 | 6% | 105,000 |
| 1997 Explorer | 80 | 5% | 98,197 |
| 1996 Explorer | 47 | 3% | 143,000 |
| 1995 Explorer | 55 | 7% | 156,914 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists electrical system for the 2011 Ford Explorer. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The power steering has fully stopped working , the car cannot be steered, this started to happen on the road, I had to steer the entire weight of the car myself, at fast speed it was difficult but not impossible, at slow speed and zero speed or while the vehicle is stationary it was impossible or…
Vehicle is very hard to steer, will not reset when restarting the vehicle. two dash messages; advance track warning and power assist failure. I have not attempted to drive on road due to difficulty of steering the wheel. I am afraid the vehicle is uncontrollable at this point and needs to be towed…
The contact owned a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, turned off, and unoccupied, the vehicle caught fire. The contact was in her residence, and a neighbor knocked on her door, making her aware that the vehicle had caught fire. The fire has been extinguished…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2011 Ford Explorers have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 95 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2011 Ford Explorer (8% of the 1,197 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2011 Ford Explorer electrical system?
No recall currently lists electrical system for this vehicle.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 56,300 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2011 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “lost power steering”, in 10 of 95 complaints, followed by “rear view camera” (5).
Other 2011 Ford Explorer problems
- Steering problems (742)
- Structure problems (110)
- Engine problems (83)
- Power Train problems (64)
See all 2011 Ford Explorer problems or electrical system problems across all Explorer years.