2011 Ford Fusion Steering

WHILE TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT THE STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT. ONCE THE CAR WAS IN THE PARKING SPOT I NOTICED THAT SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS HAD COME ON INCLUDING THE ADVANCED TRACK AND POWER STEERING LIGHTS. THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF THEN RESTARTED. THE ADVANCED TRACK LIGHT FLASHED WHILE THE POWER STEERING LIGHT STAYED ON. AT THAT POINT THE STEERING WHEEL COULD NOT BE TURNED AND THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP. THEY ADVISED THAT THE ENTIRE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED. PRIOR TO THIS EVENT THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF A PROBLEM. *TR

WHILE DRIVING I RECEIVED AN ALERT TO SERVICE POWER STEERING AND ADVANCE TRAC. I DROVE 1 MILE AND PARKED AT MY HOME, 11/17/2014 STARTED THE VEHICLE TO GO TO WORK AND HAD NO POWER STEERING AT ALL. MY CAR IS UNDRIVEABLE AND IS BEING TOWED TO NEAR BY DEALERSHIP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD FUSION. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE SERVICE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

WAS DRIVING AND MY POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING. DASH INDICATES POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT. SERVICE AUTOTRAC. I HAVE NO POWER STEERING AND IT IS EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN MY STEERING. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH MULTIPLE FUSION OWNERS AND THE CAR IS QUITE NEW TO BE HAVING SUCH A SERIOUS PROBLEM. NOT BEING ABLE TO STEER OR CONTROL YOUR VEHICLE SEEMS VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

PUT CAR IN DRIVE AND WENT TO BACK OUT OF DRIVE WAY. STEERING WHEEL WENT STIFF AND WARNINGS OF POWER ASSIST STEERING FAULT AND SERVICE ADVANCETRAC CAME UP. CAR HAS BEEN THIS WAY SINCE 11/12/2014 WITH NO CHANGES. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2011 FORD FUSION, MY POWER STEERING SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED AND STOPPED WORKING. A MESSAGE ON THE SERVICE DASHBOARD STATED "SERVICE ADVANCETRAC SYSTEM". THIS OCCURRED WHILE TURNING THE CAR. MY CHILDREN WERE IN THE CAR AND AN ACCIDENT COULD HAVE OCCURRED. THE CAR IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN WITHOUT THE ASSISTED POWER STEERING. I'VE REVIEWED THE INCIDENT ON SEVERAL WEB SITES AND REQUIRE ASSISTANCE FROM THE NHTSA IN ADVISING FORD TO LOOK INTO THE ISSUE AND TO TAKE ACTION TO REPLACE THIS APPARENT DEFECT. PLEASE VISIT THESE SITES FOR ADDITIONAL CONCERNS. HTTP://WWW.FORDFUSIONFORUM.COM/TOPIC/8411-SERVICE-ADVANCETRAC-AND-POWER-STEERING-FAILURE/ HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/FORD/FUSION/2011/STEERING/POWER_STEERING_FAILURE.SHTML THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING. *TR

STARTED MY 2011 FUSION TO GO HOME AFTER WORK TODAY. GOT "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" IN INFORMATION WINDOW. FOUND POWER STEERING WAS INDEED NOT WORKING. TURNED CAR OFF AND RESTARTED. DIDN'T GET WARNING THIS TIME. DROVE 10 MINUTES TO HOME WITH NO FURTHER ISSUES. VERY NERVOUS ABOUT IT HAPPENING AGAIN AT THE WORST TIME. AFTER SEEING SO MANY COMPLAINTS HERE, FORD DEFINITELY NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. I'M NOT REALLY CONVINCED THAT THE GEARBOX REPLACEMENT IS THE "FIX". *TR

THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS AT WORK AROUND THE BEGINNING OF JUNE 2014, I TURNED ON THE CAR TO LEAVE AND THE "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" MESSAGE CAME UP AND I HAD NO POWER STEERING. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON AGAIN AND EVERYTHING WORKED. I MENTIONED IT TO THE DEALER AND I WAS TOLD NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT. IT HAPPENED ABOUT 5 MORE TIMES OVER THE NEXT TWO MONTHS WHILE AT HOME AND WORK. IT WOULD HAPPEN WHEN I WOULD FIRST TURN ON THE CAR, I WOULD SHUT THE CAR OFF AND THEN RESTART THE CAR. THIS LAST TIME, AUGUST 8, 2014 I WAS AT HOME AND TURNED ON THE CAR, I RECEIVED THE "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" MESSAGE AGAIN. I TURNED MY CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON AND IT DID NOT RESET THIS TIME. I TRIED TO RESTART MY CAR 4 TIMES AND IT DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. I CALLED THE DEALER AND I WAS TOLD TO DISCONNECT MY BATTERY AND THAT MIGHT HELP RESET IT. THIS ALSO DID NOT WORK. I HAD MY CAR TOWED IN TO THE DEALER AND I AM NOW BEING TOLD THAT I MIGHT NEED TO HAVE THE POWER STEERING GEAR BOX REPLACED AND THIS WILL BE EXPENSIVE. I KNOW THERE ARE MANY OTHER MODELS OF FORD CARS IN MY YEAR THAT ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND I AM BEING TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT IT IS NOT RELATED. WE WILL SEE HOW MUCH FORD HELPS WITH OR NOT. *TR

COMING OUT OF SLOPED DRIVEWAY - ENTERING A MAIN AVENUE - STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. WAS ABLE TO GET IN MIDDLE TURNING LANE. 2 BLOCKS FROM HOME - WAITED FOR TRAFFIC ALL TO GO BY - MADE LEFT TURN INTO PARKING LOT WITH. *TR EXTREME DIFFICULTY. STRAIGHTENED UP BY BACKING UP - MADE ANOTHER RIGHT INTO PARKING SPACE BY BACKING UP AND INCHING FORWARD AND PULLING ON WHEEL TO TURN. WORDING CAME UP "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" :SERVICE ADVANCE TRAC". DEALERSHIP PUT THRU IT'S PACES ON THE COMPUTER - COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG - AND DID NOT CHARGE. KEEPING OVERNIGHT AND SOMEONE GOING TO DRIVE IT. NEVER HAD ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN AND FORD SHOULD DEFINITELY BE LOOKING INTO THIS, IN MY OPINION.

MULTIPLE TIMES MY POWER STEERING WOULD QUIT AND THROW A CODE "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" "SERVICE ADVANCETRAC". WHEN I WOULD SHUT OFF THE CAR AND TURN IT BACK ON IT WOULD CORRECT ITSELF AND WHE NI TOOK IT OT HTE SHOP THEY SAID NO CODE SHOWED. NOW THE POWER STEERING HAS WENT AL LTHE WAY OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AND WILL NOT CORRECT ITSELF, THE CODES JUST STAY THERE. THIS WAS VERY SCARY TO HAVE NO POWER STEERING DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC!! *TR

STARTED MY CAR AND NOTICED ERROR MESSAGE ON DASH: POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT. I TRIED TO TURN THE WHEEL AND, SURE ENOUGH, I HAD NO POWER STEERING. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS OF CONFUSION I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND THEN STARTED IT BACK UP. THE ERROR WAS GONE AND MY POWER STEERING HAD RETURNED. I BORROWED MY GIRLFRIEND?S CAR AND DID NOT DRIVE MINE BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO BE GETTING ON THE INTERSTATE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER THE NEXT DAY. THEY FOUND NO ERROR CODE SAVED IN THE COMPUTER AND WERE UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE REP SAID THEY WERE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND THAT FORD WAS PERFORMING A 2-STEP TROUBLESHOOTING PROCESS. STEP 1 CONSISTED OF THE TESTS THEY PERFORMED THAT DAY (?PINPOINT TEST B FOR CTC C200C FROM PSCM?). STEP 2 (IF PROBLEM RECURRED) WOULD CONSIST OF INSTALLING A ?NEW GEAR? INSIDE THE RACK AND PINION STEERING SYSTEM. I TOLD THE SERVICE REP THAT CONSENSUS ON ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM SITE SUGGESTS THE PROBLEM IS IN THE EPAS (ELECTRONIC POWER-ASSIST STEERING) CHIP WHICH IS EMBEDDED INSIDE THE RACK AND PINION SYSTEM ? WHICH CAN ONLY BE REPAIRED BY REPLACING THE ENTIRE SYSTEM (~$2000). SO I ASKED WHAT ?STEP 2? (INSTALLING A NEW GEAR INSIDE STEERING) WOULD ACHIEVE. THEY HAD NO EXPLANATION OTHER THAN ?FORD THINKS MAYBE A FAULTY GEAR IS CAUSING THE ERROR?. MY SUSPICION IS THE GEAR REPLACEMENT WILL CHANGE THE NON-POWER STEERING GEAR RATIO TO MAKE IT EASIER TO STEER IN THE EVENT OF A REPEAT FAILURE. I TOLD HIM THIS ?POSSIBLE FIX? (NEW GEAR) LEAVES ME WITH LITTLE FAITH IN DRIVING MY CAR. WITH SO MANY REPORTS OF OTHER?S HAVING THIS HAPPEN TO THEIR FUSION WHILE DRIVING, AND FORD HAVING NO CERTAINTY ABOUT INSTALLING THIS NEW GEAR BEING A DEFINITIVE RESOLUTION, HOW AM I TO TRUST THIS WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN WHILE I'M DRIVING? AND AM I REALLY SUPPOSED TO JUST WAIT UNTIL IT DOES HAPPEN AGAIN? AND JUST HOPE (PRAY!) THAT IT'S NOT AT A CRITICAL MOMENT? *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THEN CAR SHE WENT INTO A PARKING LOT AND THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. NOW SHE HAS TO DRIVE THE CAR ANOTHER FORTY FIVE MILES TO OUR HOUSE WITH THE BABY AND MY YOUNGER SON AND I WORRY FOR THEIR SAFETY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD FUSION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,717. UPDATED 12/17/14*LJ UPDATED 6/2/2015 *JS

DRIVING AND POWER STEERING GOES OUT AND AM UNABLE TO STEER VEHICLE WARNING LIGHTS COME ON STATING ADVANCE SERVICE TRAC AND POWER STEERING. HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES FIRST TIME POWER STEERING CAME BACK ON AFTER CAR SHUT OFF. NEXT 2 CAR WAS TAKEN TO FORD. *TR

THE POWER STEERING ASSIST IS FAILING. IT WILL CONTINUALLY FAIL AND VEHICLE IS HARD TO STEER/CONTROL. NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS THIS VEHICLE NEEDS TO HAVE A RECALL ISSUED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD FUSION. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE POWER STEERING VAULT LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING GEAR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. UPDATED 7/9/15*CN

FIRST, WE RECEIVED A "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE" MESSAGE FOLLOWED BY A "SERVICE ADVANCETRAC" MESSAGE. THEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT AND THE CAR BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. I AM THANKFUL THAT MY WIFE WAS NOT DRIVING AT THE TIME; I DON'T KNOW THAT SHE WOULD HAVE HAD THE STRENGTH TO MAINTAIN CONTROL AND MANEUVER THE CAR SAFELY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. *TR

STARTED UP THE CAR AND THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. WAS UNUSABLE TO STEER THE CAR AT ALL. *TR

I WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH AND THE POWER STEERING WENT AWAY. I PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTED AND IT WAS FINE. *TR

STEERING POWER ASSIST COMPLETELY FAILED WHEN VEHICLE WAS STARTED, FLASHED MESSAGES FOR POWER ASSIST FAILURE AND ADVANCETRAK NEEDS TO BE SERVICED. CAR WAS PARKED AT TIME OF FAILURE, THE CAR WOULD BE UNDRIVABLE FOR MOST AS THE FORCE REQUIRED TO TURN THE WHEEL WITHOUT ASSIST REQUIRES GREAT EFFORT. HAD THIS OCCURRED SUDDENLY WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION AS OTHERS HAVE REPORTED MY WIFE WOULD MOST LIKELY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE TO A SAFE STOP LOCATION. FURTHER, THE COST TO REPAIR THIS ISSUE IS OVERWHELMING, DEALER ADVISED OVER $1700.00 OUT OF POCKET WITH NO SUPPORT FROM FORD ON THIS 3 YEAR OLD VEHICLE DESPITE THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS CURRENTLY FILED ON THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE. FILING THIS COMPLAINT TO DOCUMENT ANOTHER OCCURRENCE OF THIS ISSUE TO THE NHTSA IN SUPPORT OF OTHER OWNERS WHO HAVE OR WILL EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM. *TR

MY DAUGHTER WAS KILLED IN A 2011 FORD FUSION WHEN SHE HIT A TREE THE POLICE ARE SAYING SHE FELL ASLEEP I DON'T BELIEVE THAT MY DAUGHTER'S WORKED NIGHT SHIFT FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS AND THIS WAS HER DAILY SCHEDULE SHE WAS THE PERFECT DRIVER OF THE FAMILY TO DRIVE 17 HOURS STRAIGHT SHE DID ALL THAT ROAD TRIPS I BELIEVE SHE TRIED AVOID A DEER AND THEN LOST CONTROL OF HER VEHICLE THIS WAS A REALLY HORRIFIC CRASH EVERYTHING THAT WAS ON THE FRONT AND WENT IN TO THE CAR INCLUDING THE MOTOR THE FRONT TIRE THE BUMPERS EVERYTHING THE DRIVER SEAT WAS PUSHED ALL WAY BACK TO THE REAR SEAT I HOPE THIS CAR COULD BE INVESTIGATED I BELIEVE MY DAUGHTER LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING AND THAT'S WHY SHE CRASHED. UPDATED 4/28/2015 *JS

WHILE DRIVING INTO WORK, MY POWER STEERING LOCKED, MY "ADVACETRAC" WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, AND MY DASHBOARD TEXT BLOCK STATED "POWER ASSIST FAILURE." THANKFULLY, TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT AND I WAS ABLE TO MUSCLE MY CAR ONTO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I TURNED IT OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN, AND THE POWER STEERING WORKED. A LITTLE OVER A MONTH LATER (OCTOBER 15), THE POWER STEERING FAILED AGAIN, THIS TIME WHILE I WAS TRYING TO PARK. TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF, THEN BACK ON AGAIN CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH A FORD DEALER, WHO ADVISED ME THAT UNLESS THE PROBLEM EXISTS WHEN I BRING THE VEHICLE IN, THERE'S NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE. THIS HAS NOW HAPPENED THREE TIMES (THE FIRST TIME ABOUT A YEAR AGO), AND THIS IS THE SECOND COMPLAINT I'VE FILED. SIMPLE INTERNET SEARCHES, AS WELL AS A SEARCH OF NHTSA COMPLAINTS INDICATES THIS IS A WELL-DOCUMENTED PROBLEM. I'M NOT SURE WHY IT HAS NOT YET BEEN ADDRESSED. *TR

GOT IN MY CAR TO START MORNING COMMUTE. ONCE I PULL OUT TO DRIVE THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD THE STEERING SERVICE AND ADVANCE TRAC NOTIFICATION DISPLAYS ON THE DASH. I PULL INTO A GAS STATION TURN OFF THE CAR AND POP THE HOOD TO SEE IF ITS ANYTHING OBVIOUS. WHEN I TURN THE CAR BACK ON THE LIGHT IMMEDIATELY POPS UP SERVICE POWER STEERING NOW. AND I HAVE NO POWER STEERING FROM THIS POINT ON. *TR

PULLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY, MADE A LEFT HAND TURN TO MAIN ROAD, POWER STEERING LOCKED INTO PLACE, COULD NOT MOVE IT. HAD TO STOP CAR. HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING. TURNED CAR OFF ONCE IT WAS TURNED BACK ON IT WAS BACK TO NORMAL AGAIN AND WAS ABLE TO MOVE STEERING AGAIN. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, THE POWER STEERING LIGHT RANDOMLY FLICKERED AND THE FRONT WHEELS LOCKED. THE CAR STARTED TO MAKE A NOISE AND I COULD BARELY STEER THE CAR TO A SAFE AREA. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND SHUT THE CAR OFF. I DECIDED TO TURN THE CAR BACK ON AND THE MESSAGE HAD DISAPPEARED AND THE CAR STARTED TO WORK PROPERLY.IT WAS SO SCARY AND COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS AFTER SEEING THE DEALER AND CONSULTING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER DIDN'T SEEM TO MAKE A BIG DEAL OUT OF THE ISSUE BUT IT IS A SERIOUS HAZARD TO MYSELF AND THE OTHER DRIVERS AROUND ME. *TR