2012 Ford Fusion Steering

WE WERE DRIVING THE VEHICLE DOWN THE ROAD AT A SPEED OF ROUGHLY 50 MPH. WITH NO ADVANCED WARNING THERE WERE CHIMES GOING OFF AND A MESSAGE IN THE WARNING CENTER TELLING ME POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE SERVICE ADVANCETEC. WITH GREAT EFFORT WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE CAR OFF OF THE ROAD WAY, TURNED THE ENGINE OFF, LET IT SIT FOR 5 MINUTES AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE WITH NO ISSUES. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAS DONE THIS THE FIRST TIME WASN'T A GREAT BIG DEAL SINCE WE WERE SITTING IN A PARKING LOT WITH THE CAR IDLE. *TR

AFTER 20 MIN DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS, POWER STEERING SUDDENLY FAILED AND WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN, BUT WITH CONSIDERABLE EFFORT WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER INTO PARKING LOT (WOULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS ON THE HIGHWAY). TURNED OFF ENGINE AND RESTARTED CAR AFTER 10 MIN, AND STEERING BEGAN OPERATING NORMALLY WITH NO WARNING LIGHT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AND ON THE DASH OF MY CAR DISPLAYED A POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT. WHICH THEN IT BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. I QUICKLY PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND TURNED IT OFF AND THEN BACK ON. IT FIXED THE PROBLEM AND THE MESSAGE ON MY DASH WENT AWAY. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED TWICE MORE OVER THE YEAR AND FINALLY TODAY AS I GOT IN MY CAR THE SAME MESSAGE CAME UP AND WOULDN'T GO AWAY. SO NO I CANT DRIVE MY OWN CAR AND I LIVE IN A REMOTE PART OF THE U.S. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FUSION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AS THE STEERING WHEEL TIGHTENED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE POWER STEERING LIGHT. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE IT WAS ADVISED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE POWER STEERING GEAR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,000. UPDATED 03/18/14*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED FAILURE OCCURED 3 OTHER TIMES BUT HAVE SINCE BEEN FIXED AND RUNNING PERFECTLY. *TR

WAS STUCK IN TRAFFIC FOR OVER THREE HOURS IN ABOUT 25MPH. AT ABOUT 20 MINS LEFT IN TRAFFIC, INFO LIGHT CAME ON AND STATED POWER ASSIST NEEDS SERVICING AND ADVANCE TRAC NEEDS SERVICE. THEN I WAS UNABLE TO TURN EASILY ONTO THE NEXT FEW STREETS. WE TRIED ALL DIFFERENT THINGS TO FIX PROBLEM. HAD TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY REPLACED THE STEERING RACK BUT COULD NOT ISOLATE THE PROBLEM. LUCKILY FOR ME THE PROBLEM WAS COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. SEEMS TO BE DRIVING FINE NOW BUT I AM LUCKY THIS WAS AT LOW SPEEDS AND DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE I HAD BOTH MY YOUNG CHILDREN AND HUSBAND IN THE CAR. MY HUSBAND HAD TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME FOR TWO HOURS AFTER THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE WE WERE OUT OF TOWN. *TR

I WAS PICKING UP MY GIRLS FROM PRESCHOOL AND WHEN RETURNING HOME, I LOST POWER STEERING GOING AROUND A CORNER. A FEW CHIMES SOUNDED AND A "SERVICE ADVANCETRAC" AND "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE" MESSAGE CAME ON THE DASHBOARD READ OUT. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT A LOT OF FORD FUSION OWNERS SEEM TO BE EXPERIENCING AND I FEEL FORD NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS IN SOME SORT OF RECALL. *TR

UPON EXIT OFF OF EXPRESSWAY, CAR GAVE MESSAGE "POWER ASSIST FAULT 1" BLINKING. LOST POWER STEERING, ALSO ADVANCE TRAC NOTICE STARTED BLINKING WITH PICTURE OF SKIDDING CAR. TOTAL STEERING LOSS OCCURRED IN STOPPED TRAFFIC AS TRIED TO TURN CORNER. MANUAL DIFFICULT STEERING RETURNED IF CAR WAS MOVING. PARKED CAR AND VISITED FRIENDS. AFTER 2 HOURS RETURNED TO CAR AND AFTER STARTING EVERYTHING WORKED. NO MORE MESSAGES. CAR WAS SERVICED ON JULY 3RD FOR 10,000 MILE CHECKUP BY KINDLE FORD PREVIOUS TO INCIDENT. WHEN CALLED KINDLE FORD ON 7/29 DAY OF INCIDENT, SAID THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING AS CAR WAS WORKING AND MESSAGE GONE. NEED TO WAIT UNTIL HAPPENS AGAIN. AM TOTALLY TERRIFIED TO DRIVE MY NEW $32,000.00 CAR. *TR

I BACKED OUT OF MY GARAGE AND THE STEERING "LOCKED". I COULD NOT TURN THE WHEEL. A MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE SCREEN "POWER STEERING " ETC. I CHECKED THE MANUAL AND FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS TO WAIT 10 MINUTES AND TRY AGAIN. IT WORKED BUT I DID NOT DRIVE. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO MY DEALER ON JULY 1. THEY ORDERED PARTS TO ARRIVE NEXT DAY. MY HUSBAND PICKED ME UP. THIS IS A SCARY SITUATION ! *TR

DROVE CAR FROM HOME TO SUPERMARKET WITH NO PROBLEM. WHEN LEAVING SUPERMARKET AFTER CAR HAD BEEN SHUT OFF, WAS BACKING OUT OF PARKING STALL AND NEARLY HIT ANOTHER CAR BECAUSE POWER STEERING WAS INOPERATIVE. THIS DEFINITELY CAUGHT ME BY SURPRISE! MESSAGE TO THE EFFECT "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE" WAS DISPLAYED. DROVE CAR WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY TO DEALER. SERVICE REP AT DEALER TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED CAR; PROBLEM HAD GONE AWAY, POWER STEERING WAS NOW WORKING. MECHANIC AT DEALER RAN DIAGNOSTICS WHICH INDICATED A BAD STEERING MOTOR/STEERING GEAR. CAR IS BEING REPAIRED AT DEALER TO REPLACE STEERING MOTOR/STEERING GEAR. WOULD HAVE BEEN SCARY AND DANGEROUS IF THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT ON HIGHWAY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FUSION. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN HE DROVE THE VEHICLE THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN AND WAS RESISTANT WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT WAS NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130. ...UPDATED 08-10-12 *BF

WHEN EXITING ONTO THE ACCESS ROAD OF A MAJOR FREEWAY, MY 2012 FORD FUSION'S POWER STEERING LOCKED UP AND I COULD NOT MANEUVER THE WHEEL (THERE WAS NO ADVANCE WARNING OF THE IMPENDING FAILURE)... IMMEDIATELY, I TURNED ON HAZARD LIGHTS AND REDUCED SPEED, THEN WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE DASHBOARD SHOWED AN ERROR STATING "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT." I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND UPON RESTART OF THE ENGINE, THE POWER STEERING BEGAN WORKING AGAIN. TODAY, OCT. 22, 2012, THIS SAME POWER STEERING FAILURE HAS NOW OCCURRED FOR THE FOURTH TIME IN LESS THAN A MONTH. EACH OCCURRENCE WAS AT SPEEDS LESS THAN 25 MPH, HOWEVER ON TWO OF THESE OCCASIONS, I NEARLY HAD AN ACCIDENT WITH VEHICLES NEARBY BECAUSE I HAD NO CONTROL OF THE STEERING AND COULD NOT MANEUVER OUT OF THE WAY OF THE NEIGHBORING VEHICLES... THANKFULLY, THE OTHER DRIVERS WERE ABLE TO SWERVE TO AVOID HITTING MY VEHICLE. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT MY VEHICLE WILL BE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN THE NEAR FUTURE DUE TO THIS VERY SERIOUS MALFUNCTION OF THE FORD FUSION'S POWER STEERING! THE NHTSA NEEDS TO ORDER A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE OF THE EXACT SAME POWER STEERING FAILURE ON THE FORD FUSION, FORD FOCUS, FORD EXPLORER AND FORD ESCAPE. I AM HIGHLY UPSET WITH FORD FOR NOT ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE AND CONTINUING TO SELL NEW VEHICLES, SUCH AS MINE, TO UNWITTING AND TRUSTING CUSTOMERS... ALL THE WHILE KNOWING THEY WERE MANUFACTURING THE SAME DAMAGED PART AND PLACING IT INTO THEIR NEW VEHICLES. PLEASE HOLD THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR DISHONEST AND MISLEADING PRACTICES.... MAKE THEM ISSUE A RECALL OF ALL THEIR VEHICLES WITH MALFUNCTIONING POWER STEERING AND AVOID AN EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS CONDITION ON ROADS ALL ACROSS AMERICA. PLEASE DO NOT WAIT FOR AN INNOCENT PERSON TO DIE BECAUSE OF FORD'S FAILURE TO ACT!! *TR

3 DIFFERENT INCIDENTS. 1 ON 8/8/12, 2 ON 8/10/12. ALL DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS DURING SHORT DISTANCE TRIPS ( LESS THAN 15 MILES ). FOR NO APPARENT REASON, CAR CHIMED, SHOWED WARNING TO SERVICE ADVANCETRACK, POWER STEERING FAILURE ( DO NOT RECALL EXACT WORDING OF WARNING ). CAR WAS MANUEVERABLE BUT VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. ABLE TO RESET POWER STEERING BY STOPPING, TURNING OFF / RESTARTING CAR. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILURE AFTER CAR HAD BEEN PARKED FOR 45 MINUTES IN 102 DEGREE OUTDOOR WEATHER HEAT. CAR OPERATED NORMALLY FOR AN HOUR BEFORE PARKING THE CAR. AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR, THERE WAS NO FUNCTIONING POWER STEERING ASSIST. CAR WAS DRIVABLE, AND STEERABLE WITH GREAT EFFORT. REPAIR MADE AT FORD DEALERSHIP UNDER WARRANTY (CAR WAS 11 MONTHS OLD WITH 5140 MILES ON ODOMETER). THE ELECTRONIC ANTI-LOCK CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED. SERVICE STAFF SAID THE ELECTRONIC MODULE ALSO CONTROLLED THE POWER STEERING AND ADVANCETRAK VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEMS. *TR

STARTED THE CAR, MESSAGE CENTER DISPLAYED POWER STEERING ASSIST DEFAULT.STEERING WHEEL COMPLETELY TIGHT. FOLLOWED MANUAL DIRECTIONS TO TURN OF IGNITION,RESTART AFTER 10 SECONDS,MESSAGE RETURNED. TERRIBLY FRIGHTENED. IN AN EFFORT TO GET TO SAFE LOCATION, DROVE THE CAR SLOWLY USING INCREDIBLE UPPER ARM STRENGTH TO TURN STEERING WHEEL. TOWED TO DEALER NEXT DAY..INFORMED THAT RACK AND PINION NEED REPLACING. DEFECTED FROM MANUFACTURE. JUST PURCHASED THE CAR, ITS ONLY 90 DAYS IN MY OWNERSHIP. I DO NOT TRUST THIS CAR AT ALL. I HAD AN 11 MONTH OLD IN THE CAR, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR ACCIDENT. *TR

WAS DRIVING ON FREEWAY AT 65MPH. SERVICE POWER STEERING SOON LIGHT CAME ON THEN PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. OWNERS MANUAL SAID I NEEDED TO TURN VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON. AFTER I TURNED THE VEHICLE BACK ON THE "SERVICE POWER STEERING SYSTEM NOW" LIGHT CAME ON. THE VEHICLE HAD COMPLETELY LOST THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM. THE STEERING BECOME VERY DIFFICULT TO USE. IT BECOMES VERY STIFF AND JERKS HARD TO WHICHEVER SIDE YOU TURN IT TO. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY. AFTER A WEEK IN THE SHOP THEY REPLACED THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS AND RESET THE VEHICLE COMPUTER. MANY FUSION FORUMS SAY THAT THIS DOESN'T FIX THE PROBLEM AND HAVE RETURNED THE VEHICLE FOR MORE REPAIRS. *TR

MULTI FUNCTION SCREEN SHOWED POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION AT STOP LIGHT. VEHICLE RESTARTED AND WARNING WAS GONE AND STEERING WAS NORMAL. NEXT DAY WARNING APPEARED WHILE DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT ROAD, STEERING WAS VERY DIFFICULT. VEHICLE PULLED OVER, RESTARTED AND WARNING WAS GONE, NORMAL STEERING. IN ONE HOUR IT HAPPENED AGAIN, VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO LOCAL FORD DEALER, AND THE FIRST DIAGNOSIS WAS UNKNOWN AS "CODES" DID NOT INDICATE STEERING PROBLEM. TODAY THEY CALLED AND STATED THE CAR NEEDS AN ENTIRE RACK AND PINION STEERING SET REPLACEMENT. UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS A NATIONAL BACK LOG AND NO PARTS AVAILABLE. CAR IS INOPERABLE. WORKING WITH FORD CUSTOMER CARE SOLUTIONS CENTER FOR RESOLUTION. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FUSION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WARNING LIGHT FLASHED ONCE AS THE STEERING FAILED. THE WRECKER SERVICE TOWED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE THE STEERING RACK WAS REPLACED. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE ELECTRONIC POWER ASSIST FAILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 600 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,500. UPDATED 02/15/12*BF UPDATED 03/08/12

POWER STEERING FAILURE. HAS OCCURRED FOUR TIMES. WARNING ON THE DASH FOR "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE" THEN POWER STEERING FAILS. NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE WHEEL. HAPPENED IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC ON INTERSTATE AS WELL AS MAKING A TURN IN A PARKING LOT WHICH NEARLY LED TO A COLLISION WITH A PARKED CAR SINCE I COULD NOT TURN THE WHEEL. SINCE IT HAPPENED TWICE BEFORE I KNOW TO PUT IN NEUTRAL THEN TURN OFF AND TURN ON THE IGNITION. HOWEVER, PREVIOUSLY FORD DEALER REPLACED LOWER FRONT ARM IAW FORD TSB. THIS OBVIOUSLY DID NOT FIX THE ISSUE. MOST RECENT FAILURES WERE WITHIN 150 MILES OF EACH OTHER. I CANNOT LET MY WIFE DRIVE THIS CAR AS SHE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL IN THE EVENT OF A FAILURE. *TR

AFTER HIGHWAY DRIVING FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND PULLING OFF TO CITY AREA, CAME TO A STOP AND THEN RELEASED BRAKE AFTER STOP SIGN AND GLIDING THRU INTERSECTION THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON SOMETHING TO THE AFFECT OF "POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION". TURNED CAR OFF AND RESTARTED AND CAR WORKED FINE AGAIN. LITTLE SCARY THOUGH CONSIDERING IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED IN LESS SAFE CIRCUMSTANCES. MAKING APPOINTMENT TO HAVE LOOKED AT BY THE DEALER. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILURE. "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" WARNING ON MY DASH, ALTERNATING WITH "SERVICE ADVANCETRAC" WARNING. POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO CHANGE LANES AND TURN ONTO OFF-RAMP. PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF IGNITION, RESTARTED CAR AND FAULT WENT AWAY AND POWER STEERING WORKED AGAIN. IF MY WIFE HAD BEEN DRIVING SHE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL TO PULL OUT OF TRAFFIC AND INTO A SAFE AREA; I COULD BARELY TURN THE WHEEL. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO AND HAS LESS THAN 3,000 MILES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FUSION. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE CONTACT STATED THE SERVICE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATES ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE STEERING RACK WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 300.