NHTSA Complaint #10481999 — 2010 FORD FUSION

I HAD NOT HAD ANY ISSUES WITH MY CAR, BUT I LEFT MY HOUSE TO DRIVE MY DAUGHTER TO TUMBLING WHICH WAS 7 MILES FROM MY HOUSE. I WAS ABOUT 3 MILES FROM MY HOME WHEN A WARNING SOUND AND THE LIGHTS ON MY DASHBOARD STATED CHECK POWER STEERING. I ASSUMED THAT I NEEDED POWER STEERING. I ARRIVED AT TUMBLING, PARKED FOR AN HOUR. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR A NEW MESSAGE WAS ON THE DASH STATING SERVICE POWER STEERING NOW AND SERVICE ADVANCE AUTOTRAC. I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND BACKED UP, BUT WHEN I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL IT WAS LOCKED, I COULD BARELY MOVE THE WHEEL. I WAS BLOCKING THE TRAFFIC IN THE PARKING LOT AND HAD TO PULL FORWARD AND PARK. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON AND RECEIVED THE SAME MESSAGE. THEREFORE I WAS STRANDED IN THE PARKING LOT. WE TOOK THE CAR TO A FORD SERVICE DEPT. THEY TOLD US THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN HAVING WITH FORD FUSIONS AS WELL AS OTHER FORDS BUT THERE WAS NO RECALL. I PAID FOR THEM TO PERFORM A DIAGNOSTIC TEST THE RESULTS WERE THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE STEERING PANEL FOR $1500 AND THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER, BUT FIRST THEY RESET THE CODES, AND THE POWER STEERING WARNING WAS GONE THE CAR TEST DROVE AND DROVE HOME FINE. THE NEXT MORNING I LEFT TO TAKE MY DAUGHTERS TO SCHOOL AND THE SAME CYCLE OF EVENTS HAPPENED I WAS AFRAID TO TURN THE CAR OFF WHEN I DROPPED THEM OFF AT SCHOOL SO THAT I WOULD NOT BE STRANDED. I KEPT THE CAR ON AND DROVE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR PAID AGAIN FOR A TEST AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING. I TOLD THEM TO REPAIR THE CAR. I CALLED FORD CO. AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND ALTHOUGH I SAW NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET THEY WERE NOT TRUE. MEANWHILE MY CAR IS READY AND I HAVE TO COME UP WITH 1500 FOR AN ISSUE THAT FORD KNOWS THEY ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH. I AM AFRAID MY CAR WILL HAVE PROBLEMS AGAIN, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN IT COMES TO STEERING. *TR