NHTSA Complaint #10492146 — 2013 FORD FOCUS

DRIVING STRAIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY ~50MPH THE CAR SEEMED TO BE DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT AS THOUGH BEING BLOWN BY HEAVY WINDS, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS LITTLE/NO WIND THAT DAY. I APPLIED A TYPICAL, SLIGHT ADJUSTMENT TO THE LEFT BUT THE STEERING WHEEL RESISTED MY INPUT, AS THOUGH SOMEBODY WAS HOLDING ONTO THE STEERING WHEEL AND APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE RIGHT, AFTER A SPLIT SECOND, THE OPPOSING PRESSURE RELEASED AND THE WHEEL OVERCORRECTED TO THE LEFT FOLLOWED BY THE IDENTICAL RESPONSE WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT BACK TO THE RIGHT. IT CONTINUED TO DO THIS EVERY MILE OR SO, FOR APPROXIMATELY 9 MILES, UNTIL I TURNED OFF THE HIGHWAY. AT LOWER SPEEDS (CITY DRIVING) THE STEERING IS COMPLETELY NORMAL. THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED ON THREE DIFFERENT STRETCHES OF HIGHWAY IN THE JACKSONVILLE AREA. I HAVE TRIED DIFFERENT LANES, CHECKING THE TIRE PRESSURE, AND I HAD THE DEALERSHIP CHECK IT BUT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. APPLYING LIGHT/STEADY/EVEN PRESSURE IN THE DIRECTION OF THE DESIRED CORRECTION, WITHOUT APPLYING PRESSURE BEYOND THE POINT WHERE YOU FEEL THE RESISTANCE SEEMS TO HELP PREVENT THE OVERCORRECTION PROBLEM. ON 9 JAN, WHEN CROSSING UNEVEN LANES ON THE HIGHWAY DUE TO CONSTRUCTION, THE WHEEL PULLED TO THE RIGHT MORE THAN YOU'D EVER EXPECT UNDER THESE CONDITIONS AND I ENDED UP HALF WAY INTO THE NEXT LANE. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO CARS IN THAT LANE OTHERWISE IT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A COLLISION WITHOUT A DOUBT. THAT WAS FOLLOWED BY AN OVERCORRECTION TO THE LEFT, AND AGAIN BACK TO THE RIGHT. I HAD TO SLOW DOWN BELOW 40MPH BEFORE THE RESISTANCE IN THE STEERING EASED UP. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED ON A HIGHWAY THAT I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH; I HAVE TRAVELED IT WITHOUT INCIDENT ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK FOR THE PAST 6 YEARS, AND I WAS PREPARED FOR THE TRANSITION BETWEEN THE TWO UNEVEN LANES. I HAVE DRIVEN OTHER VEHICLES WITH EPAS. THIS IS NOT NORMAL!! *TR