NHTSA Complaint #10505651 — 2010 FORD TAURUS

TWO DAYS BEFORE THE INCIDENT, THE STEERING ON THE CAR STARTED MAKING A NOISE WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS BEING TURNED, SIMILAR TO SOMETHING RUBBING. WE VISUALLY CHECKED AND SAW NOTHING HUNG UP UNDER THE CAR. THE SYSTEM ON THIS CAR IS AN ELECTRIC POWER STEERING, SO THERE WAS NO FLUID TO CHECK EITHER. OTHER THAN THE NOISE, THE STEERING SEEMED NORMAL EXCEPT FOR WITH THE STEERING WHEEL CENTERED, THERE FELT LIKE THE STEERING WHEEL WAS IN A SMALL DETENT. IT WOULD TAKE JUST A LITTLE EXTRA AMOUNT OF PRESSURE INITIALLY TO TURN THE WHEEL. HOWEVER ON THE 6TH, I WENT TO BACK THE CAR OUT OF THE GARAGE AND THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN, LITERALLY NOT TURN WITH ME PULLING AS HARD AS I COULD. AFTER ABOUT A MINUTE OF NO LUCK, I PULLED THE CAR STRAIGHT BACK INTO THE GARAGE. AT THIS POINT THE STEERING STARTED WORKING SOMEWHAT, I WOULD TURN THE STEERING WHEEL FOR WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A HARD TURN AND THE TIRE WAS ONLY MOVING, MAYBE A 1/6TH OF A "NORMAL". AFTER ANOTHER MINUTE OR SO, IT STARTED ACTING LIKE IT DID INITIALLY, NORMAL TURN WITH THE NOISE. IF THE NO TURN OR 1/6ISH OF A TURN INCIDENTS WHAT HAVE OCCURRED ON A ROAD, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AND ACCIDENT, UNQUESTIONABLY. THERE WERE 4 ADULTS WHO ALL WITNESSED THIS INCIDENT. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALER ON THE 8TH. I CONTACTED FORD AND THE RESPONSE WAS PRETTY MUCH PARTS BREAK, PAY TO FIX IT. *TR