NHTSA Complaint #10505879 — 2013 FORD FOCUS

WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE STEERING BECOMES "STICKY". WHEN ATTEMPTING TO KEEP THE VEHICLE IN A STRAIGHT LINE THE STEERING STICKS IN ITS CURRENT POSITION AND TO MAKE A SLIGHT MODIFICATION I HAVE TO PUT MORE EFFORT INTO TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. ONCE THE STEERING RELEASES THE CAR OVER CORRECTS AND THEN I NEED TO MAKE A CORRECTION IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION CAUSING A "ZIG-ZAG" MOTION. IT FEELS LIKE I COULD LOSE CONTROL IF I OVER CORRECTED AND I FIND MYSELF GRIPPING THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN DRIVING THIS VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IN CITY DRIVING I DON'T NOTICE THIS HAPPENING, ONLY HIGHWAY DRIVING IT TENDS TO "STICK" IN ITS POSITION. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY MENTIONED IT HAS ELECTRONIC STEERING AND THAT THIS IS NORMAL AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW OF ANY TSB'S ON THE VEHICLE YET. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE IT WOULD BE EASY TO OVERCORRECT AND THEN EVENTUALLY LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, OR EVEN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF THERE IS A CAR IN THE NEXT LANE. I BELIEVE FORD NEEDS TO ADJUST THEIR ELECTRONIC STEERING TO ASSIST LESS THAN IT IS CURRENTLY PROGRAMMED TO DO. *TR