NHTSA Complaint #10538074 — 2012 FORD FUSION

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE WHEN AN ALARM SOUNDED AND TWO WARNING MESSAGES APPEARED ON THE DASH DISPLAY. POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT AND SERVICE ADVANCETRAC. AT THAT TIME THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN. HAD I BEEN EXECUTING A TURN AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE I LIKELY WOULD HAVE RUN INTO SOMETHING. THE STEERING IS EXTRAORDINARILY STIFF WHEN THE POWER ASSIST IS OFF. THIS HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS. IN THE PAST, RESTARTING THE VEHICLE CLEARED THE ERROR MESSAGE AND THE POWER STEERING WORKED AGAIN. THIS TIME HOWEVER THE FAILURE SEEMS PERMANENT. FORD HAS EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND SAID THE FAILURE IS IN A MOTOR IN THE RACK AND PINION AND THE ENTIRE STEERING ASSEMBLY WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF $1900.00. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM AS IT OCCURS WITH NO WARNING AND AT ALL DIFFERENT SPEEDS. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED SOME "CLUNKING" SOUNDS WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED WHILE THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY.