NHTSA Complaint #10543236 — 2012 FORD FUSION HYBRID

I WAS DRIVING AT MEDIUM SPEED ON A SUBURBAN STREET AND AN ALERT POPPED UP ON THE DASH: POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT. POWER STEERING THEN SHUT OFF. FORTUNATELY, THE STREET WAS STRAIGHT AND I WAS ABLE TO DECELERATE AND WRESTLE THE CAR INTO A PARKING LOT. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WHILE I WAS TURNING, OR WHEN I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY (AND WOULD NEED TO NAVIGATE SEVERAL LANES TO STOP) I WOULD ALSO LIKELY HAVE CRASHED. CAR IS 24 MONTHS OLD WITH JUST OVER 40,000 MILES. (NOT FAR OUT OF WARRANTY.) CAR HAD NO PRIOR MECHANICAL TROUBLE WHATSOEVER, AND HAD BEEN REGULARLY SERVICED BY THE DEALER. WHEN I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON, IT BEHAVED NORMALLY. I BROUGHT IT IN FOR SERVICE THE NEXT MORNING. FORD RECOMMENDED REPLACING RACK AND PINION, $1800 REPAIR. I THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE COVERED THIS, AS IT IS A DESIGN FLAW AND A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THERE WAS NO SAFETY PROBLEM UNTIL THE COMPUTER DECIDED TO SHUT OFF THE POWER STEERING! *TR