NHTSA Complaint #10621560 — 2011 FORD FUSION

THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS AT WORK AROUND THE BEGINNING OF JUNE 2014, I TURNED ON THE CAR TO LEAVE AND THE "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" MESSAGE CAME UP AND I HAD NO POWER STEERING. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON AGAIN AND EVERYTHING WORKED. I MENTIONED IT TO THE DEALER AND I WAS TOLD NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT. IT HAPPENED ABOUT 5 MORE TIMES OVER THE NEXT TWO MONTHS WHILE AT HOME AND WORK. IT WOULD HAPPEN WHEN I WOULD FIRST TURN ON THE CAR, I WOULD SHUT THE CAR OFF AND THEN RESTART THE CAR. THIS LAST TIME, AUGUST 8, 2014 I WAS AT HOME AND TURNED ON THE CAR, I RECEIVED THE "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" MESSAGE AGAIN. I TURNED MY CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON AND IT DID NOT RESET THIS TIME. I TRIED TO RESTART MY CAR 4 TIMES AND IT DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. I CALLED THE DEALER AND I WAS TOLD TO DISCONNECT MY BATTERY AND THAT MIGHT HELP RESET IT. THIS ALSO DID NOT WORK. I HAD MY CAR TOWED IN TO THE DEALER AND I AM NOW BEING TOLD THAT I MIGHT NEED TO HAVE THE POWER STEERING GEAR BOX REPLACED AND THIS WILL BE EXPENSIVE. I KNOW THERE ARE MANY OTHER MODELS OF FORD CARS IN MY YEAR THAT ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND I AM BEING TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT IT IS NOT RELATED. WE WILL SEE HOW MUCH FORD HELPS WITH OR NOT. *TR