NHTSA Complaint #10668432 — 2011 FORD FUSION HYBRID

POWER STEERING WARNING MESSAGE AND ADVANCETRAC ASSIST BOTH BECAME ILLUMINATED AFTER NORMAL DRIVING. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED. THE FIRST WAS JUST OVER 38000 MILES, THE SECOND AT 75000 MILES AND NOW THIS WEEK AT 89000 MILES. AFTER TURNING OFF VEHICLE AND TURNING BACK ON, THE INDICATOR MESSAGES WENT FROM JUST A WARNING TO THE WHOLE SYSTEM BECOMING DISABLED. POWER STEERING IS COMPLETELY OFF AND STEERING IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. WE WERE 200 MILES FROM HOME ON A HOLIDAY WEEKEND KNOWING IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO GET TOWING SO WE DECIDED TO MAKE THE DRIVE WITHOUT POWER STEERING. A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR US. FORD KNOWS ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS AND THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE. A RECALL HAS TO BE MADE. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY WANTED $3200 FOR AN ENTIRE STEERING SYSTEM. MY CAR WAS ONLY 2000 MILES ABOVE WARRANTY AND THEY WOULDN'T COVER IT. SO I HAD THEM RESET THE CODE AND THE STEERING BEGAN WORKING AGAIN FOR ANOTHER THREE YEARS WITHOUT INCIDENT. PLEASE PROTECT THE CONSUMER AND THE PUBLIC'S SAFETY BY MAKING FORD RECALL THE FUSION. IT CLEARLY HAS A STEERING FLAW. THANK YOU. *TR