NHTSA Complaint #10676389 — 2011 FORD FUSION

I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR EVALUATION BECAUSE I GOT A "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" ERROR MESSAGE. THE STEERING BECAME VERY STIFF AND I TURNED THE IGNITION OFF AND BACK ON AND WAS ABLE TO GET STEERING. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE MESSAGE AND SAID THE STEERING WAS FINE. I TOLD THEM THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE AND THAT IN FACT THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST FORD FOR IT. THEY CLAIMED NO KNOWLEDGE AND REPEATED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE STEERING. ON 12/30/14 I ATTEMPTED TO USE MY VEHICLE LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. I AGAIN GOT THIS MESSAGE AND WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL HEARD A TERRIBLE GRINDING/GROANING NOISE IN EITHER DIRECTION. TURNING OFF THE IGNITION AND RESTARTING DID NOT RESOLVE SO THE NEXT MORNING I CALLED A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE MY VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER. THIS TIME I WAS TOLD THERE IS INDEED A PROBLEM AND THAT I NEED A NEW STEERING RACK. MY REPAIR BILL WAS $1,821.48. HAD I BEEN ON THE ROAD WHEN THIS OCCURRED WHO KNOWS WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED. I THINK IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE THAT FORD IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE BUT REFUSES TO ADDRESS IT. *TR