NHTSA Complaint #10683800 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, I HAVE HAD THE POWER STEERING FAIL ON MY CAR. I'VE HAD IT HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS RANGING FROM 25MPH-70MPH. WHILE DRIVING I WILL HEAR THE ALERT CHIME AND I WILL RECEIVE THE MESSAGE POWER STEERING FAULT APPEAR ON SCREEN, ABOUT 2 SECONDS LATER THE STEERING BECOMES STIFF AND VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. I'VE BEEN BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE RIDE AND OR FREEWAY. GENERALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS I TURN THE CAR OFF, AND RESTART AND THE FAULT MESSAGE DISAPPEARS. WHEN I TOOK IT INTO THE FORD DEALER, THEY CHARGED ME $150 TO LOOK AT IT, BUT "COULD NOT REPLICATE" THE ISSUE SO THEY SENT ME ON MY WAY. I SPOKE WITH A FORD SUPPORT REP WHO TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOT MUCH THEY COULD DO IF THE FAULT MESSAGE WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE, BUT THEIR SUGGESTION IN THE FUTURE WAS TO SNAP A PICTURE OF THE DISPLAY WHEN IT HAPPENS. HOW DANGEROUS WOULD THAT BE IN A CAR THAT YOU CAN NOT STEER TO GRAB MY CELLPHONE AND SNAP A PICTURE? I'VE LOOKED UP THIS ISSUE ONLINE IN MANY FORD FOCUS FORUMS, AND THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. FOR A CAR'S STEERING TO NOT FUNCTION AFTER 60K MILES IS RIDICULOUS. AND BECAUSE I BOUGHT THE CAR USED, I HAVE NO WARRANTY. BUT THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL REPORTS OF CUSTOMER'S EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE OVER AND OVER, AND FORD IS RELUCTANT TO FIX IT BECAUSE THE POWER STEERING MODULE IS DIFFICULT TO REPLACE. I'VE HEARD THEY HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN. BUT HOW IS THE CONSUMER AT FAULT FOR THIS? I FEEL I AM TAKING MY LIFE IN MY OWN HANDS WHENEVER I DRIVE THIS VEHICLE, AND FORD WILL BE RELUCTANT TO DO ANYTHING UNTIL SOMEONE IS IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR