NHTSA Complaint #10694268 — 2012 FORD FUSION

I OWN A FORD FUSION 2012 WITH ABOUT 95,000 MILES ON IT. NO OTHER ISSUES SINCE ITS PURCHASE IN NOVEMBER 2014. WEEKS AGO I STARTED THE CAR, AND THE POWERSTEERING ASSIST MESSAGE CAME ON, COULD NOT MOVE CAR. STEERING LOCKED. READ THE MANUAL FOR CAR. TURNED CAR OFF AND BACK ON. PROBLEM WENT AWAY. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THE COLD WEATHER OR ICE BLOCKING A SENSOR. HOWEVER INTERMITTENTLY THIS HAS HAPPENED AGAIN AND AGAIN AND SOMETIMES TAKES SEVERAL TRIES OF ON/OFF TO GET THE CAR TO BECOME DRIVABLE. ALSO NOW IT SOMETIMES SAYS ADVANCETRAC SERVICE AND THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN SO I, A TALL PERSON, NEED TO TRY TO CLIMB OVER THE SEAT AND GET OUT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE INTO TRAFFIC. HAVING ONES CAR NOT START UP IN A CITY SUCH AS MINE IS DANGEROUS FOR SINGLE WOMEN AT NIGHT WHO MIGHT BE ALONE. SO FAR THIS POWER STEERING LOCK HASN'T HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING LIKE MANY OF THE OTHER HUNDREDS OF POSTS ABOUT THE ADVANCETRAC PROBLEMS, BUT I AM SCARED THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN TO ME AND THAT I COULD GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. I AM A STUDENT AND DO NOT HAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO REPAIR THIS VEHICLE IF THE ISSUE WILL JUST KEEP HAPPENING AGAIN AND COST ME MORE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. THE CLOSET FORD DEALER TO ME IS IN LATHAM, NY AND THEY DO NOT ANSWER THEIR PHONE. I FEEL VERY UNSAFE IN THIS VEHICLE THAT I NEED TO DRIVE ON A DAILY BASIS. I BELIEVE THAT FORD SHOULD HAVE A RECALL OF THESE UNSAFE CARS. *TR