NHTSA Complaint #10721046 — 2011 FORD FUSION

I WAS TRAVELING 45 MPH ON A DRY, 2 LANE, MACADAM ROAD NO SHOULDERS WHEN MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT. "ADVANCE TRAC" LIGHT ON, CHIMES & MESSAGE: "NO POWER ASSIST". I DROVE WITH NO POWER STEERING FOR 5 MILES,10 MPH TO A SAFE PLACE TO PARK. CAR OFF FOR OVER AN HOUR, STARTED & HAD POWER STEERING. SLOWLY DROVE 33 MILE HOME. FORD DEALER NEXT DAY: NO DEFINITE CODES, POWER STEERING NOW WORKING, COULD NEED A PSCM, THEY CALLED FORD ENGINEERS HOT LINE. WE WERE TOLD IT COULD BE A FLUKE, NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN; BEST TO DRIVE CAR IN WITH POWER STEERING NOT WORKING. REPAIR COST $1500. WE DID NOT REPAIR, KNOWING OTHERS HAD THIS PROBLEM EVEN AFTER REPAIRS. DIDN'T DRIVE CAR EXCEPT FOR SHORT, LOW-SPEED TRIPS. 5/1/15, NEEDED TO DRIVE THE TURNPIKE 65-70 MPH & REACHED DESTINATION WITH POWER STEERING, BUT 7 HRS LATER, WE STARTED THE CAR, "NO POWER ASSIST", NO POWER STEERING. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT TOWED - TOLD THEM I WOULDN'T DRIVE WITHOUT POWER STEERING ON THE TURNPIKE. THEY SAID TO LET IT REST A BIT - WE DID, 20 MIN, AND IT WORKED. DROVE HOME; DID NOT DRIVE AGAIN UNTIL I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM THEY COULD HAVE IT UNTIL IT DID IT TO THEM. WHICH IT DID EVENTUALLY. DEALERSHIP NOTES FROM 1ST SERVICE: "CAU IDS TESTED FAULT CODES U0100-20 C1963 -20 ABS LOST COMMUNICATION WITH". NOTES FROM 2ND SERVICE: "COR PCM C1277-20 C200D ROTATION ANGLE SENSOR CIRCUIT MALFUNCTION FAULT TRACED AND REPLACED POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY PROGRAM AND VERIFIED REPAIRS." I HAD INFORMED SERVICE OF THE RECALL PENDING, AND THEY ASSURED ME, WE WOULD BE REIMBURSED IF RECALL DOES HAPPEN. NO PROBLEM WITH POWER STEERING SINCE 5/12/15 (REPAIR DATE) HOWEVER, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS QUIT WORKING 5/18/15 AND DID NOT GO ON UNTIL NEXT DAY. I WONDER IF THIS IS ANOTHER 'GLITCH' & FEAR FOR WHAT WILL GLITCH OUT NEXT. IF I COULD, I WOULDN'T DRIVE THIS CAR, EVEN THOUGH IT HAD THE REPAIR.