NHTSA Complaint #10721983 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

A FEW WEEKS AGO MY SON STARTED EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING (EPS) ON HIS 2012 FORD FOCUS SEL, WHICH HE'D OWNED FOR LESS THAN A YEAR. IF HE HAD NO POWER STEERING WHEN HE TURNED ON THE CAR, HE COULD JUST TURN OFF THE CAR, TAKE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION, REPLACE THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, TURN THE CAR BACK ON, AND OCCASIONALLY THE POWER STEERING WOULD WORK AGAIN. THAT ONLY LASTED A FEW DAYS. THEN THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING BECAME PERMANENT. HE COULD STILL TURN THE WHEEL WITH A GREAT DEAL OF EFFORT (MORE EFFORT THAN IS REQUIRED TO TURN THE WHEEL OF A CAR THAT NEVER HAD POWER STEERING), BUT AS SOON AS OUR INDEPENDENT FORD CERTIFIED MECHANIC (USED TO WORK AT OUR LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP) POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE REPORTS OF THE SAME STEERING SYSTEM SEIZING UP AND MAKING THE CAR IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER, WE COULDN'T LET OUR SON DRIVE THE CAR AGAIN UNTIL THE GARAGE REPLACES THE RACK. OUR MECHANIC BELIEVES THERE MIGHT BE A CLASS ACTION SUIT IMPLICATING THE EPS, BUT OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER AND FORD CORPORATE SAY THERE'S "NO PROGRAM" TO FIX/REPLACE EPS ON CARS WHERE THEY'VE PREMATURELY FAILED AS DID MY SON'S. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE IN MI WERE POLITE, BUT THEY'RE NEITHER SYMPATHETIC NOR HELPFUL IN LIGHT OF THE SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS PROSPECTS ARISING FROM THE DEFECTIVE EPS THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE.