NHTSA Complaint #10746124 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

IN LESS THAN A WEEK, THE POWER STEERING ON MY 2012 FORD FOCUS HAS FAILED THREE TIMES. THE FIRST TIME OCCURRED ON TUESDAY, JULY 28, 2015, AT 7:45 A.M. I HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR ABOUT TWO MINUTES WHEN THE FOLLOWING ERROR MESSAGE APPEARED ON MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER: "STEERING ASSIST FAULT/SERVICE REQUIRED." I WAS JUST ABOUT TO TAKE THE RAMP ONTO THE HIGHWAY, BUT MY GUT TOLD ME TO PULL OVER TO THE RIGHT OF THE ROAD (I HAD A CHILD WITH ME AND DID NOT WANT TO TAKE ANY RISKS). JUST AS I WAS DOING SO, MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, AND I COULD NOT ROTATE IT. AS I PULLED UP NEXT TO THE CURB, I PLACED MY CAR IN PARK AND TURNED ON MY HAZARDS. I WAITED A FEW MOMENTS, BUT THE STEERING WHEEL STILL WOULD NOT BUDGE. I TURNED MY CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN, BUT THE STEERING WHEEL STILL WOULDN'T MOVE. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AGAIN AND WAITED ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES. UPON STARTING THE CAR THIS TIME, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS BACK TO NORMAL. I LEFT MY HAZARDS ON AND MADE RIGHT TURNS ALL THE WAY HOME (IN CASE IT WENT OUT AGAIN). THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 AT 4:50 P.M. AND MONDAY, AUGUST 3 AT 5:05 P.M. BOTH TIMES I TURNED OFF MY CAR, WAITED ABOUT 5 MINUTES, AND THEN STARTED IT AGAIN. THE POWER STEERING WOULD THEN BE WORKING. THIS PROBLEM IS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING AND I WORRY ABOUT MY SAFETY BECAUSE I DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY TO AND FROM WORK. WHILE THIS HAS HAPPENED ON THE SIDE ROADS, THERE IS NOW A CONSTANT FEAR OF THIS HAPPENING WHILE I'M ON THE HIGHWAY. I'VE READ OTHER COMPLAINTS ON ONLINE FORUMS ABOUT THIS EXACT PROBLEM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO FILE MINE. IT IS ALSO FRUSTRATING BECAUSE I HAVE HAD OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR, SUCH AS WITH THE MOONROOF, AC, AND COMPASS. I FEEL LIKE FORD SOLD ME A LEMON. I PURCHASED THIS CAR FROM A FORD DEALERSHIP AS CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED ONLY A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, SO I SHOULDNT HAVE THIS MANY PROBLEMS WITH IT.