NHTSA Complaint #10763046 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED, THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER AND THE POWER STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS ABLE TO MUSCLE THE CAR SAFELY AND GET TO MY DESTINATION (THE GROCERY STORE). THINKING THAT PERHAPS IT WAS THE POWER STEERING FLUID, I CHECKED IT AND SAW THAT IT WAS A LITTLE OVER MINIMUM, SO I ADDED MORE. I TURNED THE CAR BACK ON AND THE ISSUE WAS STILL PRESENT. I DROVE HOME AND TURNED OFF THE CAR. THE NEXT MORNING, THE CODE WAS NOT ON AND THE POWER STEERING WAS WORKING THOUGH THERE WAS A GROAN COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL EVERY TIME I HAD TO TURN. I DROVE TO WORK TRYING TO ASCERTAIN WHAT WOULD GO ON AND ABOUT 25 MINUTES INTO MY DRIVE, WHILE DOING 50 MILES AN HOUR, I LOST POWER STEERING AGAIN. I GOT TO WORK, TURNED OFF THE CAR, AND CAME BACK OUT 9 HOURS LATER AND THE POWER STEERING HAD AGAIN RESET ITSELF AND WORKED ALL THE WAY BACK TO MY HOUSE. I HAVE NOT BEEN DRIVING THE CAR SINCE AND HAVE TO SAY THAT THIS IS THE SECOND MAJOR ISSUE WITH THE CAR I HAVE HAD; THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AFTER HAVING THE CAR FOR 2 YEARS. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH AND THERE ARE MANY OTHER FORD FOCUSES OF THIS YEAR WITH THIS ISSUE. I AM NOW EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS CAR AND REGRET BUYING IT MOST SINCERELY. *TR