NHTSA Complaint #10785689 — 2011 FORD MUSTANG

WHEN THE CAR WAS ABOUT 3 YEARS OLD, I STARTED TO FEEL A QUICK LOSS OF POWER IN THE STEERING WHEN MAKING A TURN. IT HAD ONLY LASTED A SECOND AND ONLY HAPPENED AT LOW SPEED IN PARKING LOTS BUT HAPPEN WHILE I WAS DRIVING SO I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALER IN FULLERTON CA. THEY SAID IT WAS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM AND THEY UPDATED THE SOFTWARE. THE PROBLEM DISAPPEARED BUT THEN REAPPEARED ABOUT A YEAR LATER. I CONTINUED TO DRIVE IT CAUSE IT WAS ONLY OCCASIONALLY AT LOW SPEED FOR A HALF SECOND IN PARKING LOTS. THEN IN THE MORNING OF OCTOBER 16, 2015, THE STEERING OF THE CAR LOCKED WHILE I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS. TWO YELLOW WARNING LIGHTS THEN CAME ON IN THE DASH AND THE STEERING RELEASED. ONE WARNING LIGHT SAID "SERVICE ADVANCE TRAC." I SLOWLY DROVE IT TO THE FORD DEALER IN FULLERTON ON RESIDENTIAL STREETS SINCE IT WAS NEARBY. I NO LONGER FELT SAFE TO DRIVE THE CAR. I TOLD THEM THE PROBLEM. THEY KEPT THE CAR UNTIL OCTOBER 20. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME HE HAD TO CHANGE THE ENTIRE POWER STEERING SYSTEM BECAUSE OF AN INTERNAL FAILURE AND THE CHARGE TO ME WAS $1733. I COMPLAINED BUT HAD NO CHOICE SINCE I NEEDED THE CAR REPAIRED. I HAVE SEEN VERY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT OTHER MUSTANGS. FORD RECALLED SEVERAL OTHER MODELS EARLIER THIS YEAR FOR THE SAME PROBLEM; 'A POTENTIAL INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL CONNECTION IN THE STEERING GEAR' THAT FORD SAYS 'MIGHT RESULT IN THE LOSS OF ELECTRIC POWER-STEERING ASSIST WHILE DRIVING.' THESE MODELS INCLUDED 2011'2012 FORD FUSION, 2011'2013 FORD TAURUS, 2011'2013 FORD FLEX, AND 2011'2013 LINCOLN. I BELIEVE FORD KNEW OF THE PROBLEM BUT DECIDED TO PASS THE COST OF REPAIR TO AFFECTED CUSTOMERS RATHER THAN DO THE RECALL OF THAT MODEL. THIS RISKED THE LIFE OF MYSELF AND OTHERS BECAUSE IT RESULTED IN A LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE DRIVING. I BELIEVE I AM ENTITLED TO THE COST OF THIS REPAIR FROM FORD. THANK YOU. *TR