NHTSA Complaint #10818060 — 2014 FORD FOCUS

OWNED CAR 6 MONTHS AND LOVE IT, ESPECIALLY THE HANDLING, UNTIL: AT ABOUT 8500 MILES, I STARTED THE CAR (ON A SUNDAY MORNING-WHY I DIDN'T CALL THE DEALERSHIP RIGHT AWAY) PUT IT IN GEAR, PULLED FORWARD IN MY DRIVEWAY AND THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN AT ALL. I BACKED UP AND PULLED FORWARD AGAIN, AND STILL ZERO STEERING WHEEL TURN WAS POSSIBLE. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, PULLED THE KEY OUT, PUT THE KEY IN AND STARTED IT AGAIN. SAME ACTIONS, SAME RESULT. I USED OUR PICKUP TRUCK FOR THE DAY INSTEAD. I STARTED THE CAR AGAIN WHEN I GOT HOME AND THE STEERING WORKED NORMALLY-I PULLED FORWARD AND BACK IN MY DRIVEWAY AND PARKED IT. THE NEXT MORNING, THE CAR STARTED JUST FINE BUT AGAIN THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN. I CALLED THE DEALER AND ARRANGED A FLAT BED RIDE LATER THAT DAY. WHEN THE FLAT BED DRIVER STARTED TO CAR TO DRIVE IT ONTO HIS RIG, HE REMARKED THAT THE CAR WAS ACTING JUST LIKE A PROBLEM THEY'RE HAVING IN THE 2015 F150, AND TWO-HANDEDLY YANKED MY STEERING WHEEL HARD TO THE LEFT, STILL WITH NO RESULT. THE WHEEL WOULD NOT MOVE, AND I WONDER WHAT ELSE HE BROKE IN HIS "BIGGER HAMMER" APPROACH. HE ADJUSTED THE POSITION OF HIS TRUCK TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR ONTO IT WITHOUT ANY STEERING AVAILABLE. I REPORTED THE FLAT BED DRIVER'S ABUSE OF MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHERE THE CAR NOW SITS AWAITING SERVICE.