NHTSA Complaint #10884484 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

POWER STEERING FAILURE, CAUSING THE CAR TO LOOSE POWER STEERING WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION ON A HIGHWAY. THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT AND WAS INITIALLY RESOLVED BY RESTARTING THE CAR. HOWEVER, A WEEK AFTER THE PROBLEM FIRST STARTED (AND LESS THAN 50 DRIVING MILES LATER), THE CAR COMPLETELY LOST ALL POWER STEERING. THIS ALL STARTED ABOUT A MONTH AFTER AN UPDATE FOR A TRANSMISSION RECALL. ACCORDING THE FORD DEALERSHIP, A GEAR HAD BROKEN IN THE STEERING COLUMN RESULTING IN THE FAILURE. WHEN DISCUSSING THE ISSUE WITH A MECHANIC AT A DIFFERENT SHOP, HE SAID THAT TYPE OF DAMAGE TYPICALLY IS THE RESULT OF SIGNIFICANT CRASH FORCE. THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. BARRING AN ACCIDENT, THE MECHANIC SAID THAT IT WAS MORE LIKELY THE RESULT OF A DEFECTIVE PART OR COMPONENT.