NHTSA Complaint #10899783 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

ON AUGUST 17, 2016, I WAS DRIVING MY FOCUS AND WHILE TURNING A CORNER, MY STEERING SEEMED TO LOCK UP. I COULDN'T TURN THE WHEEL. I BRAKED HARD BECAUSE I WAS HEADED INTO PARKED CARS. I WAS ABLE TO REVERSE AND PARK GOOD ENOUGH UNTIL TOW TRUCK ARRIVED. I HAD IT TOWED TO FORD DEALER IN SANTA MONICA, CA. THE SERVICE AGENT TOLD ME THAT MY BATTERY WAS LOW AND CAUSED MY STEERING ISSUE. I INFORMED HIM THE BATTERY WAS ONLY ONE YEAR OLD. HE REPLIED THAT IT HAD A BAD CELL. HE TOLD ME IF I PUT A NEW BATTERY, IT WILL FIX ISSUE. I AUTHORIZED REPLACEMENT AND PICKED UP MY CAR THE NEXT DAY. ON AUGUST 26, 2016, I WAS IN MY CAR AND A WARNING POPPED ON MY DASH, "BATTERY LOW, CHECK MANUAL." I DROVE IT STRAIGHT TO FORD. THE SERVICE AGENT CHECKED MY BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR AND SAID THEY BOTH WERE GOOD. HE FIRST TOLD ME THAT WARNING ALWAYS COMES ON WHEN YOU TURN KEY ON BUT DON'T START ENGINE. I TOLD HIM IT HAD NEVER POPPED ON BEFORE IN THE FOUR YEARS I'VE HAD THE CAR. HE INSISTED I JUST HADN'T NOTICED IT BEFORE. I TOLD HIM I'M SURE THAT IT NEVER HAPPENED. SO WHEN HE TEST DROVE IT, HE SWITCHED UP HIS OPINION THAT THE WARNING WAS REFERRING TO THE KEY REMOTE. I ASKED HOW BECAUSE IT SHOWED A SYMBOL OF THE CAR BATTERY. I TOLD HIM I HOPE YOU'RE CORRECT AND IT IS JUST THE REMOTE BECAUSE I WAS WORRIED THAT THE STEERING WOULD LOCK AGAIN AFTER HE PREVIOUSLY SAID THAT IT WENT OUT BECAUSE OF LOW BATTERY. SO I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE BACK TO WHERE I WAS STAYING AND WHEN I TURNED INTO A DRIVEWAY TO TURN AROUND, MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I WAS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO STEER IT WELL,BUT WAS ABLE TO REVERSE AS CLOSE TO CURB AS POSSIBLE AND AGAIN WAITED TO BE TOWED BACK TO FORD. END RESULT: THEY HAD IT FOR FOUR DAYS, DROVE IT FOR 72 MILES AND HOOKED IT UP TO A DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE. THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE MY FOCUS. I FEEL LIKE THE STEERING COULD GO OUT OR LOCK UP AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT.