NHTSA Complaint #10908346 — 2013 FORD C-MAX

DRIVING ON I-40, ABOUT 150 MILES FROM MY DESTINATION ON JULY 31, 2016, THE "SERVICE POWER STEERING SOON" LIGHT CAME ON IN THE CAR. I FINISHED THE DRIVE HOME WITH NO PROBLEM AND TURNED THE CAR OFF TO UNLOAD IT. WHEN I RE-STARTED IT, THE CAR REPORTED A COMPLETE STEERING FAILURE, AND THE POWER STEERING ASSIST SIMPLY QUIT. I LOOKED ONLINE AND SAW THAT THIS HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT PROBLEM WITH THE FORD STEERING SYSTEM IN THE C-MAX AND OTHER MODELS. I ARRANGED TO HAVE THE ISSUE EXAMINED & REPAIRED AT MY LOCAL FORD DEALER. I DROVE THE CAR THERE, WITH EXTENSIVE EFFORT REQUIRED TO TURN THE WHEEL. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE STEERING UNIT HAD FAILED, WITH APPROXIMATELY 35,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. MY COST WAS APPROXIMATELY $1880, AND I DO HAVE THE RECEIPT. FORD REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT AND I WAS FORCED TO PAY THE FULL AMOUNT. I BELIEVE THIS KNOWN DEFECT CREATES AN UNSAFE SITUATION. 1. FORD SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE TO FIX THIS DEFECT AS IT IS FAR MORE COMMON THAT ACCEPTABLE, AND 2. THEY SHOULD CHANGE WHAT HAPPENS TO A CAR WHEN THE PROBLEM IS DETECTED. HAD I NOT HAD A LOT OF STRENGTH, I COULD HAVE GOTTEN INTO AN ACCIDENT TRYING TO GET IT IN FOR REPAIR. THE SYSTEM WORKED JUST FINE FOR 150 MILES, SO THERE WAS NO REAL ISSUE STOPPING THE STEERING ASSIST...UNTIL I TURNED IT OFF AND THEN THE CAR DISABLED ITS STEERING. FORD SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO LET THE CAR CONTINUE TO DRIVE AFTER THE CAR SELF-DISABLES ITS POWER STEERING. IT WAS ONLY SELF-DISABLED AFTER I SHUT IT OFF, SO IT WAS ACTUALLY STILL SAFELY DRIVEABLE, BUT THE CAR'S COMPUTER APPARENTLY DECIDED TO CREATE THE DANGEROUS SITUATION BY SHUTTING OFF THE EPAS SYSTEM COMPLETELY, YET LEAVE THE CAR DRIVABLE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS FAILURE AND COMPEL FORD TO ADDRESS THE STEERING UNIT FAILURE ISSUE AND REIMBURSE THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN FORCED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR.