NHTSA Complaint #10913859 — 2013 FORD FLEX

FORD FLEX 2013 FAILED POWER STEERING ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2ND WHILE STEERING TO THE RIGHT (AND MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE) THE POWER STEERING ON MY 2013 FORD FLEX COMPLETELY FAILED CAUSING ME TO ALMOST DRIVE OFF A HILL INTO THE EMBANKMENT BELOW. A POWER STEERING FAILURE MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE DASH BOARD AS THIS WAS HAPPENING. THE CAR HAS ONLY 55,000 MILES. AFTER RETRIEVING THE VEHICLE, I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA FORD. I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND A RECALL #15V340000 WAS FOR THIS EXACT POWER STEERING PROBLEM FOR 2011, 2012 AND SOME 2013 FORD FLEXES. AFTER RUNNING TESTS AT RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA FORD- A DIAGNOSIS OF DTC U3000:49 WAS FOUND SAYING POWER STEERING INTERNAL FAILURE. AFTER INITIALLY BEING LED TO BELIEVE (BY RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA FORD) THAT FORD WAS HONORING IT UNDER THE RECALL, TO MY SURPRISE FORD HAS DECLINED MY 2013 FORD FLEX SAYING IT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE INITIAL RECALL(NUMBER ABOVE. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY AND LIABILITY ISSUE. I COULD HAVE DRIVEN OFF A CLIFF WITH MY 3 KIDS IF IT FAILED AT THE WRONG MOMENT OR HIT OTHER CARS AND CAUSED SOMEONE ELSE HARM OR EVEN DEATH. THE POWER STEERING FAILED COMPLETELY WITHOUT NOTICE. I WAS UNABLE TO MANEUVER THE STEERING WHEEL AT ALL. I THINK OTHER OWNERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE IT TAKEN CARE OF BY FORD SO THEY ARE NOT AT RISK OR IN DANGER. FORD SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROTECTING THEIR CUSTOMERS AND REPLACING ALL DEFECTIVE POWER STEERING ISSUES. I HAVE ATTACHED PART OF THE INVOICE FOR YOU TO SEE THE DIAGNOSIS CODE. I OPTED TO NOT GIVE THEM ANOTHER $2,000 TO FIX THEIR DEFECTIVE ISSUE AND HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE IT ELSEWHERE. SO THAT IS WHY IT SAYS DECLINED REPAIRS FOR THAT SECTION. REFERENCE THE SECTION THAT SAYS LABOR 126.00 TO READ THE CODE.