NHTSA Complaint #10949123 — 2012 FORD FUSION

VEHICLE HAS ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING AND NOT HYDRAULIC. WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN TRAVELING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHERE THE POWER STEERING CUT OFF AND IT IS VIRTUALLY UN-STEERABLE AT ALL. FORTUNATELY THIS OCCURRED AT LOW SPEED WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO BARELY MUSCLE THE CAR OFF THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. IT SEEMS THAT IT RESPONDS TO HAVING THE ENGINE TURNED OFF AND RESTARTING IT AND RETURNS TO NORMAL. I LIVE IN FEAR THAT WE COULD BE IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF A 3 LANE MAJOR HIGHWAY AND UNABLE TO CONTROL OUR VEHICLE WITH 18 WHEELERS ON ALL SIDES. WE WOULD HAVE TO STOP THE ENGINE AND RESTART TO REGAIN STEERING. WE BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO REPAIR. WE CHOSE TO RISK OUR LIVES AND NOT FIX IT. FORTUNATELY THIS HAS ONLY HAPPENED A FEW TIMES. I HAVE SEEN INTERNET REPORTS OF THIS BEING A KNOWN PROBLEM. *TR