NHTSA Complaint #10993445 — 2013 FORD FUSION

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY (THE MIDDLE LANE ON 690 IN SYRACUSE AT 4:30 PM), A NOTIFICATION CAME UP ON MY DASHBOARD SAYING "STEERING ASSIST FAULT, SERVICE REQUIRED." I THEN LOST ALL POWER STEERING WHILE I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY DURING RUSH HOUR. AAA CAME AND IT WAS BROUGHT TO A LOCAL CAR CARE CENTER WHERE MY FAMILY ALWAYS GOES TO GET OUR VEHICLES FIXED. THEY DROVE MY CAR AND SAID IT WAS DRIVING FINE AND THAT NO CODES WERE SHOWING UP. ONCE I DROVE IT HOME FROM THE MECHANIC, THE SAME NOTIFICATION POPPED UP ON THE DASHBOARD AGAIN AS I WAS PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY (STEERING ASSIST FAULT, SERVICE REQUIRED). I THEN BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR (I HAD TO DRIVE IT WITH NO POWER STEERING). THEY STATED THAT I NEEDED A COMPLETELY NEW STEERING GEAR. WHILE DOING SOME RESEARCH BEFORE MY VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, I FOUND SEVERAL ARTICLES STATING THAT THE STEERING GEAR NEEDED TO REPLACED ON OTHER 2013 FORD FUSIONS (I BELIEVE MY CAR WAS MANUFACTURED IN THE SAME PLACE AS THE OTHER FORD'S THAT HAD THEIR STEERING GEARS RECALLED BASED ON THE VIN NUMBER OF MY CAR). THE DEALERSHIP AND FORD CORPORATE STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT (PERTAINING TO REIMBURSEMENT) BECAUSE MY CAR'S VIN NUMBER WAS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST FOR THAT PARTICULAR ITEM (THE STEERING GEAR). I ENDED UP PAYING JUST UNDER $1,800.00 .