NHTSA Complaint #11014813 — 2015 FORD FUSION

ON JULY 26, 2017 I EXPERIENCED A NEAR TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING OF MY 2015 FORD FUSION WHILE DRIVING IN A PARKING GARAGE. WARNING LIGHTS INDICATING A LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST AND OF TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVATED. STEERING RETURNED TO NORMAL AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE. MY FORD DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED. I TRIED TO THEN DRIVE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR WHEN THE PROBLEM REPEATED ITSELF. I GOT SAFELY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND ARRANGED FOR A TOW. THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS BEING A FAILED STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY AND THE POWER STEERING RACK WAS REPLACED, COSTING $1,871.42. A BRIEF INTERNET SEARCH INDICATES THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST THREE RECALLS OF FUSIONS (AND OTHER FORD / LINCOLN MODELS) FOR POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE (6/11/2013; 5/2/2015; 6/27/2015). THIS IS APPARENTLY A COMMON PROBLEM WITH FUSIONS AND REPORTS OF SYMPTOMS IDENTICAL TO THOSE DESCRIBED HEREIN ARE NUMEROUS. THE ACTUAL FAILURE THAT CAUSED THIS EVENT IS UNKNOWN: CODES WERE PULLED THAT INDICATED THE ELECTRIC STEERING RACK ASSEMBLY NEEDED REPLACEMENT BUT THIS DOES NOT PINPOINT WHAT PART OF THE ASSEMBLY WAS AT FAULT. WHEN ASKED WHAT WOULD CAUSE THIS LOSS OF STEERING ON A VEHICLE HAVING 59,666 MILES ON IT, THE FORD SERVICE MANAGER SUGGESTED IT WAS DUE TO "DRIVING OVER ROUGH ROADS". THIS EXPLANATION, WHETHER TRUE OR NOT, IS ABSURD AND UNACCEPTABLE. THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED UNDER THE SAME ROAD CONDITIONS COMMON TO ALL DRIVERS. IF THE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF THE FUSION STEERING SYSTEM IS DELICATE ENOUGH TO FAIL UNDER NORMAL USE IT SHOULD BE REPLACED. PROBLEMS THAT RESULT IN COMPROMISED STEERING OR BRAKING ARE LIFE-THREATENING. IT WOULD SEEM TO BE ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE ONGOING STEERING PROBLEMS WITH THE FUSION RESULTS IN DEATH.