NHTSA Complaint #11023980 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR IN SEPTEMBER, 2015, WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK I FIRST SAW THE "STEERING ASSIST FAULT - SERVICE REQUIRED" MESSAGE WHEN I STARTED MY CAR. TURNING THE CAR OFF, THEN BACK ON AGAIN, REMOVED THE MESSAGE, AND POWER STEERING WORKED FINE. I WOULD GET THIS MESSAGE ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH, ONLY WHEN STARTING THE CAR, AND NEVER WHILE DRIVING. TURNING THE CAR OFF THEN ON AGAIN ALWAYS RESOLVED THE ISSUE. I MENTIONED IT TO THE DEALER WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN FOR ITS FIRST OIL CHANGE. THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE STAFF AVAILABLE ON THE WEEKEND TO FIX IT, THAT I'D NEED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT DURING THE WEEK TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. BUT THE FACT THAT IT WAS ONLY HAPPENING OCCASIONALLY, IT WAS DRIVING OK AND THE ISSUE WAS RESOLVED WHEN RESTARTING THE CAR, I WAS TOLD IT WASN'T URGENT AND THE NEXT TIME I BROUGHT IT IN FOR SERVICE THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT. SO IN JANUARY, 2016, WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN FOR SERVICE AND I MENTIONED THE ISSUE, THEY LOOKED FOR THE ERROR CODE BUT COULDN'T SEE IT, SO THERE WAS NOTHING TO FIX. I KEPT GETTING THE STEERING ASSIST FAULT MESSAGE ABOUT ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH, ONLY WHEN STARTING THE CAR, AND IT WOULD RESOLVE WHEN RESTARTING THE CAR. IN AUGUST 2017 I BROUGHT MY CAR TO FIRESTONE FOR INSPECTION, AND I MENTIONED IT THEN. THEY LOOKED FOR THE MESSAGE BUT COULD NOT SEE THE ERROR CODE, SO THERE WAS NOTHING TO FIX. 2 WEEKS LATER, SEPTEMBER 2017, I STARTED THE CAR, GOT THE MESSAGE, TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON, AND GOT THE MESSAGE AGAIN. I TRIED RESTARTING MY CAR 6-7 TIMES, STILL NO POWER STEERING. I DROVE A LITTLE, STOPPED, TURNED IT OFF AND ON AGAIN, STILL NO POWER STEERING. THE DEALER SAYS IT NEEDS THE STEERING GEAR REPLACED, AND WILL COST $1700.00.