NHTSA Complaint #11031711 — 2013 FORD FOCUS

POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE INDICATED ON INSTRUMENT PANEL AND FULL LOSS OF ANY STEERING ASSIST. STEERING REQUIRES/REQUIRED LOTS OF MUSCLE TO MAINTAIN ANY FORM OF ACTIVE DRIVER INTENDED STEERING CHANGES. IT MAY FAIL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 70 OR ON VEHICLE STARTUP. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND FIND A SAFE PLACE TO STOP AND FORTUNATELY RESET THE POWER ASSIST WITHOUT ANYONE BEING INJURED OR KILLED. RESTARTING VEHICLE RESET THE PS ASSIST MODULE FOR A FEW MONTHS BUT THE SYSTEM IS NOW FULLY NONWORKING. THE STEERING GOES OUT WHENEVER IT DESIRES. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP WITH A POSSIBLE RACK-AND-PINION REPLACEMENT OR A STEERING COLUMN REPLACEMENT ONCE THE PROBLEM IS FULLY DIAGNOSED. THIS WILL ALSO REQUIRE A VEHICLE ALIGNMENT AND POSSIBLE COMPUTER RESET AND RE-FLASH ACCORDING TO THE SHOP. COST WILL BE AT LEAST $2500. THANKS FORD FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR YOUR CORPORATE STRUCTURE AND OFFLOADING YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AND COST FOR YOUR POOR ENGINEERING AND DESIGN TO THE VEHICLE OWNER. POOR ENGINEERING AND LACK OF WILLINGNESS TO FIX A PROBLEM IS SURE TO GAIN YOU A LOYAL FOLLOWING. I AM ALMOST ASHAMED TO SAY I AM FROM THE DETROIT AREA AND HAVE BEEN A PROPONENT OF BUYING FROM THE BIG THREE. I WILL UPLOAD THE REPAIR RECEIPT ONCE THE REPAIR ACTION IS COMPLETED.