NHTSA Complaint #11098150 — 2011 MERCURY MILAN

JUST RETURNED BACK HOME FROM A VACATION AND WAS DRIVING MY ENTIRE FAMILY BACK HOME FROM THE AIRPORT. THE WEATHER WAS NICE SO I HAD THE WINDOWS DOWN WHILE ON THE FREEWAY. AS I WENT TO EXIT THE FREEWAY GOING ABOUT 72 MPH, I REALIZE THE STEERING SEEMED MORE DIFFICULT THAN USUAL, BUT THOUGHT NOTHING MORE AND PROCEEDED TO MAKE A SHARP LEFT HAND TURN OF THE FREEWAY GOING ABOUT 35 MPH. AS I ENTERED THE TURN, I QUICKLY REALIZED THE POWER STEERING WAS NOT WORKING, AS I STRUGGLED TO KEEP MY CAR FROM CRASHING INTO THE BRIDGE WALL. AS WE CAME TO A STOP I NOTICED A MESSAGE DISPLAYED ON THE DASH ABOUT A POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE AND THE TRACTION CONTROL WAS OFF. I NEVER HEARD THE WARNING DUE TO THE ROAD NOISE AND WAS CAUGHT COMPLETELY OFF GUARD. HAD MY WIFE BEEN DRIVING OR THE ROAD BEEN WET OR SNOW COVERED, I AM CONVINCED, WE WOULD HAVE CRASHED! MY 2011 MERCURY MILAN HAS ROUGHLY 121,000 MILES ON IT. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS SINCE, THE POWER STEERING STILL DOES NOT WORK. MY WIFE IS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR AS SHE CAN'T EVEN TURN THE CAR IT OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY AS IT TAKES CONSIDERABLE FORCE TO TURN THE WHEEL.