NHTSA Complaint #11123508 — 2014 FORD FOCUS

ON 8/24/2018 I PULLED INTO A GAS STATION AND FILLED THE CAR UP. AS I WAS LEAVING I HEARD A GRINDING NOISE AS I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL. I HAD NEVER HEARD ANY NOISE FROM TURNING BEFORE. AS I DROVE HOME 4.7 MILES THERE WERE NO TURNS, BUT THE ROAD DOES WIND A LITTLE BIT. AS I WAS DRIVING I NOTICED THE STEERING FELT A LITTLE "LOOSE" AND A LITTLE UNRESPONSIVE. THERE WERE NO LIGHTS OR WARNING SO I CONTINUED HOME WHERE I WOULD LOOK AT IT. WHERE THE ROAD CURVED I COULD HEAR A GRINDING SOUND AS TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL. NO SOUND WAS HEARD WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT. WHEN I GOT TO MY BLOCK I MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN AND THE GRINDING NOISE WAS VERY PRONOUNCED. WHEN I TURNED LEFT ONTO MY STREET THE NOISE WAS JUST AS PRONOUNCED. WHEN IN MY DRIVEWAY I TURNED THE WHEEL WHILE PARKED AND THE GRINDING SOUND WAS AT THE SAME LEVEL. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL RIGHT AND LEFT AND THE GRINDING NOISE WAS THE SAME AS WHEN THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER I READ ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF IT BEING A STEERING ASSIST FAULT. I STARTED THE CAR AND CHECKED FOR WARNINGS AND LIGHTS AND THERE WERE NONE. I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL AND GOT THE SAME GRINDING NOISE. THE NEXT DAY I JACKED THE CAR UP TO VISUALLY INSPECT THE STEERING LINKAGE AND CV AXLE. NO PLAY IN THE CV, NOTHING VISIBLY BROKEN IN THE STEERING. I TRIED TURNING THE WHEEL WITH THE CAR ON THE JACK STANDS AND NOW THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT MOVE AT ALL. I REMOVED THE STANDS AND TRIED AGAIN TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT AND RIGHT, IT WOULD NOT TURN EITHER DIRECTION.