NHTSA Complaint #11132874 — 2013 FORD FOCUS

ABOUT 5 MONTHS AGO, UPON STARTING MY CAR AFTER BEING LEFT OVERNIGHT RECEIVED AN ERROR MESSAGE OF "STEERING ASSIST FAULT" AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO TURN. I TURNED IT OFF AND RESTARTED IT AND THE ERROR MESSAGE WAS GONE AND THE STEERING WAS NORMAL AGAIN. THIS WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN TWICE OVER THE NEXT 5 MONTHS BUT IT ALWAYS CORRECTED ITSELF ONCE I RESTARTED THE CAR. EARLIER THIS WEEK THE ERROR CAME ON AGAIN BUT WOULDN'T GO AWAY AND MY STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN. WITH DIFFICULTY I WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE AFTER SEVERAL DAYS I WAS TOLD THE ENTIRE STEERING RACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS CAR IS LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD AND HAS JUST SHY OF 78,000 MILES ON IT.