NHTSA Complaint #11217815 — 2014 FORD FOCUS

MY SON AND I STOPPED AT A REST AREA ON A ROAD TRIP. WHEN MY SON STARTED THE ENGINE TO CONTINUE THE TRIP HE RECEIVED THE ERROR CODE "STEERING ASSIST FAULT, SERVICE NOW". WE WENT TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALERSHIP WHO SAID THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE CAR FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AND IF I WAS COMFORTABLE DRIVING WITHOUT POWER STEERING IT WOULDN'T HURT ANYTHING ELSE. SINCE MY 1ST CAR DIDN'T HAVE POWER STEERING I DECIDED TO GIVE IT A GO. WHEN WE REACHED OUR FINAL DESTINATION WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT NEEDED TO HAVE THE RACK AND PINION REPLACED AT A COST OF $2,400. THIS SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING THEME WITH THE FORD FOCUS. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THIS WOULD HAVE OCCURRED WHILE MY SON WAS DRIVING AT 65 MPH ON THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE.