NHTSA Complaint #11242083 — 2013 FORD FLEX

2013 FORD FLEX WITH ~130,000 MILES. SLOW RIGHT HAND TURN INTO PARKING LOT, COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING IN COMBINATION WITH "POWER STEERING FAILURE" AND "CHECK ADVANCETRAC" WARNING LIGHTS. RESEARCH INDICATES A RECALL (NHTSA ID: 15V340000,FORD 15S18, NHTSA) FOR MY VEHICLE BUILT BETWEEN 9/7/2010 AND 2/28/2012. AS MY BUILD DATE WAS 12/12 IT DOES NOT FALL UNDER THE RECALL. I HAVE CONFIRMED THIS WITH MY PERSONAL MECHANIC, A LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP (VARSITY FORD, ANN ARBOR MI) AS WELL AS WITH FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE. SYMPTOMS OF MY FAILURE ARE IDENTICAL TO THOSE DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL. MECHANIC FOLLOWED TECHNICIAN INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE RECALL, BY FLASHING/UPDATING PSCM MODULE SOFTWARE. STEERING APPEARED TO BE WORKING NORMAL. SUBSEQUENT WARNING LIGHT ~3DAYS LATER OF "SERVICE POWER STEERING" APPEARED, BUT STEERING WAS STILL FUNCTIONING. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE SOFTWARE UPGRADE IS "BANDAID", IF COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING OCCURS IN THE FUTURE, THE SITUATION MIGHT BE DIFFERENT RESULTING AN ACCIDENT AND/OR INJURY. IT APPEARS THE STEERING PROBLEM CONTINUED ON CARS BUILT AFTER FEB 2012, I HAVE INFORMED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND COMPLAINT HAS BEEN "ESCALATED" TO FORD REGIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER. I FEEL THAT THE BUILD DATE FOR COVERED REPAIRS SHOULD BE EXTENDED.