NHTSA Complaint #11245675 — 2014 FORD FOCUS

MY FAMILY WAS LEAVING A PARKING LOT AND WHEN THE CAR WAS STARTED UP THE STEERING WOULD NOT WORK PROPERLY. IT WOULD NOT TURN WITHOUT A LOT OF DIFFICULTIES. A MESSAGE CAME ON THAT SAID: STEERING ASSIST FAULT. SERVICE REQUIRED. WE HAD TO GET TO AN AIRPORT AND WE WERE STUCK IN A PARKING LOT. WE WENT ONLINE TO SEE IF OTHERS HAD THIS PROBLEM AND IF THERE WAS A SOLUTION. WE SAW THAT OTHERS HAD THIS PROBLEM. ONE SOLUTION WE READ WAS TO LET THE CAR SIT A BIT AND THEN TRY AGAIN. WE DID THIS AND EACH TIME IT WAS STILL VERY HARD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. FINALLY, AFTER WAITING A LITTLE LONGER I STARTED THE CAR AND IT SEEMED TO BE ABLE TO MOVE BUT WAS STILL VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. AFTER CIRCLING THE PARKING LOT A FEW TIMES WE DECIDED TO TRY TO GET TO THE AIRPORT ON TIME. I DROVE AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT BUT I WAS VERY CAREFUL AND WE GOT THERE AND THEN HOME, SEVERAL HOURS OF DRIVING. I TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO SAID THAT WITH ONLY 58,000 MILES ON THE CAR IT SHOULD NOT HAVE THAT PROBLEM AND THAT HE COULD FIX IT FOR UP TO $2,000 BUT THAT HE WOULD RECOMMEND THAT FORD SHOULD PAY FOR IT AND THAT I SHOULD TAKE IT TO A FORD DEALER AND CONTACT FORD TO PAY FOR IT. I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL FORD GARAGE WHO WAS VERY ACCOMMODATING BUT WERE UNABLE TO PAY FOR IT. I THEN CALLED THE FORD COMPANY PHONE AND THE PERSON TOLD ME THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR IT AT ALL BUT THAT I SHOULD KEEP MY RECEIPT IN CASE THEY LATER WOULD PAY IF MANY WERE AFFECTED. I GOT THE CAR FIXED FOR $2,155. THAT WAS FOR: 1 HV6Z 3504 EP GEAR ASY - STEERING, AND ALSO FOR AN ALIGNMENT WHICH THEY SAID WAS NEEDED BECAUSE OF REPLACING WHAT THEY HAD IN THE STEERING. I HAD TRIED TO START THE CAR AT VARIOUS TIMES AND THE ERROR MESSAGE ALWAYS CAME UP AND IT ALWAYS STEERED HARD. I'M GLAD IT DIDN'T GO OUT ON ME WHEN I WAS DRIVING AS I SEE HAS HAPPENED WITH SOME PEOPLE. FORD SHOULD PAY FOR THIS.