NHTSA Complaint #11315887 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

WE RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2012 FORD FOCUS HATCHBACK FOR MY 16 YEAR OLD SON. THIS MORNING, HE STARTED THE VEHICLE AND BEGAN DRIVING AWAY FROM THE HOUSE. WHILE DOING SO HE WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING CONTROL OF THE CAR DUE TO THE POWER STEERING BEING NON-FUNCTIONING. FORTUNATELY I WAS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND NOTICED HE WAS STRUGGLING. HE TOLD ME THE STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY HARD TO TURN. I INSTRUCTED HIM TO PULL OVER BUT HE COULDN'T TURN THE WHEEL HARD ENOUGH SO I ASKED THAT HE JUST STOP THE CAR. AT THAT TIME, WE SWITCHED SEATS. SURE ENOUGH, THE POWER STEERING WAS NOT FUNCTIONING AND THE WHEEL WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. AN AMBER COLORED WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR BACK HOME TO PARK IT. AFTER SHUTTING IT OFF AND RETURNING TO CHECK ON IT LATER AND LIKELY TAKE IT TO THE MECHANIC AS I FIGURED THE POWER STEERING WAS COMPLETELY OUT, I FOUND THAT UPON RESTART THERE WAS NO ISSUE. SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE BEEN CONDUCTING RESEARCH AND HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AND CONCERNS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE SAME VEHICLE. SEVERAL PERSONS HAVE WARNED THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO THEM WHILE IN MOTION, SOME OF WHICH AT HIGH SPEEDS ON THE INTERSTATE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY INCREDIBLY CONCERNING, PARTICULARLY FOR YOUNGER, INEXPERIENCED DRIVERS WHO MAY PANIC SHOULD THIS OCCUR WHILE IN MOTION. ACCORDING TO COMPLAINANT REPORTS AND THE NHTSA WEBSITE THERE IS NO CURRENT RECALL BY FORD FOR THIS ISSUE AND THE PARTICULAR MODEL. PLEASE HELP REMEDY THIS ISSUE SO THE SAFETY OF DRIVERS OF THIS VEHICLE, PARTICULARLY CHILDREN, AND THOSE THAT SHARE THE ROAD WITH THEM IS ENSURED. THANK YOU.