NHTSA Complaint #11326508 — 2012 FORD FUSION

MAY 29, 2020 WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO START MY FORD FUSION AFTER IT WAS PARKED A "LOSS OF STEERING ASSIST" MESSAGE APPEARED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER MESSAGE CENTER. I HAD THE CAR TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD THE CAR NEEDED THE STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY REPLACED AT A COST OF $1,600. WHILE THE CAR IS A 2012 MODEL, IT HAS ONLY 34,000 MILES ON IT. I WAS TOLD THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. DOING SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND THAT THERE WAS A NHSTA RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V340000 ON THIS ISSUE AND THAT THERE WAS A FORD SAFETY RECALL 15S18 SUPPLEMENT#1 IN 2015 AND #2 AND #3 DATED 5/17/2019 DETAILING REPLACING THE STEERING ASSEMBLY AT NO CHARGE TO THE OWNER FOR THE MODEL YEAR 2011-12 BUILD DATES THROUGH FEBRUARY 28, 2012 WITH AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THROUGH 2022 OR 150,000 MILES . SINCE MY CAR WAS BUILT IN JUNE OF 2012, THE DEALER SAID IT WAS NOT WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. SUBSEQUENT ONLINE RESEARCH INDICATES THAT FORD'S CUTOFF DATE OF FEBRUARY 28, 2012 IS HIGHLY SUSPECT AND PROBABLY ARBITRARY BECAUSE THERE NUMEROUS, PERHAPS HUNDREDS, OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS POWER STEERING FAILURE ISSUE GOING INTO 2020 ON VEHICLES BUILT AFTER FEBRUARY 28, 2012. FORD OBVIOUSLY DID NOT RESOLVE THE MANUFACTURING ISSUE BY FEBRUARY 28, 2012 AS THEY WOULD LIKE YOU TO THINK THEY DID.*DT*JB