NHTSA Complaint #11343476 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS IN THE CITY I LIVE IN, MY POWER STEERING SUDDENLY WENT OUT. AT FIRST I THOUGHT THAT MY ENGINE HAD STALLED, BUT THEN I REALIZED THE MOTOR WAS STILL ON. MY FORD FOCUS SUDDENLY LOST IT POWER STEERING FUNCTION WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT. (VERY SCARY) AN ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS DISPLAYING (STEERING ASSIST). I DROVE HOME TO SEE IF I COULD READ UP IN THE INTERNET TO SEE IF I COULD SELF DIAGNOSIS THE PROBLEM. SOME VIDEO INDICATED IT WAS A FUSE. (OTHERS INDICATED COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE) I CHECKED MY FUSES IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE STEERING. THERE ARE OKAY. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED AUTO MECHANIC SHOP TO SEE IF THEY CAN HELP ME. THEY COULD NOT, IN FACT THEY WERE CAUGHT AT SURPRISE THAT THIS WAS A NON-FLUID STEERING SYSTEM.(NO OIL REQUIRED) THEY RECOMMENDED I GO TO ANOTHER SHOP, BUT THE RESULTS WERE THE SAME. THE DIAGNOSIS IS REPLACE THE ENTIRE RACK & PINION SYSTEM. ACCORDING TO THE INTERNET THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH FORD FOCUS AND FORD FUSION AS WELL AS LINCOLN'S. IF THIS IS IN FACT AN ISSUE WITH FORD VEHICLES PLEASE CONSIDER A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. I CAN NOT PROVIDE ANY PHOTOS BECAUSE THE ISSUE IS INTERNAL, UNDER THE VEHICLE.