NHTSA Complaint #11355145 — 2012 FORD FUSION

2012 FUSION SEL, 3.0L V6, 112,000 MILES: ON 9-3-2020 I WAS PULLING OUT OF THE LOCAL SHOPPING CENTER. AS I WAS PROCEEDING IT APPEARED THAT THE ENGINE HAD STALLED. IN ACTUALITY THE ENGINE DID NOT STALL AND THERE WAS A FAULT MESSAGE DISPLAYED "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT". I PROCEEDED HOME WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY STEERING THE CAR. ON THE WAY HOME I STOPPED AT THE LOCAL AUTOZONE CAR CARE CENTER TO REVIEW THE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR A POSSIBLE EXPLANATION AND REMEDY. THE MANUAL STATED THAT THERE WAS NO SERVICE FOR THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM ON THIS MODEL FUSION (FULLY ELECTRIC). I PROCEEDED OUT OF THE PARKING LOT AND AS SOON AS I WENT FORWARD A SECOND ALARM DISPLAYED "SERVICE ADVANCETRAC". NOW THE DISPLAY TOGGLED BETWEEN THESE TWO ALARMS. THE DAY PRIOR TO MY SERVICE APPOINTMENT I NOTICED THAT WHEN I STARTED THE CAR ONLY THE "SERVICE ADVANCETRAC" ALARM DISPLAYED, BUT THE VEHICLE STILL HAD NO POWER STEERING. THE FOLLOWING MORNING I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSTICS. LATER THAT DAY I WAS CONTACTED BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR WHO INFORMED ME THAT THE POWER STEERING RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE COST WAS GOING TO BE IN EXCESS OF $2000. BY NOW I HAD DONE SOME RESEARCH INTO THIS AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM (NHTSA ID# 15V340000, FORD ID# 15S18). I RELAYED THIS INFORMATION TO THE FORD SERVICE ADVISOR AND HE INFORMED ME THAT "YES THERE WAS A RECALL BUT MY VIN# WAS NOT INCLUDED". I AM AT A LOSS AS TO HOW THIS VEHICLE COULD NOT BE INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE IS VERY WELL MAINTAINED AND HAS ONLY 112,000 MILES OF MOSTLY HIGHWAY DRIVING. I CAN SAY WITH A GREAT DEAL OF CERTAINTY THAT HAD THIS OCCURRED ON THE HIGHWAY, ESPECIALLY AT AN EXIT OR ENTRANCE RAMP, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A DIFFERENT OUTCOME TO THIS. AT THIS TIME, EVEN AFTER THE REPAIR, I AM GOING TO BE UNSURE AND WORRIED ABOUT THE VEHICLE LOOSING STEERING CONTROL.