NHTSA Complaint #11394720 — 2008 MERCURY MARINER

I PARKED MY CAR, AND UPON RETURNING I STARTED IT, AND RECEIVED A WARING STATING THAT THERE WAS A "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT". FROM THAT MOMENT, I HAVE NO POWER STEERING AND THE VEHICLE IS EXTREMELY HARD TO STEER. WHEN I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC, HE PLUGGED IN HIS CODE READER AND CLEARED THE CODE, WHICH BROUGHT THE POWER STEERING BACK ON LINE. SOME TIME LATER, THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT AGAIN, TO WHICH MY MECHANIC CLEARED THE WARNING CODE, AND THE POWER STEERING WAS BROUGHT BACK ONLINE. THE STEERING ASSIST CONTINUES TO FAIL, AND IT GOT TOO EXPENSIVE TO HAVE MY MECHANIC CLEAR THE CODE CONTINUALLY. I'VE ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE WITH FORD, AND THEY STATE THAT THE POWER STEERING RECALL 14V284000 SERVICE HAS ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED ON MY CAR, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT DIDN'T PREVENT THE LOSS OF THE STEERING: ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM. FORD STATES THAT I AM NOW RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST TO REPAIR THE LOSS OF A SYSTEM THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF AS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM WITH THEIR PRODUCT. WHY WOULD I BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF FIXING SOMETHING THAT THEIR REPAIR WAS INSUFFICIENT AT PREVENTING? ARE THEY NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING AN ACTUAL SOLUTION TO THE RECALL ITEM, NOT JUST A TEMPORARY FIX TO SATISFY THE RECALL REQUIREMENT? MY MILAGE AND DATES OF OCCURRENCE ARE ESTIMATIONS, AS I DO NOT REMEMBER THE ACTUAL DATE OF THE INITIAL FAILURE.