NHTSA Complaint #11396392 — 2012 FORD FUSION

THE POWER STEERING HAS FAILED ON THIS VEHICLE 4 TIMES IN THE LAST TWO YEARS. IN EVERY CASE, IT FAILED WHILE DRIVING. THREE TIMES ON THE HIGHWAY AND ONCE IN LOCAL TRAFFIC. WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILS, IT TAKES AN ENORMOUS EFFORT/STRENGTH TO MAKE A TURN, CHANGE LANES, OR PARK. TWO OF THE TIMES THE POWER STEERING FAILED, THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO CLEAR THE CODES AND THE POWER STEERING WAS RESTORED. THE OTHER TWO TIMES REQUIRED EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. ONE (OCTOBER 2020) WAS FOR ALMOST $1700 AND REPLACED THE CONTROL RODS AND TIE RODS. THIS RESTORED THE POWER STEERING FOR TWO MONTHS, THEN IT WENT OUT AGAIN. RESETTING THE CODES WORKED FOR TWO DAYS, BUT THEN THE STEERING WENT OUT AGAIN. THE RACK AND PINION AND CONTROL BOARD WERE REPLACED IN FEBRUARY 2021 AT A COST OF JUST UNDER $2000. LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHEN UNDERWAY IS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR CARS OF THIS MAKE AND MODEL, AND THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL AFFECTING SOME 393,000 VEHICLES, BUT NOT ALL VINS. THOUGH MY ISSUE IS EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL, FORD MAINTAINS THAT MY CAR IS NOT COVERED. CHECKING ONLINE, I SEE THAT MANY OTHERS ARE IN THE SAME SITUATION. THEIR FUSION HAS EXACTLY THE SAME POWER STEERING ISSUE AS THE RECALL, BUT FORD SAYS THEIR VIN IS NOT ONE OF THOSE RECALLED. IT IS CLEAR THAT A LARGER NUMBER OF VEHICLES WERE AFFECTED THAN FIRST BELIEVED, AND ALL THOSE AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.