NHTSA Complaint #11405664 — 2010 FORD FUSION

I WAS DRIVING BACK HOME AND THE 'POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT' MESSAGE CAME UP ON MY DASH. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT UNTIL AFTER ABOUT 4 MILES WHEN I WAS SUPPOSED TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY BUT THE STEERING JUST WOULDN'T TURN. I IMMEDIATELY FREAKED OUT. I KEPT GOING STRAIGHT FOR A BIT AND I THEN TRIED TO FORCE IT TOWARDS THE RIGHT SHOULDER (THANKS GOODNESS I WAS ON THE RIGHT LANE ALREADY) BUT AS I STARTED TO SLOW DOWN THE CARS BEHIND ME WOULD HONK AND THE PASSAGENS WOULD STARE AT ME WHILE PASSING LIKE IF I WAS TRYING TO MESS WITH THEM ON PURPOSE. THAT WAS SCARY AND EMBARRASSING. TURNED THE EMERGENCY LIGHTS ON AND PULLED OVER TO CALL A FRIEND WHO KNOWS A BIT ABOUT CARS. I WAS TOLD I WAS OK TO FORCE THE STEERING IN ORDER TO GET HOME, ALTHOUGH I WAS SO SURE IT WAS GOING TO LITERALLY BREAK AND COME OFF IN MY HANDS. AFTER AROUND 13 MILES I GOT HOME AND MY NOW BOTH ARMS ARE TOTALLY SORE AND I'M NOT KIDDING. I WASN'T EVEN ABLE TO MANEUVER THE CAR INTO MY SMALL GARAGE SINCE IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL IF THE CAR IS FULLY STOPPED. THE CAR IS THERE... PARKED AND USELESS. I JUST CALLED FORD AND I WAS TOLD I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THE TOW TRUCK TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC AND TO GET THE CAR FIXED. SERIOUSLY? I'M AN COLLEGE STUDENT FULL OF STUFF TO PAY AND ALWAYS LIVING IN A BUDGET. IT SEEMS LIKE THE COST FOR THIS IS OVER $1800 AND THERE'S NO CHANCE I HAVE SUCH ABSURD AMOUNT TO FIX THIS PROBLEM THAT WASN'T EVEN MY FAULT. I NEED THE CAR EVERY SINGLE DAY SINCE IN UTAH THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN GET ANYWHERE WITHOUT IT. I DON'T CONSIDER DRIVING THE CAR IN THIS SITUATION (IT'S PROBABLY NOT EVEN RECOMMENDED) AND I'VE BEEN BORROWING MY ROOMMATE'S CAR, WHICH I CAN'T DO FOR MUCH LONGER FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. I WONDER WHAT FORD IS GOING TO DO TO HELP NOT ONLY ME BUT ALL THE UNFORTUNATE FORD FUSION'S OWNERS.