2011 FORD FLEX Steering Problems

WHILE ENTERING MY PARKING GATE WHEELS LOCKED AND I COULD TURN STEERING WHEEL, SAW STEERING DEFAULT FLASHING ON DASH READING. TURNED OFF CAR PUT STEERING INTO PARK AND WAITED. TRIED TO START CAR IT WAS PHYSICAL HARD TO TRUN WHEELS TO ENTER M YPARKING AREA. GOT IT PARKED AND HAD TO WAIT FOR MONDAY TO CALL FORD DEALER TO TOW CAR FOR SERVICE. THEY COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM, BUT THE DEFAULT STEERING FREEZES THE WHEELS HAS HAPPEN TWO MORE TIMES. I REPEATED TURNING OFF KEY AND RESTARTING THE CAR. DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING, FEARFUL IT MAY HAPPEN WHILE ON FREEWAY OR BUSY STREETS.

DRIVING MY 2011 FORD FLEX A WARNING CAME ON FOR "SERVICE POWER STEERING" BEFORE THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THERE WAS NO PREVIOUS WARNING AND THE INCIDENT NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *TR

ON AUGUST 8, 2011 AND FEBRUARY 8, 2012, MY NEW FLEX SHUT DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS FLASHED ON, AND THE VEHICLE TURNED OFF - TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE - COULDN'T ACCELERATE OR BRAKE - HAD TO PAINFULLY PULL CAR OFF THE ROAD. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER. FORD DEALER PERFORMED DIAGNOSTICS TO NO AVAIL, AS WHEN THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN, I TURNED THE KEY OFF, THEN BACK ON AGAIN - THIS DESTROYED THE DATA. SEEMS LIKE A FUNDAMENTAL DATA SYSTEM FLAW. NONETHELESS, I DROVE AWAY FROM THE DEALERSHIP IN FEAR, ONLY TO HAVE THE INCIDENT RECUR SIX MONTHS LATER. NOW I AM DRIVING WITH A DATA FLIGHT RECORDER FOR A MERE TEN DAYS, THE BUTTON OF WHICH I MUST PUSH, IF AND WHEN THE CAR SHUTS DOWN AGAIN. WITHOUT RECORDED DATA, THOUGH FORD BELIEVES MY REPORT, I SEEM TO HAVE NO RECOURSE WITH FORD. I NOW AM...

INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF ELECTRIC POWER STEERING ASSIST. THIS HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES IN A 6 MONTH PERIOD. FAILURES ON INITIAL VEHICLE START, TRACTION/STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURE IS INDICATED. STEERING WHEEL IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN DUE TO LACK OF POWER ASSIST. TURNING CAR OFF AND RESTARTING WILL CLEAR FAILURE INDICATION. REPORTED TO FORD DEALER, FORD WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE INTERMITTENT ISSUE. *TR

CAR SHUT OFF COMPLETELY WHILE DRIVING. IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE ONCE ON THE HIGHWAY AND ONCE ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET WHILE MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN BOTH TIMES POWER STEERING WAS GONE. TOOK CAR TO DEALER AND THEY CANNOT FIND ANYTHING BECAUSE IT DID NOT LEAVE A SIGNATURE. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN THE DEALERSHIP SHOP FOR TWO WEEKS NOW. *TR