2018 FORD FOCUS Steering Problems

I was waiting to pull out of the parking lot after work making a left turn. When it was clear I accelerated but the car felt like it didn't want to turn, it just went straight, the wheel felt like it had locked up, it was super stiff. I almost hit parked cars and almost was hit by the oncoming traffic. I was able to stop before hitting the parked cars, put my emergency lights on, put the car in reverse and had to go incredible hulk mode on the steering wheel to turn it any kind of amount.. I managed to steer the car towards the curb and park. I was stuck on the side of the road for a bit looking up what it could be and I found that it was most likely the electronic power steering system going out. I also found that there was a...

My vehicle was inspected in order to determine why my vehicle is stalling, jerking, not going into reverse and giving a warning message that the car is overheating. My spouse and I were told the transmission control module needs to be replaced. Upon reading about my car's maje and midel, I learned this is a problem with 2018 Ford cars. It stalls and almost cuts off in traffic which is very dangerous

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence and was then towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the steering rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The repair was pending. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

My steering wheel got jammed in the middle of the road. Kt was just working fine and got stuck while I was driving. The ford dealer inspected the car and identified that my steering rack got cracked after the diagnosis. My car is driven just 40,000 miles

My vehicle seized up as I was driving it and I wrecked it aside a median. I had to tow it to the ford dealership for them to diagnose it as the recall stated. The recall wasn’t officially out yet, so I had to tow my vehicle back to my house. This happened in February 2024. I have received a new engine, but had to continue to make payments on a car that I was not able to drive and only received a rental within the past 6 weeks since I have paid for new brakes, new battery, new tires, and an alignment. None of these things were covered for the recall except the engine. The dealership clearly states that because my car has been sitting I have to purchase these other items. I have reached out to corporate and the dealership and haven’t gotten anywhere. I don’t know if...

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering assist warning light illuminated, and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with electronic power steering assist module failure. The contact was informed that the electronic power steering assist module needed to be reset. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

Car shuddered horribly on interstate. RPMs revving up like crazy. Transmission struggling. This caused the car to slow down drastically in the middle of traffic, nearly causing myself a fatal accident amongst others around me. No warning indications, just Transmission Fault Service Now as soon as it happened. In the past this vehicle has had transmission issues fixed and replaced by Ford themselves, due to the same shuddering and stalling as listed above. All those times, no check engine light or warning lights. Care would accelerate/jerk/shudder badly. Making it unpredictable to drive.

The power steering went out when I was 50 miles from home. It was very difficult to steer and presented a safety hazard since the handling was compromised and it was nearly impossible to steer the car.

The steering rack on my 2018 Ford Focus failed completely as I was leaving the parking lot at work at the end of the day. This vehicle is currently having being repaired at the Ford dealer and is available for inspection. No injuries or accidents occured as a result of the power steering failure. I do believe my safety and that of other drivers was put at risk because of the inability to maneuver the car at low speed and in a high traffic situation. The dealership and an independent service center have diagnosed and confirmed the problem as steering gear failure. The vehicle has NOT been inspected by manufacturer, police, or the insurance company since there was not accident or collision. I did NOT receive any dash warning, messages or symptoms prior to the steering gear failure.

The purge valve has been an ongoing continuous problem since we bought the vehicle. I have fixed it multiple times. It’s caused the vehicle to stall after putting gas in the tank, and just recently stalled while driving, causing me to hit a curb leading to the passenger front tire popping, the rim being dented, the tire rod bent, alignment out of wack, and the valance ripped off. It also caused a dashboard light to pop up saying Hill Start is Not Available. I was in the car thankfully alone and not with my children. The windshield wipers are a fairly newer issue, they come on whenever they want with the switch being touch. But won’t come on when I try to do it myself. I had my mom take a photo of the steering wheel/road while I was driving to show the severity of the alignment needed, it’s causing...

While on interstate felt steering wander. Within minutes I received a warning that the steering had a fault and service required. Now the car say it has steering failure. The cost to repair has been estimated at $4000+. I am still purchasing this vehicle and the mileage it at 75,000. With how quickly I lost steering I would say less than 10 miles of first steering issue. I am grateful I was able to park the car to avoid an accident. I have not been able to use this vehicle since this incident. The front wheels are locked up and towing it was inconvenient. This is the second problem we have had with this model the first being a transmission issue.

I was driving on the thruway when my car came on with a warning that I have never received before. Stating that my transmission was overheating and that I need to stop for five mins to let the transmission cool down. As soon as that light came on the car stopped moving and I could not get off the road. There was no indicator before that the transmission was even having issues of any kind. I could have died that day because of the car. I have only owned the car two years and this is the problems that this car has.

My 2018 Ford Focus has a recall, it has been in the service center since November for non-repairable issues. Ford Motor company has lacked transparency and disclosures by lying about the recalls and defects as more than one the Ford certified dealership confirmed my emissions warranty and recall on parts but the manufacture continues to deny any sort of warranty and recall which is “VIN” specific but my engine and transmission falls under the classification of the recall “1.0L Fox GTDI engine and a 6-speed manual transmission.” Recall is for 2016-2018 and mine is a 2018. The condition and symptoms of just under 49k miles has these ongoing, Non-repairable issues as it’s since had its Clutch motor replaced, Transmission Control Module that was on a National back order because thousands of other vehicles identical to mine have the same issues but some do and some have “no recalls on their...

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was determined to be a fuel system failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that after the check engine light appeared on the instrument panel, the vehicle failed to restart after several attempts. The contact also stated that the power steering assist intermittently failed to operate as needed with the steering assist fault message displayed. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN. The contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

On Saturday October 15, 2022 while driving my 2018 Ford Focus hatchback, the steering went out. I was able to avoid being hit by the car behind me by somehow managing to pull into a driveway. I had the car towed to my home and called my usual mechanic on Monday the 17th who told me that it could only be repaired at the dealership as it would require special calibration after the steering was fixed. I then had it towed to the closest Ford dealership to my home. I was informed the next day, the 18th, that the "steering gearbox had to be replaced which was caused by intermittent overheat internal to steering gear, internal fault has caused steering gear damage internally". I was informed parts, tax and shop fees would amount to 3500.00. They also said there was a back log on parts and they have no idea...

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while her daughter was driving at approximately 40 MPH and attempting to change lanes, the steering wheel seized. The driver was unaware if any warning lights were illuminated. The driver started to depress the brake pedal and jerked the steering wheel until the steering wheel unlocked. The driver was able to continue driving to her residence. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, but the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

Steering rack locked up while driving down the road out of nowhere

While driving on a very mountainous, winding road, the steering became stiff as I was in the middle of navigating a corner. For a few moments, the steering was completely unresponsive, before I was able to regain control with much force and effort. As I regained control of the vehicle, a warning light came on, which indicated: "System check, Steering Assist Fault, Service Required." I tried basic trouble shooting, but could not check the power steering fluid levels and the fuse that controls the system was in good working order. My normal mechanic stated that this must be serviced by Ford. The vehicle is putting out a code, but the mechanic and O'Reillys were not able to get the code to read. The loss of power steering assist, in the area I was in, nearly caused me to drive in to a creek. Unexpected loss of power steering caused me...

I lost power steering while driving. The wheel is locked up and will not steer at all. I was placed in a dangerous situation that could have led to the harm of myself and others. There was not any warning lights or previous issues it just stopped working all together. I took the car to shop and the diagnostic said the steering angle sensor needed to be replaced it was and the issue was not fixed. The code still read internal steering module failure. Code: U3000-96

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the power steering assist malfunctioned, and the steering wheel was very difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and was diagnosed that the steering gear was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle has been repaired. The local dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The approximate failure mileage was 25,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the power steering malfunctioned causing the steering wheel to become difficult to turn in either direction. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 30,000.

I WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE IN A PARKING GARAGE WHEN THE STEERING LOCKED UP ON THE VEHICLE. I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO DRIVE THE CAR. THERE WAS NO MESSAGE OR ALERT ON THE VEHICLE DASH. I HAD TO WRESTLE THE STEERING WHEEL WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY TO GET THE CAR IN POSITION TO BE TOWED, AS THE VEHICLE WAS UNDRIVEABLE. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT THE ELECTRIC ASSIST POWER STEERING RACK HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS 2 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY, I HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR ($2,840). IF THE STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE, AN ACCIDENT COULD HAVE OCCURRED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE MAKING RIGHT TURN, HE HEARD AN ABNORMAL SOUND AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DROVE TO HIS DAUGHTER'S RESIDENCE WHERE HE REPLACED THE STEERING FUSE. THE CONTACT THEN DROVE TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE ELECTRIC MOTOR AND THE STEERING GEAR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED WALT SWEENEY FORD (5400 GLENWAY AVE, CINCINNATI, OH 45238, (513) 922-4500) AND WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,100.

TL* THE CONTACT'S WIFE OWNS A 2018 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HIS WIFE WAS DRIVING AT 45 MPH, THE POWER STEERING CEASED WITH THE POWER STEERING ASSIST WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO GARY YEOMANS FORD LINCOLN (1420 N TOMOKA FARMS RD, DAYTONA BEACH, FL 32124) WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH POWER STEERING FAILURE AND REPAIRED. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH, THE STEERING CEASED WITH THE POWER STEERING ASSIST WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. GARY YEOMANS FORD WAS CONTACTED AND IT WAS SUGGESTED TO REMOVE THE NEGATIVE BATTERY TERMINAL FOR APPROXIMATELY TWENTY MINUTES AND THEN RECONNECT THE TERMINAL TO RESET THE SYSTEM. THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE FOLLOWED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE SAME DEALER HOWEVER, THE REPAIR WAS STILL PENDING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

DROVE THE CAR FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, THEN STOPPED AT A GAS STATION. WHEN THE CAR WAS STARTED AGAIN, THE POWER STEERING FAILURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, AND POWER STEERING ASSIST WAS NONOPERATIONAL. EVEN AFTER COOLING DOWN THE ENGINE, THE POWER STEERING STILL DID NOT WORK. TOOK TO A FORD SERVICE CENTER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE RACK AND PINION SYSTEM HAD FAILED, AND IT WOULD COST ABOUT $2,000 TO FIX. *TR

THE 2018 FORD FOCUS HAS BEEN IN THE REPAIR SHOP FOUR TIMES FOR A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT RELATING TO THE VAPER/VACUUM HOSE, SENSOR OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. IN ADDITION, THE FOCUS NOW HAS A BROKEN STEERING GEAR. I WAS DRIVING ON THE CITY STREET WHEN IT WENT OUT, AND THANKFULLY NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE NEAR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND CRASH INTO A DITCH. DURING THE CRASH, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN AT THE SCENE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER LONG LEWIS FORD(2551 JOHN HAWKINS PKWY, HOOVER AL.) WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINED CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 21,043. THE VIN WAS INVALID.

STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT TURN. VEHICLE WOULD GO INTO ALL GEARS AND COULD BE DRIVEN FORWARD AND BACKWARD. VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN DRIVE AT THE TIME. FORD DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY.

THE STEERING STARTED MAKING A GRINDING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE BECAME HARD TO STEER. AFTER PARKING THE CAR AND COMING BACK TO IT AFTER A MEETING IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO STEER THE CAR AND IT WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. THE CAR ONLY HAD 55248 MILES ON IT. DIAGNOSED AS THE STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY.THE STEERING SHOULD NOT FAIL MAKING THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE, ESPECIALLY WITH LOW MILEAGE. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST QUALITY ISSUE WITH THIS CAR TO AFFECT ITS DRIVABILITY.