2012 FORD FUSION Steering Problems

I WAS TRAVELING UP A PARKING RAMP WHAT THE POWER STEERING GAVE OUT AND A DEFAULT SHOWED UP ON THE DASHBOARD. I HAVE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED 2 WEEKS AGO. THIS IS THE FIRST INCIDENT. *TR

THIS IS THE THIRD TIME MY POWER STEERING HAS JUST RANDOMLY GONE OUT OF OUR RENTAL 2012 FORD FUSION. THE FIRST TIME, I WAS TRAVELING AT 25 MPH MAKING A LEFT TURN. SECOND WE WERE DRIVING 50 MILES AN HOUR CHANGING LANES. THIS MORNING ABOUT A QUARTER A MILE FROM OUR HOME SHE LOST POWER STEERING AND HIT THE CURVE RESULTED IN A BLOWN FRONT TIRE. WHAT A DANGEROUS CAR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FUSION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE STEERING RACK WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE 38,000.

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME MY POWER STEERING HAS JUST RANDOMLY GONE OUT OF MY 2012 FORD FUSION. THE FIRST TIME, I WAS TRAVELING AT 60 MPH ON A FREEWAY. YESTERDAY, I WAS STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT. BOTH TIMES MY HUD WARNS ME THAT "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT", SERVICE ADVANCETRAX" OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES... AND EACH TIME MY STEERING WILL BECOMES ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN. THE ISSUES IS SOLVED IF I TURN OFF MY CAR AND TURN IT ON A FEW TIMES. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE AND IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL SOMEONE DIES FROM THIS POWER STEERING FAILURE. *TR

DROVE CAR FROM HOME TO SUPERMARKET WITH NO PROBLEM. WHEN LEAVING SUPERMARKET AFTER CAR HAD BEEN SHUT OFF, WAS BACKING OUT OF PARKING STALL AND NEARLY HIT ANOTHER CAR BECAUSE POWER STEERING WAS INOPERATIVE. THIS DEFINITELY CAUGHT ME BY SURPRISE! MESSAGE TO THE EFFECT "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE" WAS DISPLAYED. DROVE CAR WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY TO DEALER. SERVICE REP AT DEALER TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED CAR; PROBLEM HAD GONE AWAY, POWER STEERING WAS NOW WORKING. MECHANIC AT DEALER RAN DIAGNOSTICS WHICH INDICATED A BAD STEERING MOTOR/STEERING GEAR. CAR IS BEING REPAIRED AT DEALER TO REPLACE STEERING MOTOR/STEERING GEAR. WOULD HAVE BEEN SCARY AND DANGEROUS IF THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT ON HIGHWAY. *TR

UPON STARTING THE CAR THE POWER STEERING WOULD NOT TURN THE WHEELS ON THE CAR. ON THE ODOMETER IT READ POWER STEERING FAULT..... AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR THE ELECTRONIC STEERING WORKED. HOW DO YOU RESTART A CAR THAT'S MOVING? *TR

WE WERE DRIVING THE VEHICLE DOWN THE ROAD AT A SPEED OF ROUGHLY 50 MPH. WITH NO ADVANCED WARNING THERE WERE CHIMES GOING OFF AND A MESSAGE IN THE WARNING CENTER TELLING ME POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE SERVICE ADVANCETEC. WITH GREAT EFFORT WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE CAR OFF OF THE ROAD WAY, TURNED THE ENGINE OFF, LET IT SIT FOR 5 MINUTES AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE WITH NO ISSUES. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAS DONE THIS THE FIRST TIME WASN'T A GREAT BIG DEAL SINCE WE WERE SITTING IN A PARKING LOT WITH THE CAR IDLE. *TR

AFTER 20 MIN DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS, POWER STEERING SUDDENLY FAILED AND WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN, BUT WITH CONSIDERABLE EFFORT WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER INTO PARKING LOT (WOULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS ON THE HIGHWAY). TURNED OFF ENGINE AND RESTARTED CAR AFTER 10 MIN, AND STEERING BEGAN OPERATING NORMALLY WITH NO WARNING LIGHT. *TR

I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN ON A DIRT ROAD WHEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT AND MY STEERING WHEEL JERKED THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND I WENT OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND DID DAMAGE TO MY FENDER. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALER THAT I PURCHASED IT FROM FOR WARRANTY FIX AND TO FIX MY FENDER AND THEY DENIED MY WORK AND WOULDN'T FIX THE POWER STEERING EVEN THOUGH THE CODE PO7AE AND U0415 CLEARLY CAME UP. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AND FORD NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

WHEN EXITING ONTO THE ACCESS ROAD OF A MAJOR FREEWAY, MY 2012 FORD FUSION'S POWER STEERING LOCKED UP AND I COULD NOT MANEUVER THE WHEEL (THERE WAS NO ADVANCE WARNING OF THE IMPENDING FAILURE)... IMMEDIATELY, I TURNED ON HAZARD LIGHTS AND REDUCED SPEED, THEN WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE DASHBOARD SHOWED AN ERROR STATING "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT." I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND UPON RESTART OF THE ENGINE, THE POWER STEERING BEGAN WORKING AGAIN. TODAY, OCT. 22, 2012, THIS SAME POWER STEERING FAILURE HAS NOW OCCURRED FOR THE FOURTH TIME IN LESS THAN A MONTH. EACH OCCURRENCE WAS AT SPEEDS LESS THAN 25 MPH, HOWEVER ON TWO OF THESE OCCASIONS, I NEARLY HAD AN ACCIDENT WITH VEHICLES NEARBY BECAUSE I HAD NO CONTROL OF THE STEERING AND COULD NOT MANEUVER OUT OF THE WAY OF THE NEIGHBORING VEHICLES... THANKFULLY,...

WAS DRIVING ON FREEWAY AT 65MPH. SERVICE POWER STEERING SOON LIGHT CAME ON THEN PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. OWNERS MANUAL SAID I NEEDED TO TURN VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON. AFTER I TURNED THE VEHICLE BACK ON THE "SERVICE POWER STEERING SYSTEM NOW" LIGHT CAME ON. THE VEHICLE HAD COMPLETELY LOST THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM. THE STEERING BECOME VERY DIFFICULT TO USE. IT BECOMES VERY STIFF AND JERKS HARD TO WHICHEVER SIDE YOU TURN IT TO. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY. AFTER A WEEK IN THE SHOP THEY REPLACED THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS AND RESET THE VEHICLE COMPUTER. MANY FUSION FORUMS SAY THAT THIS DOESN'T FIX THE PROBLEM AND HAVE RETURNED THE VEHICLE FOR MORE REPAIRS. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILURE. HAS OCCURRED FOUR TIMES. WARNING ON THE DASH FOR "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE" THEN POWER STEERING FAILS. NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE WHEEL. HAPPENED IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC ON INTERSTATE AS WELL AS MAKING A TURN IN A PARKING LOT WHICH NEARLY LED TO A COLLISION WITH A PARKED CAR SINCE I COULD NOT TURN THE WHEEL. SINCE IT HAPPENED TWICE BEFORE I KNOW TO PUT IN NEUTRAL THEN TURN OFF AND TURN ON THE IGNITION. HOWEVER, PREVIOUSLY FORD DEALER REPLACED LOWER FRONT ARM IAW FORD TSB. THIS OBVIOUSLY DID NOT FIX THE ISSUE. MOST RECENT FAILURES WERE WITHIN 150 MILES OF EACH OTHER. I CANNOT LET MY WIFE DRIVE THIS CAR AS SHE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL IN THE EVENT OF A FAILURE. *TR

3 DIFFERENT INCIDENTS. 1 ON 8/8/12, 2 ON 8/10/12. ALL DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS DURING SHORT DISTANCE TRIPS ( LESS THAN 15 MILES ). FOR NO APPARENT REASON, CAR CHIMED, SHOWED WARNING TO SERVICE ADVANCETRACK, POWER STEERING FAILURE ( DO NOT RECALL EXACT WORDING OF WARNING ). CAR WAS MANUEVERABLE BUT VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. ABLE TO RESET POWER STEERING BY STOPPING, TURNING OFF / RESTARTING CAR. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILURE AFTER CAR HAD BEEN PARKED FOR 45 MINUTES IN 102 DEGREE OUTDOOR WEATHER HEAT. CAR OPERATED NORMALLY FOR AN HOUR BEFORE PARKING THE CAR. AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR, THERE WAS NO FUNCTIONING POWER STEERING ASSIST. CAR WAS DRIVABLE, AND STEERABLE WITH GREAT EFFORT. REPAIR MADE AT FORD DEALERSHIP UNDER WARRANTY (CAR WAS 11 MONTHS OLD WITH 5140 MILES ON ODOMETER). THE ELECTRONIC ANTI-LOCK CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED. SERVICE STAFF SAID THE ELECTRONIC MODULE ALSO CONTROLLED THE POWER STEERING AND ADVANCETRAK VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEMS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FUSION. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN HE DROVE THE VEHICLE THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN AND WAS RESISTANT WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT WAS NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130. ...UPDATED 08-10-12 *BF

STARTED THE CAR, MESSAGE CENTER DISPLAYED POWER STEERING ASSIST DEFAULT.STEERING WHEEL COMPLETELY TIGHT. FOLLOWED MANUAL DIRECTIONS TO TURN OF IGNITION,RESTART AFTER 10 SECONDS,MESSAGE RETURNED. TERRIBLY FRIGHTENED. IN AN EFFORT TO GET TO SAFE LOCATION, DROVE THE CAR SLOWLY USING INCREDIBLE UPPER ARM STRENGTH TO TURN STEERING WHEEL. TOWED TO DEALER NEXT DAY..INFORMED THAT RACK AND PINION NEED REPLACING. DEFECTED FROM MANUFACTURE. JUST PURCHASED THE CAR, ITS ONLY 90 DAYS IN MY OWNERSHIP. I DO NOT TRUST THIS CAR AT ALL. I HAD AN 11 MONTH OLD IN THE CAR, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR ACCIDENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FUSION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WARNING LIGHT FLASHED ONCE AS THE STEERING FAILED. THE WRECKER SERVICE TOWED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE THE STEERING RACK WAS REPLACED. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE ELECTRONIC POWER ASSIST FAILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 600 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,500. UPDATED 02/15/12*BF UPDATED 03/08/12

AFTER HIGHWAY DRIVING FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND PULLING OFF TO CITY AREA, CAME TO A STOP AND THEN RELEASED BRAKE AFTER STOP SIGN AND GLIDING THRU INTERSECTION THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON SOMETHING TO THE AFFECT OF "POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION". TURNED CAR OFF AND RESTARTED AND CAR WORKED FINE AGAIN. LITTLE SCARY THOUGH CONSIDERING IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED IN LESS SAFE CIRCUMSTANCES. MAKING APPOINTMENT TO HAVE LOOKED AT BY THE DEALER. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILURE. "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" WARNING ON MY DASH, ALTERNATING WITH "SERVICE ADVANCETRAC" WARNING. POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO CHANGE LANES AND TURN ONTO OFF-RAMP. PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF IGNITION, RESTARTED CAR AND FAULT WENT AWAY AND POWER STEERING WORKED AGAIN. IF MY WIFE HAD BEEN DRIVING SHE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL TO PULL OUT OF TRAFFIC AND INTO A SAFE AREA; I COULD BARELY TURN THE WHEEL. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO AND HAS LESS THAN 3,000 MILES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FUSION. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE CONTACT STATED THE SERVICE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATES ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE STEERING RACK WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 300.