10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 10 / 0
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 5 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 49,254 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the steering wheel failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the assist fault error and an unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with steering gear failure. The contact was informed that the steering gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,263.
- Pacoima, CA, USA
My car is a 2016 Ford fusion and it was working fine until February of 2025. There was a message that appeared on the dashboard as soon as I started the car. The message was -??steering loss, stop safely-?? making it extremely difficult to turn. The steering can-??t even turn left or right. It-??s locked in place. I had to get it towed and now it-??s undrivable. I can-??t even get it fixed because my specific VIN # is not listed for a recall and I-??m unsure what to do. I need help what can I do?
- Rochester, NY, USA
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated that the instrument cluster and the radio turned off unintendedly. The contact stated that the power train, hill assist, and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel failed to function as intended. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was able to be restarted after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to two dealers; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V632000 (STEERING); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.
- Princeton, IN, USA
The ABS module is faulty and light will come on at random times and makes steering hard and braking on right side of vehicle is hard. I have taken it to Raceway Ford of Hartsville and they are having a hard time getting the part due to it being called obsolete but I think it needs to be on the recall list as well due to it being a safety concern on my vehicle.
- Patrick , SC, USA
I have never had this issue before with this car. I started the car up to go to the store and saw all these lights on my dash. I keep my car maintained well. Tires, oil, tune up etc-?? and when I saw the lights on the dash it said service advance trac and steering loss stop safely with 2 other icons above it. So I didn-??t know what that was so I sent to get power fluid not knowing it wasn-??t a reservoir. I know Ford had/has a recall on 2016 ford fusions model for THIS EXACT ISSUE! My steering cannot turn at all I need my car, PLEASE I am on disability and it-??s not right that the recall won-??t cover all ford of this model with this issue. I beg, I need my car fixed.
- Princeton, NC, USA
I have had road salt contamination with the electrical wiring to the power steering causing the wires to become brittle and break causing a power steering failure in a right curve which caused the steering wheel to jerk the car to the left nearly causing a collision. The power steering failed again due to high friction inside steering gear and has a broken bolt on the EPAS motor to the steering gear.
- Clarksville, IN, USA
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, and the power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
- Louisville, KY, USA
The power steering failed suddenly while driving. The vehicle became nearly impossible to steer and control. Our safety and the safety of others vehicles or pedestrians was put at risk because the car could not be steered or controlled properly. The failure could have easily caused a serious and perhaps life threatening accident. Luckily, due to circumstances, we were able to pull over safely without causing an accident. It suddenly became extremely difficult to steer the car to a safe stop. No warning lamps were illuminated until the problem was actually happening. The warning lamps read "power steering assist fault; pull over safely immediately". The car was towed to a auto mechanic. The mechanic was able to "reset" the power steering but could not diagnose the problem. We then took the car to a Ford Dealer for further inspection. The Ford Dealer diagnosed the car and said it needs a new Power Steering Rack. We were told the original part is "failing" from the inside. The repair at the Ford Dealer is priced at $3170. The car is 9 years old and the mileage is approximately 80,000. For about two days before this incident we noticed that the steering occasionally felt slightly "jerky" while making turns but there was no warning lamps until the power steering completely failed.
- Buffalo, NY, USA
This incident is replicable. When driving in lower speed (parking) and moments after switching into a gear (drive or reverse) the power steering goes out. The dash flashes with 2 errors -??service AndvanceTrac-?? and -??Hill Assist-?? following dash lights illuminate: Airbags, ABS, & Traction control. Once the vehicle is turned off and then back on, the indicator lights go away and power steering works again. This vehicle was made at Flat Rock by FMC on 8/26/15 and was purchased & registered in the state of New York from 2015-2021 but Recall # 19S26 only refers to Vehicles made at Flat Rock between 8/21/13 - 6/14/15 (This vehicle was made 83 days later)
- Tempe, AZ, USA
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at a slow speed, the steering wheel started to wobble with the "Power Steering Assist Fault Service Now" message displayed. The contact pulled into a parking lot and the -??Loss of Power Steering - Pull Over to the Side of the Road for Safety" and "No ABS" messages were displayed. The contact attempted to read the safety manual but found no information about the failure. The contact called her husband who had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The independent mechanic later called the contact and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be serviced because no fault codes were found. The vehicle was later towed to a dealer and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V167000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact called the manufacturer and was provided a case number and the contact was then transferred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 180,000.
- Grass Lake, MI, USA
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, the message steering loss was displayed on the instrument panel and the steering wheel seized. The contact stated that the failure was temporary. The vehicle then regained power steering functionality and the contact continued driving. The contact stated that the following morning while starting the vehicle, the failure recurred. The vehicle then became inoperable. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V632000 (Steering). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
- Rochester, NY, USA
Electric rack and pinion steering failed while driving. It will not be available because the core need to be exchanged for the new part. I could not steer the car. I had no power to the steering. Luckily I could get it into my driveway before it completely locked up. Yes the garage I had it towed to had to push the car into the garage because it was not drivable. No one but the mechanic has inspected the part. I received a warning stating my power assist steering needed attention, and please drive slowly to a stop. I do not have any repair invoice because my vehicle is still being repaired The reason I am filing this complaint is that Ford has had problems with this steering component and was recalled in other Fusions but when contacting them, they said that mine was not covered under the recall for what appears the exact same reason.
- Tecumseh, MI, USA
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The message "Loss of Power Steering - Pull Over to the Side of the Road for Safety" was displayed. The contact stated that the steering wheel had seized, which prevented the contact from pulling to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the residence of a family member. An independent mechanic diagnosed that the power steering pump and the power steering harness had failed due to internal friction. The vehicle was then towed to an unknown dealer, where it was diagnosed that the power steering rack had failed due to internal friction and needed to be replaced. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that after the steering rack replacement, that a four wheel alignment needed to be performed, and the TCM and the ECM needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was not repaired and was in the process of being shipped to the contact's State of residence. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 84,036.
- Muskegon, MI, USA
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became inoperable. The contact stated that the steering wheel felt loosened. The contact stated that the steering wheel made it difficult to turn to the left or the right. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the power steering module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 142,178.
- Aubrey, TX, USA
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The Advance Trac warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an auto repair shop where it was diagnosed and determined that the rack and pinion steering system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.
- Venice, FL, USA
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that on two occasions while the vehicle was parked, the check engine, ABS, parking brake, traction on/off, and power train warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the steering wheel became firm. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the electronic power steering module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 165,000.
- Del Rio, TX, USA
My 2016 Ford Fusion's power steering went out while?driving, making it extremely difficult to turn effectively, especially at lower speeds. After the loss of power steering, the dashboard started showing warnings about "Hill Assist", "Powertrac" being unavailable and "Power steering loss - stop safely". The steering also feels "clunky" where the steering wheel jumps when turning. There are also clicks heard from near the engine compartment when turning. Now, the warnings on the dashboard display when first starting the car. I brought it to a Ford dealership who diagnosed the issue and determined that the steering gear needed to be replaced. They quoted $6000 to replace the entire power steering assembly. This issue seems to be part of Ford recall 19V632, however my VIN is not covered. I live in Minnesota and my car is in contact with road salt and other contaminants (especially in the winter) very often. There were no problems with steering prior to this issue.
- Saint Paul, MN, USA
Loss of power steering and multiple codes light up on dash about an hour prior to loss. Experienced a slow escalation of having difficultly steering of approx 1-2 days where steering did not seem as responsive. Was able to return home, but upon restart i had no power steering steering and multiple diagnostics failure lights coming on [Steering Loss Stop Safety, Service Advance Trac, Hill Start assist not available]. This currently is in a state of not being able to drive. Losing power steering assist puts safety at jeopardy at any speed to not allow for any fine movement or directional control. If this happened at any rate of speed this is a concern. It being the weekend I will need to discuss with my local mechanic as well as local dealership on course of action. I have tried to restart several times with the warnings and still lack of steering
- Ashland, MA, USA
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH and attempting to make a right turn, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact used excessive force to pull to the side of the road and allowed another individual more capable of maneuvering the vehicle without power steering functionality. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the Traction Control and Hill Assist Failure warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 101,000.
- Binghamton, NY, USA
- Council Bluffs, IA, USA