10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 23 / 2
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 25 / 5
- Average Mileage:
- 85,634 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.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
The steering wheel became very hard to turn while driving. After the car was turned off, it was still the same. $2000 for repair. Came back from the shop with a dead battery. Another $180. Money I don't have. 76,000 miles at failure.
- Grand Praire, TX, USA
Drove car to store on way to work. Parked car came out to start vehicle. Panel lit up stated" steering assist fault. Turned car off remained the same message appeared. Called Ford Motor Company was told covered on the powertrain dealer says it will cost over $2000 that monies I don't have to spare,
- Sacramento, CA, USA
Turned my car on to take my son to school and immediately the "steering assist failure" alert came on. Tried turning the car off and back on but still the same alert. Took it to the dealer mins after and they informed me the rack and pinion would need to be replaced costing me over $2000!
- Manassas Park, VA, USA
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. While driving 35 mph, the power steering seized without warning and caused the contact to veer slightly off the road. The contact was able to regain control of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 118,000.
- Daytona Beach, FL, USA
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. When the vehicle was started, the steering wheel was difficult to operate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the power steering module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
- Mt.Airy, MD, USA
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while making a turn, the steering malfunction warning light illuminated as the steering wheel became extremely difficult to maneuver. The contact mentioned that after turning off the vehicle and restarting it, the vehicle resumed to normal function. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the tcm needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired, however, failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who stated that the steering column might need to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 59,365.
- Angelica, NY, USA
The electrical steering system stopped working in this car. The steering wheel became very heavy feeling, and was very difficult to steer. The vehicle was in motion on a city street when this first started.
- Grand Prairie, TX, USA
Power steering has intermittently gone out on car. On June 21, 2016 the steering fault light came on while backing out of a parking place. The steering locked up, the fault light appeared and stated service was required. Dealership says computer recorded default message but Ford Motor Company will not authorize repairs unless the steering locks up, light and default message appears while in the dealership's possession. We have contacted Ford Motor Company and they refuse to take any action. I have filed a complaint and received a case number -cas9882100- as of June 22, 2016.
- Rocky Point, NC, USA
While driving the electric steering assistance fault code showed up. I lost the power steering on the vehicle. The wheel was extremely hard to steer. I was able to limp it home. If this my wife or daughter driving when this happened, I'm not sure if they could have been able to control the car. Doing a search on this issue I found multiple complaints file on this issue. This is a extreme safety issue that needs to be addressed by Ford before someone is seriously hurt or killed if it hasn't happened already.
- Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Steering wheels locks up and I get a message stating "steering assist fault". this is the second time in 2 weeks that the vehicle has done this when I started the car. The only way I have found to clear it is to stop the car and restart.
- Kernersville, NC, USA
For three years from 2013 to current I reported my car having intermittent electrical issues where my power steering would just fail and my speedometer would cease to function this could happen while driving or stationary.... I reported this to Ford and over the course of three years had the issue inspected but they could not resolve the issue.. now the car is out of warranty but say it is due to faulty censors.
- Pinellas Park, FL, USA
My power steering started working only intermittently and has now completely stopped working. My car is necessary for my job and so I have no choice but to drive it this way. I have done research and found that Ford is aware of the problem and has recalled other models, but not the Focus. I have contacted Ford and was told that there is no recall for this on this model and that I would have to repair it at my expense.
- Mcdonough, GA, USA
On the 6/9/2016 and on the 6/12/2016 I went out to start my car, an indicator light comes on that say stirring assistant or system, it does it very fast, failure. Then the stirring wheel becomes impossible to turn. I couldn't leave my drive way.
- Atlanta, GA, USA
On 6/82016 I was driving to work in the early morning, as I accelerated forward while turning the corner at a elementary school zone, a steering assist fault error message appeared on my instrument cluster. Then I lost all steering and I could not turn the wheel to avoid the small children and parents that were at the corner waiting for me to pass.I slammed on the brakes and avoided a life changing tragedy. I towed the car to santa margarita Ford who informed me that the electronic power steering box failed and the repair was going to be $1,895. I called Ford and talked to alex (case # tas-9779156-D5J4Q5) who took my report, checked and quickly returned with bad news that there was nothing they can do. I asked him if someone needed to die for Ford to take resposiblity for this unsafe system, but got no reply.
- Potrero, CA, USA
Power steering fault service assistant
- Window Rock, AZ, USA
Power steering assist indicator comes up intermittently when starting the car or while driving and it is extremely difficult or impossible to steer the car. Now it has not gone off for days and I am unable to safely operate my vehicle. It has happened to my mother a couple of times on the highway and she almost got into an accident at 70mph. Ford needs to address and correct this before there are anymore accidents or deaths. They did it in their other vehicles, why did they leave out the Focus"?? and for that matter, when is the NHTSA going to finally step in???"
- Manahawkin, NJ, USA
In 2012 I purchased the vehicle from future Ford in sacramento California. Over the past four years, the car has problems with the transmission, PCM module, transmission control module, clutch, starter, steering wheel, electrical system. I took the car to two Ford dealerships for repairs. The service technicians cannot repair the car. I contacted Ford Motor Company many times and they refuse to refund my money and recall the vehicle the car is very dangerous to drive and a risk to my life and safety. Updated 07/19/16
- Sacramento, CA, USA
Takata recall // for several months I have experienced the power steering going out on my car. Most of the time it happened as I started the car. I was able to turn off the car and start again and it was fine. Few times I was driving and the power steering went out. I looked online and see other Ford cars are under recall for rhis problem but not for my Focus. Ford obviously is aware of this problem and is ignoring it. So does someone have to die before Ford takes notice of how many cars they manufactured are faulty and they are putting us comsumers at risk every time we have to be on the road. Not everyone can afford an extended warranty or the expense of getting problem fixed. And it should not be up to the consumer to fix faulty car made by Ford, it is Ford that needs to place recall on this car and fix to have all thier consumers safe on the road. If not I can guarantee I will not recommend anyone to buy Ford.
- San Antonio, TX, USA
Electric steering gear out. $1650 dollars to replace at the dealership. This is an ongoing issue with Ford's bad design of electronic steering. 150 plus complaints with crashes and deaths. This is my 20yo daughters car and thank god she wasn't driving it when it went out. Basically a yard ornament now until we can afford to fix it. Still making the payments but no chance of driving the hazard to the road car.
- Piggott, AR, USA
- Sudbury, MA, USA