2012 Ford Fusion Complaint Log

Problem: Electric Steering Rack. In the past few months when first starting car, sometimes steering wheel will not move for several seconds (1 -2) then steering frees up, but lately it is getting worse, sometime having to turn car off and restart. Also, one time dash indicator saying, "Steering Assist Failure". Checking on recalls for this problem, a number of Ford models has had recalls on this electric steer issue but not this particular vehicle. This seems like a very dangerous issue and we are afraid to drive it, but Ford won't do anything about it. The wrecking yards say that there is high demand for used electric steering racks which indicates this is a common problem. This car has only 70K miles on it. Est cost to repair $2,200 to replace steering rack.

Power steering went out and made me crash . Prior owner got it fixed but still didn’t fix issue

While driving the vehicle the power steering suddenly stopped working. There was no warning or indication of an issue with the power steering. This happened while traveling at 45-50 MPH so was able to safely maneuver the vehicle to a safe area. Searched on Ford website for recalls and there is an EPAS repair for the steering. I brought the vehicle to the dealership for the repair, but was informed the repair has expired and they will not repair it.

My power steering failed. The steering is very difficult to steer and maneuver at low speed. The error code on the dashboard beeps every time I enter the vehicle “power steering assist fault” and is available for inspection. This is extremely unsafe when driving at any speed because of the extra effort required to maneuver the vehicle putting other drivers or pedestrians at risk in the event of needing to avoid a collision. The problem has been inspected by Ford and another independent mechanic. Ford did not honor the recall. There was no warning for the issue, other than the beeping and the message on the dashboard. I had drove to the store and parked with power steering, when I started the car up to leave the store I suddenly had no power steering and had to have the car towed.

The contact's mother owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The check engine and power steering warning lights were illuminated. The contact used an ODB reader and determined that the power steering module was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and it was determined that the Electric power assisted steering (EPAS) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to function as intended and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed electric steering rack and pinion, and the right and the left outer tie rods. The contact was informed that the electric power steering rack and pinion and the right and left outer tie rods needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact referenced an unknown recall repair; however, the contact was informed that the recall repair was not associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 222,354.

My 2012 Ford Fusion power steering was recalled back in 2015 and was repaired with no charge . The power steering has again lost power steering for the 4th time. The experience has been frustrating ! In the past, if I turned the car off and back on the power steering would be restored. Well now it’s not coming back at all! Is there another recall on the power steering, that I don’t know about ? Thank you

Power steering failed and we were stranded 300 miles from home. Repair completed 6/19/23 Safety of myself and others was at risk due to the fact this was a known FORD problem for many years. On this trip, I drove over 600 miles to pick up my stranded husband (his truck also failed), I drove over the Mackinaw bridge, many other roads and this issue could have resulted in serious injury or death. (please see details on attached summary) Fortunately, the failure occurred as i pulled into the motel parking lot. The repair was done, which took one month, while I had no vehicle to drive. Problem confirmed by FORD dealership who repaired. My car was in at the Ford dealership for various maintenance and repairs with no mention of this known problem many previous times over the years of ownership. There were no warning lights or other symptoms prior to the failure.

We had to take our 2012 Ford Fusion on vacation from Kansas to Florida from May 26 to June 2, 2023. As we were preparing to drive the 1016 miles home, we suddenly had no power steering and the display in the car display read, "Service Power Steering Now". After checking that it wouldn't cause any problems to drive, we drove it home without power steering. After doing some research online, I found that there was a recall for the power steering, but my car wasn't covered. Today I contacted my local Ford dealership (Laird Noller Ford of Topeka, KS and spoke with Joaquin) who confirmed my car wasn't covered. They recommended I contact Ford Motor Company, which I did. The girl I spoke with just told me to get the car repaired and they would reimburse me should they ever institute a recall. With the car beign a 2012 and only having 124,000 miles, I feel this should not be happening and that Ford Motor Company should do a better job at taking care of customer concerns; particularly when it's a safety issue such as this.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 20 MPH, the "Service Power Steering" message was displayed, and the steering wheel became 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, but no assistance was offered. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously serviced under the NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) however, the failure reoccurred. The failure mileage was 160,000.

When driving, the vehicle lost power steering. After cycling the key as recommended, the power steering has not reengaged. This vehicle cannot be driven due to power steering. This going out when driving is a safety concern as it could cause accidents, injury and even death. The vehicle now displays SERVICE POWER STEERING NOW.

Unknown, my son in law came inside one day and said that the steering wasn't working I didn't realize at the time it didn't have a fluid port. So I wasn't sure how to get it done but then the power was being lost also from the engine. I called to see if it had any recalls but it doesn't supposedly but then why is it that other fusions same year have the issue and it was recalled or is mine just to late to be taken advantage of? I am unable to drive it and the dealership I bought it from didn't offer an extended warranty so it has been sitting on the side of my house because it is unsafe to drive. Please help me.... thank you. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Their is a recall for Ford Abs Module yet their needs to be one for 2012 Ford Fusions Se as well I have paid over 3200 dollars for my brakes alone . I have had 2 near misses and was in an unreported incident today from power loss on my breaks . Very unsafe for me and those around

Hit a bump and the Service Power Steering light came on but power steering was working. Shut the car off momentarily. When it was restarted there was no power steering. Car does have electic power steering pump.

While drive the power steering went out with no warning,

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while making a left turn at slow speed, excessive force was required to complete the turn. The "Service Power Steering Now" and "Service Advancetrac" messages were displayed. Despite the failure, the contact was able to drive the vehicle back to the residence. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) which he linked to the failure. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a defective power steering angle sensor. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving into a parking garage, a chime sounded and a message indicating that the power steering had malfunctioned was displayed. The vehicle then lost power steering functionality. The contact was able to park the vehicle. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle 5 minutes later and the vehicle operated as needed. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for a diagnostic test. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 100,700.

I HAD A FLAT TIRE AND EVER SENSE I GOT TIRE FIXED MY TRANCTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON AND MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I CALLED ABOUT THE RECALL BUT THEY SAID MY CAR WASNT COVERED .. I DONT UNDERSTAND WHY FORD ISNT FIXING THEM CAUSE FROM WHAT IVE READ ALOT OF FORDS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM AND IM ON A FIXED INCOME HOW WILL I AFFORD TO FIX MY ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPARTATION?

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The "Service Power Steering" message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who performed an unknown repair; however, the failure recurred. The independent mechanic then determined that the vehicle needed an alignment. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) however, the contact had not received the recall notification. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and declined to perform the recall repair due to the age of the vehicle and the mileage exceeding 100,000. The failure mileage was approximately 154,000.

Power steering stopped working and dashboard message power steering assist fault appeared. I understand Ford did a recall on the 6 cylinder cars with this problem. Can some please help all the people that had this problem. It seem to be a lot of people.

Transmission issues continue to appear without warning. Car shutters at times and fails to shift properly at low speeds. When exiting the freeway and coming to a stop, car wants to surge forward, even with brakes firmly applied. I have had the wrench light come on briefly two times. Took the car into a local transmission shop and requested diagnostic scan for codes and trouble shoot. No codes were found for transmission or any other system on the car. As the car had 100K miles, shop recommended a Transmission fluid change, even though Ford does not recommend this until 150K miles. Shop noted that fluid color was still red in color and no foreign debris was found in the old fluid. There is no evidence of fluid leaks either. Transmission shop recomended that I contact Ford delearship to see if they can reprogram or update Transmission Control Module. Contacted local dealership and was told that they would charge a minimum of $242.50 to run another diagnostic scan, but that there were no guarantees that this would solve the problem. A simple Google search shows that there are many "known issues" with this Ford Transmission that is in my vehicle, but Ford has not issued any recalls to remedy the problem. I feel that I am stuck between a rock and a hard place with an unreliable vehicle that Ford "knows" has transmission problems but chooses to ignore their customers.

Brakes failed while driving. Finally stopped after multiple attempts after pressing brakes to the floor. ABS, advancetrac, and ABS lights came up on dash while this was occurring (not prior). Dealer reproduced /confirmed concern. ABS module fix of $2750. Luckily I was driving slowly and no other cars, people, or animals were in the vicinity; otherwise, this could have resulted in injury/deaths.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering became inoperable. The power steering fault and service advance trac warning lights were displayed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified and referred her to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 139,000.

The electronic steering assist stopped functioning causing very difficult steering effort that could have caused a reduced ability to turn and avoid other cars, persons, or ovjects. The car showed “Power steering assist fault”

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started to shake without warning. The contact then stated that she attempted to operate the A/C unit, when she heard an abnormal sound inside the unit. The contact also stated that the unit failed to dispense cool air. Additionally, the contact stated that after the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle hesitated to respond for five seconds. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that due to an unknown electrical failure, the A/C compressor needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to bring the vehicle in for diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage as approximately 120,000.

TRANSMISSION SLIPPING NO WARNING LAMP OR CODE

This is the second time my door latch has malfunction. I'm a single parent and to keep having to come out of pocket to get the same issue fixed is a big inconvenience.The inside is broken I have to roll my window down and unlock my door from the outside just to get out of my car. This is a major safety hazard why hasn't the recalled 2012 Ford fusions been included for the door latches? I can't even lock my door and there has been numerous break-ins close by.

The electric power steering went out and the wheel will not turn. There is a similar recall in other cars with the same issues

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while a relative was driving the vehicle, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The relative veered to the side of the road. After several minutes, the vehicle operated as needed and was driven to the residence. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while he was pulling out of a parking lot. The contact was unsure if a warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that he continued driving by using physical strength to steer the vehicle. The power steering became operable. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where it was diagnosed that the power steering control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

Was driving my Ford Fusion and it said “steering fault” in my info center on the dashboard and luckily it happened while I was turning into onto my road about to pull in my driveway… as soon as I turned into my driveway my steering completely locked up…I contacted ford and they told me there was a recall on the steering module but my module was updated back in 2015 but if there is a safety recall on the part what will a update do?? Obviously nothing the module is still known to go bad and mine did and ford is telling me that the recall expired last year (10yrs from the manufacture date) how is this safe? A recall is a recall especially a safety recall ..if I was on the highway I could or someone else could of been hurt or worst… this is my 2nd complaint on this issue and I haven’t heard anything back …I shouldn’t have to spend 1500$ to fix something that should of been replaced under a recall

My Electric Power Steering Module was recalled my Ford and they stated that they reprogrammed the module (because at that time there were no fault codes) well now my steering went out and I almost wrecked my vehicle and when I called ford they stated they reprogrammed the module but also they are saying the recall expired 10 years from manufacture date (my fusion is a 2012) so the SAFETY RECALL expired last year in 2022 and they are saying they can’t do anything for me…how can a safety recall expire? And also the recall was issued in 2015..shouldn’t it expire 10yrs from the recall issue date? I’m sorry if this is a pointless argument but I almost caused an accident and even though when they “reprogrammed” the module then because there were no faults at the time don’t mean there can be an issue in the future!?!.. bottom line there part failed and could of killed me and people around me..shouldn’t they still be accountable for replacing a known faulty part?? If I was on the highway at high speeds when it failed it would have been catastrophic…. Can you please help me on this issue before someone gets hurt or even killed?? A safety recall SHOULD NOT HAVE AN EXPIRATION DATE!! When that module failed on me the steering wheel locked up and after a few times of pulling very hard on the wheel it finally broke lose …they say that even after the module goes bad “manual steering” is available but I’m telling you this thing locked up completely…I can send you a video of it to prove …please can you help me? Or help anyone else before someone gets hurt or killed, like I said, thank you Jim S.

While driving down the highway car all of the sudden alarmed service power steering now and service advance trac system. The steering wheel then locked up on the highway putting my family in harms way because we were unable to steer going 70mph. We were able to slow down and turn the steering wheel just enough to get off the highway and wait for a tow truck. My car was examined by the local for dealership. There were NO warning lights prior event. No warning signs.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the steering wheel seized and became inoperable. The contact shifted into neutral (N) and veered to the shoulder of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering column had failed and needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V3400 (Steering); however, the contact was informed by the dealer and the manufacturer that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

while setting in a fast food restaurant drive thru for 1 minute on 03/14/2023. I was asked to pull forward and could not steer my car. I pulled straight ahead to get out of the lane and couldn't steer left or right. I shut the car off for a moment, restarted and the steering works fine. I know that this car has electric assist power steering. I googled the problem with this model and found that many people have had the same issue. Some were saying that Ford covered it on a recall and others said that Ford took care of them on the problem. My car has only 108,000 miles and is in excellent condition. There are owners that have said that the dealership has replaced the rack & pinion, elec. motor, wire harness's, etc. and still have erratic loss of steering. Had this happened in traffic or cornering, the results could be disastrous. There was absolutely no control over the steering when this happened. I contacted Ford and they said that there were no recall/issues with this problem. It seems to me that when they replaced the passenger side air bag in 2019 that they may have done some type of power steering recall/software update?. I am afraid to drive this car until I can get some more info. or resolution on this . I have not been to a dealership at this time since the Ford factory rep. didn't acknowledge an issue or current recalls. When I pressed them on this issue, they suggested that I contact you. After the incident and restarting my car, I safely drove it home about 4 miles with no further incident. I did not notice any warning lights at the time of loss of steering. Thank you [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

"Power Steering Assistance Failure" error message, along with total failure of the power steering, reverting to manual steering only. This makes the car unsafe for driver and passengers, and undriveable. The dealer has diagnosed it as an internal failure of the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) that will cost $2,100 to fix. This is despite the fact that the dealer made a software fix two years ago to the PSCM to avoid problems like this.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while making a right turn, there was a popping sound coming from the steering wheel. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the mechanic stated that the electronic steering assist motor needed to be replaced. The contact was advised to contact a dealer for assistance. The dealer was contacted, and the dealer stated that the vehicle was not under recall. The manufacturer was contacted, and the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The failure mileage was 76,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The message "Power Steering Control Failure" was displayed. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the steering wheel responded as needed; however the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the steering gear control module was faulty. The independent mechanic related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering); however, the vehicle was repaired under the recall in 2016. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that she would be charged a repair fee as the vehicle was more than 10 years old. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 175,000.

Driver inside door handle does not allow the door to be opened.

Steering: Electgric Power Assist System Failure Making the car almost impossible to steer at low speeds.

The contact owns a Safety 1st Car Seat, Model Number: IC261BLBH, Model Type: Onboard 35 LT, Manufactured Date: April 19, 2022. The car seat was being utilized in a 2012 Ford Fusion when the contact noticed that the latches of the lower anchor had failed and were not securing the base of the car seat after several attempts. The child was in the car seat at the time of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The car seat was not replaced.

Steering failed rack and pinion

Service advance trac and service power steering now keeps coming on . I’ve looked this problem up and seems to be a VERY common thing amongst ford fusions. Because of this , my power steering turns off and no matter how many times I reset the code , it keeps turning back on . It makes it very dangerous to drive the car especially if it turns off in the middle of a trip/drive.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked, and the power steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

power steering locked up on the vehicle, fixed with key cycle

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the power steering assist fault message was displayed on the instrument panel and excessive effort was needed to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed, and the vehicle was diagnosed with power steering failure. The dealer informed him that the vehicle was not covered under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

The owns contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that their daughter was driving approximately 55 mph when the steering wheel began jerking and shaking. While slowing down to make a right turn when the power steering suddenly failed causing them to crash into a guardrail. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed due to the power steering failing and being too difficult to drive. The driver did not receive any injuries or medical attention. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who installed a power steering and performed a computer flash. The failure persisted after the repair and had begun to do so more consistently. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH the steering wheel became firm, making it difficult to turn the steering wheel. The contact stated that the Service Power Steering Assist message was displayed. The contact was able to drive back to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the steering assist was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was 80,000.

This is a general concern, not limited to only my car. Daytime running lights do not turn on the tail lamps. People believe if they have the DRL turned on, they’re safe, but they are difficult to see in rain/fog/tunnels etc. DRL should include tail lamps Also, automatic headlamps only come on when it gets dark enough out. It’s surprising how many tail lamps come on half way through the turnpike tunnel. Auto lamps should simply come on when you turn on the key. That’s a frustration of mine. Thank you for listening.

Power steering assist went out, dealer quoted $2200 repair for new steering gear on a car with around 70,000 miles. Reading on line, this seems like a common issue with this model car and should be covered by a recall.

Bait n switch at the dealership two years ago “no open recalls except for the passenger airbag” that’s fine. couple nights ago, i go to get some groceries and my power steering fails. no problem, usually, i just turn my car on and off again but this time it’s actually quit on me. my dad tells me to check the recalls (which i think is pointless bc i already know there’s “only one”) lo and behold there was a recall on the power steering that coincidentally expired the year i bought the car. i’m at 100,000 now and i’m the fourth owner. got quoted $190 just for Ford to diagnose it. i’m not the type of person to make a big deal over this, i hate lawsuits, i hate haggling, i hate doing all this but i’ll be damned if anybody tries to f*** me over over and over again