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CarComplaints.com Notes: Power steering problems started rearing their ugly head in the 2010 Fusion, so you'd think Ford had plenty of time to make sure those problems didn't creep into the 2012. But here we are.

The Electronic Power Assist Steering (EPAS) is a mess. It fails at an alarming rate. Don’t believe us? Take a look at NHTSA’s data on the subject.

And much like the power steering, we’re still seeing the same throttle body failures that started in 2010 continue in 2012.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
45 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
13 / 1
Average Mileage:
69,923 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Ford Fusion steering problems

steering problem

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2012 Ford Fusion Owner Comments (Page 5 of 68)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #1268

Feb 152024

Fusion

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

1.My daughter was driving her Fusion in Los Angeles, California when the power steering gave out. 2. Fortunately she maintained control of the car but had it towed to the shop. 3. The car is impossible to drive safely with the steering so defective. 4. The repairs are prohibitively expensive [$2754.33]. 5. Ford has not placed this defect as a recall but has acknowledged this dangerous condition under its "Customer Satisfaction Program campaign # [XXX]. 6. Ford refuses to pay for the repair as it claims some sort of time limit has expired. 7. [My daughter may supplement this report to give finer details, as I am not sure on the dates or exactly how the incident happened.] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Yarmouth Port, MA, USA

problem #1267

Jan 132024

Fusion

  • miles
On January 13 went a school function. When leaving the function the power steering assist light went on and the power steering cease to function making it hard to control. I was able to to control the vehicle and prevent it from getting in any type of accident. Some of the vehicles have been recalled because of faulty power steering. Ford will not pay the cost of the repair.

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

problem #1266

Jan 292024

Fusion

  • 162,250 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering feature was inoperable. The contact stated that the failure had occurred two weeks ago. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed power steering assist. The contact was informed that the power steering assist needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 162,250.

- Saint Louis, MO, USA

problem #1265

Jan 282024

Fusion

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Power steering has completely quit working and no error codes are coming up when checked. This is putting my family and everyone on the road at risk as it is very hard to steer the vehicle and near impossible to drive defensively. This has been inspected by a repair shop. No codes are found. No warning before this happened. Power steering failed and a notice in the car came up on the screen at the same time to have it fixed.

- Yadkinville, NC, USA

problem #1264

Dec 032023

Fusion

  • miles
I was driving, the power steering failed and caused me to start to lose control of my vehicle while turning on the freeway, which caused me to slightly crash into the side wall and almost go over the highway into the water. I also hit my head on the driver side window and felt very dizzy for a while afterwards. Because I was so in shock and scared, I wasn-??t able to drive the car home for hours, so I pulled onto the side of the road and called my family to let them know what happened. When I purchased the vehicle I wasn-??t informed of any issues with the model. Both this model and several others were included as part of a recall, and the car was taken into the shop and -??repaired-?? by past owners, yet the power steering failed again. There is no active unrepaired recall because the car was brought in before and worked on by Ford mechanics who then cleared the recall after fixing the car because they deemed the issue to be addressed. However, the issue is still ongoing. It is not fixed at all. I purchased this car last year, and if I would-??ve known this would happen or that the car had so many issues I never would-??ve bought it. I-??ve taken the car to several dealerships that have said the problem is a complete failure of the steering gear, yet when I take it in to ford dealerships they state that the -??extended warranty is expired-?? and that they can-??t do anything about the vehicle needing a recall. I almost lost my life, I have a car that I cannot drive and have not been able to drive ever since the incident occurred. Why am I being punished because my car has been refused to be repaired, and because Ford has refused to provide me any reimbursement for the problem? To whoever reads this, thank you so much for taking the time to read and help me with this problem, as my vehicle is how I-??m able to ensure survival and I-??ve been struggling to survive without any type of vehicle.

- Milwaukee, WI, USA

problem #1263

Jan 292024

Fusion

  • 111,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the message "Service Electronic Power Steering" displayed, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer who diagnosed that the steering gear had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was 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) in 2019. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 111,000.

- Ashland, OH, USA

problem #1262

Jan 132024

Fusion

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Power steering

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

problem #1261

Jan 062024

Fusion

  • miles
on 1/6/2024 my car steering went. There was a recall on certain cars that the 2012 Ford Fusion has a recall for this but the dealer is saying there is not for my car. This seems to be an extensive problem with his car and a expensive repair. Electric steering rack failed

- Burlington, MA, USA

problem #1260

Dec 122023

Fusion

  • miles
At about 98500 miles, power steering stopped working. 2 alternating dash warning lights kept flashing; Service Advance Trac, Power Steering Assist Fault. This sounded like it related to a known recall for electronic steering problem for my year and model but, Ford said my Vin was not included. I brought it to the dealer, with white knuckles, as it was very hard to turn the wheel and if I had to make a quick steering move to avoid an accident, I don't think I would've been able to. The dealer (Balise Ford, Hyannis MA) performed an expensive repair as follows: They said steering angle sensor signal invalid and PSCM internal failure. They replaced steering rack, tie rods and jam nuts. They performed PMI and configured PCSM. Aligned vehicle. I still think my service should have been performed with compensation from Ford but, they did not.

- North Truro, MA, USA

problem #1259

Dec 152023

Fusion

  • 162,067 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while pulling out of a parking lot and attempting to merge into traffic, the steering wheel became extremely difficult to steer the vehicle. The contact attempted to reset the power steering however, the functionality failed to return. The contact continued to drive without power steering assist. 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 mechanic informed the contact that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) and referred the contact to the dealer for the repair. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The failure mileage was 162,067.

- Detroit, MI, USA

problem #1258

Nov 202023

Fusion

  • 55,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the Power Steering Assist Fault message was intermittently displayed, causing the steering wheel to become firm. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who retrieved DTC Code: U3000-49 and determined that the power steering control module 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: 15V250000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

- Foster City, CA, USA

problem #1257

Dec 112023

Fusion

  • miles
Power steering assist stopped working, it is available for inspection upon request. Risk of injury or death from potential crash. As driving lost power steering on highway as following a left curve at 58 mph, heard beeping and light came on that power steering assist fault came on, then I was shot across the highway into oncoming traffic lane and left tires hit the gravel and dirt, I was able to correct the vehicle but still no power steering working. No confirmation from dealer or service center yet. No inspections yet. First appeared on 12/09/23, power assist fault warning came on, shut car off let sit 5 min, then worked fine until 12/11/23 where incident above happened. Has not worked since then.

- Rochester , MN, USA

problem #1256

Dec 112023

Fusion

  • miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the husband was driving approximately 40 MPH the electric power steering suddenly malfunctioned and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who informed that the steering gear needed to be replaced and the steering control module needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 103,103

- Bonne Terre, MO, USA

problem #1255

Dec 072023

Fusion

  • 204,297 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that when her daughter shifted the vehicle in reverse the steering wheel was stiff. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was diagnosed by a mechanic at the residence and the contact was informed that the steering gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but was unable to help. The contact believed that the failure to be associated with an unknown recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 204,297.

- Eight Mile, AL, USA

problem #1254

Dec 082023

Fusion

  • 125,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the "Power Steering Assist Fault-?? message was displayed, and the contact became aware that the electric power steering was not functioning properly. The traction control warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering), but the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was 125,000.

- Columbia, SC, USA

problem #1253

Sep 252023

Fusion

  • miles
I had purchased the vehicle wrecked from an auction. I was driving this vehicle back in September and the power steering went out I have had no power steering since I have brought it to the attention of Ford motor company that they needed to do an investigation into their Ford fusion years 2011 and 12 along with prior years due to the fact that so many have no power steering I do not see the point of having my power steering fixed or my airbags fixed if I cannot get both fixed at the same time and I believe that the power steering is a safety issue it is illegal to drive without power steering I did not know that

- Orleans, IN, USA

problem #1252

Nov 272023

Fusion

  • miles
Dashboard displays 'Power Steering Assist Fault', and the steering wheel is locked (unable to turn it) It appeared on the dashboard when car was started to drive back home from work on Nov 27, 2023. It was the first time this message has appeared. There were no other warning signals about steering issues before this event. All other systems appear to be working (Engine start, Throttle, Gear change, Brakes, etc.). Because steering is locked the vehicle is not drive-able. It was towed to Northampton, MA, Ford dealership for troubleshooting. Ford dealer said the remedy is to replace the steering system. Their rough estimate for the repair is $2600. They also said there is a recall to replace the steering system for this 2012 Ford Fusion. Upon checking with Ford company (Case# [XXX]), they refused to cover the cost of replacement due to time limits, even though it is clearly their design/manufacturing defect. The vehicle has about 110,000 miles and has been well maintained as per Ford's recommended service schedule. Based on industry standards and my own experience, the car should have a lot of remaining years of service. Ford should accept ownership of the problem and replace the steering system at no charge to me - their customer. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Eagan, MN, USA

problem #1251

Nov 252023

Fusion 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 154,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the steering wheel became inoperable. The contact stated that the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The power steering assist warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified and referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 154,000.

- Chico, CA, USA

problem #1250

Nov 292023

Fusion

  • 156,070 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 20-25 MPH in a parking lot, the steering wheel seized. The message "Service Power Steering Now" was displayed. The contact parked the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence. An unknown dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 156,070.

- Sacramento, CA, USA

problem #1249

Nov 012022

Fusion

  • 168,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the message "Power Steering Fault" was displayed, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. Additionally, while operating the vehicle, the air bag warning light remained illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were contacted but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 168,000.

- Apopka, FL, USA

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