What 3,789 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Ford Focus Bev

I BOUGHT MY CAR LAST YEAR AT CARMAN FORD, WITH ABOUT 91,905 MILES IN AN "AS IT IS" CONTRACT. I ALSO PURCHASED AN ADDITIONAL GUARANTEE FOR UP TO 24,000M. I TOOK THE CAR TO REGULAR INSPECTIONS TO THE DEALER, NO DAMAGE WAS REPORTED. THEN, I HIT 117,609 MILES, AND MY STEERING WHEEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED COMPLETELY, AND I HAD NO GUARANTEE. A FEW MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR, WHILE DRIVING, I FELT THAT THE WHEEL WAS MOVED SLIGHTLY TO ONE SIDE OF THE ROAD (HIGHWAY). I ASKED ABOUT THIS TO THE DEALER AFTER AN OIL INSPECTION; THEY SAID THAT PROBABLY IT WAS AN ALIGNMENT ISSUE. RECENTLY, THEY SAID NO DAMAGE WAS REPORTED BEFORE. "STEERING WHEEL ASSISTANCE REQUIRED" APPEARED ON THE SCREEN. WHILE DRIVING TO THE SHOP, IT WAS VERY HARD TO TURN EITHER WAY. IT WAS VERY HARD TO DRIVE. I DON'T KNOW HOW IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THEY DID NOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM EARLIER. HOWEVER, IF THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THEY ARE GOING TO DO A RECALL OR SOMETHING. I THINK THAT THE CAR IS NOT SUPER OLD AND MOST OF THE MILEAGE WAS BECAUSE I HAVE A LONG COMMUTE, I DRIVE MOSTLY ON THE HIGHWAY. IT IS ODD THAT A 2012 CAR HAS SUCH A PROBLEM. COULDN'T GO TO WORK, SCHOOL, SINCE SUDDENLY THE CAR STOPPED WORKING ON FRIDAY 02/03/17. I HAD TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO GET ANOTHER CAR. OVERALL, SO MUCH LOSS AND DRAMA INVOLVED WITH THIS INCIDENT AND I FEEL IT IS UNFAIR THAT THIS HAPPENED SINCE THE CAR HAD REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND IS NOT SUPER OLD.

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POWER STEERING FAILURE. AS I HAVE FOUND OUT THIS IS HAPPENING TO THIS VEHICLE AND OTHERS TOO. YOU GO TO THE DEALER AND YOU MAY GET CHARGED FOR SOMETHING THAT IS A KNOW ISSUE. WHY DO WE HAVE TO PAY ON SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED.

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THE POWER STEERING HAS GONE OUT ON MY VEHICLE AND THE REPAIR COST IS VERY HIGH. OTHER VEHICLES WERE RECALLS FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY MINE HAS NOT ALSO BEEN RECALLED. IT WENT OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING NEARLY CAUSING ME TO CRASH. *TR

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THE CAR RANDOMLY LOOSES POWER STEERING FUNCTION AND BECOMES VERY HARD TO STEER, EVERYTHING ELSE SEEMS FINE. THIS CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME BUT USUALLY WHEN FIRST STARTING THE CAR AND CAN SELF RESOLVE IN A FEW SECONDS OR NOT AT ALL. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. I'M PRETTY STRONG AND A BIG GUY AND I STILL STRUGGLE TO KEEP THIS THING ON THE ROAD WHEN IT HAPPENS.

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FOR A FEW WEEKS WHEN STARTING THE CAR AND BACKING OUT OF PARKING SPACE THE POWER STEERING (EPS) DOES NOT IMMEDIATELY WORK. AFTER A MINUTE IT ENGAGES AND WORKS. HOWEVER, IT CURRENTLY IS NOT WORKING AT ALL. I TURNED THE CAR ON AND RECEIVED THE WARNING "STEERING ASSIST FAULT" AND THEN HAD TO DRIVE ABOUT 5 MILES HOME ON CITY STREETS WITH NO POWER STEERING. IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS. MY CONCERN IS THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS HAPPENING WHILE DRIVING. IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. *TR

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WHILE DRIVING SUDDENLY WAS UNABLE TO STEER THE CAR. THRE IS NO POWER STEERING. LUCKILY WAS TRAVELING AT A MINIMAL SPPED. HAD MY DAUGHTER AND 2 SMALL GRANDCHILDREN. TOOK CAR TO LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED PAID TO PUT THE CAR ON THE COMPUTER AND WAS TOLD TO TAKE IT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP 45 MINUTES AWAY. WAS TOLD THE CAR WAS DANGEROUS. *TR

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I WAS DRIVING MY 2012 FORD FOCUS WITH 83244 MILES ON INTERSTATE 81 SUDDENLY THE POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING AND THE MESSAGE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT APPEARED ON THE DASH IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS BUT I PULLED OVER IN A REST AREA AND TOWED THE VEHICLE TO MY HOUSE I CALLED FORD DEALER HOPING THE IT HAS SAFETY RECALL BUT THE PERSON I TALKED TO AT FORD SERVICE SAID THERE IS NO RECALL FOR POWER STEERING FAULT . NOW I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX IT . I HOP FORD ISSUES A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM .... *TR

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I STARTED MY CAR THIS MORNING, PUT IT IN REVERSE AND BEGAN TO BACK OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY WHEN THE CAR LOCKED UP AND LOST POWER. I COULD NOT STEER OR BRAKE AND THE CAR CONTINUED ROLLING BACKWARDS UNTIL IT HIT MY GARAGE AND STOPPED. THE LIGHTS CAME ON MY DASH READ "(I) STEERING ASSIST FAULT". I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE LIGHTS WENT OUT, THE STEERING WHEEL UNLOCKED AND I WAS ABLE TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE AND GAIN FULL CONTROL OF MY CAR AGAIN. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY FORD DEALER IN KANNAPOLIS, NC (WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR) AND THEY SAID THE CAR WOULD NEED TO "DUPLICATE THE ERROR" BEFORE THEY COULD DIAGNOSE IT. I EXPLAINED THE CAR WOULD HAVE TO BE IN MOTION FOR THAT TO HAPPEN AND I CANNOT STOP THE CAR IF THAT HAPPENS AGAIN. I DRIVE ON THE INTERSTATE AND I AM PETRIFIED THIS WILL HAPPEN WHILE I AM ON THE ROAD AND HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE CAR. THE TECH SAID THERE HAVE BEEN HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE LOSS OF STEERING POWER ON THESE FORDS, BUT THAT UNTIL FORD ISSUES AN OFFICIAL RECALL THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO FIX IT. IT COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS A SOFTWARE UPDATE.

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ELECTRONIC RACK AND PINION FAILURE AFTER 91,000 MILES. MAKING STEERING NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE AND NEARLY CAUSING ACCIDENT. WHY WAS THIS NOT INCLUDED IN THE OTHER ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING RECALLS FROM FORD? EVERYTHING I HAVE SEEN IS THE RACK IS BEING EXPOSED TO TOO MUCH HEAT AND FAILING PREMATURELY

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LOSS OF STEERING POWER ASSIST ,VIOLENT LANE CHANGING ON FREEWAY

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POWER STEERING HAS BEEN FAILING INTERMITTENTLY. CAR DRIVES LIKE THERE IS NO POWER STEERING. SO FAR IT HAS ALWAYS HAPPENED IMMEDIATELY AFTER CAR HAS BEEN TURNED ON AND NOT WHILE IN MOTION. THE PROBLEM SOUNDS COMMON BASED ON ONLINE SEARCHES.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH, THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY HARD TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE POWER STEERING RACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,255.

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POWER STEERING FAILS WHILE GOING DOWN THE ROAD MULTIPLE TIMES. ALSO SOMETIMES WHEN YOU START THE VEHICLE THE STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED UP FOR ABOU 30 SECONDS THEN EXCISES TO WORK.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND THE VEHICLE DRIFTED TO THE LEFT WITHOUT WARNING. THE ISSUE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,595.

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ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, I HAVE RECEIVED NOTICE THAT THE ELECTRONIC POWER-ASSISTED STEERING (EPAS) SYSTEM HAS A FAULT AND THAT SERVICE WOULD BE REQUIRED. THE REMEDY, AS PROVIDED IN THE MANUAL, IS TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE THEN RESTART THE VEHICLE TO RESET THE MODULE. WHILE I WAS FORTUNATE THAT THIS HAD NOT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING, THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ISSUE, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE THE STEERING LOCKS UP WHEN THE FAULT OCCURS. RECENTLY, THE EPAS SYSTEM NOTIFIED ME OF A FAULT AND IT WAS NOT REMEDIED UPON RESTARTING THE VEHICLE. I HAVE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE SAME MODEL YEAR AND MAKE, HOWEVER, FORD HAS NOT PROVIDED A RECALL, AS THEY DID WITH THE 2012 FUSION AND FLEX. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BECAUSE IT IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURING OR DESIGN DEFECT, WHEREIN THE CONSUMER SHOULD NOT BEAR THE COST OF REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT (UP TO $2000.00), ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE RECALL ON SIMILAR MODELS FROM THE SAME YEAR. *TR

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I HAD PULLED OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY INTO THE STREET, AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON A BUSY STREET OR HIGHWAY, OR WHILE TURNING A CORNER, A LOSS OF CONTROL WOULD HAVE BEEN ENTIRELY POSSIBLE.

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I HAVE TWICE RECEIVED AN ERROR WHEN STARTING THE CAR: "STEERING ASSIST FAULT - SERVICE REQUIRED" AND I HAD NO POWER STEERING WHATSOEVER. THE ERROR WAS RESOLVED BOTH TIMES BY RESTARTING THE CAR, BUT I AM VERY NERVOUS THAT THE FAULT WILL OCCUR WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AND WILL CAUSE A CRASH. I'VE BEEN SEEING THAT THIS IS A RELATIVELY COMMON ERROR IN A RANGE OF FORD VEHICLES AROUND THIS MODEL YEAR AND HOPE THAT A RECALL WILL BE ISSUED SOON.

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2012 FORD FOCUS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO STEERING CONTROL MODULE RECALL REPAIR ISSUES, TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND WINDSHIELD MOTOR MALFUNCTION. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED ON THE NIGHT OF NOVEMBER 12, 2016, A SAFETY WARNING LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH. WHEN HE TRIED DRIVING ABOUT 12 MILES HOME, HE HAD NO POWER STEERING. THE PROBLEM DID NOT OCCUR AGAIN. ON MONDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2016 THE CONSUMER STOPPED BY A NON-FORD GARAGE. NO WORK WAS PERFORMED. HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC STATED THE PROBLEM WAS THE STEERING CONTROL MODULE. THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. UPON INSPECTION, THE DEALER CLAIMED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM, BUT TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK, IF THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THREE WERE NO TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. HOWEVER, IN MARCH 2016, THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. THE DEALER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO A WEAK BATTERY. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN AND THE DEALER STATED IT WAS THE FAULT OF THE ALTERNATOR NOT SENDING ENOUGH CURRENT TO THE MODULE. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. ON JULY 4, 2016, THE TRANSMISSION LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONSUMER USED THE OFF KEY PROCEDURE, TO PUT THE VEHICLE INTO GEAR, BUT THE LIGHT REMAINED ON. *JB

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LOST POWER STEERING TO VEHICLE, UNABLE TO DRIVE DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS. TRANSMISSION HESITATES WHEN DRIVEN OR WHEN GASING FROM A STOP.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE, THE STEERING ASSIST FAULT WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. AS A RESULT, GREATER EFFORT WAS NEEDED TO OPERATE THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,000.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, THE STEERING WHEEL STIFFENED AND FAILED. ALSO, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE ISSUE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

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POWER STEERING FAILED WHEN BACKING OUT ON THE FIRST INCIDENT ALONG WITH AN ERROR MESSAGE DISPLAY. ON SECOND OCCASION, WHEN STARTING THE CAR, THE SAME ERROR MESSAGE REGARDING THE STEERING WAS DISPLAYED. TURNING THE ENGINE OFF AND THEN BACK ON SEEMED TO GET THE CAR OPERATIONAL.

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STEERING ASSIST FAULT: AT MILEAGE 84209 THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. AFTER COMPLETING RESEARCH THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT FORD HAS NOT RECALLED. IT STOPPED WORKING AT THE GAS PUMP, WITH SOME LUCK I WAS ABLE TO GET TO A PARKING SPOT AND LEAVE THE CAR STRANDED UNTIL ARRANGING FOR A TOW TRUCK. FORD WOULD NOT REIMBURSE THE $2,000.00 EXPENSE TO FIX ONE OF THEIR KNOWN ISSUES. VERY FORTUNATE NO ONE WAS HURT. VERY DISSATISFIED WITH THE QUALITY OF WORK AND CUSTOMER SERVICE TO REMEDY THIS KNOWN ISSUE ASSOCIATED WITH A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT HTTP://WWW.ABOUTLAWSUITS.COM/WP-CONTENT/UPLOADS/2014-06-27-COMPLAINT.PDF .

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I COULD HANDLE THE STUDDER AND HANDLE THE BEING HELD HOSTAGE BY MY SEAT BELT, BUT NOW I HAVE TO PAY $1,800 TO GET MY STEERING FIX AFTER ALMOST HITTING A TREE WITH MY FAMILY IN THE CAR. I WAS JUST ABOUT TO UPGRADE TO A ESCAPE, I WILL NEVER BUY FORD AGAIN AFTER THIS BECAUSE I HAVE 89000 ON MY CAR THEY WILL HELP WITH NOTHING. NOR DO THEY CARE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF ME AND MY FAMILY OR THE OTHER PEOPLE AROUND ME ! I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO DISAPPOINTED. I TRULY LOVED THIS LITTLE CAR UNTIL IT TRIED TO KILL ME.

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