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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE STEERING ASSIST SERVICE FLASHED ACROSS THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING GEAR FAILED AND THE POWER STEERING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000. UPDATED 09/03/2015*LJ UPDATED 09/10/15 *JB

NHTSA ODI 10726900

ELECTRONIC POWER-ASSISTED STEERING (EPAS) FAILURE DUE TO RACK-AND-PINION STEERING DEFECT. REQUIRED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE RACK-AND-PINION MODULE, WHICH COST $1,700, DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS WIDELY KNOWN AND DANGEROUS DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED OR RECALLED BY FORD AND MY VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY.

NHTSA ODI 10726681

MY SON WAS DRIVING HIS 2012 FORD FOCUS SE, WHEN THE STEERING ASSIST SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON AND HE LOST STEERING. HE PULLED OFF THE ROAD WITH NO INCIDENT. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT IT IS A BAD STEERING RACK, $1500.00

NHTSA ODI 10726075

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN 2 MONTHS THAT I'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR'S TRANSMISSION. NOT ONLY DOES IT STUTTER WHEN SHIFTING AND TAKE TIME TO ACCELERATE, BUT NOW THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT WORKING. IN APRIL, THE CAR COMPLETELY STOPPED ACCELERATING, ALMOST RESULTING IN A CRASH ON THE HIGHWAY. THE DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED IT AS A TRANSMISSION CENSOR AND COST WAS PAID OUT OF POCKET. THIS TIME, THE CAR BEGAN JERKING AND THE TRANSMISSION LIGHT FLASHED. I DROVE THE CAR HOME AND BECAUSE OF THE VIOLENT JERKING ALMOST WRECKED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. I AM TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS TODAY. CONSIDERING THIS CAR IS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD, IT SHOULD NOT BE HAVING ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS AND I CONSIDER IT UNRELIABLE AND A HAZARD TO MY FAMILY AND OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD.

NHTSA ODI 10725713

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: THERE IS CURRENTLY A RECALL FOR THE ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST UNIT WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CERTAIN FORD PRODUCTS POWER STEERING. THE RECALL INCLUDES SEVERAL FORD/MARINER SUV. I'M NOT SURE IF THAT INCLUDES FORD'S FOCUS( I'VE READ SOME INTERNET ARTICLES THAT SAID IT HAD AND OTHERS IT HAD NOT) BUT THE AFFECTED VEHICLES INCLUDE MODEL YEARS 2012 THRU 2014. I HAD REPORTED IT TO BOTH FORD & MY DEALERSHIP ROUGHLY A MONTH AGO AS IT STARTED ROUGHLY A MONTH AGO BUT TO DATE NOTHING HAS BEEN RESOLVED BUT I WAS HOWEVER MADE AWARE THE COST TO REPAIR/REPLACE WAS SOME $1,500.00 AS OF YESTERDAY I NOW NO LONGER HAVE POWER STEERING NOW NOT ONLY PUTTING MYSELF @ RISK BUT OTHERS AS WELL. I WOULD HOPE FORD WOULD REPAIR THIS VEHICLE @ NO COST TO ME...UPDATED 08/24/15 *BF

NHTSA ODI 10725627

A POWER STEERING ERROR MESSAGE CAME UP AFTER STARTING THE CAR. INDEED THE WHEEL COULD NOT BE TURNED. SOMETIMES, THE ERROR MESSAGE WOULD GO AWAY UPON ANOTHER START, AND THE STEERING WOULD OPERATE NORMALLY AGAIN. MY FORD DEALER EVENTUALLY FIXED THE PROBLEM, BUT IT COST ME AROUND $1800. SINCE PREVIOUSLY I HAD THE CAR IN FOR A TRANSMISSION RECALL, I THOUGHT I'D ADD THIS DATA POINT TO WHAT SEEMS TO BE A GROWING NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING THIS SAME PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 10724320

AFTER 2 WEEKS OF INTERMITTENT ELECTRIC POWER STEERING ENGAGEMENT AT START-UP, THE EPS SYSTEM FAILED COMPLETELY, WITH JUST OVER 40K MILES ON THIS VEHICLE, A 2012 FORD FOCUS, I WAS SURPRISED AT THIS FAILURE. WITH 50 YEARS OF DRIVING EXPERIENCE, I AM UNIMPRESSED WITH THIS NEW SYSTEM. UNLESS A FAN BELT FAILED, I HAVE NEVER HAD A HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILURE. ALTHOUGH I HAD NO ACCIDENT OR INJURY, SOMEONE WITH LESS UPPER BODY STRENGTH WOULD HAVE HAD A DIFFICULT TIME CONTROLLING THE VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY IN A TURN OR ON WET OR ICY SURFACES. THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN AND SHOULD NOT NEED TO WAIT FOR A 'BLOOD PRIORITY' DECISION TO BE MADE TO RECALL THIS SYSTEM AT FORD'S EXPENSE. SINCE I NEED THIS VEHICLE ON A DAILY BASIS, I WAS FORCED TO PAY OVER $1638 FOR THIS REPAIR WHICH INVOLVED REPLACING THE ENTIRE ELECTRIC MOTOR DRIVE ASSEMBLY. OTHER FORD MODELS HAVE ALREADY BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS PROBLEM AND THE 2012 FOCUS SHOULD BE ALSO.

NHTSA ODI 10723461

I HAVE A 2012 FORD FOCUS SEL, WHICH I PURCHASED USED, FROM A FORD DEALERSHIP IN OCTOBER 2013. APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH AGO (EARLY MAY 2015), UPON TURNING ON MY VEHICLE, MY STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT MOVE AND WOULD SAY SOMETHING LIKE "POWER ASSIST STEERING FAULT." I WOULD HAVE TO TURN OF MY CAR AND TURN IT BACK ON IN ORDER FOR THE STEERING TO BEGIN WORKING. THIS BECAME MORE AND MORE FREQUENT AS THE MONTH WENT ON (SOMETIMES HAVING TO TURN MY CAR OFF AN ON 2-4 TIMES FOR IT TO BEGIN WORKING). ON MAY 26, 2015 I WENT TO TURN MY CAR ON AND MY ELECTRIC POWER STEERING COMPLETELY QUIT WORKING. I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THAT TWICE MY ELECTRIC POWER STEERING SHUT OFF WHEN I WAS DRIVING, BUT BOTH TIMES I WAS DRIVING AT LOW SPEED, SO I ABLE TO STOP THE CAR QUICKLY TO FIX THE PROBLEM (TURN IT OFF AND BACK ON). MY CAR HAS ALREADY BEEN GIVEN AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AS THE RESULT OF A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE, SO I CANNOT RULE OUT THAT THIS PROBLEM IS NOT A DEFECT AS WELL (ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THE OTHER FORD RECALLS FOR THE EPS SHUTTING OFF).

NHTSA ODI 10722524

POWER STEERING QUIT AND DRIVING WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR A FEW BLOCKS. POWER STEERING THEN CAME BACK INTERMITTENTLY. MANUAL SAID TO SHUT VEHICLE OFF FOR 10 SECONDS AND RE-START. THAT WORKED FOR A FEW WEEKS AND NOW STEERING IS GOING OUT ALL THE TIME FOR A FEW SECONDS AT A TIME.

NHTSA ODI 10722446

A FEW WEEKS AGO MY SON STARTED EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING (EPS) ON HIS 2012 FORD FOCUS SEL, WHICH HE'D OWNED FOR LESS THAN A YEAR. IF HE HAD NO POWER STEERING WHEN HE TURNED ON THE CAR, HE COULD JUST TURN OFF THE CAR, TAKE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION, REPLACE THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, TURN THE CAR BACK ON, AND OCCASIONALLY THE POWER STEERING WOULD WORK AGAIN. THAT ONLY LASTED A FEW DAYS. THEN THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING BECAME PERMANENT. HE COULD STILL TURN THE WHEEL WITH A GREAT DEAL OF EFFORT (MORE EFFORT THAN IS REQUIRED TO TURN THE WHEEL OF A CAR THAT NEVER HAD POWER STEERING), BUT AS SOON AS OUR INDEPENDENT FORD CERTIFIED MECHANIC (USED TO WORK AT OUR LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP) POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE REPORTS OF THE SAME STEERING SYSTEM SEIZING UP AND MAKING THE CAR IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER, WE COULDN'T LET OUR SON DRIVE THE CAR AGAIN UNTIL THE GARAGE REPLACES THE RACK. OUR MECHANIC BELIEVES THERE MIGHT BE A CLASS ACTION SUIT IMPLICATING THE EPS, BUT OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER AND FORD CORPORATE SAY THERE'S "NO PROGRAM" TO FIX/REPLACE EPS ON CARS WHERE THEY'VE PREMATURELY FAILED AS DID MY SON'S. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE IN MI WERE POLITE, BUT THEY'RE NEITHER SYMPATHETIC NOR HELPFUL IN LIGHT OF THE SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS PROSPECTS ARISING FROM THE DEFECTIVE EPS THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE.

NHTSA ODI 10721983

COULD NOT MOVE STEERING WHEEL AT ALL WHEN I STARTED CAR. AFTER MULTIPLE RESTARTS, STEERING FINALLY WORKED NORMALLY. THIS SAME STEERING LOCK HAS HAPPENED WHEN I START MY CAR APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 30 TIMES SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT. FORD DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED A CODE FOR THEM TO INVESTIGATE THE ISSUE. THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING, BUT AM SOMEWHAT WORRIED MY STEERING MAY LOCK UP IN THIS SAME MANNER WHILE ON THE ROAD.

NHTSA ODI 10717322

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR AROUND A SLIGHT BEND IN THE ROAD AT AROUND 45 MILES PER HOUR, I BEGAN RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS ON MY CONSOLE SAYING HILL ASSIST START WAS NOT FUNCTIONING AND THAT I HAD A STEERING ISSUE AND TO PULL OVER SAFELY. THE VEHICLE HAD NO POWER STEERING AND WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL ON THE ROAD BECAUSE THE CAR WANTED TO SWERVE. IT WAS ALSO PULLING TO THE RIGHT. AFTER TAKING THE CAR TO THE LOCAL GARAGE THEY TOLD ME THAT IT NEEDED TO GO TO A DEALERSHIP TO BE REPAIRED AND THAT THE PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER. AFTER SPEAKING WITH A FORD DEALER IN KANE PENNSYLVANIA THEY NOTIFIED ME THAT IT HAS HAPPENED IN NUMEROUS OTHER FOCUSES AND THAT IT WOULD $1600 TO REPAIR IT.

NHTSA ODI 10717346

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. WHILE REVERSING, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,200.

NHTSA ODI 10717167

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ONE MORE WHEN MY CAR DASHBOARD LITE UP SAYING STEERING ASSISTANCE SERVICE REQUIRED. AN AT THAT POINT MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT ON ME. I PULLED OVER AND TURNED THE CAR OFF AS STEERING BECAME VERY HARD. AFTER TURNING MY CAR OFF AND BACK ON THE LIGHT WENT OFF AND MY STEERING WAS BACK TO NORMAL. CALLED THE DEALERSHIP WHO SAID AT THIS POINT DON'T WORRY ABOUT IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN TO BRING IT IN. WELL 5/14/15 ROLLS AROUND AND I'M LEAVING WORK GET IN MY CAR AN TURN THE CAR ON THE MY DASHBOARD LIGHTS UP AGAIN WITH THE SAME MESSAGE AND MY STEERING IS OUT AGAIN. CALLED THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAID TO BRING IT IN. I BRING IT IN ON 5/15/15 AND THEY SAID THAT MY POWER STEERING RACK ASSEMBLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AN SINCE MY WARRANTY RAN OUT THAT IT ISN'T COVERED AND THEY QUOTED ME OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO FIX IT. I DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY AND TO ME SINCE THAT IS A SAFTEY ISSUE THAT IS SOMETHING FORD SHOULD BE FIXING FOR FREE AS THAT CAN CAUSE ME TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI 10716807

STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTION WHEN STARTING VEHICLE, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE. HOWEVER WHEN RESTARTED AND "WARMED UP" VEHICLE FUNCTION. FORD SEEMS TO BE IGNORING THE ISSUE AS IT DID WITH TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION. TODAY MAY 5 I RETURN TO METRO FORD. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10714563

WHILE DRIVING THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT AND I BRIEFLY LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. REGAINED CONTROL AND MADE IT TO MY DESTINATION. THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE AND WHEN I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON IT FIXED ITSELF. THIS TIME I'VE TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON 5 TIMES WITHIN THE PAST 5 HRS AND IT STILL ISN'T WORKING. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH FORD IN THE MORNING BUT NOT SURE HOW I'M GOING TO MAKE IT THE 30 MILES TO GET THERE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10714672

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY AND THE COLUMN STEERING COVER WERE BOTH REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.

NHTSA ODI 10714349

FIRST TIME: WAS MERGING FROM ONE HIGHWAY TO ANOTHER AND POWER STEERING WENT OUT. WARNING CAME ON. I GOT OFF IMMEDIATELY. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND THE WARNING MESSAGE WENT OFF AND THE CAR WAS FINE. I TOOK IT DIRECTLY TO THE DEALER. THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO DO IT AGAIN AND THAT THEY CHECKED THE CONNECTIONS AND ALL WAS FINE. SECOND TIME: WAS PARKED AND WENT TO TURN THE CAR ON. THE WARNING MESSAGE CAME ON AND I COULD NOT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. TURNED THE CAR OFF AGAIN AND IT CLEARED ITSELF. I AM GOING TO TAKE THE CAR BACK IN TO FORD SO THAT I CAN GET THE DATES THAT THIS OCCURRED ON RECORD. THIS IS TWICE WITHIN MONTHS THAT THIS IS HAPPENING. IT IS SCARY TO THINK OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10714037

STARTED VEHICLE AND PULLING OUT OF STREET PARKING WHEN THE WHEEL LOCKED SUDDENLY AND THERE WAS A STEERING WHEEL ASSIST WARNING LIGHT THAT CAME ON DASH. TURNED CAR OFF AND BACK ON AND IT CLEARED. ANOTHER VEHICLE HAD TO MANEUVER AROUND ME BY THE TIME I HAD TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON. LUCKILY IT WAS NOT TOO DARK OR ELSE IT MAY HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10713259

AS I WAS BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY MY POWER STEERING FAILED. HAD TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10711813

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE STEERING RACK WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.

NHTSA ODI 10705951

I STARTED NOTICING THIS 3 DAYS AFTER I HAD MY TRANSMISSION SHUDDER FIXED. I GOT TO THE POINT THAT ANY TIME I STARTED MY CAR AND TRIED TO TURN MY WHEEL WHILE GOING IN BOTH FORWARD AND REVERSE THAT I HAD NO POWER STEERING ASSISTING ME IN MY TURN. IT WOULD TAKE ALL I HAD TO TURN THE WHEEL, AND SOMETIMES IT WOULD GIVE THE ALERT FOR NEEDING TO TAKE IT IN FOR SERVICE. I TOOK IT IN, AND THE FIRST TIME THE DEALER DID A SERVICE UPDATE. I DROVE IT AROUND FOR A FEW MORE DAYS BEFORE I NOTICED WHEN I SLOWED DOWN TO TAKE TURNS MY WHEEL WOULD PHYSICALLY STOP TURNING WHILE IN MID TURN. I TOOK IT BACK IN TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE THEY DID ANOTHER UPDATE TO MY POWER STEERING. 2 DAYS LATER IT'S DOING THE SAME THING. I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE FOR THIS TO NOT HAPPEN WHILE TRYING TO PULL A QUICK AVOIDANCE MANEUVER. IT'S PROVING TO BE TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10705484

POWER STEERING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED WITHOUT NOTICE. NOTICED THAT THERE IS CURRENTLY A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST FORD FOR THIS ISSUE AND OTHER ISSUES. NOT ON RECALL LIST AT MOMENT, AND MAY HAVE TO PAY FOR REPAIR DUE TO FAULTY DESIGN. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10704955

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD ABNORMALLY HESITATE WHEN SHIFTING. ALSO, THE STEERING ASSIST ERROR WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE HESITATION WAS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE AND THE STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.

NHTSA ODI 10704774

FIRST TIME 04/06/2015 STARTED CAR LIKE NORMAL DASHBOARD READ POWER ASSIST FALIURE CONTACT SERVICE. TURNED CAR OFF THEN BACK ON DASH CLEARED. RAN SYSTEM CHECK NO ISSUES. CALLED LOCAL FORD DEALER WAS TOLD GLITCH IN SYSTEM SHOULDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN NO NEED TO BRING IN CAR. 2 DAYS LATER... WAS DRIVING ON FREEWAY WHEN SUDDENLY STEERING WENT OUT. CAR WAS GOING ALMOST 65 COULD BEARLY MOVE STEERING WHEEL FELT LIKE IT WAS STUCK IN WET SAND. ALMOST CRASHED WHEN APPROCHING CURVE HAD TO SLOW DOWN TO ABOUT 10MPH. WHAT IF 1YR. OLD WAS IN CAR WHAT IF I CRASHED.

NHTSA ODI 10704711