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

:STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTION" ERROR ON DASHBOARD AT START UP. POWER STEERING IS NOT WORKING -- STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED UP. THIS HAPPENED 3 TIMES AT STARTUP. CAR HAS 79,399 MILES. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT ELECTRONIC STEERING GEAR MECHANISM AND RACK NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1,800 AND ALIGNMENT FOR $99.95. I AGREED TO HAVE DEALERSHIP DO THE WORK AS I WAS TOO SCARED TO DRIVE THE CAR. THIS SEEMS LIKE A WIDESPREAD AND DANGEROUS ISSUE THAT IS VERY COMMON WITH THIS MODEL, WHY ISN'T THERE A RECALL?

NHTSA ODI 11142846

MY 2012 FORD FOCUS SEL HAS TURNED OFF COMPLETELY WHILE DRIVING MULTIPLE TIMES ON THE HIGHWAY AND FREEWAY, I HAVE BEEN STRANDED MULTIPLE TIMES DURING THE DAY AND NIGHT DUE TO IT SHUTTING OFF RANDOMLY. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED IN PARKING LOTS MULTIPLE TIMES DUE TO THE CAR NOT ALLOWING ME TO GO IN REVERSE. I HAVE REPLACED THE CAR BATTERY MULTIPLE TIMES! MY GAS CAP HAS POPPED OFF WHILE PUTTING IN GAS, I HAVE FAULTY WINDSHIELD NOZZLES WASHING SYSTEM NO LONGER SPRAY WATER, I HAVE A FAULTY BACK LIGHT I HAVE REPLACED THE BULBS MULTIPLE TIMES EVERY FEW MONTHS. THE HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONER WILL SOMETIMES WORK. THE COLOR LIGHTING IN THE CAR NO LONGER WORKS, ON THE SUN VISOR THE MIRROR COVER HAS POPPED OFF ON ITS OWN. THE CAUSE OF ALL THESE PROBLEMS ARE UNKNOWN I BELIEVE THE CAR WAS ENTIRELY BUILT POORLY WITH NO THOUGHT PROCESS WHAT SO EVER. I HAVE NEVER DRIVEN A CAR WITH SO MANY PROBLEMS LET ALONE SUCH A DANGEROUS DEADLY CAR. THESE ISSUES CONTINUE TILL THIS DAY AND I AM STILL STUCK PAYING FOR A CAR THAT IS COMPLETELY NOT WORTH MY MONEY OR MY LIFE.

NHTSA ODI 11142902

POWER STEERING WOULD FAIL UNEXPECTEDLY. AT TIMES WHILE DRIVING. ONLY REMEDY WAS TO REPLACE.

NHTSA ODI 11142530

WHEN STARTING THE CAR, BEFORE DRIVING, "STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTION" COMES ON THE SCREEN AND THE STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT TURN. THIS HAPPENS A COUPLE OF TIMES A DAY AND I FEAR THIS WILL IMPAIR THE ABILITY TO TURN DURING DRIVING OR WHEN STARTING MY COMMUTE. I FOUND RESTARTING THE CAR A FEW TIMES ELIMINATED THIS ERROR.

NHTSA ODI 11142565

WHILE DRIVING, WOULD HEAR LOUD POPPING SOUND FROM SPEAKERS AND RADIO WOULD CUT OUT COMPLETELY. WOULD HAVE TO RESTART CAR TO GET RADIO TO WORK. POPPING SOUND IS SO SUDDEN AND SO LOUD IT LITERALLY SCARES ME WHILE I'M ON THE ROAD. THIS IS A POTENTIAL HAZARD AS I COULD EASILY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT FROM BEING STARTLED BY THE SOUND THESE SPEAKERS MAKE. SEVERAL OTHER FORD DRIVERS HAVE EXPRESSED HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11142612

POWER STEERING FAULT HAS BEEN COMING ON AND OFF FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. AN ENGINE RESTART NORMALLY RESETS LIGHT. ON OCTOBER 23, 2018, THE POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE IN MOTION AND COMPLETELY DISABLE MY ABILITY TO CONTROL THE CAR. THE VEHICLE IS NOW PARK AND CANNOT BE DRIVEN.

NHTSA ODI 11142666

WHEN I AM STARTING MY CAR I GET A MESSAGE THAT SAYS STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTION SERVICE REQUIRED AND I CAN NOT TURN MY STEERING WHEEL AT ALL.

NHTSA ODI 11141906

POWER ASSIST STEERING FAULT COMES AND GOES, AS WELL AS STEERING. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

NHTSA ODI 11141956

UPON IGNITION A MESSAGE 'STEERING ASSIST FAULT SVC REQUIRED' SOMETIMES APPEARS AND THE STEERING WHEEL IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN. PROBLEM IS USUALLY REMEDIED BY TURNING OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTING BUT CAN SOMETIMES TAKE THREE TRIES. PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT BUT IS BECOMING MORE FREQUENT. SO FAR IT ONLY HAPPENS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PARKED ON LEVEL GROUND AND SLIGHTLY INCLINED DRIVEWAYS. ONLINE RESEARCH SUGGESTS BAD PLACEMENT OF THE STEERING MODULE IS CAUSING INTERNAL ELECTRONICS TO OVERHEAT AND DEVELOP FAULTS.

NHTSA ODI 11141574

STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTION ON FORD FOCUS 2012 MODEL. THIS ERROR WOULD COME UP PERIODICALLY OVER THE LAST 6 MONTHS, BUT WOULD GO AWAY WHEN RESTARTING THE VEHICLE. NOW THE ERROR COMES ON EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE IS STARTED. THE POWER STEERING IS COMPLETELY OUT. DRIVEN ABOUT 2000 MILES SINCE ERROR FIRST NOTICED. MILEAGE NOW 116,895.

NHTSA ODI 11141602

ON 3 OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING DOWN A SIDE STREET WITH A SPEED LIMIT OF 35MPH, A POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT NOTIFICATION APPEARED. ON ONE OCCASION IT PREVENTED MY BRAKE PEDAL FROM ENGAGING THE BRAKES. THE PARKING BRAKE STILL WORKED. THE VEHICLE HAS A 3RD PARTY WARRANTY THROUGH THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM, WHEN TAKEN TO THEIR MECHANICS IT WAS STATED THAT THEY COULD FIND NO TRACE OR CAUSE OF THE ISSUE AND COULD NOT REPLICATE.

NHTSA ODI 11141415

I ALMOST GOT INTO A CAR ACCIDENT DUE TO THE DEAFENING NOISES COMING OUT FROM THE SPEAKERS WHILE I WAS DRIVING. IT SOUNDED LIKE FIRECRACKER GOING OFF NEXT TO MY EARS. I WAS STARTLED AND TRYING TO GET OFF THE FREEWAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM. DUE TO THE DISTRACTION FROM THE NOISES, NEITHER DID I FLICK THE TURNING SIGNAL NOR DID I HEAR THE HONKING FROM THE VEHICLES BEHIND ME. DEALER UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM, AND ASKING FOR $783 TO REPLACE THE RADIO. THERE ARE LOT SIMILAR COMPLAINTS LIKE THIS, THEY NEED TO MAKE A RECALL ON ALL DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSOR MODULE.

NHTSA ODI 11141346

STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTION-SERVICE REQUIRED KEEPS COMING ON. WHEN IS A RECALL COMING. SCARED THIS IS GOING TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE TO TURM THE CAR OFF AND ON THEN WAIT TIL IT DECIDES IT WANTS TO MOVE. AFRAID THE STEERING WILL LOCK WHILE DRIVING. SO FAR IT HAS ONLY HAPPENED WHILE STATIONARY BUT HAS CAUSED PROBLEMS WHEN DRIVING IN REVERSE TO GET OUT OF A PARKING SPACE.

NHTSA ODI 11141358

AFTER MULTIPLE ISSUES \RECALLS WITH THE TRANSMISSION THE CAR STILL IS NOT RUNNING RIGHT. IT TAKES SOMETIME FOR THE VEHICLE TO START AND ONCE IT DOES IT SHUDDERS ON ACCELERATION. NOW I AM BEING TOLD BOTH THE FUEL PUMP AND THE CLUTCH NEED TO BE REPLACED. BASED ON EVERYTHING I AM READING THERE ARE QUITE A FEW FAULTY PARTS IN THESE VEHICLES THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED.

NHTSA ODI 11141080

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE, THE MESSAGE "STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTION" DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000.

NHTSA ODI 11140385

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND POWERED OFF THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND THE FAILURE RECURRED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PACIFICO FORD (LOCATED AT 6701 ESSINGTON AVE, PHILADELPHIA, PA, (267) 233-6945) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED DUE TO THE REPAIR FEES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11139938

MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2012 FORD FOCUS IN APRIL 2012. NOT EVEN A YEAR AFTER PURCHASING THE TRANSMISSION STARTED STUDDERING/SLIPPING. WHEN YOU GO TO TAKE OFF IT ACTS AS IF IT DOESNT WANT TO SWITCH OUT OF GEARS. THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF TIMES WE HAVE BEEN JUST DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND IT HAS COMPLETELY BOGGED DOWN AND THE ENTIRE CAR SHUTS OFF. AS SOON AS WE REALIZED SOMETHING WAS WRONG WE TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED AND THEY INFORMED US OF A RECALL PERTAINING TO THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. IT HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF SHOP SEVERAL TIMES FOR THIS REASON AND IS STILL NOT FIXED. WE WERE JUST RECENTLY INFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE RECALL WILL NEVER BE 100% FIXED. IT WILL ALWAYS BE AN ISSUE. WE PROCEEDED TO TRADE CAR IN DUE TO THE CONSTANT WORRY OF THE RECALL. AS WE ARE GETTING A TRADE IN QUOTE ON THE CAR WE ARE INFORMED THAT THE CAR IS WORTH WAY LESS BECAUSE OF THE RECALL WHICH PUTS US UPSIDE DOWN IN THE CAR LOAN SO NOW WE HAVE NO OPTIONS TO TRADE IN BECAUSE THERE IS A $4,000 DIFFERENCE IN THE TRADE IN VALUE VS WHAT THE CAR COULD BE WORTH IF THERE WERE NO RECALL. WE WERE BASICALLY TOLD THAT THE CAR IS TRASH DUE TO THE RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSION..SO NOW WE ARE STUCK WITH A CAR THAT HAS A SERIOUS RECALL THAT WILL NEVER BE FIXED. FORD DOESNT WANT TO MAKE IT RIGHT. THIS CAR WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW AND WE HAVE HAD SO MUCH TROUBLE WITH THE TRANSMISSION. NO CAR AT 6 YEARS OLD SHOULD HAVE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. FORD SHOULD BE LIABLE. WE TRUSTED THEM WITH PURCHASING A BRAND NEW CAR. FORD NEEDS TO MAKE IT RIGHT AND GET US INTO A SAFER VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 11139642

WHILE DRIVING DASHBOARD LIGHTS AND GAUGES TURN OFF RADIO TURNS ON AND OFF AND UNABLE TO OPERATE OR TURN OFF IT STAYS ON WITH EXTREMELY LOUD STATIC.CARS TURNS OFF WHILE IN MOTION ON A HIGHWAY AND STREET. WE PUSHED IT TO SAFETY THEN ATTEMPTED TO TURN IT BACK ON AND IT DID. TODAY WE TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALER THE REP HOOKED IT UP TO THE DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE NO PROBLEM WAS WAS FOUND. THEN LATER THAT DAY IT DID IT AGAIN. WE TOOK IT BACK NOW THEY SAY ITS THE COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT CONTROLS COMPUTER PROGRAMMING FOR THE CAR. GRANTED THEY HAD NOT HOOKED IT UP TO THE DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE AND THE COST WOULD $800. THIS CAR IS NOT EVEN 6 YEARS OLD THIS IS A BIG CONCERN /LIABILITY WHEN YOU HAVE THE DASH LIGHTS AND GAUGES, THE RADIO TURNING OFF AND ON . THE CAR IS SHUTTING OFF IN MID MOTION. I CALLED FORD TODAY THE REP SAID NOTHING WE CAN DO NO OTHER REPORTS ABOUT THOSE SYMPTOMS HAVE BEEN REPORTED. YES THE REP SAID SYMPTOMS. BUT OTHER REPORTS HAVE BEEN MADE ON BLOG CHATS. SAME OR SIMILAR ISSUES. I HAVE MAJOR CONCERNS WHEN A CAR IS SHUTTING DOWN WHE DRIVING THAT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING TO WORRY ABOUT. 2012 FORD FOCUS COST $21000.00 6 YEARS OLD NEEDING MINOR REPAIRS WEAR AND TEAR UNDERSTANDABLE TIRE $50 WINDSHIELD WIPERS $30 ETC ELECTRICAL COMPUTER PROGRAMMING MAJOR REPAIR BIG PROBLEM SINCE POTENTIALLY YOUR CAR CAN SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF A HIGHWAY AND YOU A CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR WORSE DIE. $800 IS A LOT OF MONEY TO GET A REPAIR DONE FOR 6 YEAR OLD CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11139874

THE BATTERY WHICH IS FUNCTIONAL DISCHARGES EVEN AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN RECENTLY AND THE CAR WILL NOT START UNTIL THE BATTERY IS JUMPED. WHICH PRESENTS A PROBLEM IN THAT YOU CANNOT SURE IF YOU GET BACK FROM WHERE YOU HAVE GONE. THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR ARE FUNCTIONING.

NHTSA ODI 11139497

POWER STEERING IS DISABLED UPON STARTING VEHICLE. I THOUGHT THIS WAS JUST A RANDOM ERROR BECAUSE I WOULD TURN VEHICLE OFF THEN ON AND THEN IT WAS FINE. NOW THE ERROR WILL NOT TURN OFF AND I DO NOT HAVE POWER STEERING AT ALL.

NHTSA ODI 11139584

FOR THE PAST 6 MONTHS, EVERY TIME I START UP THE CAR THE STEERING COLUMN IS ALMOST LOCKED. I START BACKING OUT AND IT LOOSENS UP. THIS MORNING I STARTED MY CAR UP AND IT WAS LOCKED AGAIN, BUT I GOT THE MESSAGE ON THE DASH STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTION, AND IT NEVER LOOSENED UP. I WAS A LITTLE NERVOUS DRIVING IT OT WORK, BUT I HAD TO GET THERE. I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE. THIS NEEDS TO GET FIXED.

NHTSA ODI 11139147

AFTER NUMEROUS TIMES GOING TO THE DEALERSHIP MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON MY CAR DOESN'T ACCELERATE, IT STALLS AND HAS A BURNING ODOR. I HAVE BEEN STUCK ON EXPRESSWAYS WITH MY 3 MONTH OLD TWINS, TWICE AND IT IS SCARY. FORD KNOWS OF THESE TRANSMISSION PRONLEMS, ..TMC, PMC ARE TERRIBLE IN THESE CARS, AND THEN THEY WANT YOU TO PAY RIDICULOUS PRICES FOR MISTAKES.

NHTSA ODI 11139097

I WAS DRIVING AND MY REAR LEFT DOOR FLEW OPEN WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN OUT OF A PARKING LOT, NOW I SHUT MY RIGHT FRONT DOOR AND IT WON'T LATCH. I'VE NEVER RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION ABOUT A RECALL. THIS SHOULD BE FIXED BEFORE A CHILD FLIES OUT OF A CAR. MY CAR ONLY HAS 55K MILES ON IT. THIS IS PRETTY SAD.

NHTSA ODI 11138935

TAKATA RECALL WELL I WENT TO TURN ON MY CAR AND I PUT IT IN REVERSE AND WHEN I WAS BACK IN UP I NOTICE THE SCREEN SAY STEERING MALFUNCTION SERVICE REQUIERE AND THE STEERING WHEEL DINDT WANT TO MOVE

NHTSA ODI 11133424

RECEIVED "STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTION" ERROR ON DASHBOARD AT START UP. POWER STEERING IS NOT WORKING AND VERY HARD TO TURN CAR. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY CLAIM ELECTRONIC STEERING MECHANISM AND RACK NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $2300. SEEMS LIKE A WIDESPREAD AND DANGEROUS ISSUE THAT IS VERY COMMON WITH THIS MODEL, WONDER WHY THERE ISN'T A RECALL?

NHTSA ODI 11132909