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

NO POWER STEERING. CONSTANT "STEERING ASSIST FAULT. SERVICE REQUIRED" MESSAGE

NHTSA ODI 11024713

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING MALFUNCTION WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED MORE WHILE DRIVING AT A LOWER SPEED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT MORE FORCE WAS NEEDED TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS CONTACTED (LEGACY FORD, 27225 SOUTHWEST FWY, ROSENBERG, TX, 77471, 281-342-5611) AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO BRING IN THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V340000 (STEERING). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11023961

WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR IN SEPTEMBER, 2015, WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK I FIRST SAW THE "STEERING ASSIST FAULT - SERVICE REQUIRED" MESSAGE WHEN I STARTED MY CAR. TURNING THE CAR OFF, THEN BACK ON AGAIN, REMOVED THE MESSAGE, AND POWER STEERING WORKED FINE. I WOULD GET THIS MESSAGE ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH, ONLY WHEN STARTING THE CAR, AND NEVER WHILE DRIVING. TURNING THE CAR OFF THEN ON AGAIN ALWAYS RESOLVED THE ISSUE. I MENTIONED IT TO THE DEALER WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN FOR ITS FIRST OIL CHANGE. THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE STAFF AVAILABLE ON THE WEEKEND TO FIX IT, THAT I'D NEED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT DURING THE WEEK TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. BUT THE FACT THAT IT WAS ONLY HAPPENING OCCASIONALLY, IT WAS DRIVING OK AND THE ISSUE WAS RESOLVED WHEN RESTARTING THE CAR, I WAS TOLD IT WASN'T URGENT AND THE NEXT TIME I BROUGHT IT IN FOR SERVICE THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT. SO IN JANUARY, 2016, WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN FOR SERVICE AND I MENTIONED THE ISSUE, THEY LOOKED FOR THE ERROR CODE BUT COULDN'T SEE IT, SO THERE WAS NOTHING TO FIX. I KEPT GETTING THE STEERING ASSIST FAULT MESSAGE ABOUT ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH, ONLY WHEN STARTING THE CAR, AND IT WOULD RESOLVE WHEN RESTARTING THE CAR. IN AUGUST 2017 I BROUGHT MY CAR TO FIRESTONE FOR INSPECTION, AND I MENTIONED IT THEN. THEY LOOKED FOR THE MESSAGE BUT COULD NOT SEE THE ERROR CODE, SO THERE WAS NOTHING TO FIX. 2 WEEKS LATER, SEPTEMBER 2017, I STARTED THE CAR, GOT THE MESSAGE, TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON, AND GOT THE MESSAGE AGAIN. I TRIED RESTARTING MY CAR 6-7 TIMES, STILL NO POWER STEERING. I DROVE A LITTLE, STOPPED, TURNED IT OFF AND ON AGAIN, STILL NO POWER STEERING. THE DEALER SAYS IT NEEDS THE STEERING GEAR REPLACED, AND WILL COST $1700.00.

NHTSA ODI 11023980

ON JULY 13, 2017 MY SISTER AND I WERE ON VACATION AND I PULLED IN TO FILL UP WITH GAS. GOT THE GAS, STARTED THE CAR AND A MESSAGE CAME UP STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTION -SEE TECHNICIAN. TRIED TO DRIVE THE THE CAR AND IT WOULD NOT STEER. NO PREVIOUS WARNING AT ALL. CAR WAS STEERING GREAT UNTIL THEN. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED. WAS IN A SMALL TOWN IN PA. WITHOUT A FORD DEALER. NEAREST FORD DEALER WAS HALF HR AWAY AND COULDN'T LOOK AT IT FOR SEVERAL DAYS. WE WERE 5 1/2 HRS FROM OUR HOME. HAD TO CALL MY SON AND BROTHER TO COME AND TOW US HOME. IT SCARES ME TO DEATH TO THINK WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD I BEEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. TOOK IT TO MY DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE STEERING RACK AND MODULE ASSEMBLY. WANTED TO CHARGE ME $2300.00 BUT I COMPLAINED AND THEY FINALLY CHARGED ME $1900.00. CALLED FORD BUT GOT NO WHERE WITH THEM. SAID IT WAS A CUSTOMER BILL. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE FORD RECALLS THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 11024057

MY POWER ASSIST STEERING FAULT LIGHT CAME ON A COUPLE DIFFERENT TIMES AND THE STEERING BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. I HAD TO RESTART MY VEHICLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALER SHIP AND WAS TOLD THE STEERING GEAR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED FOR $1850. THE CAR ONLY HAS 77,000 MILES ON IT. A REPAIR LIKE THIS SHOULD NOT BE NECESSARY. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND REALIZED THIS IS A VERY COMMON SAFETY HAZARD MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING WITH THE FORD FOCUS. I ALSO FOUND OUT FORD HAS RECALLED SEVERAL SIMILAR MAKES AND MODELS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM BUT NOT THE FORD FOCUS. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. I WAS LUCKY IT ONLY HAPPENED IN MY DRIVEWAY AND NOT WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD. THE CONSUMER SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. FORD NEEDS TO OWN UP TO THE PROBLEM AND ISSUE A RECALL FOR ALL VEHICLES BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT BY THIS. MY CAR IS NOW OUT OF COMMISSION BECAUSE I CANNOT AFFORD THE STEERING GEAR TO BE REPLACED AND I AM TO SCARED TO DRIVE IT. AT THIS POINT I HAVE NOT IDEA WHAT I AM GOING TO DO.

NHTSA ODI 11023827

I HAVE 2012 FORD FOCUS WITH ABOUT 85,000 MILES. SINCE 2014, I'VE HAD MY TCM REPROGRAMMED SEVERAL TIMES AND THEN REPLACED IN DEC 2015 UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AFTER IT COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO FORD AGAIN IN JULY 2017 BECAUSE MY STEERING LOCKED UP WHILE I WAS ATTEMPTING TO BACK UP IN A PARKING LOT. I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE EPAS SYSTEM, AND IT WOULD COST ABOUT $1,800 TO REPLACE SINCE IT'S NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. AT THEIR INSISTENCE, I PAID FOR THE REPLACEMENT. I ALSO MADE A COMPLAINT WITH THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION AT THAT TIME. SINCE JULY, I'VE HAVE BEEN BACK TO THREE FORD DEALERSHIPS - FIRST TWO TIMES BECAUSE OF A GRINDING NOISE (THEY COULDN'T DIAGNOSE IT THEN BUT HAVE SINCE SAID IT IS MY CLUTCH) AND A SECOND TIME THIS PAST TUESDAY (9/12) AFTER MY CAR BASICALLY SHORT CIRCUITED IN A PARKING LOT ON MONDAY AND IT STARTED LURCHING FORWARD WHILE TRYING TO REVERSE...SIMULTANEOUSLY MY BREAKS LOCKED UP AND MY STEERING LOCKED UP AGAIN (MY SOUND/RADIO DISPLAY/FRONT BUTTONS WERE ALSO INTERMITTENTLY NOT WORKING). JC FORD DID SOME "REPROGRAMMING" BUT SAID THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE ISSUES AND TOLD ME MY CLUTCH WOULD NEED REPLACED EVENTUALLY BUT FORD WOULD NOT COVER IT UNTIL IT GOT WORSE. THEY TOLD ME THESE PROBLEMS WERE UNRELATED DESPITE ME INSISTING THEY ALL FELT SIMILAR WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. YESTERDAY (WEDS, 9/13), WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN ONTO A HIGHWAY, MY CAR AGAIN "STALLED"/SHORT-CIRCUITED (NOT SURE WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED - BUT THE SAME THING AS THE PREVIOUS TIMES) AND MY BREAKS LOCKED UP AND I COULDN'T MOVE THE VEHICLE FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO GET IT OUT OF THE ROAD AFTER TURNING IT OFF AND ON SEVERAL TIMES. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO A FORD NEARBY AND AM WAITING TO HEAR IF THEY FIND ANYTHING ELSE. I AM NOW SCARED TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE DESPITE FORD LOOKING AT IT AND "FIXING" IT SEVERAL TIMES.

NHTSA ODI 11023403

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, A WARNING MESSAGE "STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTION" SUDDENLY DISPLAYED AND THE STEERING WHEEL COULD NOT BE TURNED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER (AUTO FORD IN HAVERHALL, MA) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING GEAR AND STEERING RACK AND PINION WERE FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

NHTSA ODI 11022996

2012 FORD FOCUS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOOR LATCHES MALFUNCTION. CONSUMER REQUESTS REIMBURSEMENT FOR DOOR LATCH RECALL REPAIRS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED BOTH THE LEFT PASSENGER'S AND DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR LATCHES BROKE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER DENIED ASSISTANCE. UPDATED 09/12/2017*JS

NHTSA ODI 10917074

I HAVE A 2012 FORD FOCUS THAT WITHOUT WARNING LOST ALL STEERING CONTROL, I HAVE CONTACTED FORD, WHO BASICALLY TOLD ME IT'S MY PROBLEM. LUCKILY, WE WERE NOT DRIVING AT THE TIME BUT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND SEEMS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE. MY QUESTION TO YOU IS WHAT IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON THE INTERSTATE GOING 70MPH? HOW IS THIS SAFE FOR MYSELF OR ANYONE ELSE ON THE ROAD NEAR ME? WHY IS FORD NOT BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS PROBLEM? IS IT BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVEN'T BEEN KILLED YET? THERE WAS NO WARNING, NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT THE STEERING WAS FAILING, ONE DAY IT'S FINE AND THE NEXT DAY IT WAS GONE. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THIS HAS NOT BEEN SUBJECTED TO A RECALL AS OF YET?

NHTSA ODI 11022811

AT 48,000 MILES MY HORN STOPPED WORKING

NHTSA ODI 11022829

SHUDDER WHEN TAKING OFF, SEEMS TO BE FROM 1ST TO 2ND....OR 2ND TO THIRD. I DONT REALLY KNOW. AUTOMATIC GEARBOX. AS WELL, MY RADIO WILL CRACKLE AND POP THEN "FREEZE" NO SOUND OR CONTROL OTHER THAN A VERY LOUD AND DISTRACTING STATIC AND POPPING FROM THE SPEAKERS. THIS HAS GOTTEN MUCH WORSE.

NHTSA ODI 11022838

THE ELECTRICAL POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE, WHEN THIS HAPPENS THIS IS A SUDDEN COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER VEHICLE. THIS OCCURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK STATIONARY AND ALSO WHILE IN DRIVE MOVING. IT OCCASIONALLY WOULD HAPPEN. AFTER THE THIRD OR FOURTH TIME, THE MALFUNCTION LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED AND POWER STEERING LOSS REMAINED DESPITE TRY TO RESTART CAR, THIS FINAL TIME IT DID NOT SHUT OFF PROBLEM. TOOK VEHICLE INTO FORD WHERE I HAD TO PAY FOR A COMPLETE NEW STEERING RACK AND CBM. COST $2,000 AT FORD DEALERSHIP.

NHTSA ODI 11022751

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ON 9/8/2017, MY POWER STEERING GAVE OUT, NO WARNING AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. MY STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY HARD AND IT MADE IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11022427

TAKATA INFLATORS: THIS VEHICLE IN THE "DRIVE GEAR" LUNGES WHEN GAS IS PRESSED AND QUICKLY TAKES OFF AT THE SLIGHTEST PRESS OF GAS MAKING FOR A DANGEROUS TAKE OFF FROM STOP LIGHTS AND TRAFFIC SIGNS WHILE ON MAJOR ROADWAYS. THIS VEHICLE WHEN PLACED IN THE "PARK GEAR" JERKS WHEN PLACED IN PARK AND FEELS AS IF IT WILL ROLL BACKWARDS WHILE IN PARKING LOTS OR HOME DRIVEWAY. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPORTED MULTIPLE TIMES TO FORD DEALER FOR ASSESSMENT AND/OR REPAIR AS "SHAKING" AND "SHIMMIES" WHILE DRIVING, TO PREVENT THIS FEELING, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IS USED OFTEN. ONCE, THE VEHICLE ACTUALLY ROLLED BACKWARDS IN THE THE "DRIVE" GEAR BUT WAS IDENTIFIED AS A DEFECT AND REPAIRED BY A FORD DEALER. WHEN PLACED IN "DRIVE" AT THAT TIME IT WAS SHOWING ON THE DASH AS IN "PARK". THIS TOO WAS CORRECTED BY FORD DEALER BY REPLACING TCM. ALTHOUGH REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE TO THIS VEHICLE SINCE PURCHASE, IT CONTINUES TO OFTEN SHAKE AND SHIMMY APPEARING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE ISSUES. AS OWNER, I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE LATEST RECALL PART PRIOR TO MY WARRANTY EXPIRING WHICH MAY HAVE FURTHER RESOLVED SOME OF THE LINGERING ISSUES. TCM HAS BEEN REPLACED, THE CLUTCH REPLACED MORE THAN ONCE,OR TCM REPROGRAMMED DURING MULTIPLE VISITS TO THE FORD DEALER.

NHTSA ODI 11022441

I STARTED MY CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY AND I WAS ALERTED TO THE MESSAGE "STEERING ASSIST FAULT, SERVICE REQUIRED" AND I WAS UNABLE TO STEER MY CAR OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, IT WAS VERY HARD TO MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL, TOTALLY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY NOW. I'LL HAVE TO PAY A HEFTY $1000-$2000 FOR THIS REPAIR. FORD SHOULD DEFINITELY RECALL THE STEERING ISSUE IN THE FORD FOCUS AS THERE HAS BEEN HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS. IT IS SO UNFAIR TO HAVE CUSTOMERS PAY THIS OUT OF POCKET WHEN CLEARLY IT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND NOT AT ALL CAUSED BY THE ACTIONS OF THE DRIVER. MY 2012 FORD FOCUS HAS GIVEN ME PROBLEM AFTER PROBLEM IN THE 2 YEARS I HAVE HAD IT. SO FRUSTRATED AND UNHAPPY WITH THIS CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11022297

MY COMPLAINT INVOLVES THE POWER STEERING GEAR THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IN MY 2012 FORD FOCUS. THE POWER STEERING WOULD FAIL WHILE PARKED AND DRIVING WHICH PUT ME INTO A COUPLE VERY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS WHILE DRIVING. I AM REQUESTING A RECALL BY FORD OF THE POWER STEERING GEAR.

NHTSA ODI 11022332

THE POWER STEERING JUST QUITS WORKING AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP WHILE DRIVE. WE HAD TO PARK THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT JUST ISN'T SAFE TO DRIVE, WE ARE EITHER GOING TO GET INTO A HEAD ON COLLISION OR DRIVE OFF THE ROAD IF WE DRIVE IT LIKE THIS. THERE IS NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, AND FORD WON'T FIX IT SINCE IT IS PAST WARRANTY, WE ONLY HAVE 45,000 MILE ON THIS CAR, IT SHOULD BE SAFER THAN THIS.

NHTSA ODI 11022232

ENGINE STARTED GROWLING AND BECAME VERY SLUGGISH. AT STOP LIGHTS OR EVEN IN TRAFFIC, THE ENGINE WOULD SHUT OFF CAUSING FOR A DANGEROUS SITUATION. HAD VEHICLE REPAIRED IN APRIL AND NOW THE SAME TROUBLES ARE STARTING TO APPEAR AGAIN.

NHTSA ODI 11021708

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL NOT TURN OFF, THE DOOR SENSORS KEEP RINGING, AND THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY AMD ROOLS BACKWARDS WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES

NHTSA ODI 11021701

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR OPENED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH AND WOULD NOT SHUT. THE PASSENGER DOOR WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WRAPPED THE SEAT BELT AROUND THE DOOR TO KEEP IT SHUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,697.

NHTSA ODI 11021441

TAKATA RECALL WHILE DRIVING MY SEAT BELTS LOCK SO TIGHT I HAVE TO UNBUCKLE THEM BECAUSE THEY WON'T COME LOSE.

NHTSA ODI 11021412

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF, WAITED TEN SECONDS, RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, AND IT RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MAC HEIK FORD LINCOLN (LOCATED AT 7201 N INTERSTATE HWY 35, GEORGETOWN, TX 78628, (512) 930-3673) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE OR RETRIEVE A FAULT CODE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: CAS12222912. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,225.

NHTSA ODI 11021437

WHILST IN MOTION AND ON A CITY STREET, I COULD NO LONGER CONTROL THE STEERING WHEEL OF MY VEHICLE. IT RESISTED MY CONTROL LIKE IT HAD A MIND OF ITS OWN, AND I HAD TO USE EXTREME FORCE TO GET IT TO TURN WHERE I WANTED IT TO AND PULL OVER. SEEMED TO DRIFT EVEN WHEN GOING STRAIGHT. WARNING LIGHT THEN APPEARED ON SCREEN THAT SAID SOMETHING LIKE "STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTION". THIS MALFUNCTION CAN OCCUR AT ANY MOMENT, AND NOTHING IN PARTICULAR SEEMED TO TRIGGER IT. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, IT SEEMS THIS IS A PROBLEM MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD WITH POWER STEERING AND HAS PUT MANY IN DANGER.

NHTSA ODI 11021605

TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION CAR STOP WORKING

NHTSA ODI 11021021

TRANSMISSION SHUTTERS, AND DRIVER DOOR OPENS UP WHILE DRIVING.17 YEAR OLD SON DRIVES THIS CAR WORRIED ABOUT HIS SAFETY. SCREEN SHOT THIS DOCUMENT! !!!

NHTSA ODI 11020736