What 1,347 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Ford Fusion Energi

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud clunking sound coming from the steering wheel while attempting to make a turn. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the electric rack and pinion had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact ordered the parts and had the dealer install the parts. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the same diagnostic was provided. The contact was informed that the electric rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The parts were ordered by the dealer. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the same diagnostic was provided. The contact was informed that electric rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 208,864.

NHTSA ODI 11675131

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the messages "Service - AdvanceTrac Off", "Hill start Assist Unavailable", and "Steering Assist Fault - Required" were displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering rack had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however the VIN was not included in the unknown recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

NHTSA ODI 11674309

I am submitting this complaint regarding a complete loss of power steering on my 2014 Ford Fusion. The issue occurred without warning and was accompanied by multiple dashboard alerts including: “Steering Loss – Stop Safely” “Service AdvanceTrac” “Hill Start Assist Not Available” The steering became extremely heavy and difficult to turn, creating a major safety concern—especially while driving at low speeds or attempting to park. I have since researched this issue and found numerous reports from other 2014 Ford Fusion owners experiencing the exact same failure. While Ford issued a Customer Satisfaction Program (15N01) covering similar issues on 2011–2013 Fusion models, no such support appears to be available for the 2014 model—even though the symptoms and system design are identical. Dealers are quoting repairs in excess of $3,500 to replace the rack-and-pinion steering system, which is believed to be the source of the failure. Given the abrupt and dangerous nature of the malfunction, I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this issue as a potential safety defect and consider whether Ford should expand coverage or issue a formal recall for affected 2014 vehicles. This is a critical steering safety issue that could easily lead to accidents or injury if it happens at higher speeds or in traffic. I urge the NHTSA to take this seriously and evaluate Ford’s handling of this problem in 2014 Fusion models. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11673446

Steering gear in rack in pinion grinding and felt like car stalled and steering went hard..no warnings or indications prior to..67,000 miles on Car …now there is a continuous grinding sound coming from steering wheel and Ford had a recall on 2014 Fusion but my car doesn’t show any …afraid steering may lock up without warning

NHTSA ODI 11669975

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound and the steering wheel seized. The "Service Advancetrac" message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the steering gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

NHTSA ODI 11665268

On May 15, 2025 I experience a loss of power steering assist in my vehicle due to steering gear bold corrosion. There is a recall for this exact same issue, 19S26/19V632, issued on 2019-10-11, however, Ford is telling me my VIN number is not included in this recall. They are also claiming this problem was fixed as part of their recall 19R02 back in 2015. As part of the more recent recall, the remedy calls for replacing the bolts and applying a corrosion inhibitor, but they obviously did not do when fixing recall 19R02 back in 2015.

NHTSA ODI 11661266

I currently have no open recalls on my vehicle however I feel as though my vehicle is apart of the the national recall involving the steer column. My vehicle jerks at high speeds randomly and I sometimes lose control. This issue has been seen by multiple mechanics and they’ve done numerous inspections but can’t find the problem. They only tell me they think it may fix the issue but none are certain. I’ve gotten two wheel alignments within a year and each time I’m recommended a wheel alignment by a different mechanic. I’ve bought several tires of this issue because the wear on my tires keeps wearing out and causing my tires to blow out. I believe it involves the national recall.

NHTSA ODI 11660105

Around [XXX], I began experiencing issues with the electric power steering system in my 2014 Ford Fusion. The steering became noticeably stiff and difficult to turn, especially at low speeds. A warning message appeared on the dashboard — something like “Service Trac” or a similar alert. Despite the warning and steering difficulty, I was able to continue driving the vehicle for about a week, but it became increasingly unsafe and physically demanding to steer. The vehicle has approximately 138,000 miles and was purchased from a dealership in Michigan just a few months ago. The issue has not been inspected by a Ford dealer, but an independent service center diagnosed the problem as a failure of the electric power steering system. I was quoted $2,400 for a new part or around $1,000 for a used one, not including labor. I checked my VIN using Ford’s official site and confirmed there are no open recalls or Customer Satisfaction Programs for the steering system on this vehicle. However, this issue appears to match the symptoms described in Ford recall 19V632000, which applies to some 2014 Fusions with the same steering design. My vehicle appears to be excluded from that recall. Given the widespread nature of this defect and the serious safety risk it poses, I believe the recall should be expanded to include more affected VINs. This failure could easily result in loss of control at higher speeds and represents a hazard to both occupants and others on the road. Thanks for your time [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11660005

Power steering rack and pinion

NHTSA ODI 11656669

While driving on highway, my 2014 Ford Fusion suddenly reported loss steering power and it was requiring a greater steering effort to make a small turn. I have to stop unexpectedly on highway. This incident reminded me that a day or two, I started to feel some roughness while turning in low speed locally. But it didn't affect driving.

NHTSA ODI 11654107

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while leaving a parking lot at approximately 10 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The contact turned off the vehicle and waited for a while before restarting the vehicle. The contact restarted the vehicle 3 times before being able to turn the steering wheel; however, the power steering functionality remained inoperable. The contact stated that the Service Advancetrac, Lane Keep Assis system malfunction, Hill Start Assist Not Available, Steering Assist Fault, and Service Required messages were displayed on the instrument panel. The dealer was contacted and informed of the failure. The dealer suggested that the contact take the battery to be tested. The battery was tested and there was no failure found with the battery. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA ODI 11653101

Electric power steering failed, causing the car to be almost impossible to steer while driving. This is a known issue with these Ford vehicles. Car shows steering failure and stabilitrak warning-these did not come on until the failure.

NHTSA ODI 11650353

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated that while turning to the left or right, the steering wheel was sticking. While driving at slow speeds in colder temperatures in a parking lot, the steering became inoperable. The steering wheel was difficult to turn. The message “Please pull over for Safety” was displayed. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V632000 (Steering). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who provided the contact with undisclosed error codes. The vehicle was taken to an undisclosed local dealer, where the codes were cleared, and the dealer informed the contact that the steering assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was reset, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

NHTSA ODI 11647673

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the steering wheel remained locked and could not be moved in either direction. The contact stated that after several attempts the steering wheel unlocked and operated normally. The contact stated that the failure recurred one hour after initially attempting to start the vehicle. The contact stated that the steering rack was recently replaced but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that the vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V632000 (STEERING). The failure mileage was 165,000.

NHTSA ODI 11638197

THE NOTIFICATION APPEARS AS STEERING SYSTEM FAULT SERVICE REQUIRED, BLIND SPOT SYSTEM FAULT, AND CROSS TRAFFIC FAULT THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING LOST ABILITY TO STEER CAR DOSENT CRANK, THIS POSES A SERIOUS RISK OF INJURY/DEATH.

NHTSA ODI 11635478

Slowing driving out of store parking lot, sudden heavy steering, loss of power steering, 'service advancetrac' & 'hill start assist unavailable ' traction control warning lights on

NHTSA ODI 11619221

Power steering failed after highway driving for approximately 1 1/2 hours. Was recently brought in for transmission wiring repair. Issue occurs intermittently, restarting the vehicle fixes it for a few minutes, but inevitably reoccurs.

NHTSA ODI 11617378

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH and following a curve in the road, the steering wheel became firm. The contact stated that it was difficult to turn the steering wheel to the left or the right. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was a recurring failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the electronic power steering assist had failed and referred the contact to a dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the steering wheel was no longer functional, and the vehicle was no longer being driven. The contact had researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V250000 (Steering). The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,329.

NHTSA ODI 11616389

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, with the power steering warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering wheel had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.

NHTSA ODI 11615285

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the steering wheel had loosened. The vehicle was driven back to the residence. The following day, the vehicle was started, and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed electronic power steering module. The contact was informed that the electronic power steering module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

NHTSA ODI 11610824

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving out of the residence driveway at approximately 2 MPH, the traction assists and ABS braking assist warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel then seized. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle regained steering functionality. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but had become a recurring failure. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V250000 (Steering). The failure mileage was 184,513.

NHTSA ODI 11606779

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while stopped in a parking lot with the engine running, the steering wheel independently started turning to the left. The contact stated that the Hill Start Assist, stabili-trak, and Loss of Power Steering Assist messages were displayed. The contact stated that the steering wheel was very difficult to turn. The contact stated there was smoke coming from under the hood. The contact turned off the vehicle and after opening the hood, the contact observed power steering fluid leaking onto the exhaust manifold. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer nor an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V250000 (Steering). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

NHTSA ODI 11604013

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized. There were two unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failure in the steering wheel. The vehicle was not repaired. A local dealer was also contacted, and confirmed the vehicle was not under recall. The contact related the failure to NTSA Campaign Number: 19V632000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.

NHTSA ODI 11598588

My vehicle has lost all power steering, and is giving notice that steering assist fault service is required. The vehicle also is manufactured and produced during they same time recall notice 19S26 came out, however, Ford is stating the VIN is not associated with that recall.

NHTSA ODI 11596474

I recently noticed that the bolt that secures the steering wheel to the steering column has become loose. This seems to be the same problem for which a recall was issued but my vehicle wasn't included in the recall. I haven't had anyone look at it yet because it just started coming loose.

NHTSA ODI 11596156