Problems with 2013 Ford Focus STEERING

I have the car parked in my driveway when i went to drive it gives me the message "steering assist fault service required". the steering wheel is extremely difficult to turn. the car has 48,288 miles which i've only put 12,088 of it. i have only had the car 14 months when this occurred i've contacted the dealer which they stated the extended warranty i requested was never purchased when i told them the warranty paperwork that was given to me was expired before i purchased the car. i am furious with the dealer, and ford. i don't have $1,500 for the repair and without a car i can't get to work. now i have to worry of having it repossessed because i can't make the car payment.

Drove out of state for a wedding, parked car at a rest stop to use the bathroom came back out started the car to find a warning light "steering assist fault" amber colored [i] appeared on the dash and unable to turn the steering wheel. my husband took the drivers seat to drive to the next exit where our hotel is to manually fight to turn the wheel. had to be towed home almost 100 miles, ford should own up to this sever safety issue and recall this vehicle problem. nothing cleared this code or fixed the difficult steering.

Vehicle was parked. i went to turn on the car, and the steering wheel was locked and would not turn at all. had the car towed to the dealership. the service manager says the electric steering rack and pinion has failed and has to be replaced at a cost of 1,497.00. in addition, the car has also had numerous repairs to the transmission system. the car has had problems with the transmission since the very first day of purchase. the car will vigorously shudder at random times. the shuddering occurs every time i drive the car and it causes the car to violently jerk forward. we have taken the car in for all of the service updates/recalls, and the transmission problems still persist. the computer screen also will turn off randomly while driving. one time while driving on a highway, the car died. it was very dangerous. i should not have purchased this car.

While driving on a main road my steering wheel suddenly became very tight and felt as if it locked up. i was unable to turn the wheel and then the light went on saying power steering failure. the car because extreamly difficult to control and no longer safe to drive. when i would try to turn the wheel i would hear almost like a grinding sound and the wheel would feel like it was almost pushing back against me turning it. the vehicle is no longer safe to drive and was purchased brand new and has never had any issues until this.

I was driving on the interstate, and had noticed my steering wheel was kind of tight, and making little adjustments didn't feel normal. i was traveling at 70 mph, and the car couldn't make a small curve, i had to swerve into the next lane, almost hit the concrete wall. my warning light came on steering assist fault service immediately . i pulled off the interstate as i did there was a horrible gridding sound at any little turn of the wheel. the steering became completely useless, the car was drifting into oncoming traffic and wouldn't turn at all. i parked the car and turned it off, when i turned it backed on the error has changed to complete system failure, and the steering wheel will not move at all.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. while driving 35 mph, the power steering seized and the contact lost control of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the power steering failed. the vehicle was repair, but the failure recurred. the dealer confirmed the power steering failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

Steering rack needed to be replaced. caused sticking steering and a dry grounding sound. problem occured while driving. mechanic said it could seize up the steering.

My 2013 ford focus has 60k miles or less and the rack and pinion went out while i was driving and other than that i got the car at 36k miles and has had it in the shop twice because of shuttering in between gears which is scary sometimes. needless to say the software was updated twice and clutch was replaced and it still shutters.

I was driving and the steering got hard, so i kept driving it to work. it said something about steering fault. i stepped into a place to get coffee, and then turned my car on and the screen said power loss. i cannot believe this is happening with 60k on it... its only a 2013..

While driving the steering stops working, unable to turn right or left. i was turning right at a corner and steering completely stopped working. traffic stopped because of this and this could've caused an accident.

Electronic power steering assist failure. electronic power steering failed while vehicle was in motion on city streets while turning.

Newly purchased 2013 ford focus se.1. initial incident at 23000 miles showing error code on dashboard display with subsequent vehicle stalling (car shutting off). issue similar to alternator or battery failure. 2. now-persistent dashboard alarm light with message: steering assist fault, service required. ford district management informed-no assistance available for repair or buyback or recall. repair estimate couple thousand dollars. vehicle not drivable without repair. electronic power steering locks during drive after start after car is in driving gear preventing turns and driveability. please respond, thank you (new vehicle purchase) less than 40000 miles. *tr

Letter from senator burr on behalf of constituent re 2013 ford focus issues. *smd the consumer stated while driving on the freeway at 65 mph, he noticed dead spots in the steering function, the vehicle seemed to drift in a direction and while trying to correct it, nothing happened right away. then it would catch. the consumer also stated after driving the vehicle for a month, it was apparent there was a problem with the transmission. it was hesitating trying to shift and making noises. the dealer was aware of the problem and it stated it was called shuddering. the dealer informed the consumer it depended how fast he took off from start and it was standard for the vehicle. the consumer discovered there was a fix for the problem. however, records indicated the transmission had already been fixed on the vehicle. *jb

Driving home on the 15 october 2015 and the power assist feature failed. had to have the vehicle towed home. appears to be a common or know safety issue.unsafe due to highway driving - speed and potential merging issues!

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. the contact stated that the vehicle shuttered while attempting to accelerate from a complete stop. the vehicle was previously serviced per a manufacturer's customer satisfaction campaign; however, the failure recurred. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact stated that the shuttering on the clutch of the vehicle occurred intermittently. the contact also stated that the steering seized independently without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the electronic power steering gear failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 75,235.

Stopped in stop-and-go traffic on a major highway, when i attempted to accelerate again the vehicle flashed a warning which said "hill start assist not available" and the engine died completely. i lost all power to the wheels and lost power steering, was able to coast to the shoulder, where the car would not start. all warning lights appeared to come on, including seatbelt, check engine, traction control, etc. the car indicated it was in "drive", in spite of the fact that i had the gearshift in park. it would not shift gears or allow me to start the engine. after sitting for 30-40 minutes waiting for a tow truck, the car suddenly appeared to function normally. i drove home, and 10 minutes later, while parallel parking, the incident occurred again: backing into a parking space and attempting to pull back out, going uphill, the exact same sequence of events occurred ("hill start assist not available", loss of power and steering). this time the vehicle coasted backwards into another car. no injuries or damage. the 2013 ford focus cannot be trusted to be driven on the highway. i have read many reports online of other drivers having identical or very similar issues with hill start assist/transmission/traction control errors, loss of power, loss of power steering, and inability to shift gears or restart the car, with this error sometimes happening *while driving at highway speeds* resulting in loss of control of the vehicle. i do not feel safe driving this car. i feel less safe knowing that fords with this problem waiting to happen are being driving every day by unknowing drivers. this is a safety issue of the highest magnitude. it is absolutely outrageous that ford has issued no recalls.

My 16 year old daughters car. she called me to tell me the steering control would no longer work and could barely control the direction of the car. this occurred while the car was in operation and being driven down a highway i advised her to pull over and give me her location. when i got the car, i verified that steering was extremely difficult. i checked the tilt and telescoping steering and had no effect. i then checked for fluid, does not exist. lastly, i turned the car off and then re started. at restart, the electric power steering then worked properly. i then reported to my local ford dealership. they checked to see if any recalls existed for the reported problem and was advised that none existed. the dealership then told me that if i had any future problems to let them know.

My 16 year old daughters car. she called me to tell me the steering control would no longer work and could barely control the direction of the car. this occurred while the car was in operation and being driven down a highway i advised her to pull over and give me her location. when i got the car, i verified that steering was extremely difficult. i checked the tilt and telescoping steering and had no effect. i then checked for fluid, does not exist. lastly, i turned the car off and then re started. at restart, the electric power steering then worked properly. i then reported to my local ford dealership. they checked to see if any recalls existed for the reported problem and was advised that none existed. the dealership then told me that if i had any future problems to let them know.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. while reversing at a low speed, the steering wheel seized. the failure recurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was taken to a dealer who was unable to diagnose or repair the vehicle. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

I was driving and out of no where the information light came on notify me that the steering assist fault light and the steering wheel wouldn't turn

As i was driving home with my daughter i had turned a corner going a low speed like 10mph and the steer assist fault warning light came on and my steering wheel locked up as i was turning and i had to force my car straight. i moved off to the side and i was so scared.my daughter who is autistic also said mommy i'm scared. i had no idea if it was safe to try and get home or if i should sit there.i am so frustrated that i bought this car to replace a car that had gone out and have only had it for 5 months. i'm even more upset that i trusted that the 2013 ford focus was a stable car and here i am about to have to shell out money that i don't have to get it fixed. i'm outraged that this type of thing is happening to many ford owners,and i'm regretting that i even chose this car. they boast about being american made yet it's bad quality american made. i also have an issue with the car jerking and shaking while driving or stuttering. although this is equally dangerous it is tolerable. i hope this company makes it right with their customers and think of our safety before they keep making these cars.im very disappointed beyond words. major work on a car with only 44,890 mikes on it.shame on you ford

While driving home from work, i felt the steering wheel became tight, then a slight drift to the left. when i tried to bring it back to the center the steering wheel would not move to the right. i noticed if i turn it to the left a little, which could take me left of center of the road, i was able to turn the wheel to the right and bring the car right and back to center of my lane. this worsen as i got close to home as i began to hear noises like grinding from the steering. by driving very slowly with my flashers on, getting out periodically to check if the wheel was not falling off, i manage to get home safely.

I was driving on a side street at about 15 mph when i noticed it became difficult to steer the car. the steering assist warning light came on. it was now difficult to make turns. it felt like manual steering from the 1960's. there was no warning; it just happened. i took the ford focus to my mechanic. he plugged the car into the computer for a diagnostic report. he found nothing wrong with it. he loosened the battery cables and made a few other inspections. the steering assist light was no longer on and the car ran well. having the power steering go out without warning was scary. i've never had this problem with any car. *tr

The steering seemed very difficult then a message on the message board said steering fault turn engine off.i had it towed to a ford garage who said the electronic power assist steering needed to be replaced

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. while driving approximately 70 mph, there was a warning alarm and the power steering default critical light illuminated. the steering wheel became difficult to turn. the vehicle was driven to the contact's residence. the vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 20,000.

We have an intermittent problem with the electrical power steering on the car. sometimes we start it and we get an error message "electrical power steering malfunction". when we turn off the car and restart the problem clears itself. lately it has added a new dimension that causes concern. while driving the electrical steering goes out with the same warning. we need to move to shoulder. put in park and turn off car and restart to correct. trips to the dealer have been unfruitful as they can't duplicate the problem.

Car has been in 4 times for transmission problems.tcm and pcm replaced and reprogrammed.car was bought 4/25/15 and was in shop 4/27/15 and 3 consecutive mondays after with engine lights and jerking..as of 01/01/17 my steering assist went out with no warning in a snow storm.almost wrecked..very disapointed.all probs while driving and in motion.steering assist went out in mid right hand turn and for abt a week wld perodically be functional then harden up steering again. *tr

Driving from home, made two turns with the steering somewhat "grabbing" both times, but after getting to maintain speed at about 50 mph it seems to be fine, until i went to make a small adjustment in direction, started getting a steering failure and the steering just stuck, so i turned hard to over correct (like you would in a car w/ no power steering) and suddenly it let loose, shooting to the other side of the lane and grabbed again and repeated again. by now im starting to get concerned and slow down, but the next time it grabbed completely stuck in that direction and the error changed to "steering loss", i slammed on the brakes before veering off the road, and thankfully not far from home. however, i was terrified, and thankfully my wife and children were not in the car, or we were in the middle of our hour commute! now after talking to the dealer we are up for $1300 in repairs and only 8000 miles out of factory warranty. no car until this is fixed! completely need to replace the epas, this is unacceptable ford! *tr

I filled up my car with gas and then turned it back on to get a failure message that my eps power steering had failed. when i tried to turn the vehicle, it was very hard to turn corners or turn it at all. i tried driving it to the dealership and once there, i was notified that i would need to pay $1,500.00 to pay for an entire new eps system since they cannot replace just the steering module. i don't get how i pay for a like-new car in 2014 and immediately incur a 1,500.00 bill. *tr

Wife was driving the car from work and on the way home suddenly the car lost the power steering, warning light came on and a warning to service the vehicle display on the screen stating there was a problem with the steering assist system. she almost hit another car trying to get to the side of the road because it was very difficult to steer the vehicle, since she was close to the dealer where the vehicle was bought she carefully made her way into the dealer and left it there for service. later i was told by the dealer that it was a problem with the rack and pinion and they did not have the part available and it will take 3 weeks for the part to arrive. after a google search i found this vehicles are having problems with a epas system, tomorrow i will be talking to the service manager and see what they say about this... *tr

While parked, steering locked, making any steering impossible. after returning to normal operation, car while being driven at any speed, became difficult to steer. steering felt as if there was a gear clash, wheel had to be held with force to drive straight. without effort, vehicle wanted to veer either right or left. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. while driving 45 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. the contact had to apply force to the steering wheel in order to steer the vehicle. "steering assist fault" was displayed across the message board. the failure recurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the electronic steering system needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 50,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. the contact stated that the power steering assist failed without warning. the contact had to apply force to turn the steering wheel which had become extremely difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for further inspection, diagnosis and repair. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 38,000.

Soon after the purchase of my vehicle i began to experience problems with the transmission. in the early years of owning my car i took it into ford for the recall repairs which did nothing to solve the issue with my car. after about 3 or 4 failed attempts to have my car properly fixed i stopped taking it in. so for the last 5 years i've been driving my vehicle with this transmission issue. there are times where my vehicle stalls completely and the steering wheel stiffens so i am unable to drive. they're have been times where i had to continually pull over and stop my vehicle completely, waiting a few minutes to restart my car so i would be able to drive. i know have a 2 year old son and feel extremely uncomfortable and unsafe in this vehicle. at this moment i cannot afford to trade my vehicle in either and take the loss of all the money i put into this car.

Tl* the contact rented a 2013 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 mph, all the lights on the instrument panel illuminated along with the transmission and you are not in park warning lights. in addition, the brakes and power steering failed. the vehicle was towed to the rental company. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin was unavailable. the approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

Warning light came on. "steering assist fault. service required." complete loss of power steering. very difficult to turn wheel to get off the road. same problem occurred again 2 weeks later. *tr

The steering problems started nearly two months ago. at first it was a faint pull in the wheel... i incorrectly assumed it was a tire balance issue. then three weeks ago, i noticed the "pull" was getting stronger, and seemed to coincide with the a/c fan or random light failing. two weeks ago was the worst - i was on my way to the dealership and slowed down to stop at a light. my wheel was slightly to the right; and about 5 seconds before coming to a stop, the wheel all of a sudden yanked an extra forty degrees and pulled me into the turning lane. after getting back into my own lane, i noticed that the a/c fan also quit working. the car has also had random electrical problems/failures. the car has been in the dealership for 2 weeks now, and they are unable to reproduce/resolve the problem. *tr

The vehicle will stall upon pressing the clutch in while in gear or neutral regardless of speed at random intervals. i'll notice that coming to a stop with the clutch in the car has a hard time finding an idle then ultimately dies. this mostly happens while the car has been running for awhile and the ac is on however it has happened with the ac off. this has happened multiple times including while down shifting into a lower gear while turning. the dealership was unable to reproduce this despite showing video proof of the issue. this is an overall safety concern when the car could shut off at any given moment while driving. *tr

2013 ford focus st has stalled on the highway going 65+ mph multiple times, in addition to on -ramps and while coming to a stop, resulting in loss of power brakes and power steering. multiple times has stalled without giving a check engine light, meaning the dealer wouldn't look at it despite being under warranty. engine's idling speed is wildly erratic before and after stalling events. have been incredibly lucky so far because this is extremely dangerous and a huge safety risk. terrified of losing power again while turning left ahead of oncoming traffic or while merging onto the freeway. ford has issued tsb 13-9-7 for those lucky enough to have the ecu store a code, notice the issue and get it to a dealer while still under warranty, but this absolutely needs to be a recall before someone gets hurt or killed. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford fusion. the contact stated while he drove 65 mph the steering warning light illuminated and the steering wheel became hard to turn. the vehicle was towed to a local dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure and current mileage were 350.

I was driving on the highway at midnight 2/8/2014 at about 75mph when my car started to become stiff in the steering and lost speed rapidly. i down shifted from 5th gear to 4th gear the car would not accelerate even with my foot pressed all the way down on the accelerator, i shifted down to 3rd because of the sudden loss of speed and still nothing the cars rpms would go higher but the speed would not change. this nearly caused me to have an accident so i exited the highway and shut the vehicle off. once the vehicle was shut off and turned back on the problem went away, i contacted ford brought it in to their service center and they could not replicate this problem and suggested i continue to drive the vehicle until it happens again. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. the contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle jerked violently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be diagnosed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 12,552. updated 02/11/2014 *bf the consumer believed there may be a problem with the transmission and the tie rod. updated 02/20/14

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph after the accelerator pedal depressed, there was a loud noise that emitted from the driver side of the vehicle. the vehicle veered to the left and the steering wheel became difficult maneuver. the manufacturer was contacted and did not offer a remedy. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 18,722.

When driving at highway speeds of about 65+ mph the steering wheel will have a notchy feel when you try and turn it from the center to correct direction, which results in a jolt* that over corrects causing you to have to correct again, where the issue comes into play once again. doing so make it feel as if you have to constantly turn the wheel between the notch points in order to go in a straight line, which makes the car handle in a very unsafe manner, when you take into account that when the wheel goes into the notch the car heads straight for the car next to you or the barrier/ditch on the side of the road. i have to take 500 mile trips every month, and this becomes a serious problem at the speeds and distances that i have to drive. * this jolt is like you have to turn over a bump, there is a point that requires more force to turn than normal, but the moment it breaks that barrier, it goes back to normal causing the wheel to turn and stick into another position/notch. there is a notch both left and right about 10-15 degrees of center, meaning once you break the initial force to move from the center, it will "clunk" into the notch at 10-15 degrees from center. *tr

In august 2013 after owning car short time took to dealer and service manager drove it with us and said many people think there is an issue with shuddering and delayed acceleration but it's just the high performance transmission.. not to worry. the car continually got worse over time and we got a recall notice and took in in oct 2014. they replaced the clutch and seals. may 5 the car got really back on long drive home from la. overheated and then warning light came on. turned car off and back on warning light went off and drove car home shuddering very bad and with extreme delayed acceleration. had cars behind us on hills honking and almost rear ended us... took car in may 15 they said it wasn't safe to drive and they had it for 2 months to fix clutch, seals and adaptive learning sensor, replaced tcm, electronics. 8/8/15 while on freeway steering assist fault notification - service required. pulled off and when i tried to start car again i couldn't move the steering column. called nearby ford dealer and they said you can't drive it - safety issue. it is currently in the shop again. having this happen on a freeway is terrifying - cars honking at you, trying to steer off, etc. this is a danger and ford needs to take care of it instead of continuing to do temp fixes!!!!!

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the front tie rod failed and caused the contact to lose control of the vehicle. the contact crashed into a parked vehicle and the front passenger's front wheel separated from the contact's vehicle, causing the front end of the frame to drop to the ground. the contact suffered injuries to the back and a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed to the dealer but a diagnostic was not performed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vin was not available. the approximate failure and current mileage was 1,200.

Steering intermittently gets 'sticky' in center position at freeway speeds. the vehicle tracks reasonably well but as it drifts slightly in the lane it is normal to make small corrections. in every vehicle i have ever owned before this requires no effort or thought. in this one it takes concentration to avoid looking like i'm driving under the influence. in other words, it resists normal micro-corrections and tends to twitch and over-correct when it finally responds to the steering adjustment. that results in my vehicle moving a foot instead of an inch which is not a lot of fun at freeway speeds and is potentially dangerous. my research suggests that this is a programming issue with the electrically assisted steering. nhtsa: please address this with a recall before someone gets hurt or killed. *tr

I was on my way back home from chicago to ohio. about an hour into the trip my steering started getting stiff and hard to control. i had to hold on with both hand tightly. it felt like the steering was locking up. like a click. if i moved it ever so slightly it stuck and i had to move it back quickly. what should have taken 6 1/2 hours took me 10 1/2. my young son and i were scared. it was sunday and i was in another state. nothing open and on a toll road. it still gets hard to steer but my dealership said there is nothing wrong. someone please help. i travel back and forth from ohio to chicago a lot. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford focus. the contact stated that there was an abnormal noise that continued for an extended period of time. the failure occurred ever since the vehicle was purchased. the dealer (reynolds motor co, 1900 avenue of the cities, east moline, il 61244, 1 (888) 602-3869) was unable to replicate and diagnose the failure. the vehicle was inspected and diagnosed by an independent mechanic who stated that the rack and pinion may need to be replaced. the abnormal noise continued to come from the steering area as the failure continued. the vehicle was stored for more than two years due to the failure. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vin and failure mileage were not available.

Steering and computer aided systems along with tires that were not disclosed to be used under 40 degrees caused loss of steering input and control which lead to hitting a curb and damaging suspension components as well as the drive-ability of the vehicle is worse that before. there are known issues with the steering on the 2013 focus st and after 6 months of going back and forth, ford cannot remedy the situation and the care is unsafe to drive at any speed as the lack of steering control cause unnecessary movement of the vehicle, requiring nerves of steel to drive at even 20 mph. clunking noises and grinding also coming from suspension and transmission gears. *tr