Problems with 2011 Ford Fusion STEERING

After having my car for 3 months or so i had the first incident with the power steering failing on my car while driving with a warning message that stated "power steering assist fault, service advancetrac" i was able to pull over turn the vehicle off and back on and the problem would be corrected, the last event with.with this same problem did not clear the message, i have read a number of blogs with peep owning ford fusions to.know this is not an isolated issue and yet ford motor company still has yet to take corrective action against this problem and at around 1900.00 for repair costs of this issue that is unacceptable. *tr

Power steering stopped working and the dashboard displayed that the power steering fault assembly malfunctioned and the advance track light came on. vehicle was unresponsive and difficult to maneuver.

I was going around a curve at 25 mph when suddenly the steering wheel jerked in my hand and then became almost impossible to turn. a warning display came on that read "power steering assist failure, service advancetrac." i managed to get the car to the side of the road and then turn it off. i restarted the engine and the warning message was cleared and the steering worked fine the rest of the trip. i called the service department at the ford dealership where i purchased the car and explained what happened. the service manage told me he had never heard of any similar problems and nothing could be done about it if there was no warning code displaying that they could read. upon researching several sites on the internet, i found hundreds and hundreds of complaints for the same problem being experienced by other ford fusion owners. will major accidents claiming human lives have to occur before this very serious problem is addressed by ford motor company and the nhtsa? *tr

While driving the car the power steering stopped working, turned the car off and restarted and then it worked again. this has happened about 15-20 times since the first incident. since the error message went away when the car was restarted, a diagnostic would not find the problem. 4 days ago we were backing out of the driveway and it happened again with the error message - power steering assist default- this time restarting the car did not make the message go away. and the power steering was completed gone. we had to have the car towed to the dealership. they said the the entire power steering module has to be replaced for a total cost of $2000. if this would have happened while driving at a high speed, this could of resulted in a very serious accident with injury and damages to the car. the repair of this defect with this car should of been handled by ford but they are not paying for the repair.

Driving at city speeds and the power steering completely fails. turn the vehicle off and then on again and it fixes the problem. drive some more and a few days later, it happens again. a few days later, it completely goes. take the car to the local ford dealer and am charged $1832.35 for a new rack and pinion. ladies and gentlemen, a rack and pinion won't fix itself if you turn the car on and off. i did some research on this problem on line at fordfusionforum.com. it seems to be an abs module, not the rack and pinion. called ford today and they said no reimbursement was possible. a new rack and pinion for a car with only 21 thousand miles on it? crazy. *js

I turned the car on while parked in my driveway and the screen flashed "power steering assist fault." i wasn't able to turn the steering wheel at all. this happened once before recently and the problem ceased when i restarted the car. however, after this current incident the steering wheel will not turn, even with force. if this had happened while i was driving, i would have no control of the car and would have most likely resulted in a terrible car accident and/or worse. i demand this problem be fixed immediately as i know that there are several other fusion owners who have had similar issues. *tr

The steering of the vehicle went out and locked while driving. this is a fairly new vehicle and i see some trending of complaints and similar descriptions of the failure. extremely dangerous. very thankful i was not on the highway. was advised by ford that rack and pinion needed replacement and they could not diagnose cause. $2000 repair. not covered, outside warranty period of 36k miles. seems to be more of a recall issue? *tr

My wife was pulling into the parking lot where she works and the power steering quit. on the readout it said power steering assist fault and service advance trac. also the advance trac light came on. with difficulty she finished parking the car and called me. she then shut the car off and went in to work. i drove to where she parked and checked under the hood for the power steering. could not find it so looked in manual and found that power steering assist is electronic and not hydraulic. i started car and everything worked normal including steering. looked online and found many other complaints of same problem on 2011 fusions. plugged a diagnostic tool in under the dash and it showed no fault codes stored. took to a ford dealer the following week after discussing the problem with them. they kept it 4 days and could not get the problem to come up again. was told to drive it until it came up again. picked up the car on friday the 26th and drove it. the steering went out again on sunday the 28th of july when i was driving about 20 mph. pulled over to side of road and shut off. restarted and everything was normal again. talked to 2 other ford dealers and was told to bring it in when it happens again without shutting off so they can check it when it is happening. (but of course it has to be a day and time they are open) i feel this is a safety issue. my wife drives this to work daily and has to travel over roads where there is no place to pull off to reset. also it would be very difficult for her to keep steering while she is continuing to drive. i called ford customer service and filed a complaint but with no immediate resolve. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford fusion. the contact stated that while traveling approximately 25 mph, the vehicle became difficult to steer and the power steering warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be replicated. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 52,600.

***note: this started in may 2013 happened 3 times. dealership replace an intake sensor and then it happened again as listed below. this is putting me and my daughters in danger everytime this happens without prior warning. ---------------------------------------- july 19, 2013 @ 3:29 am: without warning this time the "check engine" indicator came on , the car made a weird noise like a dying rumble/purring noise as it became silent and all power left. -she put the care in ?p? park -started the engine and it acted normal -------------------------------------- july 19, 2013 @3:28 am: without warning the ?throttle control/transmission? indicator lit up, the car became silent and all power left. -she put the care in ?p? park -started the engine and it acted normal ------------------------------------------- july 19, 2013 @ 1:20 am : without warning the ?throttle control/transmission? indicator lit up, the car became silent and all power left. -she put the care in ?p? park -started the engine and it acted normal ---------------------------------------------------------- july 18, 2013 @4:30 pm: without warning the ?throttle control/transmission? indicator lit up, the car became silent and all power left. -she put the care in ?p? park ?.i was in the back seat & instructed her what to do. -started the engine and it acted normal ***** ford dealership service technicians could not find or duplicate the problem. the issue escalated to the ford engineers. they determined that it was something like the massive intake air flow sensor and installed a new one ( ford part: fp 3l3z-128579-ba sensor assy) june 13 just prior to my business trip on june 17,2013. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford fusion. the contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, the power steering failed as the power steering assist warning light illuminated. the vehicle was shut down and restarted but the failure recurred. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was determined that the power steering assist needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 44,200.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford fusion. while driving approximately 35 mph, the power steering warning indicator illuminated. in addition, while attempting to turn the vehicle, the steering wheel seized and the contact had to use extreme force to control the steering wheel. the dealer stated that the power steering assembly needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 41,015. updated 7/7/15*cn

I wanted to contact you about a serious safety issue in my 2011 ford fusion. i took it in for service in january 2013 and was told that the throttle body needed replaced after my car stalled a few times. i was told then the throttle body was backordered. i tried again in june and was told that this is a common problem and they are still backordered. after that, i was told that i could simply take the key out and put it back in after it stalled and it would be fine. and they were backordered from ford. on july 11th, the car stalled at the corner of i-70 and i-270 in columbus while traveling at 65mph. i pulled off to the side of the road and reset the car. while trying to get off the road, i went off the road to avoid any other cars as their was construction and no shoulder. after restarting it, i got back onto the road and the car stalled and i wasn't able to make it back off the road and nearly was hit by a semi from behind. the car stalled a minimum of ten times during rush hour. *tr

My wife, son and i was at a stop light getting ready to turn right and all asudden there was no steering at all locked completely up so we pulled over and tried to restart call and message popped up service brake system, check power steering now, service advance track. the electric power steering had went completely out of the car totally not safe at all. when will there be a recall on such a major issue this needs to be addressed i have read other fusions with the same problem as mine. this vehicle will not be driven anymore not worth the life of my family over something that should have been recalled years ago by ford still nothing last ford i will own. *tr

While driving out of a parking lot and turning onto a main road, the power steering became extremely heavy and difficult. i heard beeping inside the car and the message- power steering assist failure light came on. i was able to maneuver the car to the side of the road and turned the car off and back on again and the steering returned to normal. this was scary as it happened with out warning so i immediately called the closest ford dealer afterwards (monday) and explained what had just happened and that i was worried it would reoccur and is dangerous but they couldn't take it until friday. also, concerned about reading very similar complaints with no recall from ford to look into and fix before this malfunction causes a dangerous accident. luckily, i had just made a turn at the time and wasn't moving fast at all but others have written that it happens at higher speeds as well. *tr

While driving on the expressway at approximately 60 mph, power steering stopped working. vehicle display flashed power steering failure alternating with service advance track. the problem has recurred multiple times under similar conditions, and recently happened on a turn. took vehicle to dealer on 7/3/13. they could not note anything wrong, but reset sensor anyway. the problem has occurred twice since the sensor was reset. i feel that this could be a dangerous problem, depending on when the malfunction occurs. *tr

The power steering went of while i was driving at approximately 45mph. the indicator showed check power trac power steering. took it to the dealer where i bought the car and they put it on a computer to see what was wrong. the computer showed the power gear needs to be replaced at $1600. but the service tech said that may not be all that's wrong, but first need to replace the power gear. this should be covered in the warranty and this should be a recall due to having occurred numerous times before. neither of which is occurring. this could be very dangerous and cause serious injury if the car, for incidence, is in the passing lane. after the car lost its power steering, i was able to stop and restart, which corrected the steering. *tr

Power steering stopped working, and brakes acting up, very hard to drive to the side of the road and stop. warning lights came on for power steering default and service advancetrac. took my fusion to the ford dealer in grand haven,mi. to see what the problem was. without looking at my car they said they couldn't help me, came back to my daughters home. this has happened 3 times in the last 2 weeks, when i shut the car off for awhile, it seems to correct itself. but there is no way of telling when it will happen again. i'm visiting from pennsylvania in michigan, and i guess i'm suppose to take the chance of driving my car the 700 miles to pa without it happening again!! considering all the comments i have seen on the internet about the same issues with other fusions, it would seem to me that ford might take a look at the problem and help their customers. i wondered about the ford dealer, if he noticed my pa. plates and i'm 77 years old, and that was that!! i hope not! right now i'm still in michigan, deciding what to do? *tr

All of a sudden, my power steering froze and i got the "power steering assist fault, service advancetrac" warning light. this happened on several instances last summer, and all i had to do was stop the car, turn it off, and start it up again and there was no problem. i took this to the ford dealership and they were unable to duplicate the problem and unable to do anything. this did not occur again over the winter, but it did again on the thursday before memorial day. i took it to the ford dealership, as they asked if i could bring it in with the problem, but they did not look at it. today (july 15, 2014) i had the same instance again of the power steering freezing when i was backing out of my driveway. however, when i shut the car off and restarted it, it has not fixed the problem. i plan to take it to the dealership today, but this is a serious safety problem for the power steering to go intermittently, and i have read similar complaints on various websites. if this is a recurring problem, there ought to be a recall. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford fusion. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 10 mph, the power steering warning light illuminated and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. the contact restarted the vehicle and it resumed to normal operation. the failure occurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 70,000.....updated 06/09/15*bf the consumer stated the power steering went completely out in the first week of april. it was taken to a ford dealership, and was advised that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. updated 11/20/2015*js

The car suddenly developed some slop or play in the steering of the car with a clunking noise upon steering. a garage checked it out and determined that the "rack and pinion" assembly housing, which is made a aluminum, had a vertical crack in the middle of it. this is very dangerous situation that could cause steering failure resulting in a total loss of vehicle control. car is drivable at this point. *tr

The message center displayed "power steering assist fail" and the power steering to my car stopped functioning. research as to what may have caused this resulted in numerous instances of this fault reported by other ford owners with the same model year and the same approximate mileage. this is a serious safety issue and should be acknowledged by ford and a recall be initiated. *tr

My power steering has gone out on 3 separate occasions now. the first incident was june 26. i had parked the car (pulled over because of a bad rain storm). when i restarted the car and started to pull out of the parking place, the power steering assist default light came on and it became extremely difficult to steer the car. i pulled over again, turned off the engine for several minutes and when i restarted it, the default light was off and it was fine. the second incident occurred on june 28. again, it happened when i started the car. i was parallel parked and when i started the car, the power steering assist default light came on and the steering was again very difficult to maneuver. i turned the engine off for several minutes, restarted and it was fine. the third incident occurred today, 7/4/2013, and this time it happened while i was driving. i was driving approximately 45 mph when the power steering assist default light came on again. i was able to pull off of the highway safely. i turned the car off for several minutes and once again, it was fine. however, to just suddenly lose the capability to steer is quite terrifying and extremely dangerous, especially on a highway. since this has happened, i have done some research online and this power steering assist default seems to be quite a common problem with ford fusion owners- especially 2010-2012 models. ford needs to address this issue before there is a really serious accident. i've only made a few payments on my car and i am now afraid to drive it- it is not safe!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford fusion. the contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver as the power steering warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for a diagnostic testing where the failure was unable to be replicated. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 60,250 and the current mileage was 60,344. *tr

I turned on my car. the powering steering assist fault light came on and it was hard to turn. i turned my car off and on again. the light was still there. *tr

While taking a freeway exit ramp, an alert popped up on my dashboard and my steering immediately became labored. i wasn't doing anything unusual at the time, so my immediate assumption was that i had a flat tire. i began to slow as i neared the exit ramp, and at this point my dashboard showed a "power steering assist fault" error and a "service advancetrac" error message, which resulted in the loss of all power steering. at this point i pulled off the highway and into a parking lot, shut off my car, and let it rest for approximately 15 minutes while i read the ford owner guide for more information. after inspecting the engine and finding nothing unusual, i started the car and the power steering had returned. i have not experienced this issue again and it has been 24 hours, but i'm still weary of traveling at higher speeds lest my power steering suddenly fail again. *tr

Was stopped at red light in right turn lane . light changed and i started forward the steering locked up and lights and buzzers went off there was no one stopped at light in other lane so i was able to steer safely to right and clear traffic. lights on dash said power steering assist failure and something about advance trac. called the local ford place and they sent man to check problem. he cranked engine and everything was back to normal. couldn't make it do it again. *tr

Traveling down the highway, the advancetrac light came on and system chimed. message center displayed service advancetrac and power steering assist fault, i lost all power steering, the vehicle became very hard to control. upon turning the vehicle off and back on i was able to regain power steering. bringing vehicle to dealership today for investigation. *tr

In the beginning while driving i had the warning light of "power steering assist failure" come on, the wheel would become difficult to turn so i pulled into the shoulder and turned off the vehicle to check the power steering fluid and when i got back in and started the vehicle it would reset and work fine. i thought it was a fluke at first. then it happened again a few weeks later so i called the ford dealership, spoke to the service manager who told me they wouldn't be able to figure out what it was if the vehicle didn't store a code that it would be best for me to bring it in once the warning light stayed on and it wouldn't reset itself. he told me this because a few weeks prior same thing happened with the wrench warning light and when i took it in the vehicle didn't store a code.. they kept my car for a week and couldn't figure it out. i had to pay to get my vehicle back. no work was performed 2 days later same issue, i have since fixed the wrench light issue and unable to pay for the power steering issue. these 2 items went out when i was on the highway and are unsafe conditions to loose acceleration on the highway all of a sudden is not good at all and to have power steering failure on a 2011 vehicle is not acceptable. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford fusion. the contact started her vehicle and the "power steering assist fault" warning alert illuminated. the contact restarted the vehicle and it functioned properly. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for inspection. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 38,000.

Car is having a hard time cranking and idling high, power steering hard to move because of a power steering assist fault and the car is hard to steer it has done it 3 times. once while driving and 2 other times while parked but car was hard to crank. *tr

Power steering failed while driving. no power until vehicle was shut off and restarted. *tr

Myself along with my three children were traveling on i-45 from dallas to houston. while traveling 75mph, the indicator light for the power steer assist fault came on along with the service advancetrac. once the alarm went off, i no longer had power steering. this seems to be a common occurrence with this specific vehicle, and can be very dangerous depending of the driving conditions. *tr

I was pulling into traffic when all of a suddenly steering became very stiff. a message appeared that stated the power steering was out. i will be taking the vehicle in tomorrow morning but i have read that this is a common problem. also i have a one month old and if we would have been in traffic far away from home this would have been very detrimental. *tr

Drove the car for about an hour, for about 20 miles. parked the car. turned on car after it was parked in a parking lot for about 1.5 hours. as we attempted to pull out of our spot, it was apparent that the power steering was not working. seconds later, the warning message appeared that there was a power steering failure, check the advancetrac system. we attempted to turn the car on and off to no avail. we added 3 bottles of power steering fluid and it didn't seem to fill up the tank nor did it help the power steering. car was towed to the dealer, where they told us the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. *tr

3 times the vehicle has just shut itself off when driving in traffic. i put it in gear and it then starts again. some issues with acceleration while driving also. after having the vehicle for a few months the power steering would shut off while driving. ford has since replaced the steering column. the problem with the car shutting itself off still exists. *tr

The car was parked, and when i put it on reverse to back out, there was a beeping sound that said "power steering fault" and the wheel was super hard i could not continue to drive, so i put the car on park and turned it off. left the car, and when my husband went to get the car, it turned on fine & drive fine. two days later the same thing. wondering if this is a recall or this can be replaced by ford????? first a few months ago, the "throttle body" & now this!!!!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford fusion. the contact stated that the power steering failed and the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn. the power steering warning lamp illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who diagnosed that the electronic power steering pump needed to be replaced. the vehicle was to be repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 30,000. updated 09/02/14*lj the consumer stated the vehicle was repaired. the steering rack was replaced. updated 09/11/2014 *js

I drove for approx 5 mins from my home to a local store. when i restarted the car from the store the steering wheel was almost impossible to turn. the message "powersteering assist failure" appeared. the outside temp was approx 20f. my intention was to drive slowly back to my home and call towing but i decided to restart the car first. after restarting the steering was working normally. after reading other postings it seems that this type of failure could also occur while driving. this would pose an extremely dangerous situation. i will contact my ford dealership and am hopeful that they are able to repair this problem in a permanent fashion. otherwise i would not allow my wife or kids to drive this car and would need to escalate this issue with ford. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford fusion. the contact stated that while driving 10 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the power steering was faulty. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin was unavailable. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Power steering has gone out several times since i first bought this car. each time i have taken it into the dealer in the past they have told me they weren't willing to look at it without a fault code on the dash. today (04/17/2015) i finally managed to get them to look at the code and they are unwilling to fix the problem under warranty despite it having been an ongoing issue. looking it seems to be a problem not just related to my car, but a number of these 2011 fusions. *tr

Beginning on monday, september 10, 2012 right up until this morning, thursday, september 13th, the power steering on my 2011 ford fusion has locked up six times. the first occurrence happened on monday 9/10/2012 as i was about to turn a corner at a very busy intersection. i was going approximately 30 mph. as i was about to turn, bells and whistles went off, my power steering failed and a message on my dash board read "service advancetrac" and "power steering assist failure." the steering wheel became very difficult to maneuver - basically locked up. luckily i was able to safely pull over to where i could turn my car off, take the key out of the ignition and restart it to unlock the steering. since then, (3 days later) this has occurred another five times. not all instances have been while turning a corner and it happens at random speed. the only way i can unlock the steering is by shutting the car off, taking the key out of the ignition and totally restarting it. i live in houston, tx and spend several hours in my car each day just commuting back and forth from work alone. i am truly terrified each time i get in my car - especially on the interstates during rush hour. i should not have to feel like this. this is a major safety issue and in my opinion, ford needs to administer a recall! i have an appointment scheduled to take my car in but from everything that i have read online, the parts that are needed to remedy this problem are all on back order. please help! i know there are several others out there that are dealing with this safety issue. don't let it get to the point of someone losing their life or someone taking another's life. please please please help!!!! [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Power steering went out when driving. had it fixed to the amount of 1300.00 replaced the rack and pinion steering. six months later while driving again the power steering failed again. replaced the rack and pinion again. not even two weeks later, and not having driven it no more than fifty miles, the power steering failed again. this is a serious problem. *tr

I was driving home on the highway all of a sudden power steering froze. warning light "service advancetrac" and "power steering failure came on. next day 8/8/12, took it to the dealership where it still sits. was told that the part that is bad (the rack and pinion) is on back order. was just told today 8/17/12 that it will be october before the part will be shipped. called ford (company) and was told that my case was made a priority and i would have to wait until september 10th for a follow up (ridiculous). a customer who is spending this kind of money shouldn't have to wait a month to get help or wait two months to have his/her vehicle fixed. as of next thursday aug. 23 it will be 16 days without my car. i will then send a letter to the ford for a "last chance to repair my car." after that they have 10 days to fix it. after ten days i can demand a refund or a new car. if ford doesn't comply then i can file a suit against ford according to the mississippi lemon law (consumer protection division of the mississippi attorney general's office) ford i will see you in court! sincerely a disappointed customer. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford fusion. the contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the steering box needed to be replaced. the part was on backorder and was not available for repair. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 17,000. ..updated 09/12/12 *bf updated 09/12/2012 *js

The driver of this vehicle stated that while traveling on the interstate at 70 mph the steering wheel locked up and he was unable to steer the vehicle. he forced the steering wheel to the right and it released and swerved severely then seemed to operate correctly for the remainder of his trip. i took the vehicle to the dealership and they replaced the control unit. the vehicle has since had the same problem multiple times with different drivers. it has been returned to the dealership twice. both time i was told that the dealership could not duplicate the problem and no repairs were made. i have contacted the ford customer service department and filed a complaint with them and they are currently investigating. *tr

As early as january this year i turned a corner and the power steering failed. i parked the car as i had arrived at my destination and when i restarted it the steering was working fine. this has happened at least three times since then while i was on the highway. i would turn off the ignition for a few seconds and turn it back on without stopping and the power steering would return. monday i parked the car at my office and when i restarted it i got two alerts one was for a steering fault and the other was for advance track needs service. i got the car to a dealer today and the problem can't be repaired. the steering column must be removed from the car as the dealer is not allowed to repair the electronics. i thought this was a minor problem with a sensor receiving the wrong signal but ford has turned it into a major repair job. if this problem is something that could happen to any fusion it could be very dangerous as the car is very hard to steer. the computer should not be allowed to switch off the power steering while there is not a problem with the actual power steering mechanism. *tr

While driving the vehicle i received a service advance track and a power steering malfunction notification and then the steering froze. i was able to pull to the side of the road. i turned the car off and then back on which seemed to reset something. the vehicle is presently at the dealer and i was informed there was a back order for 2000 of the defective parts. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford fusion. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the steering wheel seized, causing her to crash into a curb. the vehicle was restarted and the steering wheel operated under normal conditions. the failure recurred several times however. the vehicle was taken to the dealer three times and each time, the failure could not be replicated. the manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance. the failure and current mileages were 20,000. the vin was not available.

When taking a right hand turn off main road steering froze, warning beep sounded and power steering message showed on dashboard. this is the first incident with this car, but my wife had this same problem with her 2011 fusion about two weeks prior. it took two trips to the dealer to "fix" the problem. *tr