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Power Steering Failure on brand new 2012 Focus

420K views 251 replies 73 participants last post by  MK3 ST3 
#1 · (Edited)
The power steering failed on my brand new 2012 Focus SE hatchback. I made a turn at a speed of approximately 10 mph and the power steering failed with the warning STEERING ASSIST FAULT SERVICE REQUIRED. I managed, with great difficulty, to pull over and stop the car. When I started the car again the warning had cleared and the power steering was normal. It is fortunate both that I was driving, and not my wife, as she isn't strong enough to steer without power steering, and that I was on a street with low traffic.

The car is at a dealer awaiting repair. Given that the car is brand new, I am extremely worried about driving it, even if the mechanics at the dealer claim that it is repaired. I checked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration web site and found a report of a similar incident, from July 2011, where a similar power steering failure occurred at 60 mph.

I was disappointed that Ford didn't offer me a rental car as a courtesy(well the dealer who sold me the car did, sort of: the problem is that I'd have to travel an hour and a half to New Jersey by public transportation to one of the dealerships in his franchise in order to pick up and drop off a rental car, as the car is being repaired at a different dealer from the one where it was purchased). I realize that a rental car is not part of the standard warranty, but I thought that Ford would give me one without question out of sheer professional pride, given that I've had their new car a grand total of four days before the power steering failed.
 
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#45 ·
I have had exactly the same issue with my brand new Focus in Australia, Intermittent power steering failure which resolved after restarting the car.

Ford Australia couldn't have been more helpful!

Brought the car to the local dealer (who didn't sell me the car!) and and a brand new steering rack ($$$) was installed without the slightest hesitation.

I imagine they were very concerned about the safety aspect and possible liability if it failed at higher speeds. One would think that in a litigious society like the US that Ford would act even quicker to rectify a fault like this?

:)
 
#46 ·
I have had exactly the same issue with my brand new Focus in Australia, Intermittent power steering failure which resolved after restarting the car.
Ford Australia couldn't have been more helpful!
Brought the car to the local dealer (who didn't sell me the car!) and and a brand new steering rack ($$$) was installed without the slightest hesitation.
I imagine they were very concerned about the safety aspect and possible liability if it failed at higher speeds. One would think that in a litigious society like the US that Ford would act even quicker to rectify a fault like this?
Hey focus_trend,

A PROSPEROUS New Year to you and your mates down under!

Awesome to hear the Focus is repaired and cruising around your beautiful country.

On another note, Ford takes safety very seriously. We are committed to pursuing the most advanced safety materials and systems and strive to solve our Ford Family members concerns.

Noemi
 
#47 ·
Hey Guys, I'm in toronto Canada and having the same problems! It happened within a week of owning the car, and then a month later and then it happened two days in a row over the weekend. The service manager at Freeway Ford in toronto mentioned there was an update they were going to run to the computer that will avoid this from happning but time will tell.

The car has been at the dealership since 9:30 AM and 6 hours later the car is still being looked at.

The issue happened to me also around 10 km/h and shortly after I started the car so I have been lucky to still be in a parking lot or drive way. I really hope the car is fixed today.

Ford Canada is telling the me same answer..."Unless the issue can be duplicated we cannot do any repairs". Extremely frustrating...when is enough, enough? This sounds like a common issue and I'm so disappointed ford hasn't done something about this.
 
#49 ·
Hey Guys, I'm in toronto Canada and having the same problems! It happened within a week of owning the car, and then a month later and then it happened two days in a row over the weekend. The service manager at Freeway Ford in toronto mentioned there was an update they were going to run to the computer that will avoid this from happning but time will tell.
Ford Canada is telling the me same answer..."Unless the issue can be duplicated we cannot do any repairs". Extremely frustrating...when is enough, enough? This sounds like a common issue and I'm so disappointed ford hasn't done something about this.
Hey andrew24,

Send me a PM with your VIN, current mileage, personal and dealer contact info and I'll see what I can do for you.

I smell a recall...
I didn't see if you had checked other dealerships or not but if you haven't I suggest you do. Some dealerships go by Ford policies others have their own. Especially when it come to safety issues. The service manager at the dealership I go to would change the steering rack if I told him its fixed the issue for other people. Some dealerships are willing to take the hit on warranty work others aren't.
Hey MichaelAnthony,

Ford takes Family members concerns very seriously. This is why we on this forum as well as at the Customer Relationship Center document concerns brought to our attention. If a concern turns into a high trend of documented complaints, Ford and NHTSA will launch an investigation, which may or may not lead to a recall. If a program is announced on a specific component, Ford will notify owners by mail.

Your suggestion to take to another dealer is wise and Owner.Ford.com will provide a list of dealers for anyone needing a second opinion.

Have a good evening everyone!

Noemi
 
#48 ·
I smell a recall...
I didn't see if you had checked other dealerships or not but if you haven't I suggest you do. Some dealerships go by Ford policies others have their own. Especially when it come to safety issues. The service manager at the dealership I go to would change the steering rack if I told him its fixed the issue for other people. Some dealerships are willing to take the hit on warranty work others aren't.

What the hell happened to good old hydraulic rack and pinion steering? All this new electronic shenanigans on cars is making me not want to buy a new car.
 
#50 ·
Yesterday my new Focus displayed the same behavior at 314 miles. Personally, I understand not replacing a steering rack in this instance because I don't think that this is the root problem. I also understand the frustration from feeling powerless in getting this problem solved. But these are not the cars of the 70's. They contain some sophisticated software that may contain bugs. Solving these intermittent problem requires 'DATA'. To assist the engineers in finding the root cause they need information.

I don't believe that anyone has experienced this error at high speed, so this is a clue. I suggest that everyone provide some details, regardless of how insignificant it may seem, in order to produce a pattern that will assist in locating the problem.

Here is what I can remember about mine:

Occurred at around 10 mph within 1 minute after staring the car.
Outside temperature was upper 40 degrees and had rained the night before.
Made a hard left out of a parking space 120ft. before error.
It is hard to correctly remember, since it took me by surprise, but I seem to recall not losing the steering until after the error light was displayed. This makes me think that the loss of steering was more of an effect of the error than a cause of the error.

I will try to be more aware if it happens again. I would also like to know if anyone has had this occur are a speed over 25mph.
 
#51 ·
Hi tlthomas,

Welcome to the forum!

Shot me a PM with the VIN, current mileage as well as your personal and dealer contact info. I can escalate your concern to the regional Customer Service Manager for assistance. Also, give the dealer a call and set up an appointment.

Thanks,

Noemi
 
#52 ·
Hi Thomas,

Like you my issues usually happened at relatively low speeds (though once at about 25kph), both in first gear and reverse. The technicians explained that the error code they received should only appear after a substantial collision so something was obviously amiss.

The warning message and steering failure happened simultaneously in each case.

I was hoping that a change of software would be the answer as I wasn't keen to add to landfill, but Ford felt that a new steering rack was the safest most reliable solution.

1000km later and I haven't had a any issues (touch wood).

Good luck :)
 
#53 ·
Like you my issues usually happened at relatively low speeds (though once at about 25kph), both in first gear and reverse. The technicians explained that the error code they received should only appear after a substantial collision so something was obviously amiss.
The warning message and steering failure happened simultaneously in each case.
I was hoping that a change of software would be the answer as I wasn't keen to add to landfill, but Ford felt that a new steering rack was the safest most reliable solution.
1000km later and I haven't had a any issues (touch wood).
Good luck :)
Hi focus_trend,

[welcome] to the Forum!

Excellent to learn your Focus in in good driving condition.

Noemi
 
#54 ·
Same Issue

I found this forum from doing an internet search on the failure message I got this evening from my 2012 Focus. Two weeks old, 1300 miles (I commute a lot), and I already have a service message?????

I traded in a 2 year old Hyundai because I got tired of getting these things.

I had started the car two minutes earlier, backed out my driveway, and gotten 50 yards up the street at about 15mph when the light came on and my power steering disappeared. It was 27* outside, and dry. I pulled over, restarted the car, message went away. I went to the system check function and everything read clear. I've restarted the car 3 times since without any issues.

The safety of the vehicle is one of the primary reasons I bought this car because I do drive over 120 miles a day and I have a 11 month old who is in it frequently. Being born and raised in MI, my wife was excited about getting a Ford after having Hondas and Hyundais, but this is not helping increase my confidence in the quality of the car.

I plan on calling the dealer first thing Monday and taking it in. The manual says you need not do anything unless it comes back on after reset, but there in absolutely no reason for a car that still has it's "new car smell" to be giving me an error message.

BTW, great forum, hopefully this will get worked out and I can share some positive things here.
 
#55 ·
I found this forum from doing an internet search on the failure message I got this evening from my 2012 Focus. Two weeks old, 1300 miles (I commute a lot), and I already have a service message????
I plan on calling the dealer first thing Monday and taking it in. The manual says you need not do anything unless it comes back on after reset, but there in absolutely no reason for a car that still has it's "new car smell" to be giving me an error message.
BTW, great forum, hopefully this will get worked out and I can share some positive things here.
Morning lutztb,

Welcome to the forum! You'll find some excellent advice and help from your fellow posters.

I'm Ford's residential help on the forum. When Focus owners have a concern I gather certain information and contact the Customer Service Manger to review the case. So, if you like, send me a PM with the VIN, current mileage, as well as your personal and dealer contact info to begin the process.

Thanks and again [welcome]!

Noemi
 
#57 ·
It sounds like its a low speed issue where High assistance is being provided. Most occurances posted also indicate soon after starting up, which may indicate that at startup there may be some tension in the steering system.
In the Parts lookup, there are 2 different racks for the 16" wheels. There are steering racks for each specific wheel offered by ford. That's some strangely specific engineering, but does make it likely to have problems in some and not other models.
The steering racks are therefore the likely issue since the other systems are not unique to the SE 16" equipped models that are being reported. (How is that Aussie model equipped?) That may be a build/batch issue for those racks and not a design issue, which our Aussie friends experience supports.
Ford will want to make sure that this problem can be resolved and if they need to go back to the supplier for action, they'll need good data.

An owner with this problem might, instead of leaving directly from the dealership, take a low speed tour of the lot. I think the low speed, constant tight turning may bring the error back up. And if you can, don't turn off the car.

Document every occurance, and as instructed by the owners manual, take it to your dealer. Remind the dealer that you are following the manufacturers instructions by bringing it to the dealer to resolve the error. (See page 272 of the owners manual.)
(Keep Noemi "FordCustomerService" updated.)
 
#59 ·
I too have brought my 2012 Focus back for the 'steering assist failure'. I have brought it back three times now. The first two times they claimed they had to clear and reset some codes. (????) and then this time around they had to replace a module (on a brand new car???? really????)...if the problem happens again, I will file a Lemon Law claim in NY State against Ford and see if I can get a replacement vehicle.
I dont blame the people at the dealership or Ford for that matter.....I was just unlucky enough to get that one defective car out of a hundred thousand. I love my Focus and do not want to flip brands...
 
#61 ·
I had the power steering fail on me Saturday morning, March 31st. I had started the car, it was running for maybe a few seconds, and I threw it in reverse to back out normally. 1 second into backing up and halfway out of the spot, BAM, power steering goes out with the message warning chirp. Power Steering Failure Get Service or whatever it said. I fought the wheel to ensure it was really out. After a few choice words, I turned the car off and restarted it. The power steering was still out after a few seconds. After a few more choice words, I realized the power steering was working again and the warnings went away after restarting.

I'll bring it up to my service dealer as I already have an appointment this Thursday. I'm still working on getting the vibration/warble fixed on the car between 50 to 65 mph. Follow my other posts to see the drama with that. I'm really regretting buying this car. I sold my 98 Jetta TDI just to avoid problems like this. Now my car has spent 5x more time in the shop than my 14 year old car. To say I'm pissed would be putting it mildly.
 
#65 ·
I had the power steering fail on me Saturday morning...
...The car is currently in the shop getting a 2nd new ...
Hey ruthrj,

I can arrange assistance from the Customer Service Manager in your area. In order to do so, please send a PM with your contact information, dealer name/state, approximate mileage, and the VIN.

Thanks,

Noemi
 
#63 ·
Please check the lemon laws in your state. Be sure to do your research on .gov websites, and avoid .org or .com sites that are owned by lawyers. Most of the paperwork you can file yourself without representation. The state is supposed to represent you. Just gather your materials, information, and don't tell dealer reps that you're seeking that route. Make sure that you have all your ducks in a row, get more documentation than you think you need, and if they try to give you current resale or not refund you what you've paid- then threaten a lawyer. The proper way to do this is to simply say: "I'm sorry, I read the law, and the statute says full refund of all monies incurred in the purchase of the vehicle, and your numbers don't match mine. Here is my lawyer's name, from now on you should contact this office instead of calling me." They will use tricks to avoid following the law. They will tell you things that aren't true because they assume that most people don't read or attempt to understand laws. I've done a bit of research, and most states have help lines as well as fairly well written FAQs and links to the actual law. It is important to read the actual law since a clever rep will try to bend what the actual law says- and it might not even be that person, it's just what he/she is told to say and do by their superiors. Like "All we have to do is offer to purchase the vehicle back from you at fair market value of $19k." That's BS, but if you accept and give them the car- then it's written in stone. Your mistake for selling it back to them, not theirs for lying.

Yes I'm a fan of Fords, but I am not going to give any slack to any company. These problems are likely related to manufacturing, and I'm sure there are engineers working to alleviate the issues so that the future cars are more reliable. Still, that's no consolation to someone who has a bum car. I see people returning cars under the Lemon law as encouraging the manufacturer to insure these procedural changes are implemented ASAP.
 
#64 ·
Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it. The car is currently in the shop getting a 2nd new set (yes, you read that right) of wheel bearings, which are supposedly slightly larger than the original and first new set. Fingers crossed on that. 2nd repair on the vehicle for the one issue. As for the power steering, I haven't had it die on me again yet. The next time it does, I don't care where I am. I'll drive it to the dealer with the power steering shot and leave the car running so I can say "Look, it's dead right now, don't shut the car off until you diagnose the problem". I had to do that with my 2005 Focus when the battery harness failed. The car would likely qualify as a Lemon for the amount of days spent in the shop rather than the number of repairs first. We're coming up on 15 total, which is when I'll have to write a letter to Ford.

Really hoping I don't have to go the Lemon route because the car is awesome without these damned little problems. Even with all the problems I think I bought the best car available for the money and features available. DCT on a hatchback for near 20k? Hell yes!
 
#66 ·
Thanks for the offer, but that's ok. I'm already working with Ford Customer Service, not sure what else you'd be able to do for me. I've already been promised an extended service plan for all of the trouble I've been through and I continue to stay in contact with a customer service representative. The 2nd new set of wheel bearings didn't fix the vibration, and the car did log a code for the power steering failure. However, the dealership said that the error was too generic and they failed to find a fix using their troubleshooting tree. I'll hammer on that issue a bit more if the vibration ever gets fixed.

The car is actually still in the shop for the vibration. After the 2nd set of wheel bearings didn't fix the vibration issue last Thursday, I was given a rental. Intermediate bearings were ordered and they failed to arrive today. The dealership said the parts should arrive and be installed tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm going to consult my paperwork and get an official count on how long the car has been in the shop.
 
#70 ·
Thanks for the offer, but that's ok. I'm already working with Ford Customer Service, not sure what else you'd be able to do for me. I've already been promised an extended service plan for all of the trouble I've been through and I continue to stay in contact with a customer service representative...
Hello again ruthrj,

No problem; I’m glad to know you’re in contact with a representative. If you ever need assistance from my part, just give me a shout out.

In the meantime, thanks for your patience as the dealer addresses the concern.

Keep me posted on the results!

Noemi
 
#67 ·
Just got done looking through all of my paperwork. Yup, car will be in the shop a total of 15 days come tomorrow when the 3rd fix will be attempted to fix the vibration issue. Filling out a vehicle defect notification for Ford so I can pursue a Lemon Law claim. Hope this fix does it or I have to send this out on Wednesday [bawling]
 
#69 ·
Build date for my vehicle is 10/09/2011.

Not sure what you'd like to do with that, but more than willing to share it with you [wave]

Other info you may find relevant for data collection purposes: 2012 Ford Focus, 5-door Hatchback SE, Sterling Gray, Sport Package, Winter Package
 
#71 ·
Figured I'd drop by to give you all a slight update. My car continues to have an audible vibration coming from the rear of the vehicle at 45 to 60 mph, and its currently in the shop getting its final repair from Ford before it is deemed a lemon due to that issue. I've already sent Ford a Vehicle Defect Notification. But, I told them that I wanted the power steering issue addressed as well while the car is there. Nothing was done about it during my last visit.

Back when I first posted on this thread about the power steering failing one time, the service dealer said that a generic code was saved and they couldn't diagnose any further. Looking at my paperwork, that code was: U3000:49. Now that the FSE is at the dealership trying to figure out how to fix the vibration issue, he also ordered a new power steering gearbox to be installed tomorrow morning to address the one time the power steering failed. It still hasn't failed to date, but I'm glad they are doing something about it.

Now we just have to get the vibration worked out (and address that windshield wiper recall). Won't hold my breath though, 6th time to the shop certainly doesn't seem like that would be trick.
 
#73 · (Edited)
I brought my Focus in last week to have a final repair attempt performed to fix my power steering and more importantly my car having a warble/vibration/hum (sounds like "wah-wah-wah") at 45 to 60 mph. The Field Service Engineer had a new power steering gearbox installed in the vehicle and I just got it back today. Drives the same as before, hope the power steering doesn't go out again like it did that one time. As for the vibration, the service dealer said that they couldn't hear the vibration at all this time around. No fix was done for that. : (
 
#74 ·
Last week I was driving out of a parking lot when the driving steering fault service light notification came on and I lost control of the vehicle. I managed to pull the car into a spot and turn it off. After reading the manual and calling the dealership, I was told to just turn off / on the car and the code would reset. If the problem persists, to bring my vehicle in for a check up.

Several days later and I'm driving on the highway when boom, driving steering fault service notification pops up and I lose control again. I was driving about 80-90 km or 49-55 mph. It was a bit nerve rattling with several other motorists on the road. I was able to slow to a stop and when safe, pull off the road. I turned off / on the car and drove back home.

Today on the way to work, I was on the highway going the same 80-90 km or 49-55 mph when again, I lose control and the driving steering fault service light notification came on. This time a lot more cars and trucks were on the road and I nearly got in to an accident. Was pretty freaked out. I pulled the car over and called the dealership who said "it's not our fault, we don't make the cars, we only sell them". I had the vehicle towed to the dealership and I'm currently driving a rental.

I don't feel safe at all in this vehicle and will recommend people against buying it. I'm 6 months in to owning it and have approximately 16,000 kms / 9,941 miles.

I have a good feeling this is going to be Ford's massive recall which happened to Toyota with their breaking system.

I'm currently looking at local media and better business bureau advice to bring this to the attention of others. Ford seems to be dragging their feet about this issue and there are numerous blogs, forums, and articles on the net regarding this issue and failure to comply or correct it.

That's my rant. I'll keep everyone posted with what happens but I'm really looking at getting out of this purchase, re-selling it or seeking legal issue due to the unsafe driving it has occured.
 
#75 ·
This just happened to me this morning! I have a 2012 Focus that I leased in Sept 2011. I have never had a problem with this car before this. I pulled into the parking lot at work, and saw that there were no available spots. I put the car in reverse to turn around and the little "bing-bong" sound came on like when you are low on gas. I looked at the dashboard and at the same time, realized my stearing was reallllly hard. THe message said" Power Steering Assist Fault" and then "Service Advancetrac" I managed to struggle through the parking lot and find a spot where I turned off the engine and came to work. I will have to deal with the problem at lunch. I am hoping as previous posters have said, the problem will go away so that I can drive it to the dealer then. I was thinking it would have to be towed. So now I am just so grateful it did not happen when I was driving the highway to work.
 
#76 ·
I am the latest victim of the "Steering assist fault. Service required" error message. I was pulling out of a parking space Sunday evening, when the wheel violently jerked and the error message popped up. Fortunately, I was only 2 miles from home and traffic was light. I tried a few more key cycles, but the message kept coming back.

My car is a blue candy 2012 Ford Focus Titanium with 1876 miles.

This morning I called Ford's roadside assistance to tow the vehicle to my dealer. The dealer says the part to fix the steering is on national back order until at least 8/17. They gave me a silver Focus SEL as a rental (I already miss having the MFT and keyless entry/ignition). I just wish that $5 per day tax on the rental wasn't coming out of my pocket.

 
#81 ·
I am the latest victim of the "Steering assist fault. Service required" error message. I was pulling out of a parking space Sunday evening, when the wheel violently jerked and the error message popped up. Fortunately, I was only 2 miles from home and traffic was light. I tried a few more key cycles, but the message kept coming back.

My car is a blue candy 2012 Ford Focus Titanium with 1876 miles.

This morning I called Ford's roadside assistance to tow the vehicle to my dealer. The dealer says the part to fix the steering is on national back order until at least 8/17. They gave me a silver Focus SEL as a rental (I already miss having the MFT and keyless entry/ignition). I just wish that $5 per day tax on the rental wasn't coming out of my pocket.
I never like hearing about this, but I'm glad you and the dealer are on top of it! [:)] I want to escalate this with your regional Customer Service Manager; please PM me your VIN, mileage, phone number, and dealer information.

I have a question for FordCustomerService rep., or anyone else who may know, I'm purchasing an ST in October...do you know if
this power steering failure problem has been resolved from the factory. I know there are issues with all vehicles, just wondering if the issue has been resolved. Just curious as a soon to be ST owner...
Congrats to you and your soon-to-be Focus ST! [:D] We appreciate your concern with the Electronic Power Assist Steering (EPAS) feature. All feedback from customers and dealers are reviewed. We would never release a vehicle with known issues; we continuously monitor and test products for the best quality.

...ANd make no mistake, it IS a safety issue...But of course Ford is concerned for your safety! Just not enough to do something about it.

It is also rather disgusting that Natasha would talk about Ford being concerned with people's safety while the dealership is ignoring (and possibly clearing) those thrown codes and claiming they aren't going to fix it. And she is probably doing it for about 10-12 bucks an hour.
I need to type the following statement again: Safety is a top priority. I've been the Ford rep in this forum since early June; it's a pleasure to type to you. [thumb] If you feel your dealer is doing this, please PM me your VIN, mileage, phone number, and dealer info. I'll forward these details to your area's Customer Service Manager and he/she will discuss it with the dealership.

If this is an ongoing issue and Ford has been less than helpful maybe you can do this:

The next time this happens to anyone, pull off the road, take a picture of the display before turning off the car...
Good advice; I can be reached by PM too. [:)]

Thomas
 
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