2012 Ford Fusion Steering

I am writing to formally report that the safety recall repair on my 2012 Ford Fusion has failed to resolve the dangerous loss of power steering. My vehicle underwent the 15S18 recall update only at Tom's Ford back in 2015. On January 20 2026, the steering failed again while driving, creating an immediate safety risk. The dealer has failed to provide a permanent remedy at Jim Hudson Ford in Lexington SC. As safety recalls do not expire, I request a permanent fix of the steering gear replacement within 14 days of this letter, per NHTSA guidelines. If this is not resolved, I will pursue further legal action.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the message "Electric Steering Fault" was displayed. While driving out of the driveway, the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn, causing the vehicle to drive across two lanes of traffic. The vehicle was driven to the local deale,r who diagnosed that the steering gear was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (STEERING); and was no longer eligible for a related Customer Satisfaction Program to address the steering failure. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 170,000.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Power Steering How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The likelihood of accidents when traveling at lower speeds is increased. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, the Ford dealership reproduced the issue. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? UNKNOWN Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No, the message appeared only when the power steering stopped functioning.

I am writing to formally file a complaint and request resolution regarding a serious safety issue involving my 2012 Ford Fusion SEL (VIN: [XXX] ). I have been a loyal Ford customer for over 20 years and have owned only Ford vehicles. Unfortunately, my recent experience with Ford Customer Care and my local dealership has been extremely disappointing and concerning. A few weeks ago, my 2012 Ford Fusion suddenly lost power steering while my young son was driving home from school. This created a terrifying and dangerous situation that could have resulted in a serious accident or injury. Thankfully, he was able to safely pull over, and no one was hurt. However, this was clearly a major safety failure. After this incident, I contacted Ford Customer Care and my local Ford dealership to seek assistance. I was informed that the Customer Satisfaction Program related to the EPAS steering system had expired for my vehicle and that Ford would not provide further support. However, this directly contradicts the information shown in my Ford app. The Ford app clearly lists Customer Satisfaction Program Campaign 15N01 – “EPAS Steering Effort” and instructs me to schedule a free service with a dealer. I later learned that an update was performed in 2015, but the EPAS steering system itself was never replaced—only updated—and that the program was considered a one-time offer. It is extremely upsetting to now face costly repairs for a known safety-related issue that was clearly not resolved correctly the first time. The fact that my Ford app continues to show this campaign as available, while Ford Customer Care claims it cannot be seen in their system and provides no further explanation, is unacceptable. As a long-time Ford customer, I expect transparency, accountability, and support—especially when it comes to safety-related defects. A loss of power steering is not a minor inconvenience; it is a serious hazard INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My vehicle all of a sudden showed a "power steering assist fault," luckily it was parked. This is a problem with the 2012 Ford Fusion and I called Koon's Ford in Baltimore to see if this would be covered since my vehicle has never had steering issues before. They said yes, but after a couple days they called to tell me that Ford denied the claim since it is outside of the ten year warranty window. My car does not have a lot of miles for being over ten years old. I understand the warranty is in place for a reason but this is a dangerous manufacturer issue. I could have gotten seriously hurt if it happened on the road so it is upsetting to hear that Ford refuses to cover it. I will try to call customer relations to see if there could be another verdict. It is concerning that the manufacturer does not have an extended warranty for such a dangerous issue and I would like to make it known.

UNKNOWN. I have no power steering. I have contacted Ford and they were supposed to fix my car for free which they did not because it was up for recall.

My car lost my electric power steering on November 15, 2025. Ford has a Safety Satisfaction Program15V340000 for this vehicle. The Dealership refuses to honor the program since it has over 150,000 miles on it. Reading through the paper work for the program 15v340000 I never noticed a mileage exclusion. Any help on this issue would greatly be appreciated.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the messages "Service Power Steering Assist Fault" and "Advancetrac" were displayed, and the steering wheel suddenly became very difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the steering rack had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering); however, the contact related the failure to the recall. The failure mileage was 150,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the “Service Advancetrac” and “Service Power Steering Now" messages were displayed. The contact stated that the traction control warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the residence, and the vehicle was shifted into reverse(R), and the steering wheel became firm. The contact stated that when the vehicle was shifted into drive(D), the steering wheel remained firm. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the power steering control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle on two occasions, the "Power Steering Assist Fault" message was displayed on the instrument panel, and excessive force was required to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a defective electric rack and pinion. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

Subject: Concern Regarding Power Steering Failure and Recall Eligibility – 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid I own a 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid, and recently ( around 2 weeks back) experienced a sudden failure of the power steering system. One morning, as I started the car in the parking lot to head to work, I noticed the power steering was not functioning. A warning light appeared indicating a problem with the power steering system. I contacted a mobile mechanic to inspect the issue. After examining the vehicle, he confirmed the power steering had failed and advised me to take the car to a dealership for repairs. I arranged for a towing service to transport my vehicle to Interstate Ford in Dacono, Colorado. The dealership diagnosed the issue as a failure in the power steering gear and estimated the repair cost to be approximately $3,500. Concerned about the nature of the failure, I researched online and discovered that Ford had issued a recall (NHTSA Campaign ID: 15V340000) in June 2015 affecting 393,623 vehicles, including certain 2012 Ford Fusion models, due to similar power steering issues. However, when I contacted Ford, I was informed that my vehicle’s VIN is not included in the recall. I believe this may be an oversight, as the failure in my vehicle matches the conditions described in the recall. A sudden loss of power steering while driving could have led to a serious accident. I respectfully request that Ford re-evaluate the recall criteria and consider including my vehicle’s VIN, as well as potentially others that may be at risk of the same issue. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel started drifting and the contact was unable to keep steering wheel steady. The contact stated that there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the steering wheel while turning the wheel in either direction. The contact stated that the "Service Power Steering Assist" and "Service Advancetrac" messages were displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the power steering module was electrical, and no repairs could be performed on the vehicle. Despite the failure, the contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence and contacted the manufacturer. The manufacturer informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The contact was also provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 214,000.

The power steering of the vehicle was lost along with illumination of “power steering sensor assist fault” and “service advance trac.” The difficulty of steering made it very dangerous on the road. The problem has been diagnosed and confirmed as code 15N01 (formerly safety recall 15S18). The 15N01 is an extended program under safety recall 15N01. I am issuing this complaint as the 15N01 program has an expiration of 150,000 miles and/or date of 10 years since purchase. My car had the original safety recall 15S18 done in 2015 but now is not qualified for the steering gear (15N01). This shows that this program shouldn’t have any limits as these steering gears were shown defective from the factory. Safety recalls never die and what they did as a quick fix for those cars in 2015 that were not showing those DTC’s was not an adequate repair . They should have addressed the steering gear issue instead of just the reprogramming of the PSCM.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the power steering assist was inoperable. The contact stated that the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact stated that the power steering message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with DTC related to Customer Satisfaction Program: 15N01 (EPAS Steering Efforts). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed there was no coverage for the repair. The approximate failure mileage was 112,000.

The electronic power steering assist intermittently quits working, making the car very difficult to turn. You do get an alert in the dash when this occurs. This is a known issue for many Ford vehicles. This vehicle has less than 45,000 miles on it, but is beyond the 10-year period that Ford allows under their own "recall" program.

Power steering has recently failed. Vehicle unsafe to drive (had to cancel recall appointment to replace air bags). Found an old Ford Steering Technical Bulletin 15S18-S3 for this issue. Never received a recall notice & would never have known of the recall until the issue affected me. This seems to be a safety bulletin. Am I able to get this repaired by Ford on their dime? They are telling me no.

Purchased in October of 2024,12 Ford Fusion steering failure. Vehicle suddenly became difficult to steer. Issues match 15N01 recall by Ford. Car has under 60,000 miles and Ford refuses to repair. After stating that it should be covered under the recall. Definitely a safety concern. Now stating it was not an actual "recall" now listed as a customer satisfaction program instead of a recall.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving approximately 50 MPH, the steering wheel locked up. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and restarted; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the steering gear and power steering control module needed to be reprogrammed or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on the inspection notice, she observed NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 197,150.

I am filing a complaint regarding the ineffectiveness of Ford Recall 15S18 / NHTSA 15V-340 on my 2012 Ford Fusion (VIN: [XXX] ). On [XXX], immediately after starting the vehicle (prior to moving), the Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) system failed completely and a steering-assist warning illuminated. This occurred when a female driver attempted to operate the vehicle and could not drive it safely without power assist. Modern vehicles like the Fusion are not designed to be driven without EPAS, and as NHTSA has noted in prior recall actions, loss of assist requires significantly greater effort and poses a safety risk. Diagnostics showed U3000:49-08, confirming internal EPAS rack failure. The vehicle required full replacement of the steering rack at Lilliston Ford (Vineland, NJ), costing me $2,460.65 on July 18, 2025 (invoice attached). Following this repair, new diagnostic codes appeared (B10B9:14-08 and U0423:68-08), coinciding with complete A/C failure. These faults were not present before the EPAS repair. I purchased a blower motor on July 23, 2025 for $101.96 to attempt a fix. I requested reimbursement from Ford on July 29, 2025 and followed up on August 19, 2025. As of this filing, Ford has not responded. Because the recall remedy failed to prevent recurrence, and new electrical issues arose immediately after the EPAS repair, I request that NHTSA review whether Recall 15S18 has been effective and ensure Ford honors reimbursement obligations. Attached: repair invoice, diagnostic reports, recall proof, photo, blower motor receipt, and prior correspondence to ford can be provided if necessary. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Power steering assist fault warning keeps coming on while driving causing my wheel to lock up.

The contact's son owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his son was driving at 40 MPH, the power steering assist failed without warning, and excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle. The contact's son proceeded to park the vehicle in a parking lot until the contact arrived. Despite the failure, the contact was able to drive the vehicle to a dealer where the contact was informed that the vehicle would be covered under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (STEERING). A week later, the contact was informed that due to the age and the mileage on the vehicle, the vehicle was not covered under the recall. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and the contact was provided the same information as the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

Power steering assist indicator came on. Power steering whent out and could not steer vehicle. It says on internet that the 2012 ford fusion sel 3.0 has a recall but it dosen't show on recall list. This is very dangerous Is there a recall on this or not. If not there should be. Please let me know Thanks

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring an increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the rack and pinion. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 126,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message “Service Power Steering” was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic, and the steering wheel seized. The message "Service Power Steering" was displayed. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or inspected. The contact stated that another independent mechanic was scheduled to stop by the residence to inspect the vehicle. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 122,234.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became inoperable. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the power steering module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 135,000.