Steering Problems of Ford Focus - part 1

I was driving to drop my fiancé off at work when the "steering fault, service now" warning came on. Went home, parked the car. Start it up to go pick him up later, the wheel locked and "steering loss, stop safely" warning came on. I just recently had my car inspected and had two new lower ball joints replaced. The one employee said my cars steering was working fine, and it was driving okay with no issues until today. Same thing just happened. You can't turn the wheel.

See all problems of the 2012 Ford Focus 🔎.

Experienced abrupt electrical steering motor failure. Power steering remains inoperable and available for inspection. Occurred during normal driving without warning, and effort required to manually steer was too much for my wife necessitating an emergency stop to avoid collision with oncoming traffic while trying to execute a routine turn putting us and the other vehicle in danger of an offset collision. This appears to be a known issue in Ford steering units but has only been addressed in fusion models as a recall. The component has yet to be inspected as Ford will not pay for the repair despite the obvious ongoing safety issue, the vehicle will remain off the road for now in the hopes a recall is issued.

I’m writing about my 2015 Ford Focus (VIN: 1fadp3n26fl246556), which has under 38,500 miles. While heading to work, I suddenly lost power steering—no warning, just stiff steering out of nowhere. The repair cost me over $5,000 to replace the electric power steering rack, which only a Ford dealer could handle due to software restrictions. This follows a tcm replacement that Ford covered under recall. I contacted Ford for goodwill assistance, but they refused. At this mileage, these failures are unacceptable.

See all problems of the 2015 Ford Focus 🔎.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel fractured. The contact stated that the steering wheel independently moved back and forth. The contact stated that the failure was persistent and a safety issue. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic with a fractured steering wheel bolt. The contact was informed that the steering wheel bolt, nut, and seal needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact was advised to contact the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 156,000.

See all problems of the 2014 Ford Focus 🔎.

While driving, the electric power steering went out. I purchased this vehicle on Aug 15 2025 and the carfax report did not have any information pertaining to an issue with epas. To have this repaired will cost me over $3k which I was not prepared for. Being that other Ford vehicles have this epas recall, shouldn't a recall be made on the 2013 Ford Focus as well.

See all problems of the 2013 Ford Focus 🔎.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction and instead turned in the opposite direction. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed steering column. The contact was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised that the parts to repair the vehicle were discontinued. In addition, the contact was informed that the aftermarket parts were not available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.

See all problems of the 2011 Ford Focus 🔎.

I was waiting to pull out of the parking lot after work making a left turn. When it was clear I accelerated but the car felt like it didn't want to turn, it just went straight, the wheel felt like it had locked up, it was super stiff. I almost hit parked cars and almost was hit by the oncoming traffic. I was able to stop before hitting the parked cars, put my emergency lights on, put the car in reverse and had to go incredible hulk mode on the steering wheel to turn it any kind of amount. . I managed to steer the car towards the curb and park. I was stuck on the side of the road for a bit looking up what it could be and I found that it was most likely the electronic power steering system going out. I also found that there was a recall on the 2018 Ford Focus already for that same issue NHTSA#15s18/15v340. I took it to the dealer and explained what happened, they looked at it and said it is the power steering and needs to be replaced but that it's not showing up as under recall for my VIN. I called Ford but they say my VIN is not effected as well. I don't understand how since the description in the recall is exactly what happened to me and the dealer is saying that is also the problem. The car is a 2018 and has 22k miles on it, used just for work commutes. It should not be having these issues. I have 3 payments left on this car and they now want $5k plus for repairs. .

See all problems of the 2018 Ford Focus 🔎.

The power steering shut down suddenly while I was driving it. I am [xxx], and certainly did not have the power to turn the wheel like it needed. If there had been fast moving traffic at that time, I could have been hit and severely injured, why hasn't this been recalled yet? the problem has been confirmed by an independent service center. I had to go there when my power steering intermittently came back on because it was only 6 blocks away from my house and I didn't dare try to drive it to a Ford dealer which was 12 miles away. I'm not positive about the light coming on, but I believe I saw a circle with an "I" inside of it I was too stressed to notice completely, when I was trying to control my car. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Steering default on the dashboard and I can’t drive steering is too stiff , hard to turn.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to turn the steering wheel, the steering wheel was sticking and jerked abnormally, making it more difficult to maneuver the vehicle. The contact experienced resistance while turning the steering wheel to the left or the right. The contact stated that there was a rubbing, grinding, and scratching sound coming from the steering wheel. The contact stated that the jerking had gotten progressively worse and occurred while accelerating from being idle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the steering gear and rack and pinion had failed. The contact became aware of NHTSA campaign number: 14v514000 (steering); that was related to the 2014 model vehicles. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

My vehicle was inspected in order to determine why my vehicle is stalling, jerking, not going into reverse and giving a warning message that the car is overheating. My spouse and I were told the transmission control module needs to be replaced. Upon reading about my car's maje and midel, I learned this is a problem with 2018 Ford cars. It stalls and almost cuts off in traffic which is very dangerous.

Power steering light intermittently comes on and vehicles looses power steering. Upon turning vehicle off then back on power steering will come back on. Can't get it to act up long enough for mechanic to diagnose. Only a matter of time before an accident happens. There are hundreds of complaints online about this same issue. Ford has issued some recalls but not on my particular VIN. . .

The contact called on behalf of his girlfriend, who owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the contact became aware that the steering wheel was extremely loose. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 154,000.

See all problems of the 2016 Ford Focus 🔎.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the steering wheel seized. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA campaign number: 14v514000 (steering). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the steering wheel gear needed to be replaced. The dtc: p3000 was retrieved. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.

My steering wheel got jammed in the middle of the road. Kt was just working fine and got stuck while I was driving. The Ford dealer inspected the car and identified that my steering rack got cracked after the diagnosis. My car is driven just 40,000 miles.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 20 mph, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence and was then towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the steering rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The repair was pending. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her son was driving 10 mph, the steering wheel became stiff. The contact stated that a dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the electrical steering module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, the steering wheel seized momentarily, due to a sudden loss of power steering functionality, causing the vehicle to cross over to the other side of the road, eventually stopping in a patch of grass on the side of the road. The contact continued to drive the vehicle with manual steering. The dealer was contacted and informed of the failure. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that the VIN was not under recall for the steering. The contact used a diagnostic tool and retrieved a power steering fault code. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 64,000.

Multiple mechanics working at and including but not limited firestone, discount tires, midas, walmart, independent mechanics have informed me the rear wheels can not be realigned with the front wheels due to how it was designed. This has caused my rear wheels to become more and more out of alignment with no way to repair the misalignment. So all steering components have been more and more hard to control and are being destroyed at a faster rate. Including but not limited car sound deadening stuff. Bolts, nuts, screws, undercarriage, tire wear, the front alignment etc. It has not been inspected by anyone but mechanics.

See all problems of the 2010 Ford Focus 🔎.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph, the steering wheel became stiff. The contact stated that an unknown message was displayed. The vehicle was steered into a parking lot. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to another independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle as not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

Received steering assist fault message. Vehicle has lost power steering ability without warning causing a safety issue.

Stearing went out and car would not start after filling tank with gas.

I was driving on the freeway approaching a curve at about 45mph when I first experienced the wheel locking up. As I was trying to cut the wheel to the right, the steering wouldn't allow me to turn any further. Upon noticing this I immediately hit my breaks to avoid slamming into the median and hit the hazards lights to avoid have a rear end collision with the many cars driving behind me. Extremely terrifying experience and thankfully I avoided collision by acting fast, however someone else may not be as quick to avoid a potentially fatal event. Someone could have died, I could have died by losing the ability to control my steering. I thank god that total steering loss didn't happen while I was doing 60mph, I can only imagine how differently this could've ended. No lights or warnings popped up while that happened until I got off at my exit. Maybe about 3 miles later a warning stating "steering fault" popped up disappeared and then "total steering loss" appears across the dashboard. This was once I was in a residential area to stop the car while I am going down the road at 25mph. This left me unable to make any turns so I had to come to a complete stop. I have since gotten the car towed and now have to wait to get the car repaired. The power steering on the vehicle is out and since I have called the dealership, they've said the diagnostic fee alone is $190. I have yet to find out how much the parts and repair costs will be and I'm shocked that there has not been a recall including the 2015 Ford Focus for steering if they recalled the 2014 models for this same issue. This is a fatal accident waiting to happen and needs to be recalled ASAP.

Power steering malfunction. Wheel not working on low temperature.

During some christmas shopping within the past few weeks, my cars power steering went out completely with no warning or sounds to repair or seek assistance. Not only was my life in danger, but the safety of others in the vehicles surrounding me. I couldn't even turn my wheel if I tried. There have been other instances in other cars where I could strong arm the wheel and be ok, but there was absolutely nothing I could do about turning the wheel whatsoever! when my dad came with power steering fluid, we discovered that these cars don't even have a reservoir for power steering fluid and that this was more than likely a battery or module issue or worse the power steering pump. This is ridiculous that there is no service light or warning that the power steering is going out or losing power. Ford should fix this because it seems like this is an ongoing issue with Fords in general.

Power steering loss of function. . Power steering module and motor failure. . Inoperable steering rack. . This is a documented problem in the 2014 Focus models, why not the 2015 Focus models. . My power steering is dead, my steering rack is inoperable, and my power steering module and motor are dead. . My problems started happening in January 2024.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. Additionally, the contact stated that there was an abnormal sound while turning the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed rack and pinion. The contact was informed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, an unknown message was displayed on the instrument panel, and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the steering wheel was difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic and the steering rack, steering gears, and the stabilizer bar were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 81,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, steering wheel seized, and felt very stiff. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 167,000.

I own a 2015 Ford Focus with 69,071 miles - low mileage. It's driven lightly. A couple of months ago, I was driving when suddenly the power steering went out and was extremely difficult to drive and manuever the vehicle. I went to the local dealership to schedule repairs and their computers were out so I couldn't even make an appt. So, I called Ford motor company about the power steering going out suddenly on my vehicle while driving to determine if my 2015 Ford Focus was covered for this repair in their current Ford Focus power steering recalls after finding thousands of cases reported for the exact same thing on 2010 - 2015 Ford Focus vehicles. I discovered that my vehicle is not included in the recalls. This is a very dangerous issue that Ford should take responsibility for the safety of their consumers and families who drive their products. There are 12 or more other active recalls for this vehicle presently - side door latch replacement #20s15 where the doors can suddenly open while driving and fuel tank deformation and may crack in a crash # 15c11 for my vehicle. I took my vehicle to the local Ford dealership today to have the other 2 recalls completed and diagnose the power steering, only to be quoted $3014 for their very common known power steering issue. They also did not complete the recall work when this was requested as a priority, so I am still driving around in this dangerous vehicle. Ford recalled 487,301+ 2015 Ford fusions cars for this very same power steering issue. The recall # is 15s14. Nhtsa campaign #15v250000. Another power steering recall for 2015 Ford fusion is #19s26 affecting 116,160+ vehicles NHTSA campaign # 19v632000. Approximately 300,170 Ford fusions were made in 2015 - how can only some be covered when this is such a common known issue? $3014 to repair the known issue is not acceptable and dangerous.

Power steering without warning turned off, and the dash displayed a "power steering assist failure - service required" message. The steering was difficult to manage and would not turn almost like it was locked. Was in the neighborhood when this happened, so was able to get the vehicle back to the driveway there was no warning prior to this happening.

See all problems of the 2017 Ford Focus 🔎.

The vehicle shutters and has stalled while trying to cross an intersection, almost causing an accident while my children were in the car. It will shutter at take off from a complete stop and will randomly change gears while driving at a constant speed on a level road. When it stalls the wheel locks up as well preventing you from steering off the road and to safety.

The contact's daughter owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at approximately 45 mph, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that while turning the steering wheel, the steering became tight. The contact was unaware of any warning lights being illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent and the contact was informed about a recall. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA campaign number: 14v514000 (steering). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who informed the contact there was no recall coverage on the VIN. The vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the steering gears needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving and exceeding 25 mph, the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the power steering needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

The car steering wheel first said steering fault and then after parking and less than 10 minutes, car hood was still warm, after car turned back on it said steering loss stop safely. This is after over $1300 in repairs and new tires went into the car, same day with less than 2 hours of servicing. The steering wheel in the car can no longer move at all. Not sure what to do at this point. After a few hours of research learned this was a common issue but there has been no recall. Car no longer worth the money or time. Ford used to be reputable but now it has gone down the drain even Ford mechanics don't know what to think or do. This needs to be addressed and fixed.