2012 Ford Focus Steering Problems
- 791
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 791 stored complaint records:
- 20 indicate a crash
- 21 indicate injury
- 2 indicate fire
- 3 indicate a death
What owners report
- power steering · 103 records
- steering wheel · 44 records
- steering assist · 43 records
- assist fault · 15 records
- steering failed · 13 records
- failure mileage · 12 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 339 |
| 30–60k mi | 165 |
| 100–150k mi | 138 |
| 1–30k mi | 76 |
| 150–400k mi | 19 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Steering
First time power steering quit i had just started it in the morning to go work, had to shut car off then turn it back on and steering would work then. Second time i lost steering when i was turning off of a 55mph highway in the middle of the turn and power steering quit, forcing me to go off in the ditch. Was very frustrating and now after shutting off the car the power steering does not start working at all. So i…
ODI 11101349
Steering
I was backing out of a parking place at a gas station when the "steering assist fault" "service required" came on this happened around 80k miles. Now sitting at 88k miles i recently had to have the steering rack and pinion assembly replaced in it costing me almost 1,800 dollars in repairs. I have read several complaints with this car having the same issues around about the same mileage intervals. I'm hoping this…
ODI 11100151
Steering
Power steering failure at 63000 miles. Resulting in $2222 bill to replace power steering gear assembly. Error code "steering assist fault service required" was displayed 5-8 times while backing up at startup on prior occasions. For all prior occasions restarting the car cleared the issue. On the last occurrence the issue would not clear leaving the car with manual steering.
ODI 11097857
Steering
The car losses steering assistance on the road occasionally. The light saying "steering assistant fault" also comes on. Then typically after 1day or 2, the system resumes itself. When it happens, wheel becomes really heavy and not possible to turn at 60-79mph on highway. At lower speed, it needs very hard pulling to just make a normal right or left turning. I also have to decrease speed when making the turn and…
ODI 11115216
Steering
At times the steering locks up have to restart to fix problem. Warning light comes on >>>> steering system failure. What soes this mean ? Can it lock up during driving?
ODI 11101342
Steering
Driving and an error popped up: steering assist failure, get service. The vehicle was parked when the error appeared.
ODI 11089990
Steering
Electrical issue with the car which is causing the power steering to malfunction. When this happens, i am unable to turn the steering wheel at all! Ford has not issued a recall. There are several complaints regarding this issue that has caused accidents because the issue has been know to happen while driving. The ford dealership recommends i replace the entire steering system (epas) to correct the concern, for…
ODI 11090492
Steering
While driving i lost all ability to turn the wheel. I was driving slow and about to park. I turned off the vehicle and then started the vehicle back on and received a "steering assist fault error displaying on the dash panel. I turned off the vehicle again to see if this error would clear, but it did not. I look up this error online and found at least 150 other people having this same issue some if i read correctly…
ODI 11089245
Steering
In april of this year i started the car from the garage and the power steering was not working as it was very difficult to turn the wheel,maneuver, and steer the car. I managed to get it to my local automotive repair shop where they assessed the situation. They found failure with the power steering control module. In order to fix it they needed to replace the electronic steering rack and pinion assembly which…
ODI 11123981
Steering
Steering assist fault error message started appearing randomly when starting up car in park about once month a year ago. I could get it to clear by shutting off car and opening and closing door and restarting. Frequency increased last month to about once a week, then to every day, and now it won't clear. Mechanic's charge $2,114 to replace the faulty part, realign and reprogram car's steering.
ODI 11084543
Steering
On april 7th 2018 i started my 2012 ford focus and the steering wheel was locked solid the warning lights lite up stating electronic power steering assist failure. I turned the vehicle off and restarted it 3 times until it started working again. I went right to the dealer where i bought the vehicle. They claim there is no recall. I did some research find that there's been over 120 injuries and one death related to…
ODI 11083943
Steering
My vehicle has on multiple occasions experienced a complete power steering system failure. The most recent of which occurred with my 1 year old daughter in the car; i was entering a turn when the display alarm sounded with the failure causing me to lose control and drive off the road. Ford company is refusing to honor my warranty claiming the part is not covered (a steering sensor), though the steering column itself…
Crash reported · 1 injury
ODI 11088817
Steering
I went to start my car and the warning light came on that said "steering system failure". The car is no longer driveable. The manufacturer is denying responsibility. There is a ny times article re: this stating they are aware yet no recall yet. We need a recall. There are other complaints online by owners who have not yet filed with nhtsa.…
ODI 11083447
Electrical System · Electronic Stability Control · Hydraulic Power Assist System · Steering
Steering assist failure notice appeared on and off for nearly a year. Notice would disappear after turning vehicle off and straightening steering wheel. At 77000 miles, warning came on again and would not clear. This is a serious safety hazard especially if it happens while driving on the road. I was lucky it was just in my driveway. Ford has recalled several cars of similar make and model for this same issue yet…
ODI 11082327
Power Train · Steering
I have taken my car in 7 times for transmission issues and malfunctions always while driving on highway! Thankfully i purchased extended warranty but it expired. Now i am back at the dealership for the 8th time and they want to charge me $2100.00 to fix a problem that was never really fixed to start with! Now i am having steering problems! The steering just goes out while driving on the highway and in city. The fact…
ODI 11082607
Steering
My car's power steering went out and i could not steer my car. Thankfully i wasn't going very fast of i would have crashed.
ODI 11080042
Steering
Power steering failed. The entire power steering rack was replaced which includes the power steering control module (pscm). The power steering failure began on 3/1/18 and was initially resolved by turning off then turning on the car. This worked for two weeks. Complete failure occurred on 3/14/18. The pscm is not serviceable and is not a separate component of the power steering rack resulting in a high cost repair…
ODI 11082662
Power Train · Steering
My wife's steering wheel was turning when she was stuck at work...steering assist fault...service required came up on the screen...was on her screen. Https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/ford-vehicles-with-steering-issue-recalled-062915.html http://www.arfc.org/complaints/2012/ford/focus/steering/problem.aspx https://owner.ford.com/tools/account/maintenance/recalls/results.html…
ODI 11079462
Power Train · Steering · Unknown Or Other
At 73,000 miles error code in dash read steering assist malfunction service needed. It is very difficult to steer my car. At 76,000 miles error code read engine too hot, stop safely and wait 8 minutes. Car shudders and high revs at low speeds and very loud engine noise. I hope that ford recalls these issues soon!!!
ODI 11080004
Steering
Upon startup, there is a loss to the power steering. Wheel cannot be turned at all. Sometimes there is no error, other times i get error of steering assist malfunction. Owned car for 6 years, purchased brand new. About 60k miles. Have twins with brand new learners permit, with this car to be dedicated for them to drive. How can this be safe? Multiple message boards show this is a known issue with these vehicles and…
ODI 11079771
Steering
My ford focus i was driving down the street one real slow and my steering assist stopped the car just stopped i stopped it because the steering wheel became almost impossible to turn steering assist malfunction i went to the dealership they said it was $2,500 to repair it i don't have $2,500 my car is already had to transmission failures it's had an exploding battery it's had door locks that had to be replaced cuz…
ODI 11078381
Steering
Drove from my apartment to the mailboxes in our complex and when i went to start my car to leave the mailbox i go a "steering assist failure" and could not drive my car, the steering wheel could not turn.
ODI 11076042
Steering
Three times the power steering has failed at vehicle start. Required turning car off and back on to resolve.
ODI 11076021
Steering
TURNED ON THE CAR AND POWER STEERING HAD FAILED.
ODI 11075450
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. While driving unknown speeds, the vehicle shuttered and the steering wheel was loose. Also, the power assist warning indicator illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 160,000. *tr
ODI 11182767