The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn while driving. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 128,604.
2012 Ford Focus: steering wheel locks up
130 of the 3,772 complaints about the 2012 Ford Focus describe steering wheel locks up.
- owner complaints
- 130
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- typical repair cost reported
- $2,000
- typical mileage
- 80,000
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 3 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Steering wheel locks up by model year
What owners say
Steering system failure light came on and the Rack and pinion failed with no warning while I was driving on the highway at 75mph and the steering wheel locked up almost causing a potential fatal accident.
I was traveling on a Highway on my way home and as I was turning in a curve at around 40 mph all of a sudden a message came up on my dash that steering assist fault which I didn’t know at the time I was to busy trying not to wreck my steering wheel locked In place coming out of the curve which put me in to the other lane of travel and eventually into a ditch and and thank god not into another vehicle, if there is not some kind of safety recall or major issue that should be a recall the governor or someone should address this immediately I was lucky I did not die. 1. So the system that failed is steering assist fault & yes it is available for inspection. 2 my safety and anyone else that was traveling in oncoming lanes life was in serious risk. 3 the problem is still there can’t get the steering to move to take it anywhere safely. 4 No it has not been inspected by anyone other than my brother to tow it home for me. 5 There was no warning lamps or malfunctions or symptoms at all until the incident happened the steering locked up I heard a tone and when I finally came to a stop these words where on the center dash display. Steering Assist Fault Service required.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the instrument panel lights were dimly illuminated, the horn was inoperable, and the radio was not functioning properly. The contact stated that the steering assists warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive to her residence. The contact stated on March 8, 2023, the steering wheel seized. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and was able to steer to the right and park in a nearby parking lot. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the steering rack to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the steering wheel locked and she was unable to steer the steering wheel on three occasions. The warning letter "I "was illuminated. The local dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse out of a parking lot, the steering wheel seized without warning. The contact turned and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle resumed normal operation. The vehicle had not been diagnosed nor repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. Parkway ford (2104 peters creek pkwy, winston-salem, nc 27127, (877) 836-4271) was contacted and informed of the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 143,292.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford focus. The contact stated while parked, the vehicle was started however, the steering seized and locked in place. The contact stated that it was difficult to turn the steering wheel. The power steering assist warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of failure. The failure mileage was 170,000.
While driving around 45 MPH on co. Rd. 1, I came to an s curve. I made the left turn and I started to make the right turn the dash flashed a warning "steering assist malfunction". Then the steering locked up, I wasn't able to make the turn, I was driving with my 3 children in the car. My 13 year old in the front passenger seat looking dead on at an approaching vehivle as we shot through the opposite lane. By the grace of god and the quick reactions of the driver, the huge dodge 2500 was able to turn away from my vehicle and we both ended up in yards on opposite sides of the county road. My child could have easily lost her life or been severely injured. Thats the most traumatizing of the many recent occurances. Most of which only consist of trying to turn into parking spaces and when turning from stop signs and I'm able to quickly stop I just have to work harder to turn.
Warning readout steering assist failure. Steering locked up. Could not turn the steering wheel. Extreme safety risk. Ford knows of other ford focus cars with the same problem and refuses to pay for the repairs via recall. This is the second report I have made on this vehicle.
3 times, now; when I backed out of a parking spot and attempted to turn left and pull forward, the steering locked up for a few seconds and then suddenly released. Reason is unknown.
Power steering locked up while driving. Was going about 45mph when it initially happened. Luckily was only a short distance from home when this occurred. No damage to car or injury resulted from this incident.
Steering assist message popped up and steering wheel locked up at the same time. The car was parked on the street.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2012 Ford Focus steering lock-up
Is steering wheel locks up a common problem on the 2012 Ford Focus?
130 of 3,772 owner complaints about the 2012 Ford Focus (3%) mention steering wheel locks up. The model year with the most reports is 2012.
How much does it cost to fix steering wheel locks up on the 2012 Ford Focus?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,000 (median of 17 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2012 Ford Focus?
There are 0 recalls and 3 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2012 Ford Focus
Stalling 438Door locks 374Jerking 346Check engine light 345Power steering loss 345Shudder 336Loss of power 224Hesitation 212Transmission failure 140Slipping 136Grinding brakes 116Won't start 102Won't shift 87Engine failure 79Overheating 70Fuel gauge 54Fuel pump 54Wipers 48Sudden acceleration 37No deployment 31Harsh shifting 28Seat belt 28ABS 23Headlights 19Misfire 15Warning lights 15Adaptive cruise 13Fuel leak 13Knocking 12Brake failure 11Fuel smell 11Fire or smoke 10Pulling 10Power windows 8Sunroof shattered 8Tire blowout 8Battery drain 7Airbag light 6Ball joint 6Screen failure 6Key fob 6
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