The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly lost power steering assist, nearly causing the contact to lose steering control as the steering locked up, and an audible warning chime sounded. The contact safely maintained control of the vehicle and observed that a power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
2011 Ford Fusion: steering wheel locks up
166 of the 2,796 complaints about the 2011 Ford Fusion describe steering wheel locks up.
- owner complaints
- 166
- of this car's complaints
- 6%
- typical repair cost reported
- $2,000
- typical mileage
- 98,444
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 3 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Steering wheel locks up by model year
What owners say
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while attempting to turn the steering wheel, the steering wheel seized, with 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, and determined 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. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The service power steering warning light illuminated, and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact referenced the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering); however, the contact was informed that the recall had expired. The contact was advised to contact the federal safety agency Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. While the contact's daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction, and the steering wheel seized. The steering fault warning light was illuminated. The driver coasted the vehicle into a nearby parking space. The contact arrived at the location where the vehicle was parked, and the vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with electronic power steering module failure. The contact was informed that the electronic power steering module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact referenced an unknown recall however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle however, the steering wheel remained locked. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the EPS system was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 187,000.
The contact’s husband owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 60 MPH, the steering wheel seized. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact’s husband continued driving, and the vehicle was taken to a local dealer and the vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was informed that there was no fault found with the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 233,490.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that when the vehicle was purchased, the contact was informed that the power steering was defective however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50-60 MPH, the “Power Steering Failure” warning light illuminated, and the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver before the steering wheel seized and the vehicle was coasted off the roadway. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the power steering assist had failed and reset the power steering module. The contact stated that approximately one year later, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
Steering wheel froze while driving, luckily light traffic, was able to turn car off then on again to park it in lot. Had it towed to Ford. Repair for power steering assist fault over $3000. I am a widow on SS disability, cannot begin to afford repair cost. I am very upset that this very issue was recalled on same model/year but not mine. I understand recalls are for specific VIN numbers, but I could have been killed, this issue should never happen, and now I am without transportation and no funds to pay for a repair this expensive.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized with the check engine warning light illuminated, and the advanced track failure message displayed. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was able to restart however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer filed a claim for the contact and referred the contact to the manufacturer for further assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the claim was denied. The contact was informed that the VIN was previously associated with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The approximate failure mileage was 148,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the steering wheel seized. The contact turned on the hazard lights and parked on the side of the road. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the power steering was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000.
The contact's mother owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the steering wheel seized. The service power steering now message was displayed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 181,481.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel seized. The air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was restarted, and the steering wheel unlocked. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the failure was not able to be duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Steering: electric power assist system
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine and 2013 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with any available engine. The affected vehicles have electric power steering assist systems that may shut down as a result of a steering motor sensor fault.
- Risk
- If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC). If dealers find any loss of steering assist DTCs, the steering gear will be replaced, free of charge. If, no codes are found during the PSCM inspection, the PSCM software will be updated, free of charge. The recall began on July 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S18.
Recall number 15V340000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2011 Ford Fusion steering lock-up
Is steering wheel locks up a common problem on the 2011 Ford Fusion?
166 of 2,796 owner complaints about the 2011 Ford Fusion (6%) mention steering wheel locks up. The model year with the most reports is 2010.
How much does it cost to fix steering wheel locks up on the 2011 Ford Fusion?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,000 (median of 12 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 2011 Ford Fusion?
There is 1 recall and 3 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2011 Ford Fusion
Power steering loss 777Loss of power 289Stalling 154Check engine light 135Engine failure 108ABS 98Door locks 79Jerking 70Brake failure 40Ball joint 27Won't shift 25Grinding brakes 24Hesitation 20No deployment 17Won't start 16Airbag light 15Fire or smoke 14Shudder 14Fuel leak 13Harsh shifting 13Sudden acceleration 13Adaptive cruise 12Misfire 11Slipping 11Fuel smell 10Spongy pedal 10Pulling 10Headlights 8Warning lights 7Overheating 6Steering noise 6Transmission failure 6Wipers 6
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2011 Ford Fusion?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history