2012 Ford Fusion: sudden loss of power

Filed Sep 24, 2026 · Steering · WA

Our 2012 Fusion suffered a sudden loss of power steering, was diagnosed with code U3000 at a Ford dealer, and that the dealer confirmed it matches the 15S18 recall symptoms despite being built two months outside the window. Our vehicle was manufactured at the Hermosillo plant in 2012, just two months outside the 15S18 recall window. It suffered an identical, sudden loss of power steering assist while driving, indicating Ford's recall parameters failed to capture all vehicles fitted with the defective component.

Filed Sep 23, 2026 · Steering · 98,000 miles · PA

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering assist, causing the steering wheel to be significantly difficult to turn. The contact was able to drive to the nearby residence and parked in the driveway. The message "Service Power Steering Assist" was displayed after the failure. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

Filed Aug 17, 2026 · Steering · CA

Vehicle experienced loss of power steering so it was hard to steer.When I called a ford dealership I was told my vehicle didn’t qualify for any power steering recalls so I would have to pay full price which is unaffordable

Filed Aug 5, 2026 · Steering · WA

I am submitting this formal complaint against Ford Motor Company and its authorized dealership network for falsely reporting a safety recall repair as "resolved" while applying an unauthorized, temporary workaround that left the primary safety defect active. In 2023, I brought my vehicle to an authorized Ford dealership to perform mandatory safety recall service regarding the Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS) failure. The dealership subsequently updated Ford’s central database (OASIS) to show that the safety recall was fully resolved and completed for my VIN. However, the official Repair Order / Invoice provided to me by the technician explicitly documents that a permanent remedy was not performed due to a lack of replacement parts. The technician’s exact written notes state: "Customer states power steering is not working. Tech and advised verified concern finding that the ground wire pin on the high current wiring harness to PSCM had backed out of the connector. Reconnected pin and cleared codes finding issue resolved. Issue will continue to happen until the harness is replaced. Harness is unavailable at this time. Glued pin into connectors."Because the dealership glued the loose pin rather than replacing the backordered wiring harness, the temporary repair failed shortly thereafter, resulting in a total loss of power steering assist. For the past three years (approximately 47,698 miles driven), I have been forced to operate this vehicle without functional power steering. Every attempt to have Ford or its franchised dealerships address this safety hazard has been denied because Ford’s internal system incorrectly lists the recall as "The Harness Powers the Recalled Module: The "high current wiring harness to PSCM" is the primary electrical supply to the exact module being recalled. Reprogramming software on a module while leaving a damaged, glued power connector defeats the entire purpose of restoring power steering safety.see photoes of invoice below

Filed Jun 30, 2026 · Steering · 130,000 miles · WA

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and almost caused a crash. The message "Service Power Steering Now" was displayed. The contact was able to drive to the destination. The contact stated that the vehicle had become undrivable due to the failure. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V340000 (STEERING); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

Filed Jun 23, 2026 · Electrical, Steering · PA

I was just driving and I lost power steering, it was incredibly difficult to steer and it was Heavy Steering, and warnings appeared on the dash.

Filed May 14, 2026 · Steering · NJ

Our 2012 Ford Fusion had a sudden and complete loss of power steering & “Power Steering Assist Fault’ flashed on dash. The steering immediately became extremely difficult to operate, requiring both hands and excessive physical force just to turn the wheel. It felt less like driving a passenger car and more like wrestling a fully loaded dump truck with flat tires. This created a serious safety concern because the failure occurred without warning and fundamentally affected our ability to steer the vehicle safely. Fortunately, my wife was not driving at the time. The amount of force suddenly required to turn the wheel could easily be overwhelming, particularly during an emergency maneuver, in traffic, or while entering an intersection. After the failure occurred, we discovered vehicle had previously been subject to recall 15V340000 and Ford Safety Recall 15S18, both involving the exact electric Power Steering Control Module (“PSCM”) that has now failed. Under that recall, a Ford dealer performed only a software update on 10/17/2016. We opened a case with Ford, brought the vehicle to a local dealer & paid for a diagnostic inspection. Using Ford IDS equipment, dealer confirmed the condition and documented ‘NO COMMUNICATION WITH PSCM’. The dealer report quoted “Steering Gear Assembly - Rack & Pinion Assembly Replace: $3,215.81.” The diagnosis was reported directly to Ford under the active case number. Despite the recall history and confirmed failure of the same steering system covered by the prior recall, Ford denied assistance because the earlier software reprogramming had already been completed. Our position is that this is clearly a hardware failure involving the recalled electric power steering system itself — the precise condition the recall was intended to address. Ford’s own recall communications dated May 17, 2019 specifically instructed owners to retain recall documentation in the event this exact situation later occurred.

Filed Apr 8, 2026 · Steering · 56,000 miles · AK

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving, but the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the steering gear had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied assistance due the manufacturing date of the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.

Filed Feb 12, 2026 · Steering · SC

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 the federal safety agency guidelines. If this is not resolved, I will pursue further legal action.

Filed Feb 4, 2026 · Steering · SC

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)

Filed Oct 1, 2025 · Steering · 118,000 miles · LA

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, and the contact had to drive the vehicle in manual steering mode. The failure had occurred three times. The contact became aware that the vehicle was previously included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering), and the previous owner had taken the vehicle to be repaired under the recall. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with Advancetrac failure, causing the steering wheel angle sensor to fail. The steering wheel angle sensor was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The mechanic reset the power steering function after each failure. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.

Filed Sep 12, 2025 · Steering · CO

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 (the federal safety agency 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.