Ford Motor Company, a massive automotive manufacturer, sold a vehicle with a known, systemic defect that can cause a driver to suddenly lose power steering at highway speeds, while simultaneously disabling critical safety systems ABS and AdvanceTrac stability control. The vehicle's dashboard lights up like a Christmas tree, steering suddenly becomes incredibly heavy, and the safety nets designed to prevent a rollover or spin-out turn off at the exact same moment. Lives are absolutely being put at risk. Because Ford has chosen to handle this through expensive, individual part replacements rather than a massive federal recall, the burden of safety has been unfairly shifted onto the consumer. When the PSCM (Power Steering Control Module) lost communication, it simultaneously disabled my ABS and Traction Control systems. This caused a sudden, unexpected loss of critical safety and handling systems while driving, creating an immediate crash hazard. I have already fixed the vehicle, so I must log the failure. Ford’s network architecture turns a single component failure into a massive, vehicle-wide electrical blackout. I've analyzed the underlying mechanics, and it became clear why this specific cycle is happening and why it causes the entire dashboard to go haywire. The Ford does not use simple independent wires for different parts; it relies on a High-Speed Controller Area Network (HS-CAN). Think of this like a high-speed internet data rail that loops through the car, where the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM), the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), the Powertrain Control Module (PCM), and the Body Control Module (BCM) all "talk" to each other in real time. The steering gear houses the internal Steering Angle Sensor. The ABS module needs to know my exact steering angle dynamically to calculate how to apply the brakes or handle stability control (AdvanceTrac).
2014 Ford Fusion: loss of power steering
116 of the 1,337 complaints about the 2014 Ford Fusion describe loss of power steering.
- owner complaints
- 116
- of this car's complaints
- 9%
- typical repair cost reported
- $2,000
- typical mileage
- 73,500
- recalls
- 3
Loss of power steering by model year
What owners say
Sudden Loss of Power Steering Assistance and Simultaneous ABS/AdvanceTrac System Faults I am submitting this complaint to document a serious vehicle safety incident involving my 2014 Ford Fusion SE. The vehicle experienced a loss of communication with the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM), accompanied by faults affecting the ABS and traction/stability control systems. During the incident, the dashboard illuminated multiple warning lights, and the steering suddenly became extremely difficult to operate. The simultaneous loss of power steering assistance and warnings involving critical vehicle safety systems created a serious potential crash hazard, particularly at highway speeds or during an emergency maneuver. Diagnostic scanning with FORScan revealed the following communication-related diagnostic trouble codes: • U0131 — Lost Communication with Power Steering Control Module. • U0121 — Lost Communication with Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) Module. • U0420 / U0415 — Invalid or implausible data received, as indicated by the recorded codes. I am concerned that an electrical, electronic, or component-level failure involving the power steering system may be associated with the simultaneous faults in other vehicle systems. I request that the federal safety agency review the incident and determine whether similar complaints involving the 2014 Ford Fusion SE indicate a broader safety concern. One concern is that the failure is intermittent. The steering and warning lights appear to recover after the vehicle is shut off, allowed to cool, or restarted. Such intermittent behavior make the problem difficult to reproduce and diagnose, even though the underlying safety concern remain.
On XXX I was driving my 2014 Ford Fusion to [XXX] from [XXX]. About 20 miles before my destination I received a warning on my dash "Power Steering Failed. Service Now". I continued to my destination in [XXX]. Turned off my car and the power steering stopped working, making it difficult to turn. I had to towed to a Ford Dealership in [XXX]. This is very dangerous and I would like information on this Ford Safety Recall 19S26 (the federal safety agency Campaign 19V‑632) addresses a defect where the electric power steering motor attachment bolts can corrode and fracture due to road salt and environmental contaminants. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While driving a 2014 Ford Fusion during a snowstorm, the vehicle displayed the warning message “Steering Assist Fault – Service Required.” Immediately afterward, the steering became extremely difficult to turn, requiring significantly greater effort to control the vehicle. This sudden loss of power steering assist created a serious safety risk for myself and others on the road. The vehicle was inspected by a dealership, which confirmed diagnostic codes U3000 and C200D in the Power Steering Control Module and recommended replacement of the steering gear assembly and related components. The dealer noted that my VIN was not listed as included in the relevant recalls, although many vehicles from the same model year were included in Ford recall 19S26 (the federal safety agency 19V632000), which addresses corrosion or breakage of electric power steering gear motor bolts and potential loss of power steering assist. No prior symptoms were noted before the warning message appeared. The failure was sudden and occurred while the vehicle was in motion. The steering gear and related components are available for inspection. Based on the dealer’s assessment and the similarity to documented recall conditions, the cause appears to be a sudden failure of the electric power steering gear assembly.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel remained stuck in the direction turned and failed to return to center. The contact stated that the traction control warning light was illuminated. Due to the failure, excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle while driving back to the residence. The contact’s stepson used a code reader to diagnose the vehicle and performed a reset, and the power steering assist feature returned. Upon investigation, the contact's stepson discovered the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V632000 (STEERING); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was informed that the repair was temporary and that the failure would return. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Power Steering Loss (2019 - Recall 19S26): Affects 2013–2016 models. Corrosion of the steering gear motor bolts can lead to a sudden loss of electric power steering assist, making the car harder to steer. This recently happened to my vehicle, causing my wife to almost crash. Luckily she wasn’t far from home and was able to drive slowly with very difficult steering made it home safely. I took the vehicle to the local ford dealership that has described that the bolts have sheered off on my vehicle the exact thing described in this recall, but have informed me that according to my VIN this recall doesn’t apply.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at night in the rain at approximately 40-45 MPH, the contact drove over an unavoidable puddle, and the electric power steering assist became inoperable. The advancetrac and the steering warning lights were illuminated, and the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The water eventually dried up, and the vehicle returned to normal operation. The contact stated that the failure recurred. Upon investigation, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V514000 (Steering). The contact stated that the remedy was not adequate. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who repaired the steering rack. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact drove over another puddle of water, and the failure reoccurred. The contact was unable to dry the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted and filed a claim on the contact's behalf. The manufacturer informed the contact that the vehicle was repaired under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V514000 (Steering) in 2015. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Was driving lost power steering shut my car off turned it back on all the lights were gone off the dash and it had power steering again . Parked went to work the next day and drove home fine parked and then all the same lights came on again and has lost all power steering .
I am submitting this complaint regarding a complete loss of power steering on my 2014 Ford Fusion. The issue occurred without warning and was accompanied by multiple dashboard alerts including: “Steering Loss – Stop Safely” “Service AdvanceTrac” “Hill Start Assist Not Available” The steering became extremely heavy and difficult to turn, creating a major safety concern—especially while driving at low speeds or attempting to park. I have since researched this issue and found numerous reports from other 2014 Ford Fusion owners experiencing the exact same failure. While Ford issued a Customer Satisfaction Program (15N01) covering similar issues on 2011–2013 Fusion models, no such support appears to be available for the 2014 model—even though the symptoms and system design are identical. Dealers are quoting repairs in excess of $3,500 to replace the rack-and-pinion steering system, which is believed to be the source of the failure. Given the abrupt and dangerous nature of the malfunction, I am requesting that the federal safety agency investigate this issue as a potential safety defect and consider whether Ford should expand coverage or issue a formal recall for affected 2014 vehicles. This is a critical steering safety issue that could easily lead to accidents or injury if it happens at higher speeds or in traffic. I urge the federal safety agency to take this seriously and evaluate Ford’s handling of this problem in 2014 Fusion models. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Steering gear in rack in pinion grinding and felt like car stalled and steering went hard..no warnings or indications prior to..67,000 miles on Car …now there is a continuous grinding sound coming from steering wheel and Ford had a recall on 2014 Fusion but my car doesn’t show any …afraid steering may lock up without warning
Our 2014 Ford Fusion was recalled under the federal safety agency Campaign Number 15V250000, issued June 24, 2015, for an issue with internal binding and corrosion in the power steering rack which could lead to a loss of power steering assist. In 2015, Brighton Ford (Livingston County, MI) performed the recall remedy. After that service, our vehicle's VIN was removed from the federal safety agency's active recall list. However, on [XXX], less than 10 years later, the exact same issue occurred again—the steering wheel froze and the front wheels did not respond. The "Steering Loss" warning appeared. Thankfully, no one was hurt. The car was diagnosed and repaired at Balise Ford of Wilbraham, MA. They retrieved DTC C102D:00 which indicates high friction in the power steering gear, a symptom specifically tied to internal binding caused by water ingress, as described in the original recall. The steering rack was replaced at our expense. The repair invoice and technician comments clearly describe the same failure mode the recall was meant to prevent. This indicates the original recall remedy was ineffective in our case. WHAT IS YOUR REQUEST TO the federal safety agency? We respectfully request that the federal safety agency: Reinstate our VIN on the 15V250000 recall list, acknowledging that the original repair was inadequate and the defect recurred. Enable us to seek reimbursement from Ford for the repair and towing costs now totaling over $5,400. This situation demonstrates that a single recall remedy does not always fully resolve the safety issue. We hope the federal safety agency will help ensure affected owners are protected and treated fairly. DEALERSHIPS INVOLVED Original Recall Service (2015): Brighton Ford Livingston County, Michigan Recent Repair (2025): Balise Ford of Wilbraham 1979 Boston Rd, Wilbraham, MA 01095 Phone: 413‑858‑6195 Service Advisor: John Gabriel Retrieved DTC: C102D:00 – High Friction in Power Steering Mileage at Repair: 60,468 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
On May 15, 2025 I experience a loss of power steering assist in my vehicle due to steering gear bold corrosion. There is a recall for this exact same issue, 19S26/19V632, issued on 2019-10-11, however, Ford is telling me my VIN number is not included in this recall. They are also claiming this problem was fixed as part of their recall 19R02 back in 2015. As part of the more recent recall, the remedy calls for replacing the bolts and applying a corrosion inhibitor, but they obviously did not do when fixing recall 19R02 back in 2015.
Service bulletins that may apply
- 2013-2019 vehicles equipped with a LKS system with customer complaints of steering wheel vibration,...
- When connecting the Vehicle Communication Module (VCM) and Integrated Diagnostic System (IDS) or Ford...
- Some 2010-2016 epas equipped vehicles may exhibit steering related noises
- When hooking up the vehicle communication module (VCM) and integrated diagnostic system (IDS) to the dlc...
- TSB contains an owner notification letter
- Lincoln/ford: once procedure for heated steering wheel module program completed, heated steering wheel...
- Ford: some vehicles and trucks are experiencing a malfunction with the heated steering wheel becoming...
- Ford/lincoln: power steering control module (PSCM) is exhibiting U0415 diagnostic trouble code (DTC), but...
Related recalls
Steering: electric power assist system
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 Ford Edge, and 2016 Lincoln MKX vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Road salt or other contaminants may corrode the electric power steering gear motor attachment bolts.
- Risk
- If the bolts corrode, the steering gear motor may detach from the gear housing resulting in a loss of power steering assist, requiring a greater steering effort, especially at lower speeds, and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear motor bolts and apply a wax sealer. If any of the steering gear motor attachment bolts are broken or missing, a new steering gear will be installed in the vehicle. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began October 18, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S26.
Recall number 19V632000 · Recall details
Steering: steering wheel/handle bar
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Lincoln MKZ and Ford Fusion vehicles. The steering wheel retaining bolt may loosen allowing the steering wheel to detach while driving.
- Risk
- A steering wheel detachment can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel bolt with a longer bolt, free of charge. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S08.
Recall number 18V167000 · Recall details
Steering: electric power assist system
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured February 3, 2012, to March 20, 2015, and 2015 Ford Edge vehicles manufactured February 26, 2015, to February 28, 2015, and originally sold, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. In the affected vehicles, snow or water containing road salt or other contaminants may corrode the electric power steering gear motor attachment bolts.
- Risk
- If the bolts corrode, the steering gear motor may detach from the gear housing resulting in a loss of power steering assist. Loss of power steering assist would require a higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will apply sealer and replace the steering gear motor bolts as required. If one or more of the steering gear motor attachment bolts are broken or missing, a new steering gear will be installed in the vehicle. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on June 24, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S14.
Recall number 15V250000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2014 Ford Fusion power steering loss
Is loss of power steering a common problem on the 2014 Ford Fusion?
116 of 1,337 owner complaints about the 2014 Ford Fusion (9%) mention loss of power steering. The model year with the most reports is 2010.
How much does it cost to fix loss of power steering on the 2014 Ford Fusion?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,000 (median of 13 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 2014 Ford Fusion?
There are 3 recalls and 9 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2014 Ford Fusion
Check engine light 90Stalling 84Door locks 74Loss of power 69Overheating 61Engine failure 55Backup camera 40Jerking 34Steering lock-up 29Won't shift 27Transmission failure 26ABS 25Fire or smoke 24Misfire 21Hesitation 20Wipers 20Won't start 20Seat belt 19Brake failure 17Grinding brakes 15Airbag light 12Slipping 12Headlights 10Adaptive cruise 9Tire blowout 9No deployment 8Harsh shifting 8Warning lights 8Battery drain 7Knocking 7Key fob 7Shudder 7Ball joint 6Screen failure 6Power windows 5Pulling 5
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2014 Ford Fusion?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history