The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle suddenly lost power steering functionality and nearly crashed. The contact swerved and slammed on the brake pedal abruptly, causing the contact to strike the left side of the head against the upper side of the driver's side window. The contact sustained a headache, a bump and dizziness and sought medical attention. The power steering warning light was illuminated after the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was associated with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V632000 (STEERING). The contact resided in Wisconsin, which was one of the States listed in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that no assistance would be provided because the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 178,000.
2016 Ford Fusion steering problems
176 complaints (11% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 74,440. 12 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 176
- of this car's complaints
- 11%
- typical mileage
- 74,440
- crashes
- 12
- recalls
- 2
Which part fails
- Steering wheel/handle bar1
- Electric power assist system1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Ford Fusion steering problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2016 Ford Fusion steering
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
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
Related investigations
Steering Wheel Fastening Bolt Loosens
On March 12th, 2018, Ford Motor Company submitted a Defect Information Report to the federal safety agency describing a defect in the steering wheel fastening system of approximately 1,301,986 model year (MY) Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ. On March 1, 2018, Ford discovered a design change that affected the MY 2014-2018 subject vehicles. The affected population are MY 2014-2016 Fusion and MKZ with manual and power adjust steering columns and MY 2017-2018 Fusion and MKZ equipped with manual adjust steering columns only. The affected populations have steering shafts with a reduced amount of threads for the steering wheel bolt to engage. The thread length was decreased by 5mm in the affected models. Ford stated that another contributing factor was the placement of a nylon locking patch torque retention on the fastening bolt.As a result, the steering wheel bolt may not maintain torque allowing the bolt to loosen and eventually separate from the steering shaft, resulting in a loose or detached steering wheel. The two crashes and one injury noted in Ford?s Defect Information Report are from two legal claims. The first accident is a claim where the driver reported the steering wheel twisted freely on the shaft which caused the driver to lose control.An injury was alleged but no details were provided. The second claim resulted in minor damage to the driver side of the vehicle including a punctured tire. No injury was reported.Ford?s recall remedy procedure will use a bolt that is 17mm longer, providing a more robust steering column thread and torque retention patch engagement. The torque retention feature will be 13mm longer to ensure proper engagement. This investigation is closed based on Ford's recall.
PE17007
What 2016 Ford Fusion owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
After hitting 100,000 mile my car electronics failed and caused my steering to fail and all other safety equipment like airbags and brokering system
I took my car to have recalls fixed. The next time I drove it after that my power steering shut off while driving. The warning lights for "Hill Start Assist Not Available" and "Service AdvanceTrac" came on. After some research it looks like I have the exact problem for recall 19S26. However when I called the dealership they couldn’t find the documentation if they fixed this or not on my vehicle. They said since it is not an open recall they do not have to fix it. Can you please open/reopen this recall for my vehicle so I can address this specific issue.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The vehicle was serviced under the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 23V162000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) and 19V632000 (STEERING), but the failure persisted. A month after the recall repairs were completed, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake warning light was illuminated and blinked, and the steering wheel failed to function as intended. The contact used force to veer the vehicle to the side of the road. Once the contact was able to pull to the side of the vehicle, the engine was turned off. The contact called her boyfriend, who drove to the site of the incident and assisted the contact and pushed the vehicle to the residence. The dealer was contacted and at first refused to inspect the vehicle. The contact called the dealer again, and the dealer sent a mobile mechanic to the residence. However, no cause for the failure was found. The contact was informed that a diagnostic test would be performed on the vehicle. However, the contact would be responsible for the bill. The vehicle remained at the residence unrepaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.Â
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his wife was making a left turn, the steering wheel lost steering capabilities, and the vehicle did not steer as intended. The vehicle then ran into a divider on the four-lane highway and then came to a full stop. The contact did not sustain any physical injuries, but his wife sustained emotional injuries. A police report was filed. The contact's wife did not receive medical attention. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the failure could not be replicated. The vehicle was then returned to the residence. The contact was notified, and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the failure could not be replicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 206,000.
I called way scarff ford to have the safety recalls taken care. Got my appointment, stopped the car off in the morning. They kept the car for 3 days and after the 3rd day they said everything is good to go. Go there in Auburn WA couldn't find my car. Took 4 people or including myself. Then it took another half hour to 45 min to find my car. Go get in the vehicle and something doesn't seem right. Everything still felt the same. I look under the hood and find that the the recalls for the cable bushing wasn't corrected so let led me to think that the other recalls were not completed. Befote calling ford corporate to have this issue taken care of we called [XXX] in enumclaw to have this taken care of. Since the car was at way scarff my car started to act funny. Lean idle, really rough idle vibration with now a code P0299 which is the underboost. I do not think they hooked the hoses up correctly. So now my car is acting really funny. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The steering gear went out causing the steering wheel to completely lock up. It’s costing thousands of dollars to repair. Not sure why this recall isn’t associated with my VIN number but other 2016 ford fusions. My car is in the shop now to be fixed and was quoted over 3k$
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel started to shake while driving at slower speeds, and the shaking ceased while driving at higher speeds. The message "Steering Fault - Service Now" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed an ABS and power steering failure and determined that the power steering rack unit needed to be repaired. The independent mechanic scanned the vehicle and retrieved DTC: U0131, 87-48, C102D, 00-8a, and C200D, 49-08. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V632000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 104,000.
My 2016 Ford Fusion SE had a prior safety recall repair in 2020 involving replacement of the steering wheel retaining/attachment bolt with a longer bolt. The bolt now appears to be loosening again. This seems like a recurrence or failure of the prior recall remedy. The dealer told me I had to pay out of pocket and ford corporate said the repair only had a 12-month warranty, but this is a steering safety issue involving the same recalled condition. I am concerned the steering wheel could loosen or separate from the steering column.
I get in my 2016 Fusion to go to dinner and I can barely turn my steering wheel. I put it in park and check the power steering fluid. FULL. I tried resetting the power steering assist by starting the car and turning all the way left then right then center. Still can barely turn. Tried disconnecting the battery hoping it would be an electrical glitch. Come to find out it’s could be a steering assist motor on the steering column that’s going bad and CAN CAUSE THIS PROBLEM WHILE DRIVING! That’s insane!
Questions about the 2016 Ford Fusion steering
Does the 2016 Ford Fusion have steering problems?
Owners have filed 176 complaints about the steering of the 2016 Ford Fusion, 11% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2016 Ford Fusion steering problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 74,440 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Ford Fusion steering?
Yes, 2 recalls: 19V632000, 18V167000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Ford Fusion have bad steering?
The Ford Fusion model years with the most steering complaints are 2010 (1,662 complaints), 2012 (1,476 complaints) and 2011 (1,436 complaints).
Other 2016 Ford Fusion problems
Engine 536Transmission 311Driver assistance 182Electrical 150Brakes 137Fuel system 92Airbags 50Body 50Acceleration 47Wheels 43Locks 35Visibility 26Seat belts 17Lights 16Seats 8Suspension 8Tires 4
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