2011 FORD FUSION HYBRID Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD FUSION. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE SERVICE STEERING NOW WARNING MESSAGE ILLUMINATED AS THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND EXCESSIVE FORCE WAS REQUIRED. THE CONTACT MERGED OVER TO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND THE STEERING RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS AND THEY STATED THAT THE RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE ELECTRICAL POWER STEERING BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKES. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN TWO WEEKS. HAS BEEN TO A FORD DEALER TO HAVE THE PROBLEM LOOKED AT THEY FOUND NOTHING, TOLD ME TO DRIVE THE CAR AND IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN THEY WOULD PUT THE CAR ON AN ELECTRONIC TESTER. THE PROBLEM DID SHOW UP AGAIN ON OCTOBER 26,2014,I WILL BE TAKING THE CAR BACK TO THE FORD DEALER. *TR

THE CAR BEGAN TO PULL TO ONE SIDE INTERMITTENTLY. IT WAS EASY TO CORRECT BUT WHEN I RELAXED MY GRIP ON THE STEERING WHEEL IT TURNED LEFT. THIS OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY SINCE, SOMETIMES SEVERAL TIMES IN A FEW MINUTES, SOMETIMES ONLY A FEW TIMES PER WEEK. THIS SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE OFTEN WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE FORD DEALER ON MAY 17, 2014. THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING IN THE COMPUTER OR REPLICATE THE PROBLEM WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. THE PROBLEM CONTINUES INTERMITTENTLY. AT PRESENT IT HAS ONLY BEEN A MINOR ISSUE BUT I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE DANGEROUS IF THE PULL WAS STRONGER OR IT TOOK MORE EFFORT TO CORRECT THE STEERING. *TR

DRIVE BY WIRE THROTTLE BODY FAILED, CAUSING CAR TO LOSS ALL POWER ON CROWDED HIGHWAY AT HIGH SPEED. HAD TO CROSS SEVERAL LANES OF HEAVY TRAFFIC TO GET TO OFF HIGHWAY SAFELY. BARELY AVOIDED SEVERAL ACCIDENTS TRYING TO GET PULLED OUT OF TRAFFIC LANES. *TR

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE CAR, THE POWER STEERING FROZE. WITH GREAT EFFORT I WAS BARELY ABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL AND COMPLETE THE PARKING. AFTER TURNING THE ENGINE OFF, FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON, I TURNED THE ENGINE ON AGAIN AND THE POWER STEERING WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. THE NEXT DAY I DROVE TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALERSHIP AND THE STEERING WAS NORMAL. THE REPAIR CHARGE FOR REPLACING THE ELECTRONIC STEERING MECHANISM WAS $1704. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED (VIA GOOGLE) THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON IN FORD VEHICLES THAT HAVE SWITCHED FROM HYDRAULIC TO ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING. HAD THE POWER STEERING LOCKED WHILE I WAS SWITCHING LANES IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, OR ATTEMPTING TO PASS ON A TWO LANE ROAD, I MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WRITE THIS NOTE. CLEARLY, A RECALL IS IN ORDER. *TR

THE WRENCH SYMBOL WAS DISPLAYED ON THE CONTROL PANEL WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST SPEED. IT FELT LIKE IT STALLED OUT. THEN THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR HAS VERY LOW MILES ON IT AND IS PRACTICALLY BRAND NEW. I DID NOT FEEL SAFE. *TR

DRIVING SOUTHBOUND RT 55 IN NJ, TRAVELING ON OLDER PAVED ROAD SURFACE WITH SOME DISCONTINUITIES AND RIDGES, FELT A SUDDEN SHOCK IN STEERING WHEEL AND VEHICLE PULLED TO LEFT. SLOWED TO SHOULDER TO EXAMINE TIRE, WHEEL ETC. NO NOTICEABLE PROBLEM. VEHICLE WAS DRIVABLE AND SHORTLY AFTER DEVELOPED A GRINDING NOISE IN THE FRONT END. DETAILED INSPECTION REVEALED A DRIVER SIDE FRONT COIL SPRING FAILURE, COMPLETE SHEAR AT SECOND COIL FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SPRING. RESPONSE FROM FORD WAS TOUGH LUCK. HAD MY WIFE BEEN DRIVING, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A LEGAL ISSUE BY NOW. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD FUSION HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME HARD TO TURN. THE CONTACT COASTED OVER TO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND NOTICED THAT THE "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE" AND "TRACTION CONTROL" WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000.

INDICATOR LIGHT "WRENCH" CAME ON TO INFORM ME OF AN ISSUE. THEN SHORTLY THEREAFTER, A LIGHT CAME ON THAT SAID "SERVICE ACCUTRAC" (TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM). I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER WHO THEN TOLD ME THAT THE POWER STEERING GEAR HAD TO BE REPLACED AND THAT THE TRACTION CONTROL HAD TO BE REPROGRAMMED. I'M CONCERNED BECAUSE I SEE A HISTORY OF POWER STEERING RECALLS ON MANY FORD MODELS BETWEEN 2010 TO TODAY AND WONDER IF THIS IS A RECURRING PATTERN WITH THE 2011 FUSION HYBRID MODEL, THAT IS NOT YET "REALIZED". *TR

SERVICE POWER STEERING NOW AND SERVICETRACT MESSAGE DISPLAYED, STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY STIFF AND I COULDN'T STEER CAR. MY CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME PROBLEM WAS DUE TO A PRE-EXISTING DEFECT. *TR