2013 Ford Focus Electric Steering Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD FOCUS ELECTRIC. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO TURN LEFT, THE STEERING ABILITY SEIZED AND THE VEHICLE KEPT GOING STRAIGHT. THE CONTACT DROVE OVER A SIDEWALK AND THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000.

NHTSA ID

11141863

Incident

Aug 18, 2018

Mileage

69,000 mi

WHILE IN THE DRIVEWAY AND STATIONARY, I TURNED ON THE CAR AND THE "POWER STEERING ASSIST" WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THE POWER STEERING WAS NOT OPERABLE AND THE STEERING WENT INTO MANUAL MAKING IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE WHEEL. AFTER THE MECHANIC EVALUATED THIS, IT WAS DETERMINED THE SENSOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE PART ALONE IS $1100 AND THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE LABOR. RATHER COSTLY. THERE ARE MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS FOUND ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE WITH A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH. OTHER FORD CARS HAVE RECEIVED A RECALL ON THIS PART. IT SEEMS PARTICULARLY ODD AND EXTREMELY IRRESPONSIBLE ON FORD'S BEHALF TO NOT CONCEDE TO THE DEFECT ON THIS PARTICULAR YEAR/MAKE/MODEL AND ISSUE A RECALL FOR REPLACEMENT AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER.

NHTSA ID

11088899

Incident

Apr 18, 2018

Mileage

105,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD FOCUS ELECTRIC. WHILE THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS PLACED IN REVERSE, THE STEERING WHEEL INADVERTENTLY LOCKED AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MCLAUGHLIN (950 N MAIN ST, SUMTER, SC 29150 (803) 773-1481) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000.

NHTSA ID

11039150

Incident

Sep 15, 2017

Mileage

6,000 mi

2013 FORD FOCUS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE POWER STEERING SYSTEM REPAIRS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED IN EARLY OCTOBER, HE NOTICED A STRANGE SOUND, LIKE A BELT RUBBING, IN THE STEERING MECHANISM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION, THE SERVICE ADVISOR INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE POWER STEERING RACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *JB

NHTSA ID

10806912

Incident

Oct 6, 2015

WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AND ACCELERATING OUT OF THE TURN THE ENGINE, POWER TRAIN AND BREAKING SYSTEM STOPPED WORKING. THE VEHICLE STOPPED DEAD IN THE STREET. THE DASH DISPLAYED "STOP SAFELY NOW" AND A YELLOW WARNING LIGHT SYMBOL OF A WRENCH APPEARED. I TOOK SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART USING VARIOUS METHODS THE VEHICLE FINALLY RESET AND STARTED.

NHTSA ID

10759756

Incident

Aug 27, 2015

Mileage

19,500 mi

WAS DRIVING AT 25 MPH IN A RESIDENTIAL ZONE, WITH 48 MILES ON THE BATTERY WHEN AN ALERT DINGED AND THE MESSAGE ON THE SCREEN SAID "PULL OVER TO SAFETY NOW." I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OUT OF TRAFFIC INTO A PARKING SPACE AS THE POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING, THEN STEERING THEN COMPLETELY LOCKED, COULDN'T TURN THE WHEEL. THE CAR WOULD NO LONGER GO FORWARD / HAD LOST POWER. AND THE POWER BREAKS DIDN'T SEEM TO BE FUNCTIONING. THANKFULLY I HAD ALREADY COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE NEXT MORNING WE HAD IT TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED FORD SERVICE CENTER THAT SAID THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. THEY APPLIED THE SOFTWARE FIX AND TEST DROVE THE CAR ONLY TO HAVE THE PROBLEM REOCCUR. THEREFORE THEY SAID THE FIX FOR THE RECALL DIDN'T ACTUALLY FIX THE PROBLEM AND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO ORDER A REPLACEMENT FOR THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE, AS THAT WAS THE PART FORD SAID WAS FAULTY / FAILED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10655138

Incident

Nov 12, 2014

Mileage

20,000 mi

CAR HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE UNCOUPLING THE ENGINE FROM THE POWER TRAIN ROLLED DOWN HILL NOT ENGAGED SCARY AT FORD COULDN'T FIX SO THEY CALLED SPECIALIST WHO TOOK IT APART AND PUT IT BACK TOGETHER TEST DRIVE 20 MILES WOULD NOT TURN OFF! STILL AT SHOP EXPERT TO RETURN AND TRY AGAIN TAKING APART CAR AND THEN DOING TEST DRIVE AGAIN. CHILDREN AND LIL PEOPLE TO TRANSPORT! *TR

NHTSA ID

10567510

Incident

Feb 28, 2013

THIS IS FOR THE FORD FOCUS ELECTRIC. DRIVING IN THE LEFT LANE OF A 4 LANE ROAD IN MODERATE TRAFFIC, MY WIFE WAS SLOWING TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN ONTO A 4 LANE HWY. SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE CHIMED ONCE, SHOWED AN ORANGE CAUTION SIGN IN THE LEFT INFO DISPLAY THAT READ "PLEASE STOP SAFELY NOW," AND IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN MECHANICALLY. SHE INSTANTLY LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING, BRAKES OR ENGINE AND THE CAR CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP NEARLY CAUSING A COLLISION. SHE PUT THE CAR INTO PARK AND TRIED TO TURN IT OFF (THE INTERIOR ELECTRONICS THAT ARE POWERED BY THE STANDARD LEAD ACID BATTERY WERE ALL STILL ON AND FUNCTIONING) AND RESTART THE MOTOR, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT TURN OFF. IT WAS LUCKY IT STOPPED BEFORE THE INTERSECTION, IF IT HAD HAPPENED 3 SECONDS LATER IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PERPENDICULAR TO TRAFFIC ON A HIGHWAY THAT'S MOSTLY TRAFFICKED BY BIG RIGS AND DELIVERY TRUCKS AND SHE VERY WELL COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. THERE WAS NO WAY FOR HER TO SAFELY GET OUT OF THE CAR, THERE WAS ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND WHEN THERE WASN'T THERE WERE CARS HONKING AND SWERVING TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT OF THE VEHICLE. WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM. IT WAS A FAILED COOLING PUMP SO THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN THE BATTERY PACK AND EVERYTHING DRIVEN BY IT (IE STEERING BRAKES AND THE MOTOR) TO PREVENT OVERHEATING. THIS HAS NOT BEEN THE ONLY CAUSE OF THE "STOP SAFELY NOW" SIGN AND SHUTTING DOWN THE CAR. INSTANTLY CUTTING OFF THE DRIVER FROM ALL THE BASIC CONTROLS OF A VEHICLE IS A VERY DANGEROUS WAY TO DEAL WITH FAULT CODES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10549817

Incident

Oct 23, 2013

Mileage

5,800 mi

AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT WE HAVE HAD TWO OCCURRENCES OF A "STOP SAFELY NOW" ERROR MESSAGE WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ON THIS VEHICLE. DURING EACH FAILURE THE VEHICLE STOPPED FUNCTIONING ABRUPTLY WITH NO WARNING BEFORE THE FAILURE. ALL STEERING, CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND PROPULSION WAS LOST. ON THE FIRST FAILURE WE HAD APPROXIMATELY 7 SECONDS OF MOMENTUM BEFORE COMING TO A STOP AND ON THE SECOND OCCURRENCE WE HAD AN ABRUPT STOP AS IF THE BRAKES WERE SLAMMED ON FORCIBLY. AS A RESULT I WAS THROWN FORWARD TOWARDS THE STEERING WHEEL. IN BOTH SITUATIONS WE WERE UNABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF TO A SAFE SPOT ON THE HIGHWAY. IN BOTH CASES IMPACT POSSIBILITIES WERE EXTREMELY LIKELY BOTH DURING THE INCIDENT AND THE MINUTES POST-INCIDENT AS WE ATTEMPTED TO GET TO A SAFE LOCATION OFF OF THE ROAD. FORD HAS ATTEMPTED A DIAGNOSIS ON THE FIRST OCCURRENCE, BUT WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE A FIX. FORD NOW HAS THE VEHICLE AGAIN FOR A FINAL ATTEMPT AT REPAIR. THE VEHICLE IS APPROACHING 30 DAYS OUT OF SERVICE IN TOTAL REPAIR TIME. *TR

NHTSA ID

10547429

Incident

May 19, 2013

Mileage

1,803 mi