2015 Ford Focus Steering Problems

While driving steering suddenly stopped working. Red light came up onto dash stating "steering down safely pull over"

NHTSA ID

11717604

Incident

Feb 10, 2026

I’m writing about my 2015 Ford Focus (VIN: [XXX] ), which has under 38,500 miles. While heading to work, I suddenly lost power steering—no warning, just stiff steering out of nowhere. The repair cost me over $5,000 to replace the electric power steering rack, which only a Ford dealer could handle due to software restrictions. This follows a TCM replacement that Ford covered under recall. I contacted Ford for goodwill assistance, but they refused. At this mileage, these failures are unacceptable. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11689373

Incident

Sep 15, 2025

Steering default on the dashboard and I can’t drive steering is too stiff , hard to turn

NHTSA ID

11662925

Incident

May 24, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to turn the steering wheel, the steering wheel was sticking and jerked abnormally, making it more difficult to maneuver the vehicle. The contact experienced resistance while turning the steering wheel to the left or the right. The contact stated that there was a rubbing, grinding, and scratching sound coming from the steering wheel. The contact stated that the jerking had gotten progressively worse and occurred while accelerating from being idle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the steering gear and rack and pinion had failed. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V514000 (Steering); that was related to the 2014 model vehicles. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

NHTSA ID

11661132

Incident

May 13, 2025

Mileage

87,000 mi

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. Additionally, the contact stated that there was an abnormal sound while turning the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed rack and pinion. The contact was informed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

NHTSA ID

11659342

Incident

Dec 6, 2024

Mileage

140,000 mi

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the steering wheel seized momentarily, due to a sudden loss of power steering functionality, causing the vehicle to cross over to the other side of the road, eventually stopping in a patch of grass on the side of the road. The contact continued to drive the vehicle with manual steering. The dealer was contacted and informed of the failure. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that the VIN was not under recall for the steering. The contact used a diagnostic tool and retrieved a power steering fault code. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 64,000.

NHTSA ID

11640880

Incident

Feb 4, 2025

Mileage

64,000 mi

I was driving on the freeway approaching a curve at about 45mph when I first experienced the wheel locking up. As I was trying to cut the wheel to the right, the steering wouldn't allow me to turn any further. Upon noticing this I immediately hit my breaks to avoid slamming into the median and hit the hazards lights to avoid have a rear end collision with the many cars driving behind me. Extremely terrifying experience and thankfully I avoided collision by acting fast, however someone else may not be as quick to avoid a potentially fatal event. Someone could have died, I could have died by losing the ability to control my steering. I thank god that total steering loss didn't happen while I was doing 60mph, I can only imagine how differently this could've ended. No lights or warnings popped up while that happened until I got off at my exit. Maybe about 3 miles later a warning stating "steering fault" popped up disappeared and then "total steering loss" appears across the dashboard. This was once I was in a residential area to stop the car while I am going down the road at 25mph. This left me unable to make any turns so I had to come to a complete stop. I have since gotten the car towed and now have to wait to get the car repaired. The power steering on the vehicle is out and since I have called the dealership, they've said the diagnostic fee alone is $190. I have yet to find out how much the parts and repair costs will be and I'm shocked that there has not been a recall including the 2015 Ford Focus for steering if they recalled the 2014 models for this same issue. This is a FATAL accident waiting to happen and needs to be recalled ASAP.

NHTSA ID

11632629

Incident

Dec 23, 2024

Power Steering loss of function.. Power steering module and motor failure.. Inoperable Steering Rack.. This is a documented problem in the 2014 Focus models, why not the 2015 Focus models.. My Power Steering is dead, my Steering Rack is Inoperable, and my Power Steering Module and Motor are dead.. My problems started happening in January 2024

NHTSA ID

11631829

Incident

Dec 12, 2024

I have discovered this is a very common problem and should be recalled immediately. I bought this ford focus with 50k miles on it and the electrical power steering unit went out within 4 months. i have been driving it this way for 7 months. due to lack of grease or perhaps even lack of an engineered gasket, I believe water has gotten into my system and fried the electronics. this seems to be the most common problem with these electric power steering racks. i see several other models of this car recalled for this problem, why not mine? I'm already overpaying I shouldn't have to pay $1600 to fix this issue. I believe an immediate recall is in order based on how many thousands of people have the same problem as me and are out here driving without power steering.

NHTSA ID

11626399

Incident

Apr 11, 2024

I own a 2015 Ford Focus with 69,071 miles - low mileage. It's driven lightly. A couple of months ago, I was driving when suddenly the power steering went out and was extremely difficult to drive and manuever the vehicle. I went to the local dealership to schedule repairs and their computers were out so I couldn't even make an appt. So, I called Ford Motor Company about the power steering going out suddenly on my vehicle while driving to determine if my 2015 Ford Focus was covered for this repair in their current Ford Focus power steering recalls after finding thousands of cases reported for the exact same thing on 2010 - 2015 Ford Focus vehicles. I discovered that my vehicle is not included in the recalls. This is a very dangerous issue that Ford should take responsibility for the safety of their consumers and families who drive their products. There are 12 or more other active recalls for this vehicle presently - Side door latch replacement #20S15 where the doors can suddenly open while driving and fuel tank deformation and may crack in a crash # 15C11 for my vehicle. I took my vehicle to the local Ford dealership today to have the other 2 recalls completed and diagnose the power steering, only to be quoted $3014 for their VERY COMMON known power steering issue. They also did not complete the recall work when this was requested as a priority, so I am still driving around in this dangerous vehicle. Ford recalled 487,301+ 2015 Ford Fusions cars for this very same power steering issue. The recall # is 15S14. NHTSA Campaign #15V250000. Another power steering recall for 2015 Ford Fusion is #19S26 affecting 116,160+ vehicles NHTSA Campaign # 19V632000. Approximately 300,170 Ford Fusions were made in 2015 - how can only some be covered when this is such a common known issue? $3014 to repair the KNOWN issue is not acceptable and dangerous.

NHTSA ID

11626355

Incident

Nov 19, 2024

UNKNOWN. Power steering assist fault message appeared. After driving the car on the road and stopping to fuel up and turning off the car the error message appeared. The power steering was not working making the steering wheel hard to turn. No warnings or errors prior and as well no error codes found via OBD reader. Safety was put at risk as I was not able to turn the wheel when trying to take off after stopping. Several people have complained online already about this same issue.

NHTSA ID

11606309

Incident

Jul 25, 2024

Now making a loud winding noise when I drive and turn.

NHTSA ID

11594084

Incident

Apr 1, 2024

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering became inoperable. The contact stated that the steering wheel had seized. The contact stated that the failure occurred during freezing temperature; however, after approximately 45 minutes, the vehicle warmed up and regained power steering functionality. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000. The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA ID

11566924

Incident

Jan 19, 2024

Mileage

89,000 mi

A warning saying steering assist failure appeared after which I couldn't turn the wheel more than 10 to 15 ° in either direction. I pulled over on the shoulder and 30 minutes later, the check message had disappeared the steering worked fine.

NHTSA ID

11487038

Incident

Sep 23, 2022

Start the vehicle, put it in reverse, stop and change gears to drive and the vehicle will not move forward the steering wheel jerks. I have to put the car in park turn off the engine and then power back on and try again.

NHTSA ID

11483073

Incident

Sep 1, 2022

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with steering rack failure. The mechanic informed the contact that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

NHTSA ID

11457790

Incident

Mar 4, 2022

Mileage

65,000 mi

My vehicle began making loud rubbing noises when turning and then in addition, progressed to having trouble steering. I took it to a shop that advised me that I needed a new rack and pinion steering system. I took the vehicle home and when I went to get return to the garage to have it replaced, the car would not turn at all except with extreme force; I had to have it towed. I had to pay for an entire new rack and pinion steering (and labor) and for the front end to be aligned after. I checked and even though there are numerous complaints, there is no recall.

NHTSA ID

11453136

Incident

Sep 10, 2021

I was driving home from work when I got a "steering fault" notification, followed by very limited control over my vehicle's steering system. I was going between 55-65 miles, as I was on an expressway, and came very close to colliding with other vehicles on multiple occasions. I was able to make it home and then when I went to drive it to the shop for repairs, I received the "steering loss" notification and I could no longer move my vehicle. There are quite a few noted complaints about Ford's power steering assist failing with the Focus and many other models.

NHTSA ID

11449709

Incident

Jan 31, 2022

I started to notice a rubbing sound when I would turn the steering wheel. I also noticed when I turned the wheel to the right, there was a slight hesitating resistance. A week later, I was going down the highway about 70 mph, when a warning message popped up “power steering fault”. At that moment, the steering completely lost power and it was difficult to steer. Going at that speed on a busy highway was very dangerous. Without any power steering, in heavy traffic, I had to manually steer my way from the speed lane to the right outer lane to take the exit. I had to cancel mission, turn around and go back home, hoping to get back safely. I was put at risk and so were other folks on the road, that day. I haven't taken my car for repair yet.

NHTSA ID

11448493

Incident

Jan 21, 2022

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. Four years ago, the contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, excessive force was needed to steer his vehicle without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the rack and pinion were replaced. Recently, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal creaking noise would emit from the power steering without warning. The vehicle was towed to Woody Sander Ford (235 W Mitchell Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45232) and he was informed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed him that there were no recalls on the vehicle; the contact was then referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.

NHTSA ID

11446656

Incident

Aug 1, 2017

Mileage

38,000 mi

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the power steering assist failed, and the steering wheel locked up. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with electric power steering module failure. The electric power steering module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.

NHTSA ID

11445493

Incident

Dec 27, 2021

Mileage

52,000 mi

The steering assist on on our 2015 Ford Focus failed at 35,000 miles as I was backing out of the driveway. The steering fault was indicated on the dashboard and the car became very difficult to steer. Had I been driving on the street or expressway this very well could have resulted in a serious or even fatal accident. I checked with the dealer to see if a Ford safety recall had been issued. There was no safety recall on this year Focus. Sure seems like Ford should issue a safety recall regarding this issue since there is one for the 2014 Ford Focus and other Ford cars. It is the same steering assist unit. The car was undrivable, of course, and the local authorized Ford dealer charged me $2,470 to replace the steering gear. It was in the shop for more than a week. My wife and I are retired on a fixed income and an unexpected $2,470 expense is devastating to us. We bought this car hoping to keep it forever and save money along the way. After dealing with the defective transmission, sync that doesn't, radio and brake repairs we see now this was a big mistake. My grandfather built Model Ts in Detroit and both of my parents were Ford employees in Dearborn their entire adult life. We have always been a Ford family. I will never buy another Ford.

NHTSA ID

11433276

Incident

Aug 21, 2021

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the steering box started making a grinding sound. The vehicle became difficult to steer. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated he was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer and it was diagnosed with the steering box needing to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer. The failure mileage was 72,254.

NHTSA ID

11422585

Incident

Jun 24, 2021

Mileage

72,254 mi

- power steering system, steering assembly - the power steering stopped working suddenly - yes, both a Ford dealer and an independent mechanic saw the failure code on the computer - steering fault light flashes on the dashboard at the same time as the issue happens

NHTSA ID

11421943

Incident

Jun 2, 2021

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH ACCELERATING FROM A STOP LIGHT, THE STEERING FAULT MESSAGE DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT PULLED INTO A NEARBY PARKING LOT. THE CONTACT WATCHED A VIDEO OF HOW TO REPAIR OR ADDRESS THE ISSUE AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS NO FRACTURE IN THE FUSE. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE FUSE AND THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED THE STEERING LOSS DRIVE SAFELY MESSAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND REPLACED THE FUSE HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V340000 (STEERING). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,082.*DT THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED HIM THE BOLTS HOLDING THE STEERING WHEEL ON BROKE AND FRIENDS PAID $2,600 TO HAVE THE VEHICLE FIXED. *TR

NHTSA ID

11375287

Incident

Nov 14, 2020

Mileage

91,082 mi