The 2011 Ford Fusion's electric power-assist steering (EPAS) system fails without warning, leaving drivers unable to turn the wheel. Owners describe the steering wheel becoming rock-hard or locked solid—some say they "barely could move it." A warning message appears: "Power Steering Assist Fault" or "Service Power Steering Now," often with the AdvanceTrac light lit and chiming. This happens both at startup and while driving, sometimes at highway speeds. Restarting the engine temporarily fixes it, but the failure recurs at unpredictable intervals.
The real problem: when owners bring the vehicle to dealers to fix it, the fault code clears as soon as the engine shuts off. Dealers then claim they cannot diagnose or repair it without an active code present. Some dealerships refuse to touch it. When repairs finally happen—after waiting days for the failure to recur during business hours—the steering gear gets replaced for $1,500 to $3,900. Yet multiple owners report the same failure happening again months later, even after replacement.
Ford issued an extended warranty program (15N01, later 15S18 recall) covering steering gear replacement up to 10 years or 150,000 miles from the original purchase date. But owners frequently discover this coverage after the deadline has passed, or their VIN is inexplicably excluded despite identical symptoms. Used-car buyers especially get caught—they inherit the defect with no notification of the recall or its time limits. Two owners report crashes and serious injuries resulting from complete steering loss while driving. Ford refuses coverage for vehicles outside the warranty window, even when previous repairs failed or the defect was not disclosed at sale.
Failure modes owners describe
Electric Power-Assist Steering (EPAS) System Failure — Complete Loss of Assist
The EPAS unit suddenly loses power-steering assist, forcing the driver to steer manually with substantially increased effort. The failure occurs either intermittently (resolves after restart) or permanently. Owners report the steering wheel becoming extremely stiff or completely locked, making the vehicle difficult or impossible to control, especially at low speeds or during emergency maneuvers.
When: Ranges from low mileage (under 10,000 miles) to 86,700+ miles; failures occur both at startup and while driving at speeds from 20 to 75 mph; some occur during cold weather
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden complete loss of power steering assist; Steering wheel becomes extremely stiff or locks up; Warning messages: 'Power Steering Assist Fault,' 'Service Power Steering Now,' 'Service AdvanceTrac'; AdvanceTrac light illuminates on dash; Chiming/warning sounds from vehicle; In some cases, temporary resolution by turning engine off and restarting; Vehicle pulling sharply to one side; Loss of control or near-loss of control on roadways
Codes mentioned: U0100-20, C1963-20, C200D, C1277-20, CTC C200C
Repairs/costs cited: Dealerships and owners cite steering gear replacement (rack-and-pinion assembly with integrated EPAS unit), Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) replacement, and programming updates. Costs reported between $1,500 and $3,900 for complete replacement; some cases only received software reprogramming rather than hardware replacement. Part is proprietary to Ford and expensive; TRW Gen I EPAS units noted as manufacturer.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Ford issued Customer Satisfaction Program 15N01 (later recalled as 15S18 safety recall) offering extended warranty coverage up to 10 years or 150,000 miles from original purchase date for power steering gear defects. However, coverage is limited by mileage and date thresholds; many owners discovered the recall too late or found their VIN excluded despite identical symptoms. Field Service Action performed in some cases involves software updates only, leaving faulty hardware in place. Ford also issued recall 14S06 for certain model years. Initial communications from dealers often claimed inability to diagnose the problem if no fault code was present at time of service; some dealerships refused to honor recalls citing VIN exclusions or warranty expiration.
Intermittent Power Steering Loss with Fault Code Diagnostics Challenge
The steering system intermittently loses power assist, generating fault codes that clear after the engine is restarted. When owners bring the vehicle to dealerships, mechanics are unable to retrieve the stored codes because they disappear once the engine cycles off. This creates a diagnostic catch-22: dealers claim they cannot repair the vehicle without an active fault code, but the fault clears before repair can be attempted.
When: Failures occur sporadically, sometimes multiple times within days (6 failures in 3 days reported in one case); mileage varies from 30,000 to 100,000 miles; frequency increases over time in some cases
Symptoms owners cite: Intermittent 'Power Steering Assist Fault' warning; Warning messages clear after engine restart; Fault codes stored in PSCM but clear when engine is turned off; Unpredictable timing of failures (can occur at startup or while driving); Extreme difficulty steering after fault occurs until restart; Owners must avoid turning off vehicle at time of failure to preserve code for dealer diagnosis
Codes mentioned: C200D, C200C (Rotation Angle Sensor Circuit Malfunction)
Repairs/costs cited: Dealerships typically insist vehicle must be brought in with active fault code present; however, owners report codes clear within seconds of engine shutdown, making this technically infeasible during normal business hours. Some dealers eventually performed steering gear replacement or PSCM reprogramming after extended service periods. Repair costs when performed: $1,500–$2,000+ for steering gear or PSCM replacement.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Ford acknowledged the issue internally and created 'Step 1' and 'Step 2' troubleshooting procedures: Step 1 involves pinpoint testing when vehicle is brought in; Step 2 (if problem recurs) involves installing a 'new gear' inside the rack-and-pinion. However, dealers and Ford indicated uncertainty about whether gear replacement would actually resolve the underlying EPAS module defect. Ford's approach of software reprogramming in some cases did not resolve recurring failures in multiple owner reports. Recall letters and extended warranty coverage (15N01/15S18) offered, but owners often missed notification windows or VINs were excluded.
AdvanceTrac System Concurrent Failure with Power Steering Loss
Power steering failures are frequently accompanied by illumination of the AdvanceTrac warning light and 'Service AdvanceTrac' message on the dash. The AdvanceTrac system (electronic stability control) fails concurrently with or immediately after steering assist loss, suggesting a common root cause or shared electrical/module fault.
When: Concurrent failures reported across all mileage ranges and model years in this cluster (2010–2011 Ford Fusion); failures occur during both cold-weather startups and while driving
Symptoms owners cite: AdvanceTrac light illuminates on instrument panel; Message: 'Service AdvanceTrac'; Occurs simultaneously with or immediately after power steering assist loss; Warning chimes accompany both warnings; Both systems may intermittently fail together and resolve together after restart
Codes mentioned: U0100-20 (lost communication), C1963-20 (ABS/AdvanceTrac communication loss), C200D
Repairs/costs cited: One dealer note documented: 'CAN LOST COMMUNICATION WITH' during diagnostic testing. Repairs typically addressed the Power Steering Control Module and steering gear, though some cases also noted need for ABS module or sensor replacement. Costs not separately itemized from power steering repairs, but total bills often reflected multiple component failures.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Ford's technical bulletins and dealer notes indicate awareness of the concurrent failures. Some dealers identified the root cause as lost CAN bus communication between the power steering control module and other vehicle systems (ABS, AdvanceTrac). Extended warranty program 15N01 addressed both power steering and related electronic steering-assist system defects.
Steering Gear Premature Wear and Mechanical Failure
The steering rack and pinion gear assembly fails prematurely due to internal mechanical defects—chipped, cracked, or broken internal gears. These failures occur at relatively low mileages and render manual steering nearly impossible without significant force. Internal gear degradation appears to be a latent manufacturing defect in the steering gear assembly itself.
When: Reported failures between 30,000 and 100,000 miles; some within first 35,000 miles of purchase; multiple failures in same vehicle within 6–12 months (e.g., replacements in July 2013, October 2013, then recurrence in 2015)
Symptoms owners cite: Steering wheel becomes extremely difficult to turn or locks up completely; Loss of power steering assist or severely reduced assist; Vehicle pulling sharply to one side; Hard-to-turn steering in certain conditions (cold weather, during parking maneuvers); Creaking or grinding noises from steering system; Clunking/banging noises in front suspension/steering area
Codes mentioned: C200D, Various EPAS fault codes related to sensor or motor position
Repairs/costs cited: Complete steering rack and pinion assembly replacement required. Owners cite replacement costs of $1,500–$3,900+; one owner reported internal gears 'chipped, cracked and broken' upon disassembly. Entire assembly must be replaced; gear repair is not possible. Some cases involved replacement performed twice or three times within 24 months without permanent resolution.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Ford's initial response in some cases was to reprogram the PSCM without replacing the faulty steering gear, leaving the defective hardware in the vehicle. Recall 15S18 (extended version of 15N01) eventually addressed steering gear replacement for vehicles within the 10-year/150,000-mile window. However, many owners found their replacements failed again after the recall work, or the vehicle exceeded the warranty window before the defect became apparent. Ford refused coverage for out-of-window vehicles and some attempted to apply a '10% discount' on repair costs for customers beyond warranty.
Crash and Injury Incidents Related to Steering Failure
Two documented crash incidents in the complaint narratives directly resulted from sudden power steering failure while driving. In both cases (narratives #12 and #13, same incident), the driver lost control of the vehicle when power steering failed on a curve, resulting in vehicle striking fixed objects and driver suffering serious injuries including fractures, lacerations, nerve damage, and permanent scarring.
When: August 1, 2015; vehicle had approximately 130,000 miles; power steering had been previously replaced twice (July 2013, October 2013) before final catastrophic failure
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden loss of steering control on highway curve (left turn attempted); Vehicle proceeded straight into roadside objects (tree and power line); No warning light or message reported at time of loss of control; Steering did not respond to driver input; Brake pedal engagement resulted in unexpected acceleration instead of braking (unrelated to steering complaint but part of same incident)
Codes mentioned: None retrieved; vehicle totaled
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle was totaled; not repaired. Police report, medical documentation, and vehicle diagnostics all documented. This vehicle had prior recalls on file (power steering replacement in 2013, full throttle body recall) that were not communicated to the buyer at point of sale.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Ford had issued recalls for power steering and throttle body issues on this vehicle (documented via recall history), but the dealership that sold the vehicle to the owner did not inform the buyer of the recalls or their status. The power steering assembly had been replaced twice already without achieving permanent resolution, suggesting the root defect persisted despite prior service actions. No manufacturer response to the crash/injury incident documented in these narratives.
Synthesized from 1,425 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer
allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.