2012 Ford Focus steering problems

Related recalls

No recalls on file.

What owners say

1. Filed Jul 25, 2026AROther / UnknownAcceleration & Cruise ControlSteering

   The TCU/TCM has been going in and out of control. Sometimes it will work then others it will shut off. Speedometer won’t work, power steering won’t work, cruise control won’t work, etc. and when you do the transmission reset for it, it won’t work at all.

   NHTSA complaint #11752841 · source
2. Filed May 1, 2026TXSteering

   Electric power steering failed at 65,000 miles. No power assist in the steering. Trying to steer the car with no power assist is very difficult and not safe.

   NHTSA complaint #11735104 · source
3. Filed Mar 24, 2026128,604 miMISteering

   The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn while driving. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 128,604.

   NHTSA complaint #11726736 · source
4. Filed Jan 7, 2026WISteering

   Steering system failure light came on and the Rack and pinion failed with no warning while I was driving on the highway at 75mph and the steering wheel locked up almost causing a potential fatal accident.

   NHTSA complaint #11709317 · source
5. Filed Dec 29, 2025PAEngineAcceleration & Cruise ControlSteering

   the car runs without power when shifted to drive gear. It is sluggish trying to speed up. Took to Ford Dealers on a recall with that is suppose to take care of it..nothing seems to have changed. I am not sure anything was done. trans makes a rough sound starting..

   NHTSA complaint #11707435 · source
6. Filed Oct 17, 2025PASteering

   I was driving to drop my fiancé off at work when the "Steering fault, Service now" warning came on. Went home, parked the car. Start it up to go pick him up later, the wheel locked and "Steering loss, stop safely" warning came on. I just recently had my car inspected and had two new lower ball joints replaced. The one employee said my cars steering was working fine, and it was driving okay with no issues until today. Same thing just happened. You can't turn the wheel.

   NHTSA complaint #11694021 · source
7. Filed Oct 8, 2025MASteering

   Experienced abrupt electrical steering motor failure. Power steering remains inoperable and available for inspection. Occurred during normal driving without warning, and effort required to manually steer was too much for my wife necessitating an emergency stop to avoid collision with oncoming traffic while trying to execute a routine turn putting us and the other vehicle in danger of an offset collision. This appears to be a known issue in FORD steering units but has only…

   NHTSA complaint #11692211 · source
8. Filed Jul 3, 2025NEOther / UnknownSteering

   The Power Steering shut down suddenly while I was driving it. I am [XXX], and certainly did NOT have the power to turn the wheel like it needed. If there had been fast moving traffic at that time, I could have been hit and severely injured, Why hasn't this been recalled yet? The problem has been confirmed by an independent service center. I had to go there when my power steering intermittently came back on because it was only 6 blocks away from my house and I didn't dare try…

   NHTSA complaint #11671103 · source
9. Filed Apr 23, 2025TXSteering

   Power steering light intermittently comes on and vehicles looses power steering. Upon turning vehicle off then back on power steering will come back on. Can't get it to act up long enough for mechanic to diagnose. Only a matter of time before an accident happens. There are hundreds of complaints online about this same issue. Ford has issued some recalls but not on my particular VIN...

   NHTSA complaint #11656316 · source
10. Filed Mar 20, 2025OKFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionSteeringSuspension

    Since I have had this vehicle, the message " steering assist fault" for my electronic steering has been popping up in the dash screen since as far back as 2016 when there were recalls on the Ford fusion. However, a simple fix would be to turn off the engine and restart the vehicle, and it was go away, only to return a few weeks, or a month later. I repeated the same steps. Now, it has gone out completely, a few months ago. Back then, they told me it would cost about $800,…

    NHTSA complaint #11649585 · source
11. Filed Jan 2, 2025OH1 injuredElectrical SystemSteering

    During some Christmas shopping within the past few weeks, my cars power steering went out completely with no warning or sounds to repair or seek assistance. Not only was my life in danger, but the safety of others in the vehicles surrounding me. I couldn't even turn my wheel if I tried. There have been other instances in other cars where I could strong arm the wheel and be ok, but there was absolutely nothing I could do about turning the wheel whatsoever! When my dad came…

    NHTSA complaint #11633582 · source
12. Filed Oct 7, 202490,000 miKYSteering

    The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving and exceeding 25 MPH, the steering wheel was seized. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the power steering needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

    NHTSA complaint #11618465 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology