2012 Ford Fusion steering problems

Related recalls

• Recall 15V340000Jun 2, 2015393,623 vehicles
  STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine and 2013 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with any available engine. The affected vehicles have electric power steering assist systems that may shut down as a result of a steering motor sensor fault.

  Risk: If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

  Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC). If dealers find any loss of steering assist DTCs, the steering gear will be replaced, free of charge. If, no codes are found during the PSCM inspection, the PSCM software will be updated, free of charge. The recall began on July 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S18.

What owners say

1. Filed Sep 24, 2026WASteering

   Our 2012 Fusion suffered a sudden loss of power steering, was diagnosed with code U3000 at a Ford dealer, and that the dealer confirmed it matches the 15S18 recall symptoms despite being built two months outside the window. Our vehicle was manufactured at the Hermosillo plant in 2012, just two months outside the 15S18 recall window. It suffered an identical, sudden loss of power steering assist while driving, indicating Ford's recall parameters failed to capture all vehicles…

   NHTSA complaint #11766725 · source
2. Filed Sep 23, 202698,000 miPASteering

   The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering assist, causing the steering wheel to be significantly difficult to turn. The contact was able to drive to the nearby residence and parked in the driveway. The message "Service Power Steering Assist" was displayed after the failure. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

   NHTSA complaint #11766310 · source
3. Filed Aug 20, 2026WAElectrical SystemSteering

   While I was driving my 2012 Ford Fusion on August 3rd the steering cut out. I parked the car and re-started it and it worked again. It went to the shop (Extra Mile Automotive) on XXX where they informed me of the 2015 recall on the steering. Recall number 15S18 and program 15N01 When I spoke with [XXX] Ford in [XXX], they said they replaced the electrical piece of the recall on December 7th 2015, but not the steering shaft. [XXX] (the westlie ford employee) said because the…

   NHTSA complaint #11758395 · source
4. Filed Aug 17, 2026CASteering

   Vehicle experienced loss of power steering so it was hard to steer.When I called a ford dealership I was told my vehicle didn’t qualify for any power steering recalls so I would have to pay full price which is unaffordable

   NHTSA complaint #11757574 · source
5. Filed Aug 5, 2026WASteering

   I am submitting this formal complaint against Ford Motor Company and its authorized dealership network for falsely reporting a safety recall repair as "resolved" while applying an unauthorized, temporary workaround that left the primary safety defect active. In 2023, I brought my vehicle to an authorized Ford dealership to perform mandatory safety recall service regarding the Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS) failure. The dealership subsequently updated Ford’s central…

   NHTSA complaint #11754874 · source
6. Filed Jul 27, 2026138,000 miSCSteering

   The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed. The failure was a recurring failure. The first failure was serviced by the dealer under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering); however, a year later, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where the rack and pinion was replaced but…

   NHTSA complaint #11753103 · source
7. Filed Jul 18, 2026PASteering

   The power steering system, failure. completely without warning I see recalls on this model. But do not see it on the website. Nor will ford repair it

   NHTSA complaint #11751292 · source
8. Filed Jun 30, 2026130,000 miWASteering

   The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and almost caused a crash. The message "Service Power Steering Now" was displayed. The contact was able to drive to the destination. The contact stated that the vehicle had become undrivable due to the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (STEERING); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer and the…

   NHTSA complaint #11747366 · source
9. Filed Jun 23, 2026PAElectrical SystemOther / UnknownSteering

   I was just driving and I lost power steering, it was incredibly difficult to steer and it was Heavy Steering, and warnings appeared on the dash.

   NHTSA complaint #11745989 · source
10. Filed May 23, 2026NMDriver Assistance & Safety TechSteering

    Se traba y se pone duro el "gobierno" junto con la cremallera electroasistida el volante no gira ni con el carro prendido, no eh echo uso de la campaña 15S18, nunca ah Sido asistido por el fabricante Ford, ni mucho menos lo eh metido a un taller de servicio independiente ni con aseguradoras y no me marco algún sensor del tablero antes de que me sucediera este problema con la "dirección asistida averiada"

    NHTSA complaint #11739739 · source
11. Filed May 19, 2026NCSteeringWheels & Tires

    The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 40 mph, the steering wheel was hard to turn. The low tire pressure message was displayed. There was another unknown system message being displayed. The contact indicated the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering pump was the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not…

    NHTSA complaint #11738704 · source
12. Filed May 14, 2026NJSteering

    Our 2012 Ford Fusion had a sudden and complete loss of power steering & “Power Steering Assist Fault’ flashed on dash. The steering immediately became extremely difficult to operate, requiring both hands and excessive physical force just to turn the wheel. It felt less like driving a passenger car and more like wrestling a fully loaded dump truck with flat tires. This created a serious safety concern because the failure occurred without warning and fundamentally affected our…

    NHTSA complaint #11737842 · 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