Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Ford Fusion owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while his wife was driving approximately 60 mph when the steering wheel became difficult to turn when they crashed into a curb and as a result almost went over the embankment. The contact stated power steering fault warning message was displayed. No one was injured, and the vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing EPA Steering efforts replaced but was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of failure and told the contact that they were unable to assist. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH uphill and approaching a curve, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, causing the contact to almost lose control of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that he depressed the brake pedal, veered to the side of the roadway, and parked the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that his vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (STEERING) due to the mileage and the time frame of the recall. The vehicle was towed to the independent mechanic who diagnosed that the power steering assist had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred while driving. …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while his daughter was driving at 55 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver with the "steering assist fault" warning displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that she pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that he called the Ford dealer who informed him to turn the vehicle off and restart. The contact stated that the vehicle was restarted and operated normally. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or independent mechanic for diagnoses or repairs. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred in August of 2021 at that time the vehicle was turned off and on and operated normally. Again, the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnoses or repairs. …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon start, the warning message "Power Assist Failure" was displayed, and the steering wheel became inoperable. The vehicle was restarted and the vehicle resumed to normal function. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be duplicated, diagnosed, or repaired. The failure recurred when the contact's spouse was driving at unknown speeds, the warning message "Power Assist Failure" was displayed, and the steering wheel became inoperable. The vehicle was maneuvered back to the contact's residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure was not duplicated, diagnosed, or repaired. The failure recurred and the contact turned the vehicle off and then turned it on, for the steering wheel to become operable. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while pulling out of her garage, the vehicle lost power steering functionality temporarily. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times. The contact stated that on one occasion, the power steering became operable after turning off and restarting the vehicle. However, the last failure lasted for approximately 20 minutes. A message indicating power steering assist failure was displayed. The contact was able to continue driving by using physical strength to steer the vehicle. The contact was able to drive to her residence. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not repair the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) since the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while parking the vehicle, a message indicating the power steering failure was displayed, and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact turned off and the restarted the vehicle, and the power steering became operable. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred several times while driving 5-10 MPH and while turning. The contact veered to the side of the road, turned off, and the restarted the vehicle. The power steering became operable, and the contact continued driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the power steering control module (PSCM) had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer for repair. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 15N01. …
The contact's mother-in-law owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the power steering function was inoperable while starting the vehicle. The vehicle owner had to restart the vehicle several times for the power steering function to operate as designed. The contact stated that the vehicle owner had possibly received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering), and the vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact was informed that there were no DTC codes retrieved, and the recall repair would not be performed. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that due to the mileage on the vehicle, the vehicle could not be repaired under the possible recall. …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact shifted to neutral gear and was able to turn the steering wheel. The power steering warning light illuminated. On another occasion, the steering wheel became difficult to turn, and the contact moved the steering wheel around and was able to turn the steering wheel. On a separate occasion, the contact attempted to turn the steering wheel, and the steering wheel failed to respond. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the independent mechanic informed the contact that it was a recall failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The local dealer was contacted, however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired because the VIN was not under recall. The dealer did not inform the contact of the active recall on the VIN. …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at approximately 4 MPH and making a left turn, the steering wheel became very difficult to turn. The contact stated the power steering warning light was illuminated after the power steering failed. The contact was able to turn into a parking lot and turned the vehicle off and on and the power steering functionality resumed. The contact stated that after driving for several more miles the power steering failure reoccurred. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and was able to drive the vehicle back to the residence. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering gear and sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. In addition, the power steering failure and the service advance track warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with the electronic power steering pump failure. The contact was informed that the electronic power steering pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. In addition, the contact was informed that the electronic power steering pump was replaced in September 2023 with approximately 223,000 miles, under an unknown recall repair. The failure reoccurred. The contact was informed that the current repair was not covered under the recall. …
Related recalls
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…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC).
NHTSA investigations
Electric power steering failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a preliminary evaluation to investigate complaints of the loss of power steering while driving. The subject vehicles are equipped with a rack mounted Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) unit.Some of the complaints alleged that the steering assist failed and resulted in increased steering efforts that contributed to a loss of control and in some cases a crash.The…
Power Steering Failure
On September 28, 2016, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE16-011) to investigate claims of power steering assist loss on model year (MY) 2010 Ford Fusion vehicles. During the PE, ODI received 718 unique claims related to the alleged problem with 598 reports indicating the power steering assist failed while driving at various speeds with no warning.
Steering complaints in other Fusion years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2011 Ford Fusion?
NHTSA has 1,435 complaints about the steering of the 2011 Ford Fusion, 51% of the model year's 2,794 complaints. The component named most often is electric power assist system (16 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Ford Fusion steering problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 15V-340 (electric power assist system, Jun 2, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2011 Ford Fusion steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 89,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 42 crashes, 0 fires and 22 injuries and 1 death to steering problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.