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 2012 Ford Fusion owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact stated their sister owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that their sister was driving approximately 45 mph when the steering wheel suddenly locked and failed to turn left or right. The driver then veered off to the side of the road where due to the lack of steering, the vehicle crashed into a tree stump. No air bags deployed. The driver did not have injuries or need medical attention. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who then informed the contact that the failure related to Customer Satisfaction Program 15N01 (Steering) which was under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) however the customer satisfaction program had since expired. The vehicle had not been repaired as of yet. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 219,000.
The owns contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that their daughter was driving approximately 55 mph when the steering wheel began jerking and shaking. While slowing down to make a right turn when the power steering suddenly failed causing them to crash into a guardrail. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed due to the power steering failing and being too difficult to drive. The driver did not receive any injuries or medical attention. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who installed a power steering and performed a computer flash. The failure persisted after the repair and had begun to do so more consistently. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that she received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) and took the vehicle to the dealer for the recall repair; however, the dealer informed the contact that there were no Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC) for the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM). The contact stated while her son was driving at 40-50 MPH after the repair, the steering wheel lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's son continued to drive the vehicle using extra effort to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that the mechanic could not replicate the failure. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred several times while driving and the power steering warning light illuminated. …
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated after starting the vehicle, the Power Steering Fault message displayed on the instrument panel. The contact restarted the vehicle, and the message was no longer displayed. The VIN had been included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that because the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) was already updated, a diagnostic test nor the software update was not necessary. After the recall was removed from the VIN, the contact stated that after parking the vehicle and then restarting the vehicle, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated that the power steering assist fault message and the Service Auto Tech Issue messages were displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle had been returned to the dealer where it had been diagnosed that Power steering rack had failed. …
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and slowing to enter a parking lot, the steering wheel became very stiff and required an extra effort to turn. The contact observed that when she depressed the brake pedal, the steering wheel became harder to turn to the left or the right. The contact stated that an unknown warning light and the "Service Power Steering" and "Advancetrac" warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to pull off the roadway and placed the vehicle into park(P) and turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the warning lights remained illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle regained normal power steering functionality. The contact stated that the failure had become constant. …
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was shuddering significantly. The vehicle was taken to a tire shop where the tires were rotated; however, the failure recurred intermittently. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, a message indicating that the power steering was inoperable was displayed, and the steering wheel was seized. The contact turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle, the power steering became operable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering rack, the front stabilizer link, the passenger's side outer tie rod, and the lower control arm had failed and needed to be replaced. …
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and became difficult to steer. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving by using physical strength to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). However, the failure reoccurred while driving two years later. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where an unknown software was reset. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving uphill four years later. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact stated that the failure persisted upon turning off and restarting the vehicle. The contact's father then assisted her with driving the vehicle to her residence. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive only forward and park in front of her residence. The contact stated, later on, the steering wheel services warning light was illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure however, the dealer did not have an appointment available until 2/10/2022. The contact called a second local dealer; Tasca Ford Berlin (250 Webster Square Rd, Berlin, CT 06037, [phone]), and made them aware of the failure however an appointment was not available until 1/28/2022. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and the mechanic associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while a relative was driving the vehicle, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The relative veered to the side of the road. After several minutes, the vehicle operated as needed and was driven to the residence. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while he was pulling out of a parking lot. The contact was unsure if a warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that he continued driving by using physical strength to steer the vehicle. The power steering became operable. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where it was diagnosed that the power steering control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). …
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) however, the dealer and manufacturer denied the recall work stating the vehicle had exceeded the 10-year warranty period. The contact stated that the manufacturer performed the air bag recalls. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the power steering assist warning light illuminated. The contact pulled off the roadway and the steering wheel become very stiff, requiring extra effort to turn the steering wheel. The vehicle was turned off and restarted; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was driven to the dealer and the contact was informed that NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 19V001000 (Air Bags) and 21V158000 (Air Bags) recall repairs would be performed; however, 15V34000 (Steering) recall repair would not be performed. …
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 2012 Ford Fusion?
NHTSA has 1,474 complaints about the steering of the 2012 Ford Fusion, 59% of the model year's 2,517 complaints. The component named most often is electric power assist system (16 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 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 2012 Ford Fusion steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 83,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 46 crashes, 2 fires and 13 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.