2013 Ford Fusion Steering Problems

Which parts fail

• Rack and pinion
  3
• Electric power assist system
  2
• Hydraulic power assist › Power steering fluid
  2
• Critical fasteners
  1
• Linkages
  1

Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  3813%
• 25k–50k
  5820%
• 50k–75k
  5418%
• 75k–100k
  6321%
• 100k–150k
  6221%
• 150k+
  217%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Ford Fusion owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled, and the steering wheel seized. In addition, the contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with power steering rack assembly failure. The contact was informed that the power steering rack assembly needed to be replaced and reprogrammed. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty. The contact stated that in July 2023 the first failure occurred, and the relays in the steering box were replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recently reoccurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. …

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, a message indicating a power steering failure was displayed. The steering wheel locked. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact was able to drive to her residence by using physical force to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the Powertrain Control module (PCM) had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as there was no open recall on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. …

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that extra effort was needed while attempting to park the vehicle. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle regained power steering functionality. The contact stated that the failure recurred the following day. The "Power Steering Assist System - Service Required" message was displayed. The contact disconnected and reconnected the battery but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V632000 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under the recall as the VIN was not included. …

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH in the rain, the vehicle inadvertently lost power steering functionality. The power steering assist warning light illuminated and the message to "Pull Over" appeared on the instrument panel. The contact stated she veered to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact restarted the vehicle, but the power steering warning light remained illuminated. The contact stated she was able to continue to drive the vehicle at a lower speed and manually steer the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V250000 (Steering) because the VIN was not included in the recall. …

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving 30 MPH, the vehicle overheated, with the power steering system, and other unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle shut off and the contact was unable to depress the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle was stuck in the middle of traffic. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was an unknown sensor failure. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer who referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V632000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was currently at the dealer and the repair was pending. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no further assistance. …

My daughter was on the way to work, in the middle of traffic going around another vehicle at the time and without any warning, the power steering just went out. It was as though the steering wheel locked up or there was no power steering capabilities whatsoever and she barely made it off of the roadway. This could have caused an accident and It scared her so bad that she was crying when she called me immediately after it happened. I didn't know what to do so I told her to crank up, put the car in drive and see what it does. The steering was fully functional then so she drove on to work but was very nervous thinking it may happen again. …

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the power steering assist and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn to the left or the right. The contact pulled off the highway and turned off and restarted the vehicle to reset the steering functionality. The contact stated that the steering wheel was still difficult to turn. The contact had not yet taken the vehicle to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V232000 (Steering). The contact notified the manufacturer and was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the steering warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive to her destination and parked the vehicle. The contact stated upon restarting the vehicle, the steering wheel was locked. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering rack needed to be replaced and the steering module needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that she would hear abnormal grinding sounds coming from the front end of the driver's side of the vehicle while driving and turning the steering wheel. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the VIN was not included in the recall associated with the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,921.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the message "EPS Warning System" was displayed, and the vehicle suddenly lost power steering assist functionality, causing the steering wheel to become very difficult to steer. The contact stated that he turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the steering wheel responded as needed. However, upon starting the vehicle the following day, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the electric power steering (EPS) system. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign number: 15V250000 (Steering). The local dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 111,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while steering the vehicle at various speeds, an abnormal, grinding sound would emit from the vehicle without warning. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that the vehicle was NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000(SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). The contact made an appointment and spoke with the dealer about the failure. The contact was informed by a dealer mechanic that the grinding noise was not related to brake system but the Electric Power-Assisted Steering (EPAS). Upon further investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA ID Number: 15V250000(Steering) which the contact linked to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 210,000.

Related recalls

Steering complaints in other Fusion years