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 2014 Ford Fusion owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at night in the rain at approximately 40-45 MPH, the contact drove over an unavoidable puddle, and the electric power steering assist became inoperable. The advancetrac and the steering warning lights were illuminated, and the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The water eventually dried up, and the vehicle returned to normal operation. The contact stated that the failure recurred. Upon investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V514000 (Steering). The contact stated that the remedy was not adequate. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who repaired the steering rack. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired. …
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud clunking sound coming from the steering wheel while attempting to make a turn. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the electric rack and pinion had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact ordered the parts and had the dealer install the parts. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the same diagnostic was provided. The contact was informed that the electric rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The parts were ordered by the dealer. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. …
The contact's mother owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked at his mother's residence, the vehicle was unable to be started. The contact stated that the battery was replaced by an independent mechanic. The contact stated that later the vehicle again would not start and was towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the power steering gear was draining the battery. The contact was informed by the independent mechanic of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V632000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH to the dealer, the vehicle lost power steering assist functionality. The vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was informed that the steering gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. …
The contact's wife owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that his wife started the vehicle, and the Service Advance Track and Steering Loss Stop Safely messages flashed on the instrument panel. The contact's wife attempted to exit the parking lot; however, the steering wheel was locked in place. The contact was called to the scene; however, despite using excessive force, the contact could not steer the vehicle due to the failure. Due to the failure, the vehicle was initially towed to the residence and was later towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective power steering rack and pinion. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V632000 (Steering); the contact was given an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while leaving a parking lot at approximately 10 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The contact turned off the vehicle and waited for a while before restarting the vehicle. The contact restarted the vehicle 3 times before being able to turn the steering wheel; however, the power steering functionality remained inoperable. The contact stated that the Service Advancetrac, Lane Keep Assis system malfunction, Hill Start Assist Not Available, Steering Assist Fault, and Service Required messages were displayed on the instrument panel. The dealer was contacted and informed of the failure. The dealer suggested that the contact take the battery to be tested. The battery was tested and there was no failure found with the battery. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. …
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH she observed that the vehicle symbol with squiggle lines and the plain vehicle symbol had illuminated. The contact stated that the steering was very difficult to turn. The contact stated she pulled off of the road and turned the vehicle off and on and the power steering functionality returned. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first but was now a recurring failure. The contact stated that during the last failure, she was unable to regain power steering by turning the vehicle off and on. The contact stated that she drove the vehicle to a local dealer. The dealer had not yet diagnosed the vehicle and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the "Hill Assist" and "service power steering" warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel seemed to have frozen. The contact stated that he had no control over the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was moving independently to the left and to the right and he struggled to maintain the vehicle in the correct lane. The contact was able to pull over and turned the vehicle on and off several times, however the power steering functionality had failed. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to a dealer. The contact stated that the dealer had not yet diagnosed the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V250000 (Steering). The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH and following a curve in the road, the steering wheel became firm. The contact stated that it was difficult to turn the steering wheel to the left or the right. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was a recurring failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the electronic power steering assist had failed and referred the contact to a dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the steering wheel was no longer functional, and the vehicle was no longer being driven. The contact had researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V250000 (Steering). The manufacturer was informed of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the steering assist and uphill assist warning light illuminated. Additionally, the Service Steering message was displayed. The contact stated the steering wheel was stiff and required extra effort to turn the steering wheel. The contact drove to the destination and parked the vehicle. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the power steering functionality returned. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but had become a recurring failure. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed but was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact had researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V250000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while stopped in a parking lot with the engine running, the steering wheel independently started turning to the left. The contact stated that the Hill Start Assist, stabili-trak, and Loss of Power Steering Assist messages were displayed. The contact stated that the steering wheel was very difficult to turn. The contact stated there was smoke coming from under the hood. The contact turned off the vehicle and after opening the hood, the contact observed power steering fluid leaking onto the exhaust manifold. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer nor an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V250000 (Steering). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Related recalls
Steering › Electric power assist system
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 Ford Edge, and 2016 Lincoln MKX vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear motor bolts and apply a wax sealer. If any of the steering gear motor attachment bolts are broken or missing, a new steering gear will be installed in…
Steering › Steering wheel/handle bar
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Lincoln MKZ and Ford Fusion vehicles. The steering wheel retaining bolt may loosen allowing the steering wheel to detach while driving.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel bolt with a longer bolt, free of charge. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S08.
Steering › Electric power assist system
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured February 3, 2012, to March 20, 2015, and 2015 Ford Edge vehicles manufactured February 26, 2015, to February 28, 2015, and originally sold, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana,…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will apply sealer and replace the steering gear motor bolts as required. If one or more of the steering gear motor attachment bolts are broken or missing, a new steering gear will be…
NHTSA investigations
Steering Wheel Fastening Bolt Loosens
On March 12th, 2018, Ford Motor Company submitted a Defect Information Report to NHTSA describing a defect in the steering wheel fastening system of approximately 1,301,986 model year (MY) Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ. On March 1, 2018, Ford discovered a design change that affected the MY 2014-2018 subject vehicles.
Steering complaints in other Fusion years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2014 Ford Fusion?
NHTSA has 329 complaints about the steering of the 2014 Ford Fusion, 25% of the model year's 1,333 complaints. The component named most often is rack and pinion (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2014 Ford Fusion steering problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 19V-632 (electric power assist system, Aug 29, 2019); NHTSA recall 18V-167 (steering wheel/handle bar, Mar 12, 2018); NHTSA recall 15V-250 (electric power assist system, Apr 28, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2014 Ford Fusion steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 73,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 9 crashes, 0 fires and 7 injuries 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.