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 2015 Ford Fusion owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while making a turn, the steering wheel became stiff without any warning. As a result, the contact crashed into a parked vehicle and the front fender was damaged. The contact shut down the vehicle and when the contact restarted the vehicle, the steering wheel was still stiff, the traction control warning light illuminated, and the steering loose stop safety warning message illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 108,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel drifted to the left while depressing the brake pedal, and excessive force was needed to maneuver the steering wheel. The air bag warning light was intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer on numerous occasions, where the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic on four separate occasions, where it was diagnosed that a wheel alignment was needed; however, after the alignment was completed, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that all tires needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that he was able to veer to the side of the road although the steering wheel was extremely difficult to turn. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The traction control and the hill park assist warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to drive to his destination. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, he noticed that one of the steering gear motor bolts was missing and another one was fractured. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V632000 (Steering) since the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 40-45 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, and the steering wheel locked. The message "Steering Locked. Stop Safely" was displayed. The contact exited the highway, and the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound and decelerated independently. Additionally, the steering wheel shuddered significantly. The contact drove to a parking lot and parked the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering suspension and the steering column were locked. The dealer determined that the steering gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the messages "Loss of Traction Control" and "Advancetrac Off" were displayed, and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact safely pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering gear motor had failed and needed replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 15V250000 (Steering) and 19V632000 (Steering). The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V250000 (Steering); however, the recall repair failed to prevent the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 177,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. In addition, the contact heard an abnormally loud bang. The power steering failure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact diagnosed the vehicle with rack and pinion failure and detached bolts. The contact stated that the bolts were corroded, and the rack and pinion gear had detached. The contact stated that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V632000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 146,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while reversing at his residence there was an abnormal sound coming from the steering wheel while turning. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving to his destination. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with needing the steering gear bolt and assembly to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called a local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and informed the contact that NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V632000 (Steering) repair was completed by the previous owner. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
The steering wheel locked while driving the vehicle and warning lights immediately came on advising "Hillstart Assist Not Available" and "Service AdvanceTrac" leaving the vehicle undrivable and in a dangerous position. The steering wheel then began making mechanical whirring sounds and jerking left and right on its own. There were no warning lights or signs prior to this issue happening while driving, the issue was confirmed by the two truck driver who rescued the vehicle as well as the mechanic who tried to fix the car. Mechanic advises this car has a recall for this issue for vehicle's year, make and model, and state, but Ford says it does not apply to the vehicle. Mechanic disagrees and believes this to be a gross safety issue.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while attempting to pull out of a parking space, she was unable to turn the steering wheel. The contact became aware that the electric power steering assist was not functioning properly. The Hill Start Assist and Service Advance Traction Control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the steering gear motor. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V632000 (Steering), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 150,000.
The contact's niece owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his niece was driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated that the failure occurred while his niece was making a right turn. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact stated that in May 2024, NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V167000 (Steering) and 19V632000 (Steering) recall repairs were completed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. In addition, the contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately, 93,326.
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 2015 Ford Fusion?
NHTSA has 163 complaints about the steering of the 2015 Ford Fusion, 16% of the model year's 997 complaints. The component named most often is rack and pinion (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2015 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 2015 Ford Fusion steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury 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.