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CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2011 Fusion builds off the 2010's reputation. That's not a good thing.

The first thing that jumps out is the ridiculous amount of power steering complaints. It grinds, it squeals, and it eventually just fails.

And if losing power steering isn’t enough for you, how about a sudden loss of engine power? That combination is enough to achieve clunker status.

8.7

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$1,580
Average Mileage:
74,450 miles
Total Complaints:
88 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (43 reports)
  2. Recall (20 reports)
  3. replace steering assembly (14 reports)
  4. replaced steering rack (11 reports)
  5. ford covered repair (1 reports)
2011 Ford Fusion steering problems

steering problem

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2011 Ford Fusion Owner Comments (Page 1 of 5)

problem #88

Oct 122022

Fusion SE 2.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 180,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2011 Ford Fusion electric power steering went out causing me to hit a pole, luckily I didn’t hit the kid who was walking by the pole. Good thing I’m an awesome driver because it was a very very close call

- Lisa S., Grandview, US

problem #87

Nov 202019

Fusion SE 2.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 164,000 miles

click to see larger images

power steering failure

I bought this car from a dealer and after 5 days I wanted to go from the store home and I've got the Power Steering Assist Fault. I've realized that I dont have the steering assist and I've stopped the engine and start over again and the error was gone and I've had power steering assist again.

Next day I went to a service shop and I've restarted the error because they didn't knew whats really going on. I've done some researched on my own and I've discover that this is a major issue from ford and they dont want to fix it. I wanted to see if the error is coming on again and after one month I had the same error and no power steering.

I've decided to replace the eps so I bought 500 bucks Steering Rack Pinion Replacement from Detroit Axle because they offered lifetime guarantee after you send back the old steering rack. I've paid another 350 buck to replace the part and now I have almost 1 month since I've done the replacement and so far so good.

But I guess what happened with me now is that I found the value of research before buying a car. I will never again buy a ford car!!!

- Gherghel D., Kirkland, WA, US

problem #86

Oct 152018

Fusion

  • Automatic transmission
  • 80,000 miles

So I'm driving home from work when a message about power steering comes on. I don't pay it much attention, I was going to tell my husband about it when I got home. 2 minutes later it starts getting harder and harder to steer, so I pull over into a gas station for some power steering fluid. I look under my hood to find where to put it and I can't find it, so I ask the mechanic at the gas station to help me find it. He says its electronic and will be about $2000 to fix! I had to get the car towed to my home where it's still sitting.

I purchased a new vehicle but I want to keep this one because there is nothing else wrong with it. I'm mad because I saw that there is a recall for power steering issues on 2011 and 2012 Ford Fusions. When I called they said my VIN number is not included in the recall. WHAT!!?? I have a 2011 Fusion and am having the exact issue that the cars are recalled for!! Maybe, just maybe more cars are experiencing this issue than Ford thinks. My issue is how about taking a look at it and THEN telling me whether it qualifies as the same issue.

- Kandi S., Gwynn Oak, US

problem #85

Aug 282018

Fusion SEL 2.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 127,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My 2011 For Fusion SEL 2.5L had a "maintenance power steering now" error pop up on it yesterday at around 10:30 am, on my back to my school from my break. I was just pulling on to campus when it flash, but my steering wheel didn't feel weird. I figured it was just a sensor, but I called my mom, who thought it was just steering fluid, she headed my way to bring some to put in my car. I figured that if it wasn't the sensor, then that must be it.... And Boy was I wrong.

I went into my class and returned to my car about an hour and a half later. I hoped in my car while still waiting for my mother to get there (I live almost 2 hours from my college). I started my car thinking thinking that it was just going to pop up that error but nothing would happen... Again, wrong. I now had a new error pop on before that one saying that I needed to maintenance my traction control. I tried turned my steering wheel to see if it still worked.... It turned a few inches, and as soon as I let go, the steering wheel swung back to the exact same position. I tried turning the car off and on again a few times to see if it would unlock or anything at all.... NOPE!!!

I started looking up what it could be and found out that, my car doesn't even taking steering fluid... That whole system is electric. So my mom got there maybe 5 minutes later, we popped the hood open because my mom didn't believe that it was electric or that it didn't take fluid. And just like I told her, there wasn't any fluid. She called Dad, who is offshore to tell him what's going on (he works as a mechanic when he's home), to see if he would have any clue. He asked us if we checked the fluid, but we explained to him that it's electric. And he was dumb founded. My dad had no clue, so he got off the phone to call one of his buddies. He called back later to tell me that it is my EPAS that needs to be changed. He explained to my mom that it was going to be a shiny penny to fix.

I then looked up to see if anybody else had this problem... And I was sadly not disappointed. My dad talked to 4 different mechanics he knows after he got off his shift, and the cheapest one said it would be $2300 and that there was no guarantee for how long the changed part would last. I called 2 different Ford dealerships today, one said that it would take about 2 weeks to fix( Bull sh*t), and the other said that it would cost $2200 just to fix the EPAS.

I later got to thinking, I drive on the interstate for almost an hour per trip to school and another hour home. If it were to go out on me while on the interstate, I'd be f*cked. So now we're going to try to do a quick fix it job on it just so it'll last long enough to get to a dealer to train in. By The Way, I've only had the damn car for 8 f*cking months!!! But we're trading it in next week.

After seeing that mine isn't the only one to do this, and definitely won't be the last, I don't want to even try dealing with all the sh*t the is car has wrong with it. This is only the most resent problem, my A/C hasn't worked since the day I got it, and would cost $1600 to $2200 just to fix that. I got in December, so we didn't notice that it didn't work until a few months later.

Guess it's time to go back to Nissan, or try another manufacturer, because Ford isn't worth a damn.

- Rebecca H., Tylertown, MS, US

problem #84

Aug 012018

Fusion V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 160,000 miles

Bought it used in 2014. Saw today that there have been multiple complaints regarding the EPAS on the 2011 Ford Fusion, but they say my vin number isn't included. How would they make that determination? Mine is a v6. I don't have 2000 dollars to have it fixed.

- Linda J., san antonio, TX, US

problem #83

Jun 222018

Fusion SL

  • Automatic transmission
  • 70,350 miles

I just picked up my 4 yr old and was on the highway when the check engine light came on. The power steering cut out while we were driving. The dash said there was a power steering failure. Kind of figured that out when the steering wheel would not turn. Scared the sh*t out of me. Ran off the road but didn't hit anyone or anything and only a few scratches to the car. Shut off the engine and restarted it, the light is still on but the power steering is back.

- Sara W., Franklin, US

problem #82

May 072018

Fusion SEL 2.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 67,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Car had power steering assist fault message on 5/3/2018. morning. Made appointment with Fairway Ford in Freeport IL for 1pm on 05/04/2018 at 1pm. Arranged for a tow and went down to wait for tow truck about 12:30p started car and it gave no message and steering worked fine. I canceled tow and called to talk to Brandon, service mgr at Fairway told him the problem went away?! He said bring it in or wait and see if it happens again. I decided to take it in. Arrived to service at Fairway and met Brandon and dropped off car. An hour later he came out and said the vehicle is giving No code and to contact him if it happens again. Car worked fine during weekend and went to run errand today, at 4:30pm and the vehicle gives power steering assist fault with clicking that sounds same as a dying battery, and steering will not work again.?!

- Hershel L., Freeport, IL, US

problem #81

Sep 272017

Fusion SEL 4.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 170,000 miles

Been having the power steering assist malfunction since last year. I had found out online that there was a recall on the 2011 Ford fusion on the power steering assist malfunctioning, took to the local ford garage and was told that they would not fix because the mileage. I complained there and then called Ford on the phone and told them about the situation. This has been happening going slow speeds, and fast speeds in straight stretches and in curves. When it alarms you absolutely have no steering and have to put car in neutral, turn it off and restart to correct, and get steering back. I told Ford fine don't fix and if I or someone in my car got hurt or in worst case scenario killed they would pay, for I, or my family members would get a lawyer and have things taken care of. They just told me to do what I needed to do but they would not fix the recall. All I want is the car fixed!

- Tonya U., Sutton, US

problem #80

Apr 072018

Fusion SE 2.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 88,000 miles

Ford and the NHTSA suck! NHTSA allowed Ford to get away with a minimum recall that did not address all of the vehicles impacted. The only reason why Ford probably even conceded to a partial recall was to shut down the class action lawsuit by being able to say - hey we remedied the problem. Bull sh*t!

To add insult to injury, you can only get the electronic steering rack for the Fusion from a Ford dealer and they want $1400 for the part; and that's without the cost of labor. Gouging the customers to fix their defective products - and the government is allowing this. Given the high risk of injury and death associated with this defect both Ford and the NHTSA should be ashamed of themselves.

- Diane M., Pompton Plains, NJ, US

problem #79

Apr 092018

Fusion SE 2.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 151,457 miles

I own a 2011 Ford Fusion that currently has 151457 miles. Several times in the past, when I first started the car, the power steering assist alarm was present and I had no power steering. I would shut off the engine, restart and power steering would work. Yesterday while my wife was driving down the highway, when the power steering stopped working. She managed to get it home and I tried to reset alarm. I noticed one display that said service ????????? I never received a recall notice

Elizabeth says: Thank you for waiting. Yes, I see that your vehicle has a few recalls. I will list them for you. You mentioned you have not received. A third party sends out the recall letters and they use the last registered name and addressed listed at the Department of Motor Vehicles. You should contact them and make sure that your address is properly registered. One moment please.

Elizabeth says: Customer Satisfaction Program 15N01 - EPAS Steering Efforts Safety Recall 16S26 - Passenger Airbag Inflator Replacement Customer Satisfaction Program 16B38 - Powertrain Control Module Reprogramming and Canister Purge Valve Inspection

Gene says: If I go the Bartow Ford dealership with a copy of this email will they perform these 3 recalls?

Elizabeth says: Yes. Just give them the name of the recall and the customer satisfaction numbers and your good to go.

Managed to get car over to Bartow Ford and they say it's not covered after 150,000 miles. They are discussing with Detroit.

- Gene K., Bartow, FL, US

problem #78

Jan 242018

Fusion SEL 2.6L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 154,378 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The power steering quit working without warning on our 2011 Ford Focus resulting in a minor accident. We researched and found the recall on the power steering system for that car. We took the car to our local dealer to have it repaired and they would not repair it under the recall because the car was 4000 miles past the recall limit. We received a recall letter in November of 2017 about the recall but there was no expiration date or mileage limit to the recall. We investigated more into the matter and found it to be a major issue with Ford vehicles 2008 to 2012 with the EPAS GEN 1 STEERING system. We have made calls to Ford corporate customer service and they refuse to address the problem.

We contacted the NHTSA about the matter and said the dealer reported the problem was repaired. We filed a complaint with the NHTSA and that seems to be all we can do. We have 5 Ford vehicles in our family and it is shameful that Ford will not correct their mistake. Time to trade in some cars and look at other manufacturers.

- maryrose, Phelan, US

problem #77

Jan 212018

Fusion LS

  • Automatic transmission
  • 76,535 miles

My mother and I were leaving church on Sunday when I tried to pull out of parking space, my steering wheel locked, and Power Steering Failure message flashed across the dashboard. Cut the car off because I couldn't believe what I was seeing. When I started the engine again and tried to move it the Power Steering Failure message flashed again and was unable to move vehicle. I have contacted Ford dealership and was told that the problem may be under recall. Waiting for dealership to tell me what the fix will be. What I find frustrating about this situation is that Ford has never sent a recall notice for this problem even though this is a common complaint for 2011 Ford Fusions.

- Sheila F., Philadelphia, US

problem #76

Jan 012018

Fusion SE 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 68,000 miles

My ford fusion often had power steering failure. It happened numerous times since 2016. When it happened, it will be very difficult to drive and easy to get into an accident.

- Guisheng S., San Francisco, CA, US

problem #75

Nov 252017

Fusion 4 Cil

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100,000 miles

My power steering assist fail warning went off on my dash and I was completely shocked. I had never heard of this issue before and didn't realize that my power steering was all electric for this model and year. I didn't know when they had switched over. After googling the issue, I realized that there had been a recall on 2010 to 2011 models of Ford Fusions and the exact thing that had happened to me was normal for this model around 80K+ miles. I am lucky that I wasn't on the highway when my power steering went out because I would have crashed and killed myself or someone else. I cannot even turn the wheel when it goes out. It's not like the older cars that even though it's rough, you can still turn it. Nope! Completely out and I don't have the strength to turn the wheel, so I would crash head on. Called the dealership only to find out that my car isn't on the recall list because it wasn't within the "build dates". I find this incredibly wrong that they wouldn't just issue a blanket recall for all the cars within that time frame considering mine is doing the exact same thing. I called Ford Customer Relations (800-392-3673) to file a complaint but was only told that yes, my vehicle was not part of the recall, but they couldn't do anything until I got a diagnosis from the dealership. I asked for a "courtesy warranty" because I had seen it online and she then said that once I got the diagnosis, I could call back and tell them all of the details and they could see what options they have to assist me. This person is not in the department to make any decisions, and only puts in the complaints, so I don't know how accurate this is. She did make a point to tell me that the GOVERNMENT, and not FORD are the ones that push the recalls and that it's done from complaints and records of repairs. I wonder how many people had to scrap these cars because they couldn't afford the repairs? Which, by the way are on AVERAGE....$2000+. Ford should be ashamed of themselves because this is a huge safety issue. What if I have my kids or family in the car and it goes out? Can they handle the blood on their hands over fixing this known issue? I now cannot in good conscience drive it for my own safety and all of the others on the road, and now I'm forced with this dilemma of how am I going to get the money to fix it and how am I going to get to work to try to get the money to fix it?! I will update after I get the diagnosis from the dealership and talk to Ford again on what they tell me.

- April H., Utica, US

problem #74

Nov 032017

Fusion

  • Automatic transmission
  • 79,752 miles

Brought my 2011 Ford Fusion (Mileage 61,014) to the local Ford dealership on 8/18/2015 for recall #15S18. They replaced the steering gear at this time no charge since the recall. On 11/3/2017 (Mileage 79,752) my power steering went again and they again replaced the steering gear but would not cover the cost this time. Was quoted the cost would be $1900.00 for the fix but after it was all said and done the bill ended up being $1182.76. I believe their should have been no charge since this problem had been supposedly fixed previously under a recall. I filed two complaints with Ford and was denied any monetary assistance on each complaint. Such a bummer as our family only drives Ford and has for years but am rethinking this now. Maybe Chevy will be our new company if Ford does not step up to the plate and address this issue!

- Trudi H., Missoula, US

problem #73

Sep 172017

Fusion SE 2.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 79,340 miles

Power steering assist message on dash lit up as I was pulling out of the driveway. The day before I was on the interstate for 300 mi.. Don't even want to think about what could have happened! ! ! I've driven manual steering cars and trucks in the past and it was fun. Steering the Fusion back into my garage was work ! Waited a half hour, drove Fusion around the block without incident. Called dealer, brought car in and dealer replaced Steering Gear and reprogrammed PSCM . Dealer told me a certain code came up during diagnostic so Ford was fixing it on a "Courtesy Warranty?" or something like that. Otherwise it would have been $2000.

Noticeable difference in car now that this problem is fixed. Reported this when it happened on the NHTSA site, but not here. Reporting it now because I think I have a Throttle problem, that I thought was fixed with this issue but apparently not.

Update from Oct 9, 2018: Ford replaced Steering Gear and reprogrammed PSCM last September. Car now has 88,500 miles, (less than 10,000 miles from when Ford 'fixed' it). And guess what, power steering is again failing while driving 45 mph, then the car shuts off. Notified NHTSA.

- whyford?, Lemont, US

problem #72

Jan 092017

Fusion SEL V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 152,000 miles

Power steering failure while backing out of driveway. I find out today 08/12/17 after taking my car in for a throttle body failure (another recall) that there was a recall on it. I get all my servicing done at the ford dealership but not once has the service manager said anything about a recall on my vehicle. They said they don't do anything until there is a failure. Isn't this why there is a recall so the safety of everyone isn't endangered?

- Sandra C., Chesapeake, US

problem #71

Jan 052017

Fusion

  • Automatic transmission
  • 155,569 miles

I AM REALLY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS CAR. WHEN I FIRST GOT THE CAR I WAS IN LOVE WITH IT UNTIL THE STEERING GEAR WENT OUT. I TOOK IT TO FORD DEALERSHIP AND WAS CHARGED AN ARM AND LEG TO GET IT FIXED. THIS ALL HAPPENED IN JANUARY 2017 AND NOW I AM FACED WITH THE SAME PROBLEM EXCEPT NOW I HAVE TO PAY 3100.00 TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. I FEEL THAT FORD SHOULD HONOR ME WITH THE DAMN RECALL THEY HAD AND REPLACE THE PART. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS BUT RIGHT IS RIGHT AND WRONG IS WRONG. FORD KNEW WHEN THEY MADE THIS CAR THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE THAT WILL OCCUR WITH THE STEERING GEAR. THEY WILL NOT HELP ME IN ANY MEANS AT ALL. I AM REALLY DISSATISFIED WITH FORD. BE CAREFUL AND CHECK THINGS OUT BEFORE YOU GET ANYTHING FROM FORD.

- Sharon R., Harrell, AR, US

problem #70

Jun 152017

Fusion SE

  • Automatic transmission
  • 37,000 miles

Power steering assist fault. Why is my vehicle not covered under the recall along with the 400,000 that were recalled and it has the same problem? F*ck Ford F*ck Ford F*ck Ford. Never buy a vehicle new or used from them. They don't care about your safety. Just want to spend the least to fix the problem. Do not buy a Ford and put them out of business. I feel they put me out of business with not recalling my vehicle with the same problem as recalled vehicles. I am out the money if I repair or not. I will not be able to trade it in with the problem. Ford sucks.

- Anthony D., Buckeye, AZ, US

problem #69

May 252017

Fusion

  • Automatic transmission
  • 75,000 miles

Power steering assist failed suddenly while driving. When steering is out on these vehicles is actually almost impossible to turn the wheel. I have driven old vehicles without power steering and this is twice as hard to steer. This vehicle is equipped with the EPAS. Apparently many people are having the same problem. I contacted Ford and they dined coverage because the EPAS software was updated in 2015 as part of a recall for defective EPAS. The software update did not accomplish anything as the EPAS failed after the recall software update. This is a huge safety concern that needs to be address ASAP, I guess Ford is waiting for fatal accidents to start occurring and increasing before they do something about this power steering defect.

- Erica C., Richmond, CA, US

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