2015 Ford Flex

THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM REVERTS TO MANUAL STEERING MODE DUE TO THE POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE (PSCM) DETECTING A MOTOR POSITION SENSOR FAULT. IN MANUAL STEERING MODE THERE IS STILL A MECHANICAL LINKAGE BETWEEN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE ROAD WHEELS, ALLOWING STEERING CONTROL TO BE MAINTAINED. WHEN THIS CONDITION OCCURS, A MESSAGE DISPLAYS IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER MESSAGE CENTER AND A CHIME SOUNDS TO INFORM THE DRIVER. LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST REQUIRES GREATER STEERING EFFORT, ESPECIALLY AT LOWER SPEEDS, WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF ACCIDENT. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON THREE OCCASIONS. ALSO SEE FORD RECALL 15S18.

VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A HIGHWAY, SEVERAL WARNINGS QUICKLY APPEARED ON THE DASH THEN SIMULTANEOUSLY ALL POWER STEERING FUNCTIONS STOPPED WORKING AND VEHICLE WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER. WHEN TRYING TO GUIDE THE VEHICLE TO A STOP, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TRYING TO CORRECT ITSELF RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE BEING COMPLETELY INOPERABLE. THE DEALERSHIP FOUND THAT THE (PSCM) POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED RESULTING IN A $2,200 CHARGE ON A VEHICLE WITH 52,000 MILES.

MY CAR FORD FLEX 2015 LIMITED AWD (MADE IN CANADA) AND ITS OUT OF WARRANTY YESTERDAY ONLY WITHOUT ANY WARNING I USED MY CAR AT MORNING NORMALLY AND NO ISSUE I STOPED AT SUPERMARKET THE BACK TO CAR AND START THE ENGINE AND I SEE MESSAGE ALERT " STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTION SERVICE REQUIRED" AND THE STEERING BECAME VERY HEAVY TOO MUCH POWER NEED TO MOVE IT RIGHT OR TO LEFT ..THEN AFTER THAT ONE WARNING MESSAGE CAME " SERVICE ADVANCETRAC"

POWER STEERING SUDDENLY FAILED. SYSTEM WARNED OF VSC FAULT, THEN STEERING ASSIST FAULT, THEN THERE WAS NO POWER ASSIST, AT 50MPH. I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT ON AN AIRPORT ACCESS ROAD. THE PROBLEM PERSISTED FOR A 2 MILES OR SO, WHEN I WAS ABLE TO GET IT OFF THE ROAD SAFELY. WHEN I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND RE-STARTED A FEW MINUTES LATER, THE PROBLEM WAS GONE, AS WERE THE WARNINGS.

ON JULY 5, 2018 I WAS DRIVING AT 35 MPH ON A CITY ROAD WHEN A WARNING LIGHT WITH THE WORDS "STEERING ASSIST FAULT, SERVICE REQUIRED" SUDDENLY CAME ON AND THE STEERING STOPPED WORKING ALMOST ENTIRELY. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE MANUAL ABILITY TO STEER THE CAR. FORTUNATELY WE WERE ON A VERY WIDE, EMPTY ROAD, SO I WAS ABLE TO USE BOTH LANES AND GET THE CAR TO MY HOUSE. IF THIS HAD OCCURRED ON A BUSY CITY STREET OR NARROW LANE, WITH ANY KIND OF TRAFFIC, WE COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN IN A SERIOUS, EVEN FATAL COLLISION. I HOPE THAT OTHER FORD OWNERS WILL REPORT THIS PROBLEM IF THEY EXPERIENCE IT, SO THAT A RECALL CAN BE INITIATED IF NEEDED. THIS WAS A DANGEROUS SYSTEM FAILURE THAT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED.

MY POWER STEERING FAILURE INDICATOR CAME ON (WHILE I WAS DRIVING), INDICATING A NEED FOR IMMEDIATE SERVICE. UPON TESTING, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE STEERING GEAR WAS FAULTY...ON A 2015 VEHICLE!! THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT IF THE GEAR FAILED WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I WOULD NOT EXPECT SUCH A FAILURE IN A 2015 VEHICLE. IT LOOKS LIKE PREVIOUS FORD MODELS HAVE BEEN RECALLED DUE TO A SIMILAR ISSUE. I THINK THERE MUST BE A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING FLAW. GIVEN THAT THIS IS RELATED TO STEERING AND CREATES A HIGH RISK OF INJURY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, I RECOMMEND THAT THIS BE FULLY INVESTIGATED.