2013 Ford Taurus

When leaving the parking lot of my local pharmacy the steering suddenly became very stiff and difficult to manage. I was able to slowly and carefully drive to my home. If this had occurred in a high density traffic/high speed situation, I might have potentially caused a serious accident due to my inability to control the steering of my vehicle.

I was driving on a city street and making a right turn. As I was turning, the steering no wheel became very stiff and a notice that the Power Steering Assistance had failed. I drive very slowly to a parking spot. I turned off the car, opened the driver door, and turned the car back on. At this point, the failure message went away and the power steering was functioning again. This seems to be related to the steering recall done for the make and model, but VIN isn’t included in the recall

I experienced an unexplained and unexpected loss of power steering assist necessitating immediate (manual) steering effort, which resulted in a vehicle crash. I brought in the vehicle to a local independent service center (not Ford) for inspection and diagnosis and the mechanic reported a problem with the electric power assist system. I called Ford Customer Service and they reported "0" recalls on my vehicle. There are no warning lamps/messages that I am aware of. I would like a closer look (investigation) given that other exact year, make, and model Ford vehicles have experienced recalls on this specific component. Ford's number for a similar recall is "15S18".

While driving, the car begins to loose steering capability. Power steering decreases and the car becomes extremely hard to drive. Service error lights enabled = "Service Power Steering Now" and "Service Advance Trac" came on Feb 2, 2013. The car was dropped off at Ray Price Ford Stroudsburg on Feb 3, 2013. Ford Customer Service acknowledges and confirms this problem exists on many other VIN numbers and consider it a major safety issue and crash hazard. Recall # 15s18 (8/15/2019). The dealership confirmed the problem. At first they stated the steering froze up, but after sitting a couple of days, was able to be driven into the service bay. Dealership states out-of-pocket repair costs = $2752.66, however, parts are back ordered for 3 weeks.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The failure almost caused a collision. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, no error codes were retrieved. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated upon start of the vehicle, the steering wheel failed to operate without warning. The contact restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) which she linked to the failure. The contact called the dealer and the manufacturer about the failure and was informed that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with steering gear failure; the mechanic replaced the EPAS (electrical power assist steering) steering gear. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 48,962.

During 2 hour highway drive, steering became very loose and fluid while driving at night on highway. Constant adjustments and monitoring required to keep the car in the lane. Nearly home or would have had car towed. Extremely dangerous driving. Started car next day. Warning dash lights and sounds appeared and car was without any power steering. Internet research identified a recall 15V340000 covering cars produced in Chicago until 02/28/2012. VIN number of car shows car was produced in Chicago on 05/26/2012. Call to dealer confirmed recall information. Dealer indicated repair would be 3 to 4 thousand dollars. Local mechanic said it would be 2 to 3 thousand. Part ordered from ford on 10/15/2022 arrived on 12/28/2022.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated while driving 55-60 MPH, there was play in the steering wheel. Additionally, the steering wheel emitted abnormal grinding sounds and became difficult to maneuver. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle, the failure persisted. The contact was able to continue driving at slower speeds. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the steering rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer who informed the contact that the repair could not be covered under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.