Problems · by component
2016 Ford Focus steering problems
45 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2016 Ford Focus cite steering, 4% of all 1,196 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
45
4% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
Reported by owners
What owners say about the steering
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The contact called on behalf of his girlfriend, who owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the contact became aware that the steering wheel was extremely loose. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 154,000.”
“Electrical power steering goes in and out and the dash displays “steering assist fault” warning, and the power steering goes out entirely. You can still turn, but it takes a lot more physical effort to do so. Since it goes in and out, it can happen at any time and is very hard to get diagnosed through a diagnostic if the mechanic or dealer cannot replicate the issue.”
“My 2016 Ford Focus SE is stalling at higher temperatures while driving at high speeds, which is very dangerous. This issue occurs primarily during hotter daily temperatures. I have previously taken the vehicle in for the recall (NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000) related to the Canister Purge Valve (CPV) malfunction, which was supposed to address excessive vacuum in the fuel vapor management system. However, this did not resolve the stalling issue. This has stalled my car out at interstate highway speeds (75 MPH) which makes me lose power steering and acceleration and has nearly ended in accidents numerous of times due to this.”
“The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 50-55 MPH, the steering wheel locked inadvertently. The message "Transmission Failure" was displayed. The contact veered to the side of the road and turned on the hazard lights. The contact stated that the vehicle continuously lost and regained electrical power independently. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the transmission was malfunctioning, and the contact was referred to the dealer. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the TCM was replaced. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that the transmission clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under Ford Campaign Number: 19N08. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 97,069.”
“No issues with steering at all and then stopped for gas and when restarting the car got multiple messages regarding steering assist fault resulting in an inability to properly be able to control/steer the vehicle. Left stranded 5 hours away from home.”
“The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the message "Steering Assist Fault. Service Required" was displayed. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that he would be charged a repair fee. The contact also stated that the hatchback had opened independently while driving and while the vehicle was parked. The contact stated that the failure occurred on several occasions. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V698000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages, Structure). Additionally, the contact stated while driving 60 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the engine revved to 4,000 but the vehicle failed to accelerate. Additionally, the transmission was slipping. The contact stated that the failure recurred increasingly, and the vehicle was downshifting unexpectedly while driving, nearly causing a crash. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to respond while shifting into reverse (R), and while shifting into drive (D). There was no warming light illuminated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA…”
Showing 6 of 45 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.