Are you interested in the 2012 Ford Fusion? But, you’re also interested in learning about the power steering Ford Fusion problem and you want to find out about the power steering Ford Fusion 2012? Well, if this is the case, then you are at the right place because, in this article, there will be a lot to cover on the matter.
Doing good and thorough research on a particular problem before you make a purchase is one of the most important things. Also, if you already own a 2012 Ford Fusion, you should as well be aware of this problem since this is like a plague when it comes to these Fusions. Their power steering is not one of their strongest points.
So, that’s why research is key in this aspect. It will save you thousands of dollars on possible problems that could come up all of a sudden. And we are only listing the power steering problem just as an example, this Fusion model year is plagued with other problems as well.
But you should not worry because, in the following chapters, we are going to elaborate more in detail and see what other problems the Fusion suffers from. What is important to note is that in this article, first we are going to cover the basics of the Ford Fusion and then we will cover the power steering.
We will cover the types and how the power steering in the 2012 Ford Fusion works. Once we cover that, we will elaborate on the power steering Ford Fusion 2012 and see more about this problem, how people are sorting it out and whether there was a recall or not. So, let’s get into it.
2012 Ford Fusion
Now let’s discuss more about the 2012 Ford Fusion before we cover the power steering Ford Fusion 2012 problem. Many people are facing similar problems and many of them intend to buy the model, so we feel the need to further elaborate on this model and learn more about its key selling points.
The Fusion is a mid-size car that was produced by Ford between 2005 and 2020. There is a total of two generations released of the model. One of them was released in 2005 and was produced until 2012.
While the second one was introduced in 2013 (just be wary of the problems with the 2013 Ford Fusion) and was produced until 2020. Nevertheless, in this article, we are only interested in the first generation. More specifically the last model year of this generation, 2012.
What is worth noting about this generation of the Fusion is that it was built on the CD3 platform, jointly produced between Mazda and Ford.
So, this model has a lot of Mazda parts in it and other Mazda models have Ford parts. Specific for this model are the 2.3L and 2.5L Mazda engines, as well as the 5-speed and 6-speed manual transmissions borrowed from Mazda.
Nevertheless, the Ford Fusion sold really well during its entire production stint. As well as in its last year when most of its transmission and power steering problems developed (as is the case with the 2014 Ford Fusion problems). Only for the 2012 model year, the model sold 241,000 units. Which is a crazy amount of cars produced.
And what is interesting is that the most complaints on carcomplaints.com concerning the Fusion start when it got facelifted in 2010. I guess Ford’s engineers messed up something really bad, especially with the power steering, transmission, and engines. But what about the power steering Ford Fusion 2012?
Power Steering
Now let’s discuss more about what is power steering before we dive into the power steering Ford Fusion 2012. Why do we need to do so? Well, not all people reading this are car experts, so we have to further explain power steering and learn what this component is on your car.
So, what is power steering? Well, since the invention of cars, engineers wanted to create a system in order to ease driving and make it more joyful and less of a hassle for the driver to turn the steering wheel.
Just imagine how difficult would be to drive a car without power steering. If you have driven a classic car without power steering, you know how hard it is for your muscles.
This is why the engineers worked hard to invent something for this purpose and the earliest of these power steering systems can trace their roots back to 1876. But it was in 1903 when the first power steering system was installed on a Columbia 5-ton truck.
And power steering was used predominantly in the truck industry and the military. It was until 1951 that the first power steering system was introduced in the Chrysler Imperial luxury sedan. But this was an expensive option.
And honestly, power steering systems were a luxury feature until recently when they became the gold standard. And nowadays all cars come with power steering installed from the factory. What is worth noting is that there are some variations of these power steering systems.
And that’s what we are going to cover next before we discuss the power steering Ford Fusion 2012.
Power Steering Types
Now that we learned more about what power steering is, now let’s take a look at the different types of power steering systems that are out there. And later on, when we are going to cover the power steering Ford Fusion 2012, you will see why we need to cover this. So, let’s discuss these three types of power steering systems in a car.
1. Hydraulic Power Steering
Now let’s start with the first type of power steering before we dive into the power steering Ford Fusion 2012. And this is the good old hydraulic power steering. But does the Fusion uses this type of power steering? Well, more on that we are going to find out later on.
The important to know about hydraulic power steering is that it is the power steering of choice when it comes to American automakers.
This type of power steering works with the help of a hydraulic power steering pump that is belt driven. So, as your crankshaft spins, it starts to spin the drive belt. And the drive belt (aka the serpentine belt) delivers the hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic power steering pump.
Pretty basic system. It doesn’t break very often and lasts basically forever. But it can be more expensive because of the hydraulic pump and the plumbing that goes into this system. Therefore, you have to be wary of the symptoms of a bad power steering pump, and consider a replacement power steering pump, if needed.
This is why a lot of carmakers are trying to turn everything electric nowadays. So, the hydraulic power steering slowly but surely is starting to get replaced by the next power steering that we are going to cover before we discuss the power steering Ford Fusion 2012.
2. Electric Power Steering
And this type of power steering that slowly but surely replaces the hydraulic is the electric power steering (alongside other parts such as needing a replacement catalytic converter for a Ford Fusion). As we said, nowadays everything is going electric so carmakers simply go this route since it is cheaper. So, is this the power steering Ford Fusion 2012?
Well, more on that, we will cover it in a moment. But how does this electric power steering work? Let’s elaborate. Electric power steering is really basic in its function, you don’t have plumbing, fluids, or any of that stuff. In the electric system, everything is done by an electric motor.
And how this function is really interesting to know, basically this system communicates with a sensor mounted on the steering column. So, there’s no such thing as an electric power steering pump.
The sensor simply feels the torque that you apply on the steering wheel and then this sensor tells the computer to activate the electric motor which then moves the steering rack left or right depending on the input.
The motor itself can be mounted independently from the steering rack, or directly on the steering rack itself. This makes the replacement more expensive if something breaks since you have to replace the whole rack with the motor instead only one of the two components.
But is this the power steering Ford Fusion 2012? Well, more on that, we are going to elaborate in the following chapters once we discuss the last type of power steering.
3. Electro-Hydraulic Power Steering
And the last type of power steering system that we are going to cover before we discuss the power steering Ford Fusion is the electro-hydraulic system, also known as the hybrid power steering system.
This is the case because this system combined the electric motor and the hydraulic fluid. This makes this system to be hydraulic and still works independently from the engine. Since it does not have to rely on the rotations of the crankshaft in order to work.
The fluid in this system is pushed with the help of the electric motor. So, this is why this system is very popular among racers. They can have hydraulic power steering but with one less pulley so the engine does not have to work so hard to power up this system as well.
These systems are rather rare, usually found in some German models like VW, Audi, or other VAG Group vehicles. But this type of system is also common in some Japanese carmakers like Subaru and Toyota.
But what is the power steering Ford Fusion 2012? Well, more about that, we are going to elaborate in the following chapter in detail.
2012 Ford Fusion Power Steering
Now let’s take a look at the power steering Ford Fusion 2012. What type of system that this model has from the ones that we mentioned previously in the article? The 2012 model has a fully electric power steering system. This means that there is no power steering fluid reservoir, and no power steering fluid lines.
Plus, you don’t have to worry about any power steering fluid leak issues, or need to wonder whether you can use power steering fluid as brake fluid, not to mention whether you can use transmission fluid for power steering fluid.
The system is fully electric. And this is what confuses a lot of people out there. They look for the 2012 Ford Fusion power steering fluid reservoir location and on the car, there is no such reservoir for power steering fluid.
Instead, you have a steering rack that has a built-in electric motor and this electric motor is basically what’s running the system.
As we noted previously, this electric power steering system works with the help of the input that the torque sensor on the steering column is sending to the computer, then the computer activates the motor and helps you turn right or left.
This is why you shouldn’t be confused. All Ford Fusion models for the model years 2010, 2011, and 2012 have this system. And all of them are plagued with problems.
Owners scratch their heads and try to find these reservoirs and they, unfortunately, are not successful in doing so. Mainly because in the US, cars predominantly use hydraulic systems.
What is sad though is that the system as we noted is plagued with problems. And more on the problems we are going to elaborate on this in the following chapter and see what troubles this component.
Power Steering Ford Fusion 2012 Problems
Now let’s elaborate more on the power steering Ford Fusion 2012 problems and see how they are represented. Knowing how they are represented will really help you out when it comes to learning the core of the problem.
The problem happens only on cars without the 3.5L engine. So, if you run the 3.5L engine, you will be unlikely to face this problem in your Ford Fusion ownership. But if you have one of the smaller engines, you should be really alerted since this is a serious issue.
Namely, when this problem happens, you lose the power steering completely. So, a really big effort will be needed in order for you to turn the steering wheel at lower speeds. And if you are not prepared for this, you could crash in the worst-case scenario.
This is why there was a recall about the problem that we are going to discuss later on. The important thing is that when this problem occurs, you will get a power steering assist fault on the cluster and the power steering will stop working at once.
It doesn’t matter what you do, the steering wheel will not regain the ability of power steering unless it is serviced.
More specifically, in this case, the power steering gear has to be replaced, as well as the PSCM software has to be updated with new software. And more about this we will further elaborate in the following chapter on the power-steering Ford Fusion 2012.
2012 Ford Fusion Power Steering Recall
So, what you have to know in this case when it comes to the power steering Ford Fusion 2012 is that there is a recall issued on this specific problem.
This recall was issued in 2015 and encompasses a wide variety of Ford and Lincoln vehicles, including the Ford Fusion built between 2011 and 2012 without the 3.5L engine.
So, if you have a 2012 Fusion with an engine that is a lower displacement than 3.5L, then you are eligible for this recall.
And since there is an official recall, Ford is obliged to perform an inspection and replace the steering gear, as well as update the software for the power steering system free of charge.
This is why if your vehicle is eligible, you should visit your nearest dealership before it breaks down and you lose the power steering.
Or if you intend to purchase one of these models, make sure that you take a visit to the dealership and have this problem sorted out once you purchase the car. Now that we covered the power steering Ford Fusion, let’s move on to some other topics.
Now let’s discuss the other problems with the Ford Fusion besides the issues with the power steering Ford Fusion 2012. What type of problems that this model has?
Other 2012 Ford Fusion Problems
Well, it has a lot of problems, to be honest. The second biggest problem is probably the throttle bodies. They fail and the car simply stalls. The throttle body is the flap that opens and closes to allow air to enter the engine. So, without air, the engine will automatically stop working and the engine will stall.
And sadly, this problem was experienced by a ton of owners at highway speeds and many ended up in dangerous situations. So, this is one of the biggest concerns with this model besides the power steering Ford Fusion 2012 problem.
As such, it’s crucial that you identify not only what does a throttle body do, but also the symptoms of a bad throttle body, and the symptoms of a dirty throttle body.
Other engine problems were reported concerning the spark plugs and the ignition coil frequently failing on the engines in this model. So, starting the engine can be a challenge when these components fail. The car will go into limp mode and you will get the check engine light if one of the coils fails.
Many other owners also reported problems with the automatic transmission. The transmission started to jerk while shifting, surge forward and slam in gear. Overall a very bad driving experience when it comes to the automatic. This is why if you can get a manual transmission (just like you would with an Audi TT manual transmission), you should definitely do it
There were countless other problems with this model. But fortunately minor issues. But enough to make you regret purchasing the model. Especially build quality issues and electrical faults that are present all over the car.
But it is not much worse than the newer model, that’s for sure. The 2013 model is also a story by itself. Now let’s move on and discuss the recalls.
2012 Ford Fusion Recalls
Now that we covered the power steering Ford Fusion 2012 and learned about the problem and learned that there is a recall on this issue, now let’s see what are the other recalls.
Are there 2012 Ford Fusion transmission recalls? Well, unfortunately not. The transmission was not recalled, only the power steering.
Other recalls for this model include 4 other recalls that only target the airbags. What is interesting is that these recalls are pretty recent, more specifically, two of them were issued in 2021, one of them in 2019, and the oldest in 2017.
So, if you own a Fusion from this model year, you should definitely take your car to the dealership to be recalled and the problems to be patched out. More about the recalls, you can read in the following link.
2012 Ford Fusion Reliability
Now that we discussed the power steering Ford Fusion 2012 and learned more about this problem. Let’s take a look at the overall reliability of the Fusion model. Is this Fusion reliable?
Well, overall, yes, it is a reliable car. But with many small problems that will literally make you regret purchasing it. Especially the issues with the throttle body, as well as the jerky automatic transmission, can be a big pain to deal with. Luckily, for the power steering, there was a recall, so nothing to worry about.
Speaking of reliability, we’ve discussed this in greater detail in our other Fusion-related write-ups. Previously, we’ve discussed whether Ford Fusions are good cars, the best model years for the Ford Fusion, in addition to any common problem that your Ford Fusion might encounter.
Power Steering Ford Fusion 2012: In Conclusion…
In this article, we have covered quite a bit about the Ford Fusion. First, we learned what the Fusion is, and then we discussed power steering and the different types of power steering.
After that, we learned the type of power steering that is included in the Ford Fusion and the problems concerned with it. Including the recall issued on the problem by Ford.
But, since you’re done looking into the power steering, we have other resources on the Fusion that might interest you. That includes looking into issues such as how your Ford Fusion won’t start, or if you notice the wrench light on your Ford Fusion, as well as maintenance tips such as the bolt pattern for your Ford Fusion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Now let’s answer some frequently asked questions.
Do Ford Fusions Have A Lot Of Problems
Yes, they have a lot of problems. Especially models built between 2010 and 2012. These have power steering failures. And there is a recall for this problem by Ford. There are also common throttle body failures, coil pack failures, problems with the AC, and other small issues.
How To Fix Power Steering Assist Fault Ford Fusion
You have to take your car to the local Ford dealership. There is a recall issued on this problem and they will replace the steering gear as well as updated the software on the car for free. And for an unknown reason 2010 model was not recalled and is also problematic in this aspect, so be aware of this.
Are Ford Fusions Good Cars
They are pretty average cars. Nothing too crazy in terms of reliability and longevity. And that’s why they are cheap and are not valued as a Toyota Camry or a Honda Accord. So, you should expect that from these vehicles. To be average in most aspects. So, if the 2012 Toyota Camry sells for $8,000, the Fusion will sell for $5,000.
How Much Is A 2012 Ford Fusion Worth
A used Ford Fusion can be found on Autotrader for about $4,500 on average. And you can get a really nice car for $7,500. And by this, we mean a really nice SEL model with all the bells and whistles. Which is one of the perks of getting a Fusion since they are dirt cheap.
Is The Ford Fusion All Wheel Drive
Not all of the Ford Fusions are AWD. But there were AWD models sold for those who had more money to spend. And in our opinion, this is a really good model because it drives a lot better on snowy roads compared to the standard FWD model
Is Ford Fusion A Full Size Car
No, the Fusion is a mid-size car. Ford’s offering in the full-size segment was the Ford Taurus. The Taurus was also discontinued by Ford along with the Fusion, Focus, and Fiesta.
