2012 Ford Focus Steering Problems
Owners have filed 927 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 2012 Ford Focus, 25% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 78,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “steering assist” (35% of reports).
- 927steering complaints
- 78,000median miles at failure
- 23mention a crash
- 23mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,650typical repair cost reported by owners
- 26%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Steering assist: mentioned in 320 of 927 complaints (35%)
- Service required: mentioned in 53 of 927 complaints (6%)
- Rack pinion: mentioned in 49 of 927 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical steering repair on the 2012 Ford Focus at $2,650, and half of them between $2,400 and $2,900.
Based on 119 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2014–2024), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 829 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 927 complaints, 23 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 23 an injury.
Ford Focus steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Focus | 30 | 4% | 47,500 |
| 2017 Focus | 20 | 2% | 61,800 |
| 2016 Focus | 45 | 4% | 48,000 |
| 2015 Focus | 93 | 9% | 61,610 |
| 2014 Focus | 221 | 8% | 51,000 |
| 2013 Focus | 273 | 13% | 74,000 |
| 2012 Focus | 927 | 25% | 78,000 |
| 2011 Focus | 10 | 9% | 40,000 |
| 2010 Focus | 13 | 5% | 58,000 |
| 2009 Focus | 9 | 4% | 6,500 |
| 2008 Focus | 12 | 5% | 23,000 |
| 2007 Focus | 13 | 3% | 59,360 |
| 2006 Focus | 5 | 2% | 47,073 |
| 2005 Focus | 18 | 4% | 60,133 |
| 2004 Focus | 29 | 7% | 54,111 |
| 2003 Focus | 73 | 7% | 70,500 |
| 2002 Focus | 53 | 6% | 44,586 |
| 2001 Focus | 86 | 5% | 41,000 |
| 2000 Focus | 168 | 5% | 61,574 |
| 1999 Focus | 1 | 9% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists steering for the 2012 Ford Focus. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The TCU/TCM has been going in and out of control. Sometimes it will work then others it will shut off. Speedometer wonât work, power steering wonât work, cruise control wonât work, etc. and when you do the transmission reset for it, it wonât work at all.
Electric power steering failed at 65,000 miles. No power assist in the steering. Trying to steer the car with no power assist is very difficult and not safe.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn while driving. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Ford Focuss have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 927 owner complaints about steering for the 2012 Ford Focus (25% of the 3,769 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Ford Focus steering?
No recall currently lists steering for this vehicle.
At what mileage do steering problems start?
The median reported mileage is 78,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix steering problems on the 2012 Ford Focus?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,650 (half paid between $2,400 and $2,900), from 119 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 2012 Ford Focus?
The most frequent phrase is “steering assist”, in 320 of 927 complaints, followed by “service required” (53).
Other 2012 Ford Focus problems
See all 2012 Ford Focus problems or steering problems across all Focus years.