Steering Issues with the 2014 Ford Focus Electric

[Flike14]

Hello All,

I'm curious to know if any other FFE owners have noticed steering issues with their vehicle? Specifically that there is quite a lot of play in the wheel between the neutral spot at 12 o'clock and about a half inch or so on either side of 12'oclock before the steering engages. Once you pass this dead spot and the steering engages, the car over-steers to whatever side you're turning and you have to nimbly correct it or else it dramatically over-steers in the opposite direction. You have to fine tune it back and forth just to get the car back into a straight line. Due to this you are constantly having to make adjustments to the wheel left to right, right to left, etc., making for a completely annoying and unpleasant drive as the car twitches from side to side. This happens even more noticeably at high speeds. It also does weird things when you break and turn at the same time. I know to apply light pressure to the breaks because of the regenerative battery, and know you're not supposed to break while turning to prevent skidding, but sometime you have to and when I do in this car, the steering wheel jerks abruptly and is dangerous in my opinion.

I did take it to the dealer and asked to have a technician drive the car so they could experience it for them self. While the technician was driving the car he said he felt the same play and over-correcting in the wheel and thought it might be the alignment, but that's not the case. If you let the steering wheel go, the car stays straight. The problem is when you start to turn the wheel, nothing happens and then all of a sudden it engages and steers way harder then you intended even if you only slightly turned the wheel. FYI the technician was visibly annoyed by the car's driving. I left the car with the dealer hoping for some resolution to the problem, but was told the next day that they couldn't find any issue with the steering. I asked if I could drive one of the FFE's the had on the lot to prove to myself it wasn't the car I had and was told they didn't have any in stock for me to test, but that I could drive 15 miles to the next dealer and see if they had one.

I did happen to meet another owner in the parking lot of Homedepot and asked if they noticed the same problem and was told no, so I'm hoping the community of FFE owners here can help me determine if it's just my car or if this is just the way these cars are. Sadly, when you test drive a car they take you on a short loop and typically don't allow you on the highway. My mistake for not being more aggressive about a longer test ride because I would never have gotten this car if I'd known it steered like this.

Lastly, I've never owned a Ford before and prior to this car had a VW Jetta, so it's not like I went from a high-end expensive car to a FFE or a SUV down to a little car or some other dramatic difference between cars.

Thanks for your time and consideration.

 

[michael]

Some people have reported oddness with the steering. I used to feel it until I had an alignment.

It may be related to a problem with the electronically assisted steering. I understand there were problems several years ago and possibly occasionally still the case.

 

[Rogerschro]

There were a few TSB's for defective steering racks, at least on the ICE Focus, and the electronic steering controls. I'd have them look at the program and see if a TSB applies. I'm sure what you describe is not normal.

 

[Flike14]

Thanks for the reply Michael and Rogerschro.

You both know your stuff because that was the first thing the service manager thought it might be - electrical steering problems - so he had the service technician who handles electrical issues drive the car with me. He was the one who said it wasn't the electric, but the alignment. The dealer supposedly checked that out and the alignment wasn't an issue.

I guess the only way to know for sure is for me to go to another dealer and test drive a different FFE.

Thanks again!

 

[Jonpspencer]

I have had my ffe for about three weeks and I have exactly the same issue with the steering dreadness/oversteer wobble during freeway driving. I was passed by a cop the other day and was surprised he didn't pull me over for drunk driving. It's almost as if something is loose.
I plan to take it back to the dealer this week, but expect I will get the same shoulder shrug that you got. Let us know if you discover anything. It is extremely frustrating and unsafe.

 

[davideos]

I remember reading on this forum that someone had the steering system replaced. Might want to look for that. As for my FFE, the steering is perfect; no odd behavior at all. And from the description, I can definitely say it is not normal.

 

[TrojanEV]

Brand new FFE owner here (picked mine up this weekend) and I think I am noticing the same thing. I don't notice the issue much driving on city streets, but I agree it was very noticeable on the highway at high speeds. Seems like there have been a few posts about steering/alignment problems mentioned in the forums here: http://www.myfocuselectric.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=13551, here: http://www.myfocuselectric.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=2111&p=12634#p12634 and this post: http://www.myfocuselectric.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2086&p=12464#p12464

I'm going to give mine a few weeks to make sure this is a persistent problem and one that doesn't go away as I break the car in. Flike14 -- Do you have any update on your situation? Have you had a chance to drive another FFE and see if it drives similarly?

 

[Abelgoddard]

Sorry to say, I don't think it's a universal problem. I certainly don't have it; my steering is great. If I'd experienced that when I went to pick it up, I would have left it. There's no way I'd drive off in a car with loose steering.

 

[TrojanEV]

Sorry to say, I don't think it's a universal problem. I certainly don't have it; my steering is great. If I'd experienced that when I went to pick it up, I would have left it. There's no way I'd drive off in a car with loose steering.

It's very subtle and something I don't think anyone would pick up on immediately, unless taking a very extended test drive, including driving at high speeds (70-75mph) on the highway. Whenever you are in a new car for the first time, there is so much that is going to be different from your existing car that it is very hard to pick up on all these little nuances. To be clear, I don't feel in danger at any point while driving so far, it just doesn't handle as good as I would hope.

 

[TrojanEV]

I keep stumbling upon more and more posts about people complaining about the steering feel, particularly at high speeds. Here's another one from a year ago: http://www.myfocuselectric.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=1410#p6760

I'm beginning to wonder if this is just the "new normal" for cars with electric power steering and low rolling resistance tires, and we need to get used to it. Perhaps some owners just aren't as sensitive to it (or have grown accustom to it) and therefore don't see an issue. Needless to say I will be following the results of this thread closely as I break in my FFE.

 

[TrojanEV]

I drove my FFE on the highway again at high speeds (65 to 75mph) and there is definitely something wrong with either the alignment or the electric power steering. Another way of describing the issue, is that it's like the steering wheel doesn't have a natural tendency to go back to center. Every car I've ever driven, even if you make a small adjustment to the wheel to stay in the middle of the lane, the steering wheel tends to revert to the center line. In my FFE, when I'm going 65mph on the highway and make a slight correction to remain in the middle of the lane, the FFE just keeps heading in the direction of the correction (even if my hands are off the wheel). And the wheel doesn't tend to revert to center.

So for example, if I'm too far to the right in a lane and then make a slight correction and turn the wheel a smidge to the left, the car just heads off to the left and the only way to stop it is by making another correction to the right. Hence the feel that you're almost driving drunk (which other FFE owners with the problem have mentioned) because it's very difficult to get it on a straight line for a significant distance. Strangely, my car feels pretty normal when driving at more moderate speeds around town, though.

I'm definitely going to be taking mine in -- I just need to find a good time to do so, since I don't think Ford is required to provide loaners/rentals for warranty work.

Those who don't seem to have the issue -- can you confirm this is not the normal highway driving experience?

 

[hybridbear]

I drove my FFE on the highway again at high speeds (65 to 75mph) and there is definitely something wrong with either the alignment or the electric power steering. Another way of describing the issue, is that it's like the steering wheel doesn't have a natural tendency to go back to center. Every car I've ever driven, even if you make a small adjustment to the wheel to stay in the middle of the lane, the steering wheel tends to revert to the center line. In my FFE, when I'm going 65mph on the highway and make a slight correction to remain in the middle of the lane, the FFE just keeps heading in the direction of the correction (even if my hands are off the wheel). And the wheel doesn't tend to revert to center.

So for example, if I'm too far to the right in a lane and then make a slight correction and turn the wheel a smidge to the left, the car just heads off to the left and the only way to stop it is by making another correction to the right. Hence the feel that you're almost driving drunk (which other FFE owners with the problem have mentioned) because it's very difficult to get it on a straight line for a significant distance. Strangely, my car feels pretty normal when driving at more moderate speeds around town, though.

I'm definitely going to be taking mine in -- I just need to find a good time to do so, since I don't think Ford is required to provide loaners/rentals for warranty work.

Those who don't seem to have the issue -- can you confirm this is not the normal highway driving experience?

This is exactly what we experience. It's also more pronounced on certain types of pavement.

 

[TrojanEV]

This is exactly what we experience. It's also more pronounced on certain types of pavement.

So have you had your dealer look at it? Or are you just living with it?

 

[Abelgoddard]

I can confirm again - not normal. My steering is nice and tight, centering as usual and no play before engagement. I would definitely notice anything occurring even slightly as y'all are reporting.

 

[TrojanEV]

Thanks for the reply Michael and Rogerschro.

You both know your stuff because that was the first thing the service manager thought it might be - electrical steering problems - so he had the service technician who handles electrical issues drive the car with me. He was the one who said it wasn't the electric, but the alignment. The dealer supposedly checked that out and the alignment wasn't an issue.

I guess the only way to know for sure is for me to go to another dealer and test drive a different FFE.

Thanks again!

Any update? Has the service department been able to pinpoint your problem and get it fixed?

 

[ELROY]

At about 600 miles, I had a new steering rack installed. Had very little self centerin, that was aaggravated with slight throttle. If you coasted on freeway, steering seemed much more normal. The more throttle the worse. Horrible torque steer. With the new rack it still has moderate torquesteer, but nominal behavior is much better. still not close to the absolutely stable leaf, which I can drive with one finger even when accelerating.

 

[Flike14]

After more requests to fix the steering on my FFE, my Ford dealer recalibrated the steering and gave it back to me, but it didn't do anything to improve the horrible steering so I took it back in requesting more action. They then let me drive a FFE owned by one of their sales people and I took it on the highway, drove/braked over uneven streets, gunned it on a curve and any other driving/road conditions I could think of to test if this other FFE had all the same steering problems I hate about the way my FFE drives... and it did. It wasn't quite as bad as mine, but still awful.

The dealer's service manager drove with me in both cars (mine and the tester) and we took turns driving each and he said the electronic steering in these cars is what it is. He stopped short of saying anything damning about it as I would expect, but he did say my complaints weren't unusual. He also confirmed what Elroy said about the Torque steering pulling wildly to one side.

So, it's not just my car as all FFE's apparently drive this way. Something about the electric steering just makes these cars horrible to drive (in my opinion) and that's based on 26 years of driving, owning 6 different cars, 8 motorcycles, and never having had a collision. Although driving this car in the rain today for the first time makes me think that statistic won't hold up, which is why I'll be trying to swap the lease on it as soon as I can. Thankfully I didn't buy this car.

 

[Rogerschro]

After more requests to fix the steering on my FFE, my Ford dealer recalibrated the steering and gave it back to me, but it didn't do anything to improve the horrible steering so I took it back in requesting more action. They then let me drive a FFE owned by one of their sales people and I took it on the highway, drove/braked over uneven streets, gunned it on a curve and any other driving/road conditions I could think of to test if this other FFE had all the same steering problems I hate about the way my FFE drives... and it did. It wasn't quite as bad as mine, but still awful.

The dealer's service manager drove with me in both cars (mine and the tester) and we took turns driving each and he said the electronic steering in these cars is what it is. He stopped short of saying anything damning about it as I would expect, but he did say my complaints weren't unusual. He also confirmed what Elroy said about the Torque steering pulling wildly to one side.

So, it's not just my car as all FFE's apparently drive this way. Something about the electric steering just makes these cars horrible to drive (in my opinion) and that's based on 26 years of driving, owning 6 different cars, 8 motorcycles, and never having had a collision. Although driving this car in the rain today for the first time makes me think that statistic won't hold up, which is why I'll be trying to swap the lease on it as soon as I can. Thankfully I didn't buy this car.

I owned an ICE Focus before I traded it in on the FFE. Approximately the same level trim. It was an SEL with leather seats and 17" wheels. The tires were Conti DWS. The FFE has 17" with LRR tires and it DOES handle differently. Not significantly, but I can notice it and don't feel as connected to the road with the LRR tires. At some point I will change tires and put the DWS tires on.
I think what you are feeling is how the tires affect the steering. With grippier tires I believe the handling will be much better and less tendency to wander. Maybe your service manager could put a set of conti's on and test it.

 

[WattsUp]

So, it's not just my car as all FFE's apparently drive this way. Something about the electric steering just makes these cars horrible to drive (in my opinion) and that's based on 26 years of driving, owning 6 different cars, 8 motorcycles, and never having had a collision.

Strange. I think my FFE drives wonderfully... as a car, it sorta has a "German" feel. I haven't driven/owned as many vehicles as you.

 

[triangles]

Strange. I think my FFE drives wonderfully... as a car, it sorta has a "German" feel. I haven't driven/owned as many vehicles as you.

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