So I know nothing about cars, and I’m just a college student in need of advice. I have a 2011 Ford Fusion and it has the electric power steering and it’s not working. It hasn’t been working for about 3 years now and it’s been bugging me. Does anyone know about how much it would cost to fix this? Please be nice 
With knowing why it stopped working I’d venture anywhere between $0 and $5000. After all it could be anything from a loose connection to needing a complete power steering assembly.
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Click on “Repair Shops” at the top of this page and find a good mechanic to look it over.
There is a recall, started in 2015, for Fusions without the 3.6 L engine. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 15S18. Check with them and see if your car is part of the recall and whether it was serviced for it before.
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Nice or not nice has nothing to do with car repair prices (unless you really tick off the mechanic).
Unfortunately, the list of repair shops on this site is hopelessly outdated and inaccurate. You may have better luck asking around locally for recommended shops.
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As JT said, if there is a recall, or to determine if there is a recall, you must go to a Ford dealership. Not hard to find. They at least can provide a cost estimate and diagnosis if they won’t cover it. Then you can use that to shop around for a cheaper alternative. I would hurry though, the car is not getting any younger. Before you graduate though, I would highly recommend adding an economics and a business law course. They will be mighty helpful in the challenges ahead.
There’s also yelp.com
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID:
15V340000
Report Date:
JUN 02, 2015
Vehicles Affected:
393,623
Consequence:
If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
What You Should Do:
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC). If dealers find any loss of steering assist DTCs, the steering gear will be replaced, free of charge. If, no codes are found during the PSCM inspection, the PSCM software will be updated, free of charge. Interim notices were mailed to owners on July 20, 2015. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 15S18.
Summary:
Ford Moor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine and 2013 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with any available engine. The affected vehicles have electric power steering assist systems that may shut down as a result of a steering motor sensor fault.
To see if your specific vehicle is affected
1-800-392-3673 or nhtsa.gov
Tip: Recalls don’t affect every vehicle of the same year, make and model. You’ll need your car’s 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to know for sure.
[Where do I find my VIN?](javascript:void(0))
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I expect the problem is the power steering electronics module. Probably needs to be replaced. I’m guessing maybe $750 P &L for that. Cross your fingers, maybe it is covered by the recall given in the good advice above.
It could be something else of course. You’ll have to hire a shop to look into what’s wrong exactly. This requires someone w/a good deal of expertise; don’t ask your next-door neighbor who’s a shade-tree mechanic for help on this problem.
I’m not sure how electric power steering works exactly. I’m guessing some manufacturers do it one way, and others, another way. It could conceivably just use an electric motor to drive a convectional power steering pump. Normal power steering that is is powered by a belt on crankshaft pulley. The advantage of using an electric motor is the pressure isn’t dependent on engine rpm. Or there may not be any hydraulics involved at all, just an electric motor creates forces that push and pull on the tie rods, probably still using a rack and pinion configuration.
Suggest OP review the link below about how power steering works. Helpful to know the basic ideas and nomenclature when communicating with the shop techs. Best of luck.