Had my 2014 Transit connect in the company from new and at the last service/mot carried out by the ford main dealer in April, noticed shortly after it was losing power steering on start up for about 3-5seconds then it would kick in and be ok. Never had this at all prior to this.

 

Then about a month ago I started the van and had no power steering and a message "assisted steering malfunction - service required" and it wouldn't go away until I switched off and restated it. Now today whilst driving.... Bong, warning message and lost all power steering. The steering was unbelievably difficult to operate in fact I think a weaker person would have struggled!

 

Managed to get to a safe place to pull over and restarted and all cleared again and been fine all day.

 

Just googled and it looks like Ford have massive issues with thier electric power steering :(

 

Not much about the Transit connect but lots of Ford models effected. Booked into main stealer next week, god only knows what that will cost, I hate cars/vans.

 

it only has 47k miles, which is nothing.

 

Anyone else had any Ford power steering related issues and what was the outcome?

Edited 27 July, 20187 yr by Defenderben

@Defenderben - "Company van"? If so, then i think this may be an H&S issue as well as a Fix Or Repair Daily one.

Is yours the newer model, or back end of the previous generation?

Havnt had steering issues, but at least one of our last gen connect vans had the abs freak out and go limp mode. Took weeks for ford to sort it out.

 

I onow what you mean about the suddenlack of assitance though.. when my insignia through its aux belt i lost power steering as well as lots of other stuff. Having to limp it through stop start city traffic was awful hard work!

It is the first of the new shape Connect's, registered May 2014.

 

It was a company vehicle, until recently. I purchased it, having known the van from new, good history with no faults at all but  it is used for company business at an agreed mileage rate.

 

I find it strange that there hasn't been any sort of safety notice, as it seems quite common on a fair few Ford models (internet search) and a sudden loss of power steering is not for the weaker, as the steering seems to be heavier than a normal non- power assisted steering vehicle as they have a geared rack.

I look forward to it starting with our 2016 fleet then... focuses and connects and LWB transits everywhere.

Only 28k km on the one im driving currently.. better than the 2011s they replaced, but still terrible, the vin build list says they are 1.8s with 118ps, but they feel like 1.4s with about 18bhp if they road is even barely uphill...

Actually, @Defenderben

Does your radio "lock out" after a while of driving?

The one in my van does. 

When you jump in and start up the radio will come on to the last radio station, but the volume could be randomly loud, even if you turned it down before getting out (i do turn it down to like 3 as i park up to organise my gear before getting out but could come on at much higher.)

Then, after driving for a while, maybe 20mins? If you try to change stations it doesnt respond. Have to press the "M" button on steering wheel, which changes the volume back to what it was at when adjusted at startup, in my case, back down to around 3, when i turn it down from the loud start up volume. 

Only then can i change radio station or source, etc. 

Such a pita..

My Radio has been fine, it is the DAB jobbie. With Ford sync.

Had it hang a couple of times when trying to end a phone call and it just stays showing the call and will not go back to the radio station; as always a quick switch off, lock - unlock and restart clears it.

 

That is a rare event.

 

Now covered another 500/600 miles since last loss of power steering, it is just so random? Think time before was a few thousand miles before that.

 

It's in the main Ford dealers tomorrow, oh how I have such confidence in them finding something.......not.

@Defenderben

 

thread revival.... sort of.

 

Do you still have the above Transit Connect?

If so, do you have or could you post a pic if the engine bay? In particular the pipework from air filter across the front of the block and where it goes back down on the left hand side towards a radiator

I noticed something while topping up the screenwash the other day that has me wondering since..

TIA

Edited 26 June, 20196 yr by mac11irl
Clarifying the pipes..

@mac11irl

Took the cover off, as not much to see; Any use?

Edited 26 June, 20196 yr by Defenderben

Perfect, thanks. 

Its the squishy pipe with the metal banding around it i was interested in, near the dipstick.

As the ones in our fleet have a slightly.. aftermarket looking... jubilee ring on it. So my brain was wondering if maybe they had the banding put on by the lease company as a flow restriction to reduce the power output. Yours has it too though, so it isnt the case. They are just terribly under powered vans ..

Pretty sure mine is only 90bhp, it’s not fast but does everything I need and returns a steady 45mpg (computer).

 

Think later models moved from the 1.6 to a 1.5 engine, not sure how they drive etc.

14 hours ago, mac11irl said:

Perfect, thanks. 

Its the squishy pipe with the metal banding around it i was interested in, near the dipstick.

As the ones in our fleet have a slightly.. aftermarket looking... jubilee ring on it. So my brain was wondering if maybe they had the banding put on by the lease company as a flow restriction to reduce the power output. Yours has it too though, so it isnt the case. They are just terribly under powered vans ..

That just looks to me like they've all been properly secured by real Terry Jubilee clips. They're easily identified by the hex head with a straight screwdriver slot on the adjuster, and the body of the adjuster should have the word "Jubilee" on it. Whoever worked on @Defenderben engine last did a really good job, since all the adjusters are pointing up for ease of access.