The contact owns a 2010 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the ‘Power Steering Assist Fault’ message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.