So I had left my pickup back home, hadn't really needed it lately, and was putting miles on the Fusion over the pickup. Told the parents to drive it if they needed it. Made it back home, and it's been having an intermittent issue. If its cold out, lets say under freezing, the steering wheel is locked and it can still be started and driven. Not a EPAS issue, its totally locked, it was angled/pointed towards a small hill, and the hill didn't help the wheels steer. No ape strength would turn it. Let it warm up and it can be driven. They hadn't noticed there is a small noise in the column, and a small amount of friction that wasn't there before. Basically you can "feel the noise". Shut it off, pull the key, the steering wheel will never lock. Open/close/lock the doors, its still free to turn (without power steering).

Everything I google leads me to: My steering wheel is locked and i can't turn my key. I played with the tilt, nothing helped when it was locked up. Planning on taking it into town to a dealer/shop today. But wanted to throw this post out there. Help me out! Pickup details is in my signature.

 

The steering wheel won't lock the traditional way your thinking, you have to rotate it 180 then shut off the engine.
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Thanks for pointing that out! Just tried it, it does lock now, and unlocks fine, just like normal. Key won't turn on until i take pressure off the lock.

Now I might be retracting my previous analysis. When it was locked like you mentioned, it had less travel than when it was locked this morning. I'd say this morning i had about 2x as much roatation, maybe 30 degrees this AM, vs. 15 degrees of play now.

So could it be EPAS related? There is definitely a noise in the column that can be felt.

 

Hard to say, is the noise very loud or is just audible inside the cab?
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It's not loud at all, has to be pretty quiet, no radio, no hvac.

 

Turn on your radio. It will drown out those subtle unusual sounds you seem to hear. It's a 2 ton machine, it's going to make noise at some point.
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Radio isn't going to help when its below freezing and locked in whatever direction its pointed in, but waiting for spring would be my plan b I suppose.