2008 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE POWER STEERING STOPPED. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER AND TURNING LEFT WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE AND VERY PAINFUL. I COULD NOT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO PARK THE CAR. I WAS VERY AFRAID THAT I WOULD LOSE ALL STEERING CAPABILITY AND GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. *TR

I WAS PICKING UP MY TODDLER FROM DAYCARE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. I WAS TERRIFIED AND UNABLE TO STEER. I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND TRIED TO EXERCISE THE STEERING WHEEL AND IT LOOSENED A LITTLE BUT WOULD KEEP LOCKING UP AFTER A FEW MINUTES. FOUND OUT LATER THIS HAPPENED TO MAY OTHER 2008 FORD ESCAPE DRIVERS AND THEY EXPERIENCED THE SAME TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE OF DRIVING AND THE STEERING WHEEL COMPLETELY LOCKING UP. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND COST WAS ABOUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO REPAIR. HAD TO GET A BRAND NEW STEERING COLUMN. A MONTH OR TWO LATER I FIND OUT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM ON PREVIOUS YEAR ESCAPES, BUT THIS SEEMS TO BE A RECALL ISSUE FOR MOST OF THEM. THERE SHOULD DEFINITELY BE A RECALL ON 2008'S THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND SCARY. IF THERE IS A RECALL ISSUED, I THINK REFUNDS SHOULD BE ISSUED TO THOSE OF US WHO PAID ALL THIS MONEY TO HAVE THESE DANGEROUS ISSUES RESOLVED. *TR

I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY 2 CHILDREN AND THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STEER AND CHANGE LANES EVEN WITH THE ASSIST THAT THE VEHICLE GIVES. IF IT WAS MY WIFE IN THE CARE I DON'T THINK SHE WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO CONTROL IT. SO I PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND READ THE MANUAL AND WAITED FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES. WHEN I TRIED IT AGAIN THE POWER STEERING CAME BACK. IT THANKFULLY WHICH IS NOT GOOD WENT OUT AGAIN BUT I WAS CLOSE TO HOME SO I WAS ABLE TO GET IT HOME AND PARK IT. I LOOKED UP THE PROBLEM ONLINE AND FOUND THAT IT IS A CURRENT PROBLEM FORD IS HAVING AND QUITE COMMON. I CHECKED FOR RECALLS BUT THERE WAS NONE. I HOPE THIS DOESN'T TURN INTO A PROBLEM LIKE GM WHERE IT COSTS PEOPLE THEIR LIVES. I HOPE NHTSA CAN HELP AND GET THIS DEFECT RECALLED. I WAS TOLD FROM THE DEALER I BROUGHT IT TO (FOX FORD) THAT IT WAS A SENSOR IN THE COLUMN BUT THEY COULDN'T JUST CHANGE THE SENSOR IT HAD TO BE THE WHOLE COLUMN SO NEEDLESS TO SAY $2300 LATER IT WAS FIXED WHICH THE MONEY DOESN'T COMPARE TO MY KIDS SAFETY. AGAIN HOPE YOU CAN HELP! *TR

I HAVE A 2008 USED FORD ESCAPE THAT WAS PURCHASED DECEMBER 2012. IT NOW HAS 37,000 MILES ON IT. IN JUNE OF 2013 I NOTICED ABOVE THE REAR WHEEL WELL THERE IS RUST BUBBLES POPPING UP UNDER THE PAINT. ONCE I NOTICED IT IN JUNE 2012, I TOOK IT TO PACKEY WEBB FORD IN DOWNERS GROVE, IL AS SOON AS I NOTICED THE RUSTING UNDER THE PAINT. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE $1900 TO FIX AND THAT IT WAS NOT PART OF THE WARRANTY. SINCE THE CAR WAS LESS THAN 5 YEARS AND AT ABOUT 30,000 MILES I SHOULD CONTACT FORD TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RUSTING WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. FORD TOLD SAID THE WEAR AND TEAR WAS PART OF THE CAR AND THAT IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. NOW IF I WANT TO GET THIS FIXED, IT WILL COST ME $2000. *TR

STARTING IN ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF MARCH, POWER STEERING WILL FAIL UNEXPECTEDLY. SINCE THEN IT HAS BECOME MORE FREQUENT. IF YOU JUST START THE CAR WITH THE STEERING WHEEL BASICALLY ON CENTER, THERE WILL BE NO POWER STEERING AT ALL. IF YOU CRANK THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT AS YOU START THE CAR, THE STEERING WILL WORK FOR A WHILE BUT THE WHEEL WILL SHAKE AND MAKE A NOISE WHEN IT IS ON-CENTER. IT WILL THEN SOMETIMES FAIL COMPLETELY AFTER A FEW MINUTES. STOPPING AND RESTARTING THE CAR MAY GET IT TO WORK FOR A WHILE.

WHEN I START MY CAR THE POWER STEERING WONT WORK. I HAVE TO SHUT THE CAR OFF AND RESTART IT AND IT WILL WORK. I NOTICED MY ESCAPE WAS LEAKING FLUID TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALER IT WAS THE TRANSFER CASE. AFTER 2500. ITS FIXED AND IT SHOULD BE A RECALL ON BOTH AS THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON BOTH OF THESE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND LOST STEERING! BY THE GRACE OF GOD I WAS NOT KILLED BY A TRACTOR TRAILER THAT WAS NEXT TO ME. MY HUSBAND GRABBED THE WHEEL AS IT WAS LOCKED AND WE BARELY MADE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. HAD IT TOWED TO FORD. THEY SAID THERE WAS A TSB AND THEY THOUGHT IT HAD A BAD SENSOR. THAT WASN'T THE PROBLEM. AFTER TWO WEEKS OF HAVING THE CAR, THEY REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN. I PAID THE $2,000. BILL BUT DON'T THINK I SHOULD HAVE TO AS FORD SHOULD BE RECALLING THESE VEHICLES! THERE ARE MANY INSTANCES OF THE SAME SITUATION PEOPLE HAVE HAD THAT I FOUND ONLINE. LOCALLY I COMPLAINED, AND THE FORD REGIONAL OFFICE DENIED MY REQUEST. I WROTE TO FORD'S PRESIDENT AND DID NOT GET A REPLY. IF I HAD DIED AND IT GOT INTO THE NEWS, THEY WOULD STEP UP, BUT I AM SURE THEY ARE ASSESSING WHICH WOULD HAVE MORE FINANCIAL IMPACT ON THEM. IT IS CLEAR THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS LIVES. INSTEAD OF RECALLING, THEY ARE STAYING MUM. WHAT A SHAME AND A REFECTION ON THE COMPANY. *TT

MY FORD ESCAPE HAD 3 TRANSMISSION FAILURES IN THE PAST 4 YEARS. I HAD IT REBUILD OR REPLACED BY FORD TWICE AND IT NEED A THIRD TRANSMISSION REBUILD OR REPLACE. THE CP4E DOESN'T HOLD UP OR LIKE OTHERS COMMENTED ON THIS VEHICLE THEY HAVE A TENDENCY TO HAVE A LOOSE STEARING WHICH CAUSE THE SECOND GEAR TRANSMISSION BAND TO PULL AWAY OR BROKEN. PLEASE ADVISE ON THIS PROBLEM OR ISSUE A RECALL SINCE THERE ARE MORE ESCAPE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TT

AFTER STARTING MY CAR TO LEAVE THE PARKING LOT FROM MY WORK, I NOTICED THAT THE POWER STEERING WASN'T WORKING AS I WAS BACKING OUT. I PULLED BACK INTO MY SPOT, PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK, SHOOK THE STEERING WHEEL TO TRY TO GET IT TO WORK, AND NOTHING. I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF, RESTARTED IT, STILL NOTHING. I RESTARTED IT ONCE MORE, SHOOK THE WHEEL WHILE STARTING THE ENGINE AND IT WORKED FINE. I NOW HAVE TO WIGGLE THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE POWER STEERING ASSIST TURNS ON. *JS

EXPERIENCED FREQUENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING AT SPEED AND AT STOP A FEW MONTHS AGO. REPLACING THE BATTERY RESOLVED IT FOR 2 MONTHS. THEN IT STARTED AGAIN WHEN IN TUCSON. EXTREME WOBBLE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AT ALL TIMES. RESTARTING THE CAR HELPED RESET POWER STEERING FOR THE FIRST 2 DAYS IF THE CAR LOST POWER STEERING WHILE AT REST. RESTARTING THE CAR AT SPEED IS NOT POSSIBLE AND LOSING POWER STEERING IS PRETTY SUDDEN AND SCARY. WAS DRIVING AT 70MPH ON INTERSTATE 10 AND LOST POWER STEERING SEVERAL TIMES. HAD TO PULL OVER WITH AVAILABLE MANUAL STEERING, WHICH WAS HARD. RESEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND SIMILAR ISSUES WITH THE 2008 FORD ESCAPE--LOSS OF POWER STEERING BOTH AT REST AND AT SPEED. FILING COMPLAINT. *JS