2008 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED AS THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. AFTER RESTARTING THE ENGINE THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN WAS FAULTY AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. NO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000.

MY ESCAPE HAD A FAULTY POWER STEERING SENSOR OR STEERING COLUMN THAT WOULD ALLOW THE POWER STEERING TO STOP WORKING AT UNKNOWN TIMES. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING AND AFFECTED THE WAY THE CAR WOULD STEER. I HAD TO REPLACE THIS AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP AT A COST OF $1,200 TO ME. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM THAT FORD IS REQUIRED TO PAY FOR. *TR

WHILE DRIVING IN REGULAR TRAFFIC, I NOTICED THAT MY STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHUDDER WHEN STOPPED. AFTER PARKING, SHUTTING OFF CAR, AND THEN RETURNING, MY CAR HAD LOST ITS POWER STEERING. IT HAS INTERMITTENTLY RETURNED AFTER TURNING CAR. OFF/ON, BUT IT IS HAPPENING MORE OFTEN. QUICK INTERNET SEARCH LISTED VERY SIMILAR ISSUES AND SYMPTOMS. ALL POINTING TOWARDS THE ELECTRONIC STEERING ASSEMBLY. WHICH LOOKS LIKE IT COSTS NEARLY $1400 TO FIX USUALLY. I FIND THIS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND WILL NOT BE HAVING MY WIFE OR CHILD IN THIS VEHICLE. *TR

WITHOUT WARNING, THE POWER STEERING ON MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE SIMPLY WENT OUT. I HAD NO ISSUES OR INDICATION THAT THE STEERING WAS ABOUT TO FAIL AND SUDDENLY, THE POWER STEERING SIMPLY STOPPED WORKING. FORTUNATELY, THIS LOSS OF POWER STEERING DIDN'T RESULT IN A CRASH IN MY CASE. I QUICKLY SCHEDULED AN INSPECTION AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE POWER STEERING HAD IN FACT FAILED. IN RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET, I HAVE FOUND SCORES OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE. I DISCOVERED THAT FORD HAD CHANGED FROM A HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM TO AN ELECTRIC SYSTEM STARTING IN 2008. CLEARLY THIS SYSTEM IS DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO IMMEDIATELY. I WAS LUCKY NOT TO HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT BUT ONE DAY SOME ONE WILL BE KILLED WHEN THIS SYSTEM FAILS AGAIN. DON'T LET THIS TURN INTO ANOTHER ISSUE LIKE IS CURRENTLY HAPPENING WITH GM IGNITIONS AND LIVES ARE LOST. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN AND WAS UNABLE TO TURN WHEEL. AFTER RESEARCHING IT FOUND OUT IF YOU HAVE THE HEAT ON IT WILL CAUSE THE SENSOR TO OVER HEAT. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. *TR

FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, WHENEVER I PUT MY CAR IN REVERSE AND BEGIN TO BACK UP, I LOSE MY STEERING ABILITY. THE ONLY WAY I CAN GET MY STEERING WHEEL TO WORK AGAIN IS IF I TURN MY CAR OFF AND THEN TURN IT BACK ON AGAIN. WELL, TODAY, IT HAPPENED AGAIN, BUT THIS TIME I TRIED MULTIPLE TIMES TO TURN MY CAR OFF AND TURN IT BACK ON AND MY POWER STEERING WOULD NOT KICK BACK IN. I HAVE READ THROUGH MANY COMPLAINTS ON HERE AS WELL AS OTHER SITES AND SEE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THEIR 2008 ESCAPE. I HAVE SEEN THAT IT CAN COST OVER $1400 TO GET IT FIXED!! I DO NOT HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY RIGHT NOW!! THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT TO TELL ME THAT SOMETHING IN THE POWER STEERING WAS GOING IS RIDICULOUS!! IN THE PAST 2 YEARS I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, GET A NEW BATTERY, GET BRAKES, TIRES,NEW GAS TANK, NEW SENSOR FOR THE HEATING CONTROL, AND THE LIST CONTINUES. THIS CAR IS ONLY 6 YEARS OLD AND JUST PAST 100,000 MILES!!! I SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO REPLACE ALL THESE THINGS ALREADY!! I AM NOT ABOUT TO PUT ANOTHER $1400+ IN THIS VEHICLE ESPECIALLY SINCE IT SEEMS TO BE AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH MANY OTHER ESCAPES. TIME TO DO A RECALL PEOPLE OR YOU CAN GLADLY TAKE THIS CAR BACK!! *TR

WHILE DRIVING I LOST ALL POWER STEERING. THE SUV BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. ONCE I WAS ABLE TO MUSCLE IT OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO SHAKE BACK AND FORTH ON ITS OWN. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF THEN BACK ON THIS WENT AWAY FOR A SHORT TIME. THEN AFTER ABOUT A MONTH OR SO IT HAPPENED AGAIN. NOW THIS HAPPENS FREQUENTLY. I CANT DRIVE WITHOUT THIS HAPPENING. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. *TR

THIS HAPPENS MULTIPLE TIMES ON A LONG DRIVE OVER 30 MINUTES. AS I AM DRIVING THE POWER STEERING IN MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE XLT WILL FAIL AND I WILL LOSE THE ABILITY TO STEER MY VEHICLE. I HAVE ALMOST HAD SEVERAL SEVERE ACCIDENTS ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN IT HAPPENS AT 70MPH. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AND THERE ARE MANY REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING ONLINE TO SIMILAR 2008 ESCAPES. FORD HAS BEEN SILENT ON THE ISSUE. THIS NEEDS A RECALL IN PLACE IMMEDIATELY. FORD IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HOW TO FIX IT. AVERAGE REPAIR COSTS ARE >1400. I CAN NOT AFFORD THAT AND WILL CONTINUE TO DRIVE/RISK MY LIFE UNTIL THIS IS RECALLED BECAUSE I HAVE NO OTHER OPTIONS. THE PROBLEM RESOLVES ITSELF AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE BUT HAPPENS A SHORT TIME LATER. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS, I DON'T FEEL SAFE AND THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

FOR A FEW MONTHS NOW, THE GAS PEDAL HAS BEEN INTERMITTENTLY STICKING IN EITHER THE FULLY DEPRESSED OR NON-DEPRESSED POSITION. THE FIRST FEW TIMES THIS HAS HAPPENED, I WAS ON THE EXPRESSWAY AND TRAVELING APPROX 70 MPH. ONCE THE GAS PEDAL WAS RELEASED, I REALIZED THAT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. THE GAS PEDAL WAS LYING COMPLETELY IN THE DEPRESSED POSITION. I COULD LIFT THE GAS PEDAL WITH MY FOOT BUT IT WOULD LIMPLY FALL BACK TO THE FLOOR. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE ACCELERATION CONTINUED WHEN I WENT OFF THE BRAKE. I EXITED THE HIGHWAY AND TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. I CONTINUED TO LIFT THE GAS PEDAL AND WIGGLE IT AND IT SEEMED TO GO BACK INTO PLACE. I NOTICED OVER TIME, THAT THIS SEEMED TO HAPPEN MORE WHEN THE GAS PEDAL WAS MORE FULLY DEPRESSED, LIKE WHEN ON THE HIGHWAY. AT OTHER TIMES, THE GAS PEDAL IS STICKING IN THE RELAXED (UN-DEPRESSED) POSITION. THIS SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING DURING VERY COLD TEMPERATURES BUT CONTINUES WHILE DRIVING AND WHEN PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WILL "JUMP" FORWARD WITH THE SUDDEN RELEASE OF THE GAS PEDAL AFTER PRESSING HARD ENOUGH TO MAKE IT RELEASE. SOMETIMES IT TAKES QUITE A BIT OF PRESSURE TO MAKE IT RELEASE. I HAVE READ ABOUT A RECALL FOR THESE COMPLAINTS IN OLDER VEHICLES AND THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ONLINE IN THE 2008 MODEL. THIS IS A HAZARD FOR PEOPLE, AS IT HAPPENS SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. I DON'T FEEL SAFE HAVING MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. . THE CONTACT STATED WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO PULL OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE, HE WAS UNABLE TO STEER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN THE DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR A DIAGNOSES OF THE FAILURE .THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APROXIMATELY 119,000.