2008 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 140,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING COLUMN SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 118,000.

AT OUTDOOR TEMPERATURES BELOW 20 DEGREES F THE FUEL TANK IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO FILL. AT 0 DEGREES F IT WILL TAKE OVER 30 MINUTES TO FILL. I AM CONCERNED THAT AT SOME POINT IT WILL NOT TAKE ANY FUEL AT ALL. *TR

AT IDLE AND WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING WHEEL TWITCHES FROM LEFT TO RIGHT UNCONTROLLABLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. MANY CONSUMERS I'VE RESEARCHED ARE HAVING SAME PROBLEM FOLLOWED BY TOTAL POWER STEERING FAILURE AND EXTREME DIFFICULTY IN STEERING. *TR

WHEN I WAS DRIVING AND THEN GOING TO MAKE A TURN THE CAR GAS AND STEERING SHUT DOWN AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE ANY LONGER. THE STEERING WHEEL ALSO GOT STUCK IN THE PROCESS OF TURNING AND. THE GAS PEDDLE ALSO HAVE BEEN GETTING STUCK BEFORE THIS INCIDENT IT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR AT LEAST 3YRS 2011 UNTIL 2014 THE PRESENT WE HAVE GONE TO CHECK IT PUT NO DIAGNOSIS WAS DONE TO LET US KNOW THE STEERING COLUMN SYSTEM WAS OUT UNTIL THIS YEAR WHEN THE CAR WENT OUT COMPLETELY. THIS IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE PROBLEM AND I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY TO GET IT REPAIRED. *TR

HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE NOV 2013, WHILE PULLING FROM PARKED POSITION, STEERING IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. HAVE TO TURN OFF ENGINE AND RESTART TO HAVE STEERING OPERATIONAL. HAS OCCURRED 6 TIMES. *TR

THE STEERING ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLE "FAILED" INTERMITTENTLY. IN ESSENCE, THE POWER STEERING BECAME NON-POWER STEERING WITHOUT ANY WARNING ON 3 OR 4 OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO STEER THAN A CAR THAT HAD STANDARD STEERING. IF THE CAR WAS RE-STARTED, ON OCCASION IT WOULD RECOVER THE POWER STEERING. I NEEDED TO HAVE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN REPLACED, WHICH WAS A REPAIR THAT COST $970.60. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, TURNED DOWN A BUSY STREET, WHEEL LOCKED UP. COMPLETELY FROZEN, TOOK AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF STRENGTH TO TURN INTO A PARKING LOT TO SAFETY. RESTARTED CAR AND IT WAS FIXED. HAPPENED AGAIN LATER THAT DAY GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. (IT'S LIKE I HAVE NO POWER STEERING AT ALL, BUT IT IS ALL ELECTRIC). THE WHEEL HAS CONTINUED TO LOCK AT RANDOM TIMES, WITH NO WARNING WHAT SO EVER FOR 20 (TWENTY!) MORE TIMES, I HAVE DOCUMENTED THEM ALL. NOTHING PROVOKES THIS HAPPENING, LIKE TURNING, GOING UP OR DOWN HILL, SLOW SPEEDS, NOTHING, IT JUST HAPPENS OUT OF NO WHERE. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, NUMEROUS TIMES I HAVE BEEN IN VERY HEAVY TRAFFIC WITH NO OUTLET AVAILABLE FOR ME TO TURN INTO. IT HAS HAPPENED WAITING AT A STOPLIGHT IN A TURN ONLY LANE, BUT I CAN'T TURN THE WHEEL. IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN WHILE IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF A BUSY HIGHWAY AND I'VE HAD TO VERY FORCEFULLY ANGLE THE WHEEL SO I COULD GET ON THE SHOULDER. THE WHEEL UNLOCKS AFTER YOU RESTART THE CAR. MY STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT TURNS ON EVERY TIME THE WHEEL LOCKS. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS AND FORD IS DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ, YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN (A $1,300 FIX) DUE TO A FAULTY SWITCH. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND I COULD VERY EASILY WRECK IF IT HAPPENS IN A BAD TIME OR BAD LOCATION. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS VERY CLOSE CALLS ALREADY AND I AM AFRAID TO CONTINUE DRIVING EVERY DAY. FORD NEEDS TO RECALL THIS IMMEDIATELY. *TR

THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY STOPPED FUNCTIONING WHILE TRAVELING 45 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE CAR OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALL FOR ASSISTANCE. AFTER GETTING THE CAR TO A NEARBY GARAGE THEY INFORMED ME NOTHING WAS WRONG ONCE THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. I TOOK THE CAR TO A FORD DEALER WHERE THEY KNEW OF THE ISSUE AND SAID IT WAS A COMMON FAILURE IN THE 2008 FORD ESCAPES. THE FIX WAS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN. A QUICK SEARCH OF THE INTERNET FOR 2008 FORD ESCAPE POWER STEERING FAIL YIELDED MULTIPLE RESULTS AND A PENDING RECALL IN CANADA FOR AN ISSUE WITH THE POWER STEERING SENSOR. *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 REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF MY STEERING COLUMN. THIS WAS ALMOST A $1,600 REPAIR BUT HAD TO BE DONE IMMEDIATELY DUE TO THE SERIOUS NATURE OF THE FAILURE. 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