2008 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, POWER STEERING WAS UNABLE TO WORK. THERE IS NO POWER STEERING LIQUID IN THIS MODEL, AND INSTEAD USES A COMPUTER TO ASSIST WITH POWER STEERING. AFTER SITTING FOR SEVERAL MOMENTS, A SECOND ATTEMPT WAS MADE, AND POWER STEERING SUCCESSFULLY RESPONDED. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS OF A SIMILAR NATURE REGARDING 2008 MODELS AND SOME FOR THE 2009 MODEL OF THE FORD ESCAPE. IS THERE A RECALL OF ANY FORM GOING ON FOR THESE DANGEROUS ISSUES OR DO WE HAVE TO SHELL OUT A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR SOMETHING THAT WE WERE UNAWARE OF WHEN PURCHASING THE VEHICLE? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH WHEN THE POWER STEERING ASSIST SUDDENLY FAILED. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY DIAGNOSED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE POWER STEERING SENSOR HAD MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

WHILE STOPPED AT INTERSECTIONS WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WILL STALL OUT OR WHEN ACCELERATING FROM THROUGH THE INTERSECTION IT WILL STALL OUT. *TR

THIS PROBLEM ORIGINALLY OCCURRED ON DEC 12TH 2013. WHEN I STARTED MY CAR,THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED. I THEN TURNED OFF THE CAR,PULLED THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION AND RESTARTED IT,AND THE WHEEL WAS FINE THEN. AS I WAS DRIVING, MY STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHAKE SLIGHTLY BACK AND FORTH WITHOUT ME TOUCHING IT. THERE WERE NO INDICATOR LIGHTS LIT UP ON MY DASHBOARD. THEN WHILE DRIVING SOME MORE,I HEARD A FAINT CLICK,AND MY STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED AGAIN,IT HAD ABSOLUTELY NO POWER STEERING AND IT TOOK ALL OF MY STRENGTH TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THAT HAS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN EVERY TIME I DRIVE NOW,AND RECENTLY IT HAS GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE THE STEERING WHEEL IS ALWAYS LOCKED WITH NO POWER STEERING. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING SENSOR IS MALFUNCTIONING AND THE WHOLE STEERING COLOUMN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND IT IS A VERY BIG JOB. I AM STILL AWAITING MY QUOTE TO SEE EXACTLY HOW MUCH IT WILL COST ME.I HAVE HAD THIS CAR FOR ONLY 7 MONTHS AND IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG THE 2008 FORD ESCAPES. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THIS ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED,THEY CAN RECALL THINGS LIKE A POWER WINDOW FOR LOCKING UP AND NOT BEING ABLE TO GO UP OR DOWN,BUT NOT THIS. THIS PROBLEM COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY AND POSSIBLY DEATH. THIS IS THE ONLY CAR I HAVE AND I RELY ON IT HEAVILY. IT IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF BY FORD ALREADY. HOW MANY COMPLAINTS DO THEY NEED BEFORE THIS PROBLEM IS ADDRESSED?? *TR

ENGINE JUST STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING AND I ALMOST GOT INVOLVED INTO A CAR ACCIDENT. I PULLED OVER MY CAR AND SHIFTED THE GEAR TO P AND RE-STARTED THE ENGINE. IT WORKED BUT I FELT ENGINE WAS NOT FUNCTIONING OKAY. IT FELT LIKE IT KEPT BURPING CONSTANTLY. I COULD FEEL THE MOVE. I DROVE BACK HOME TO WORRY ABOUT THE ISSUE. *TR

WHEN THE TEMPERATURES DROP TO BELOW 25 DEGREES - THE ACCELERATOR / GAS PEDAL WILL OFTEN "FREEZE" AND NOT ALLOW ACCELERATION AND/OR WILL STAY DEPRESSED EVEN WITH APPLICATION OF THE BRAKE (CAR STILL STOPS) AND IDLES VERY HIGH WHEN IN NEUTRAL. WHEN STARTING FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT AT TIMES THE VEHICLE WILL NOT ACCELERATE PROPERLY. *TR

THROTTLE STICKS SHUT WHEN OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE FALLS BELOW 30 DEGREES . HAVE TO FEEL AROUND FOR RIGHT SPOT TO GET THROTTLE TO MOVE AND VEHICLE TO DRIVE. HAD THROTTLE CABLE REPLACED ONCE BY FORD , HAS DONE THIS EVERY WINTER SINCE THEN . THIS YEAR BEING WORSE THEN NORMAL AND GOT STUCK SO PEDAL WOULDN'T MOVE AT ALL. *TR

THE FIRST TIME MY STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO SHAKE FOR NO APPARENT REASON AT A RED LIGHT. THEN IT STOPPED AS I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD THE STEERING WHEEL JERKED TO THE LEFT. I THEN WAS WORRIED BECAUSE I HAD MY LITTLE BOY WITH ME. I RAN INTO THE STORE AND THEN WENT HOME AND IT STOPPED. TODAY, I DROVE 36 MILES PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY, STOPPED WAITING FOR THE GARAGE DOOR TO OPEN AND THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO SHAKE. I TRIED TO TAPE IT WITH MY PHONE AND IT STOPPED AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES. WILL HAVE IT CHECKED OUT BECAUSE I WOULD HATE TO DRIVE MY LITTLE ONE AND HAVE THE POWER STEERING GO OUT IN IT. *TR

STARTED VEHICLE AND BEGAN TO BACK OUT OF DRIVEWAY WHEN I NOTICED THE POWER STEERING WASN'T WORKING. TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND UPON RE-STARTING, POWER STEERING BEGAN TO WORK AGAIN. THIS HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE. *TR

I PUT MY CAR IN REVERSE TO BACK OUT OF MY SLOPING DRIVEWAY ONTO A VERY NARROW AND BUSY HILLSIDE RESIDENTIAL STREET. WITH CARS COMING DOWN THE HILL PAST OUR DRIVEWAY IT IS ESPECIALLY CRITICAL THAT I HAVE AN OPERATIONAL BRAKING SYSTEM. WHEN I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL THERE WAS NO RESPONSE AND I WENT SHOOTING OUT INTO THE STREET. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A NEARBY REPAIR SHOP THAT I FREQUENT FOR MOST SERVICE APPOINTMENTS. THEY GOT IN THE CAR TO TEST DRIVE IT AND HAD NO PROBLEM WHATEVER WITH THE BRAKES. THEY PUT AN ELECTRONIC SCANNER ON THE ENGINE AND IT REPORTED THAT THERE WAS ONE OR MORE PROBLEMS IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM ALTHOUGH THE TEST DRIVE WENT FINE. THEY SAID THAT WITH THE SCANNER MESSAGE THAT WAS REPORTED, I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT TO A FORD DEALER. I HAVE MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH SAME AND WILL HAVE THE OUTCOME IN A COUPLE OF DAYS. NONE OF THAT REALLY MATTERS AT THIS POINT BECAUSE I NOW HAVE A CAR THAT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE, LET ALONE HAVE SOMEONE ELSE DRIVE IT. FROM ALL OF THE SIMILAR, IF NOT EXACT, INCIDENTS I HAVE BEEN READING ABOUT ON THE WEB IT DOES NOT SOUND LIKELY THAT THE DEALER IS GOING TO FIND A DEFINITIVE ANSWER AS TO WHAT IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. FURTHERMORE, THAT CAR IS USELESS TO ANYONE ELSE SO WHAT DO I DO WITH IT. *TR