2008 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

THIS IS AN UPDATE TO PREVIOUS INCIDENT. $10486901 HAVING SPENT THE PREVIOUS ($900) TO FIND THE PROBLEM, CUSTOMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALERSHIP REPAIR SHOP. THEY AGREED WITH THE OTHER MECHANICS THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS DEFECTIVE, BUT SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT GIVE ANYTHING IN WRITING TILL I PAID THEIR DIAGNOSTIC FEE ($135) AND SAW FOR THEMSELVES. I AGREED. NOW I HAVE SPENT ANOTHER ($1120) TO REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. I ALSO HAVE IN WRITING FROM THE FORD DEALERSHIP THAT THE SPEED CANNOT BE VIEWED WHILE DRIVING (IT READS 0 MPH) AND IS A SAFETY ISSUE. CONTACT ME FOR THE NEXT STEP. *TR

CPSC: I1320536A. 2008 FORD ESCAPE. CONSUMER STATED THESE CARS HAVE POWER STEERING CONTROL ISSUES. *LN THE CONSUMER STATED THE POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE, AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE NEW ELECTRONIC POWER ASSIST STEERING SYSTEM CAN MALFUNCTION WITHOUT WARNING AND THE LEAVE THE DRIVER WITHOUT STEERING.

WHILE SITTING IDLE AT A LIGHT THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES, POWERING STEERING SYSTEM SHUTS DOWN WHILE OPERATING VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE STARTED THE IGNITION AND THERE WAS AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND UPON RESTARTING THE POWER STEERING ASSIST BEGAN TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD ALSO SHAKE INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND DURING INITIAL START UP OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE STEERING COLUMN SENSOR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE MALFUNCTION. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

AT AROUND NOON ON 3/11/2013, MY STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO VIBRATE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 75 MPH. AFTER RUNNING SOME ERRANDS AND DEALING WITH THIS ALL DAY, I WAS EXITING THE FREEWAY TO THE FEEDER ROAD (DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC) AND MY POWER STEERING TOTALLY WENT OUT. IT WAS ALL I COULD DO TO MOVE THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I PULLED A MUSCLE IN MY ARM PULLING SO HARD OUT OF SHEER PANIC. IT'S A MIRACLE I DIDN'T HIT ANOTHER CAR, AS IT WAS BUMPER TO BUMPER ON EACH SIDE OF ME DUE TO THE TIME OF DAY. ONCE I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, I HAD CONTROL OF THE STEERING AGAIN BUT THE VIBRATING HAS NOT WENT AWAY AND IT IS GETTING WORSE! I'M AFRAID TO GET BACK ON THE ROAD AND SINCE THE CAR IS AROUND 130K MILES...NO WARRANTY. I SEE ONLINE THAT MANY OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. I WANT THIS PROBLEM RECALLED AND FIXED BY FORD BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY HURT ON THE ROAD! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND UPON RESTARTING, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO OPERATE NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

I WAS APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT AND NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE IN MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE. AT THIS TIME I STILL HAD POWER STEERING BUT THE STEERING WHEEL CONTINUED TO VIBRATE. AS I PROCEEDED THROUGH THE LIGHT, IT CONTINUED TO SHAKE WITH A SLIGHT GRAB TO THE RIGHT PERIODICALLY. AS I CONTINUED ONTO THE FREEWAY, THE SHAKE CONTINUED UNTIL THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT COMPLETELY. AFTER GETTING HOME, I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND WAITED A FEW MINUTES, STARTED IT UP AGAIN AND THE VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS BACK BUT THE POWER STEERING WAS WORKING AGAIN, AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THE SHAKE WAS GONE AND SO WAS THE POWER STEERING. TO THIS DATE, 03/10/13, I DO NOT HAVE POWER STEERING AT ALL. I TOOK IT TO MY FORD DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF THE TORQUE SENSOR IN THE COLUMN. MY MILEAGE AT THE TIME I NOTICED THE SHAKE WAS 82,000. THE COST TO REPLACE THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS, AND THE SAFETY ISSUES INVOLVED ARE SEVERE CAUSE FOR CONCERN. I NOTICED THAT THERE ARE MANY, MANY OTHER 2008 ESCAPE OWNERS WITH THIS SAME ISSUE. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL!!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BECOME DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TORQUE WAS DEFECTIVE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ENTIRE POWER STEERING SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND FILED A COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000.

POWER STEERING GOES OUT FOR NO REASON. IT CLICKS IN THE HOUSING UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL, IN THE STEERING COLUMN. NEEDED TO ADD THAT WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL INJURIES AND MORE THAN ONE ACCIDENT WHERE A VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF THIS DEFECT. *TR

AS I WAS BACKING UP, I LOST POWER STEERING. I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL WITHOUT GREAT FORCE, AND BACKED INTO THE PORCH. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND TURNING IT BACK ON, THIS RESOLVED. IT HAPPENED AGAIN THE NEXT DAY GOING FORWARD AT 40 MPH. I COULD HEAR SOMETHING IN THE STEERING COLUMN CLICK AND THEN LOST POWER STEERING. NOW THE POWER STEERING HAS COMPLETELY GONE OUT. WHEN I START THE CAR, I CAN TURN THE STEERING WHEEL ALL THE WAY ONE DIRECTION AND "TRICK" IT INTO HAVING POWER STEERING FOR A MOMENT BEFORE IT CLICKS OFF AGAIN. I HAVE SUSTAINED A NECK AND SHOULDER INJURY FROM HAVING TO USE MY ENTIRE BODY TO TURN THE WHEEL, AND SLAMMING INTO THE PORCH WHEN THE WHEEL GOT "STUCK" IN A TURNED POSITION AND I WAS UNABLE TO TURN IT BACK. IT IS UNBELIEVABLE THAT NO ONE HAS DIED AS A RESULT OF FORD'S DEFECT. WILL THE NHTSA WAIT UNTIL THEN TO FORCE FORD INTO A RECALL? *TR