2008 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 102,359. *TR...UPDATED 05/22/13 *BF UPDATED 06/05/2013 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE STARTED THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL PULSATED AND THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING ASSIST. AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, THE POWER STEERING WOULD ACTIVATE. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. A DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND AN APPOINTMENT WAS SECURED FOR DIAGNOSIS OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 102,000. UPDATED 4/24/13 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED ON MARCH 15, 2013 AT A COST OF $ 1366.50

I TURNED ON MY SEAT WARMER ON DRIVER'S SEAT AND HEATER, WITHIN A MINUTE OR SO SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT BOTTOM PART OF CONTROL PANEL WHERE IT MEETS THE CONSOLE. THE SMOKE GOT WORSE. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF HEAVY TRAFFIC AND HAD A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING OVER TO TURN OFF AND GET STOPPED. BY THIS TIME THE SMOKE WAS QUITE BAD (HAD ELECTRICAL SMELL) I HAD ALL WINDOWS DOWN & SUN ROOF OPEN. THE CAR ALARM WENT OFF, THE HEATER WOULD NOT TURN OFF. I FINALLY GOT STOPPED AND GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE. A LADY PULLED IN TO THE CHURCH PARKING AREA WHERE I WAS AND CALLED 911 FOR ME. BY THIS TIME YOU COULD SEE ACTUAL FIRE (FLAMES) COMING FROM THE SAME SPOT AS SMOKE. IT WAS AMAZING HOW QUICKLY IT WAS IN FLAMES. THE VEHICLE BLEW UP. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED IN TIME TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE ONLY THING LEFT IS THE METAL SHELL AND THE TIRES. NOTHING IN THE INTERIOR. ALL WINDOWS AND SUNROOF BLEW OUT. BUMPERS, LIGHTS, TAIL LIGHTS MELTED. THANKS FORD. *TR

ON, OR ABOUT THE DATE LISTED ABOVE, AND SEVERAL INCIDENTS LATER, OUR 208 FORD ESCAPE CONTINUES TO STALL UNEXPECTEDLY AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT TO THE MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE STALLING. COMPUTER DIAGNOSTICS YIELDED NO CODES. AFTER ALMOST TWO WEEKS IN THE SHOP, WE NEEDED OUR CAR BACK, SO I HAVE DECIDED TO DRIVE IT AND LET MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER DRIVE MY HONDA BECAUSE OF SAFETY ISSUES. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, AND DOCUMENT ON THIS OFFICIAL WEBSITE, THAT THE STALLING PROBLEM IS KNOWN BY NHTSA AND AN INVESTIGATION TO THIS PROBLEM WAS STARTED IN FEBRUARY 2013 BY YOUR AGENCY. THIS PROBLEM, AS NOTED BY SO MANY OTHERS, IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INJURED IN MVAS AS A RESULT. NOT SURE IF ANYONE HAS BEEN KILLED YET, BUT THAT IS INEVITABLE DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE STALLING INCIDENTS. SOMEONE NEEDS TO INITIATE LEGISLATURE OR A MANDATE, OR WHATEVER IT IS YOU DO, SO THAT FORD IS FORCED TO RECALL AND REPAIR THIS PROBLEM. I AM PERSONALLY HOLDING FORD, AND THE NHTSA RESPONSIBLE IF SOMETHING IS NOT DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM IN AN EXPEDITIOUS MANNER. GOD FORBID THAT THERE SHOULD BE ANYMORE INJURIES, OR ANYONE KILLED AS A RESULT OF THIS DEFECT THAT IS ALREADY DOCUMENTED AND BEING INVESTIGATED. REMEMBER: ONCE YOU START AN INVESTIGATION, YOU HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE IS SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE OF A PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ENTERING INTO A PARKING SPACE, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN VIBRATING AND COULD NOT BE TURNED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED, AS THE POWER STEERING ASSIST RESET INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

WHILE TRAVELING DOWN A OPEN HIGHWAY, THE SUNROOF GLASS ON THE ABOVE VEHICLE (2008 FORD ESCAPE) EXPLODED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE GLASS BUCKLED UPWARD WHEN IT BROKE. THE OUTSIDE TEMP WAS @60 DEGREES AND CLOUDY. THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES ANYWHERE NEAR. THE ABOVE MILES ARE APPX.. I WILL BE TAKING PICTURES FOR RECORD. *TR

DRIVING ALONG AND THE WRENCH ICON COMES ON WHILE THE VEHICLE STALLS AND DECELERATES. THIS ISSUE REOCCURS CONSISTENTLY AND APPEARS TO BE THAT THE VEHICLE IS UNABLE TO SMOOTHLY TRANSITION AUTOMATICALLY INTO 2ND/3RD GEAR. VEHICLE DIAGNOSED BY AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO ADVISED THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED SINCE DEALER CLAIMS IT IS NOT UNDER RECALL AND IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE GOING 45MPH MY POWER STEERING FAILED. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. I STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND SHUT IT OFF. ONCE I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE THE POWER STEERING STARTED WORKING AGAIN. AS I CONTINUED TO DRIVE MY STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE AND THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT AGAIN. I LOOKED UP ON LINE ABOUT THIS AND FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THIS ISSUE. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE CONDITION THAT IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THIS VEHICLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. I'M SURPRISED NO ONE HAS BEEN KILLED YET BUT IT WILL HAPPEN IF SOMETHING IS NOT DONE ABOUT IT. I CONTACTED MY FORD DEALER AND THERE IS CURRENTLY NO RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE FOR THIS PROBLEM. I ALSO CONTACTED THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND REGISTERED A COMPLAINT WITH THEM BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. BASED ON THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS AND THE SAFETY ISSUE WITH THIS I FEEL SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT IT. *TR

CAR INVOLVED IS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE XLT. WHILE ON A 250 MILE TRIP, I HAD EXITED I-20 AND WAS DRIVING APPROX 40MPH ON A 5 LANE HIGHWAY WHEN I HEARD A CLICK AND THE STEERING BECAME TOTALLY UNRESPONSIVE. IT TOOK MY ENTIRE BODY WEIGHT AGAINST THE STEERING WHEEL TO GUIDE THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTING, THE STEERING CAPABILITY RETURNED TO NORMAL. HAVE BEEN TOLD THE POWER STEERING MOTOR WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. CONSIDERING THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS AND SEVERE CRASHES, THERE SHOULD BE AT LEAST A "SOFT RECALL" ON THE STEERING SENSORS, COLUMN AND POWER STEERING MOTOR. *TR

THE VEHICLE'S POWER STEERING IS FAILING ON A REGULAR BASIS. IT IS EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRICAL POWER STEERING SYSTEM SO IS NOT ATTRIBUTED TO LOW FLUID LEVELS, HOSES, OR LINES. THIS IS A POPULAR PROBLEM AMONG OWNERS OF THE SAME CAR WITH SIMILAR MILEAGE. *TR