2008 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE THE STEERING LOCKED ON MY WIFE'S 2008 FORD ESCAPE. SHE CALLED ME TO COME HELP HER AS SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO MOVE HER ESCAPE. UPON ARRIVAL I INSPECTED THE VEHICLE FOR OBVIOUS SIGNS OF PROBLEMS, NONE WERE NOTED. I TRIED TO MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL; I WAS QUITE SHOCKED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL COULD NOT BE MOVED. SINCE I AM 6'4" AND 300LBS MOST THINGS THAT I GRAB MOVE?THE STEERING WHEEL SHOULD HAVE MOVED, JUST WITHOUT THE ASSIST OF THE POWER ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP FOR THEM TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE SENSORS IN THE STEERING COLUMN ARE BAD. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO RESET THE COMPUTER AND THAT THE STEERING NOW FUNCTIONS. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT I HAVE TWO CHOICES DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND SEE IF THE ISSUE REPEATS OR REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN ($1,500.00). I EXPLAINED THAT THIS IS IN FACT A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE STEERING FAILED COMPLETELY AND LOCKED UP AS I WAS UNABLE TO MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL. FORD CUSTOMER CARE WAS CONTACTED AND THEY HAVE OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE IN THIS ISSUE AND CLAIM THAT THEY HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF ANY ISSUES PERTAINING TO THIS PROBLEM ON RECORD. THIS STATEMENT BY FORD CUSTOMER CARE SEEMS TO BE HIGHLY SUSPECT AS A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH FOUND MANY IDENTICAL ISSUES. THE COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE STEERING SYSTEM IS BEYOND UNACCEPTABLE! IF SOMEONE WITH MY STRENGTH CANNOT MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL THAN HOW IS SOMEONE THE SIZE OF MY WIFE SUPPOSED TO MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL IF AND IN THIS CASE WHEN THE STEERING SYSTEM FAILS. FORD NEEDS TO ACCEPT THAT THERE IS IN FACT A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM RELATED TO THE FAILURE OF THE ELECTRONIC STEERING SYSTEM OF THE FORD ESCAPE. COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE STEERING IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. AGAIN THIS WAS A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE STEERING SYSTEM!!! *TR

1/22/13-STARTED MY VEHICLE UP AT 8AM AND THE POWER STEERING WOULD NOT ENGAGE, THINKING IS WAS DUE TO COLD, I STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE UP, POWER ASSIST ENGAGE AND I DROVE THE VEHICLE APPROX 1/4MILE WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN THE POWER ASSIST FAILED AND NEARLY COLLIDED MY VEHICLE ONTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC DUE TO STEERING FAILURE; I IMMEDIATELY DROVE HOME AND PARKED THE VEHICLE. ON 1/23/13 I DROVE THE VEHICLE VERY CAREFULLY TO A NEARBY FORD DEALERSHIP (APPROX 2 MILES FROM HOME). I WAS ADVISED BY THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (AFTER A DIAGNOSTIC TEST) THAT THE STEERING COLUMN REQUIRES REPLACEMENT DUE TO THE ELECTRONIC MODULE FAILURE AS IT IS PART OF THE VEHICLES ELECTRONIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM (EPAS) AND WAS QUOTED A REPAIR PRICE (>1400.00). I DID SOME ONLINE RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS TYPE OF STEERING FAILURE IS EXTREMELY COMMON WITH THIS VEHICLE AND THE EPAS AND MANY MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN REGISTERED BY CONSUMERS ON THIS EXACT STEERING PROBLEM. DUE TO THE UNPREDICTABILITY, POTENTIAL DANGER AND THE COMMONALITY OF THIS TYPE OF COMPLAINT WITH THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE, COULD THIS WARRANT A RECALL OF THIS VEHICLE OR AT LEAST A SERVICE BULLETIN OF THIS POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC STEERING ISSUE? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT IT BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

TWICE IN THE LAST MONTH, WHILE MAKING SHARP TURN AND U-TURN, WE LOST OUR POWER STEERING. THE FIRST TIME WAS WHEN TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT, BUT THE SECOND TIME WAS IN TRAFFIC. EACH TIME IT TOOK ALL OF OUR STRENGTH TO GET THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED SO THAT THE VEHICLE COULD BE MOVED OUT OF TRAFFIC. BOTH TIMES WE PUT VEHICLE IN PARK AND TURNED OFF IGNITION. WHEN RE-STARTED, POWER STEERING WAS FINE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS VEHICLE FAILURE. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC EACH TIME, BUT MAY NOT BE AS LUCKY THE NEXT. WHEN WE GOT HOME, WE GOOGLED 2008 FORD ESCAPE STEERING PROBLEMS TO SEE IF THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL THAT WE WERE NOT AWARE OF, AND WE WERE ASTONISHED TO SEE HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAD REPORTED THIS SAME FAILURE. A RECALL NEEDS TO BE ISSUED BEFORE SOMEONE LOSES THEIR LIFE. *TR

DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY AND LOST POWER STEERING. HAD TO USE ALL STRENGTH TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY. STOPPED AND RESTARTED CAR AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. BEGAN DRIVING TOWARD HOME, BUT DURING A STOP LIGHT STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE (WHILE IDLE) AND LOST POWER STEERING AGAIN. I HAVE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND THIS IS NOT COVERED. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND RIDICULOUS. *TR

MY FORD ESCAPE IS MY FAMILY AND WORK VEHICLE. ONE MORNING I STARTED IT AFTER IT WAS PARKED IN COLD OVERNIGHT, ENGINE STARTED BUT THE STEERING WAS STUCK, THOUGHT BATTERY WAS BAD. RESTARTED SEVERAL TIMES UNTIL STEERING LOOSENED UP. DROVE CAR AND EVERY STOP LIGHT OR WHILE IDLING, THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED SO HARD AND HAVE TO HOLD IT STEADY, THOUGHT, TIME TO HAVE MY CONTROL ARM REPLACED AGAIN. TOOK IT TO A FRIEND'S CAR SHOP , SAID, THEY'VE BEEN HAVING COSTUMERS BRINGING THEIR FORD ESCAPES LATELY WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY COULDN'T FIX IT. TOLD ME TO GO TO MY DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED IT , ELECTRONIC STEERING PROBLEM $90 FOR DIAGNOSIS, $1100 PARTS AND LABOR, ABOUT 3-DAYS TO ORDER FOR PARTS. TOO EXPENSIVE AND DANGEROUS, NEEDS TO HAVE A RECALL. *TR

THE CAR INVOLVED WAS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 45 AND I LOST COMPLETE CONTROL OF MY POWER STEERING. I WAS UNABLE TO TURN STEERING WHEEL. I USED ALL MY FORCE TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I THEN TURNED THE CAR OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON MY STEERING WAS THEN FINE. I GOT BACK ON THE ROAD AND I LOST ALL OF MY POWER STEERING AGAIN. THIS STEERING PROBLEM IS VERY DANGEROUS AND RECALL MUST BE ENFORCED!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN SHE STARTED THE VEHICLE THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO FAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND THEY STATED THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 91,999.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME HARD TO TURN WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC. THE STEERING WHEEL RETURNED TO ITS NORMAL POSITION WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 84,000. UPDATED 3/20/13 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHEN ACCELERATING FORWARD FROM AN IDLE POSITION. UPDATED 04/17/13

DROVE VEHICLE YESTERDAY, NO PROBLEMS. THIS MORNING STARTED TO DRIVE AND LOST POWER STEERING. MADE IT BACK HOME BUT COULD HAVE BEEN BAD IF ON HIGHWAY. *TR