2008 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH AND APPROACHED A STOP SIGN. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED HOWEVER, THERE WAS A DELAYED RESPONSE AND THE TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS A LOUD GRINDING NOISE HEARD FROM THE VEHICLE. AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS, THE VEHICLE HALTED. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND WHEN RESTARTED, THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED FIVE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER BUT THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO PERFORM A DIAGNOSIS WITHOUT THE MALFUNCTION OCCURRING WHILE BEING DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING FAILED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT A STRANGE NOISE EMITTED FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHILE MAKING A TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,133.

FOR THE LAST 6 WEEKS, MY STEERING COLUMN WOULD SHAKE WHEN CAR WAS IDLING. I ATTEMPTED TO BACK OUT OF A PARKING SPACE PN 12-4-12 AND THE POWER STEERING DID NOT WORK. I RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND IT BEGAN WORKING. SINCE THEN, THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST ONCE A DAY. ON 1-4-13, THE POWER STEERING BECAME NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL. THE ONLY PLACE THAT COULD REPAIR THIS PROBLEM IS AT THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP IN MY TOWN. IT IS WELL KNOWN DEALERSHIPS CHARGE MORE FOR REPAIRS THAN PRIVATE GARAGES. THE COST WILL BE $1300 AND IT WILL TAKE 2 TO 3 DAYS TO COMPLETE THE REPAIR. TECHNICIAN STATED THE SENSOR IN THE STEERING COLUMN WAS UNABLE TO BE REPLACED, SO THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. I DO ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON MY VEHICLE AND AM CURIOUS WHY THIS PROBLEM WASN'T INVOLVED IN A RECALL. IT IS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE!! WHILE SEARCHING ONLINE, I FOUND MANY OTHERS WHO EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. WHILE MY CAR WAS UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, ANOTHER STEERING PROBLEM OCCURRED, BUT THE WARRANTY COVERED THE REPAIR EXPENSE. FORTUNATELY, I HAVE ENOUGH IN SAVINGS TO COVER THIS REPAIR, BUT AM NOT PLEASED ABOUT IT. MY CAR IS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD AND I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED. *TR

UNABLE TO STEER VEHICLE DUE TO LOSS OF POWER STEERING, AFTER RESTARTING VEHICLE PROBLEM WENT AWAY BUT RETURNED WHILE IDLING AT A STOP. THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN PULSATING AND MOVING ON IT'S OWN. HAD TO HAVE VEHICLE TOWED TO REPAIR FACILITY BECAUSE IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. STEERING WOULD UNEXPECTED LOOSE POWER ASSIST. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AS THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT SHE SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, AND IT RESUMED NORMAL FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRIC STEERING AND THE TORQUE SENSOR WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HOWEVER, THEY REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE DEALER TO VERIFY THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 168,000.

WHILE SITTING IN TRAFFIC MY STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY TURNED ON ITS OWN SLIGHTLY. AS I STARTED TO MOVE FORWARD I REALIZED THE STEERING WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND APPEARED TO HAVE NO POWER STEERING. I WAS JUST NEAR THE DEALERSHIP SO I WAS ABLE TO GET IT IN TO THEM. IT TURNS OUT THE STEERING COLUMN IS ELECTRONIC AND BROKE REQUIRING VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. I RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ON-LINE AND I AM FINDING IT TO BE A SIMILAR COMPLAINT ACROSS THE COUNTRY INCLUDING WITH OTHERS WHO WERE ACTUALLY MOVING AT THE TIME OF THE COLUMN FAILURE. MANY AT LOW MILEAGE (LESS THAN 55,000). I FEEL THIS IS BEING IGNORED BY FORD AS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT IT IS A KNOWN DEFECT THAT FORD SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING. *TR

THE POWER STEERING HAS BEEN LOCKING UP IN MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE AND ALSO WHEN IDLING AT A STAND STILL MY STEERING WHEEL PULSES/VIBRATES. I HAVE TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF, AND RESTART IT. SOME TIMES THAT FIXES IT AND SOME TIME IT DOESN'T. SHOULD BE A RECALL WITH ALL THESE POWER STEERING PROBLEMS, THIS IS NOT SAFE! *TR

GAS PEDAL STICKS, ESPECIALLY IN COLD WEATHER. HAVE HAD TO PUT CAR INTO NEUTRAL ON MORE THAN 1 OCCASION DUE TO PEDAL STICKING AT HIGH SPEED. ALSO STICKS WHEN ACCELERATING AT LOW SPEED, MAKING ACCELERATION ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. *TR

THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO NOT HAVE POWER STEERING AT START-UP A FEW TIMES, WITH THE PROBLEM BEING CORRECTED BY TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF THEN ON AGAIN. THE DAY OF DECEMBER 27, THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON AND STEERING WHEEL JERKED/PULSATED FROM SIDE-TO-SIDE, BUT POWER STEERING WAS STILL WORKING. WE THEN TRIED TO MAKE IT HOME ONE NIGHT WHEN THE POWER STEERING COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND PROBLEM WAS FOUND TO BE THE POWER STEERING COLUMN. LUCKILY THE FORD ESCAPE, WITH 88,500 MILES ON IT, HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERING THE $1400 IN REPAIRS. *TR

WHEN THE VEHICLE IS FIRST STARTED, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PRESS THE ACCELERATOR AND AFTER A FEW MOMENTS, THE ACCELERATOR WILL DEPRESS. THERE IS NO INDICATION WHEN THE ACCELERATOR WILL BE FREE AND GREAT CARE MUST BE TAKEN TO AVOID A SUDDEN LUNGE FORWARD. JUST ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO IDLE AND WARM UP DOES NOT SEEM TO MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE. *TR