2008 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING A JERKING MOVEMENT IN THE STEERING WHEEL (FEELS LIKE FORCE FEEDBACK FROM A DRIVING SIMULATOR), MOST NOTICEABLE AT A STOP. IT APPEARED TO BE A MALFUNCTION OF THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM. I HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED AND WAS TOLD THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. THIS IS BECAUSE THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING IS LOCATED IN THE COLUMN. I WAS TOLD THAT THE PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME AND ARE ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER PUSHING THEIR AVAILABILITY OUT 5 MONTHS OR SO. I HAVE BEEN FORCED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS IN A WORSENING CONDITION UNTIL A FEW DAYS AGO THE POWER STEERING COMPLETELY FAILED AT HIGHWAY SPEED. POWER STEERING WILL COME BACK AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, BUT NOW THE STEERING GOES OUT 3 OR MORE TIMES ON MY 30 MILE HIGHWAY COMMUTE. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT THERE IS A TENDENCY FOR THE VEHICLE TO "AUTO-STEER" OR VEER IN EITHER DIRECTION WITH NO DRIVER INPUT. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I HAVE LOST ALL CONFIDENCE IN THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE DIRECTLY AND AM AWAITING A RESPONSE. *TR

I WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE WORK AND WHEN I STARTED THE CAR TO PULL OUT OF MY PARKING SPOT I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. I KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT CARS TO KNOW THAT THIS WAS RELATED TO THE POWER STEERING...NOT KNOWING AT THE TIME THAT MY CAR HAD AN ELECTRIC POWER STEERING, I LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD TO CHECK THE FLUID THEN I WENT TO GET MY WAREHOUSE MGR TO COME TAKE A LOOK AT IT FOR ME. WHEN HE STARTED THE CAR THE STEERING WAS FINE. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME BUT WAS VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT IT. MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE NOTICED OVER THE PAST WEEK THAT MY STEERING WHEEL WILL VIBRATE OR SHAKE WHEN STOPPED AND THEN THIS OCCURS. FROM WHAT I AM READING THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON OCCURRENCE. I HAVE 2 SMALL CHILDREN AND DON'T WANT TO BE IN AN ACCIDENT WITH THEM IN THE CAR IF THIS OCCURS OUT THE OF THE BLUE AGAIN! WE NOW CONSIDER THIS CAR TO BE A DANGEROUS HAZARD AND UNDRIVEABLE ...WE WILL BE GETTING RID OF IT. *TR

WAS MAKING A TURN AFTER STOPPING AT A LIGHT. IN THE MIDDLE OF MY TURN I FELT THE POWER STEERING FAIL. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME WITH GREAT EFFORT MADE TO STEER. I GOT HOME AND TURNED MY VEHICLE OFF. MY HUSBAND STARTED MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE AND HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH STEERING. AFTER POPPING THE HOOD, HE FOUND NOTHING WRONG. AFTER RESEARCHING THE INTERNET, THERE SEEM TO BE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME EXACT THING HAPPENING AND RESTARTING THE CAR SEEMS TO RESET THE POWER STEERING. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE THE STEERING COLUMN. I AM WONDERING WHY NOTHING IS BEING DONE BY FORD TO FIX THIS PROBLEM? I AM ALSO VERY AFRAID OF IT HAPPENING AGAIN AND CAUSING AN ACCIDENT!!!!!!!!!!!! *TR

I PURCHASED A 2008 FORD ESCAPE NEW IN SEPTEMBER 2008. AFTER 50,000 MILES I NOTICED A BUZZING SOUND FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET FOR PROBABLE CAUSES, I DISCOVERED A TSB STATING THAT IDLER PULLEY MAY FAIL PREMATURELY. I PURCHASED AND REPLACED THE PULLEY AND NOTICED A TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK NEAR THE RADIATOR. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET SOME MORE, I DISCOVERED ANOTHER TSB STATING THAT THE TRANSMISSION COOLERS CRACK DUE TO A FLAWED DESIGN. I CONTACTED FORD THROUGH THE WEBSITE AND THEY STATED THEIR ARE NO RECALLS FOR MY VEHICLE AND DIRECTED ME TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT SOLD MY VEHICLE. THE REPAIR ESTIMATES ARE BETWEEN 800-1000 DOLLARS. I HAVE EXCEEDED MY WARRANTY AND MULTIPLE PERSONS HAVE STATED THAT FORD DOES NOT HONOR IT ANYWAY FOR THIS COMPONENT. I HAVE OWNED 3 FORDS WITH THE SIMILAR ISSUES. FORD POSTS TSBS NOT RECALLS EVEN THOUGH THE DEFECTS ARE CAUSED BY POOR DESIGNS. IF THE COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS DOESN'T ADD UP IN THEIR FAVOR, EXPECT TO PAY OUT OF POCKET. I NO LONGER ALLOW MY WIFE TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AND FULLY EXPECT TO TRADE IT IN SHORTLY. *TR

I OWN A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. I WAS DRIVING DOWN MY STREET,STARTED TO TURN INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND HAD A HARD TIME TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. THE POWER STEERING TOTALLY SHUT DOWN. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTED IT AND EVERYTHING WAS OK. IT HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES IN THE LAST WEEK. CHECKED ONLINE AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. INTERESTED TO SEE HOW FORD HANDLES THIS. *TR

WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED. LOOKED ON INTERNET SEEMS TO BE COMMON. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN MY POWER STEERING FAILED - IT DIDN'T LOCK UP BUT BECAME EXTREMELY HARD TO MANEUVER. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP & THE MAN I SPOKE WITH SAID HE'S NEVER HEARD OF THIS BEING A PROBLEM. *TR

I WAS IN MY CAR AND WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS TO ACCELERATE AND PULL OUT ON TO THE ROAD, MY ENGINE RACED AND I ONLY ROLLED FORWARD, DOWN THE SMALL SLOPE, INTO TRAFFIC. AFTER ABOUT 3 SECONDS MY TRANSMISSION CAUGHT AND THE CAR JUMPED FORWARD AND I MOMENTARILY LOST CONTROL, BARELY MISSING ANOTHER CAR IN THE OTHER LANE. TURNS OUT ALMOST ALL OF THE TRANSMISSION FLUID HAD LEAKED OUT FROM THE TRANSMISSION COOLER, CAUSING A MALFUNCTIONING TRANSMISSION. AFTER BRINGING THE VEHICLE IN TO GET INSPECTED, AND TALKING TO MULTIPLE DEALERS, THEY ALL SAY THAT THEY CONSISTENTLY FIX THIS ISSUE ON THE 2008 FORD ESCAPE. SOME EVEN SAY THEY HAVE TROUBLE STOCKING THE PART BECAUSE THEY DO SO MANY. THE VEHICLE HAS A FAULTY TRANSMISSION COOLER/AC CONDENSER THAT CONSISTENTLY BREAKS AND CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO LOSE TRANSMISSION FLUID, RESULTING IN UNSAFE VEHICLES. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FRACTURED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT A SPRING IN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BROKE AND AS A RESULT, NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 36,100.

THE POWER STEERING IN THIS VEHICLE FAILED TWICE. BOTH TIMES WERE AT LOW SPEED, AND I WAS ABLE TO RECOVER. A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET REVEALS THIS TO BE A SOMEWHAT COMMON PROBLEM WITH ESCAPES, BUT HAS YET TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED BY FORD. I WILL TAKE IT TO THE DEALER BUT AM AFRAID THAT I'LL HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCE AS OTHERS, IN THAT THE PROBLEM WILL NOT BE PRESENT WHEN THE DEALER LOOKS AT IT. AT THIS POINT I NO LONGER CONSIDER THE VEHICLE SAFE. *TR