2008 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

ON THE MORNING OF 3/1/11 I GOT INTO MY FORD ESCAPE TO DRIVE TO WORK. I STARTED THE CAR, AND BACKED OUT OF MY PARKING SPACE, I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WAS VERY STIFF, WHICH I ATTRIBUTED IN MY MIND TO THE ICE STORM FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE. THAT EVENING WHEN I RETURNED HOME FROM WORK THE STEERING WAS FINE. HOWEVER, THE NEXT DAY, AGAIN THE STEERING WAS STIFF AS IF THERE WERE NO POWER STEERING. I SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE STEERING WAS FINE. AGAIN THAT EVENING ALL WAS FINE, BUT THE NEXT MORNING NO POWER STEERING. REPEATING MY STEPS FROM THE DAY BEFORE, I RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND ALL WAS FINE, HOWEVER THAT EVENING AGAIN THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING. I REFERRED TO MY OWNERS MANUAL AND FOUND THAT THERE IS NO POWER STEERING RESERVOIR TO CHECK OR FILL. I CONTACTED A MECHANIC AND HE WASN'T SURE WITH NO RESERVOIR, SO HE AND I BOTH BEGAN RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND SEVERAL WEBSITES WHICH LISTED MY VERY SAME PROBLEM, AND STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED WITH ESTIMATES RANGING FROM $1100 TO $1700. THERE WERE SEVERAL ENTRIES WHICH MENTIONED ACCIDENTS WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THE POWER STEERING BEEN WORKING. THIS IS APPARENTLY AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITHIN THE STEERING COLUMN WHICH LEADS ME TO WONDER ABOUT THE AIR BAGS WORKING DURING AN ACCIDENT. I HAD MY MECHANIC LOOK AT IT, HE CONTACTED FORD AND THEY GAVE HIM A COUPLE OF THINGS TO CHECK, BUT DOUBTED ANY OF THEM WOULD BE THE CAUSE. HE TOOK THE ESCAPE TO HIS LOCAL FORD DEALER TO GET A READING FROM THE CARS COMPUTER, AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT A STEERING COLUMN WAS NECESSARY. MY CONCERN IS THAT FORD IS NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING. I WOULD HATE TO THINK THAT SOMEONE HAS TO DIE BEFORE THIS PROBLEM GETS THE ATTENTION IT REQUIRES TO START A RECALL.

I OWN A 2008 FORD ESCAPE THAT WAS ONE OF THOUSANDS THAT WAS MANUFACTURED WITH A DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION COOLER. I AM ONE OF THOUSANDS WHO WANT SOMETHING DONE A RECALL PRODUCED AS THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. THE DEFECTIVE PART SEEMS TO BREAK WITHOUT WARNING. THE PART DEVELOPS A CRACK AND LEAKS ALL OF THE VEHICLES TRANSMISSION FLUID OUT WHICH CAN CAUSE 2 ISSUES. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID CAN IGNITE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD BY BLOWING BACK ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD OR BY GOING UNDETECTED ALL THE FLUID CAN DRAIN OUT AND CAUSE THE TRANSMISSION TO NOT ENGAGE WHEN MERGING INTO TRAFFIC OR HIGHWAYS CAUSING A CRASH. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY KNOWS ABOUT, THEY WILL NOT REPLACE THE PART AS PART OF A MISTAKE IN THEIR MANUFACTURING. THEY WILL HAVE A MINIMUM WAGE CUSTOMER SERVICE ASSOCIATE SAY SORRY UNTIL YOU GET FRUSTRATED AND HANG UP ON THEM. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED AS WHEN I BROUGHT UP THAT FACT THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT DIDN'T CARE AND THEY TOLD ME TO HOPE FOR A RECALL. THE OWNERS THAT HAVE PAID TO FIX THEIR CARS ARE ALSO OUT ANOTHER $1000 ON A CAR THAT IS ONLY 3 OR LESS YEARS OLD. I HOPE WHOEVER GETS THIS TAKES THIS SERIOUSLY AND DOES THE RESEARCH. YOU CAN CALL FORD AND QUESTION THEM AS I'M SURE THEY HAVE AT LEAST THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS, THE INTERNET IS FULL OF COMPLAINTS, VIDEOS, AND MANY CONCERNED OWNERS. AGAIN THIS DEFECTIVE PART IS GOING TO GET SOMEONE KILLED AND I HOPE YOU CAN HELP ALL OF US OWNERS GET RECOURSE BY GETTING A RECALL ISSUED AND KEEPING THE ROADS SAFE FROM THESE DEATH TRAPS FORD CONTINUES TO MANUFACTURE WITH THIS DEFECTIVE PART. *TR

HAVE A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THIS CAR IS HAVING ISSUES WHERE THE POWER STEERING WILL GO OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING AND TURNING. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS. I TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. ALTHOUGH YOU CAN GO ON FORD ESCAPE CUSTOMER FORUMS AND SEE COUNTLESS INSTANCES WHERE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER PEOPLE SOME RESULTING IN ACCIDENTS. I HAVE ASKED FORD SEVERAL TIMES TO HELP ME WITH THIS ISSUE AND THEY SAY THAT WE NEED TO REPLACE THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN $1700 CHARGE. THIS IS HAPPENING WITH MOST OF THE POSTINGS I SAW AND WITH MY OWN VEHICLE AT RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE. IT SEEMS THAT THIS WOULD NOT BE A NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ON THE VEHICLE WITH LOW MILEAGE. CONTINUOUSLY PEOPLE I HAVE SEEN AND ALSO FOR MYSELF HAVE GOTTEN THE ANSWER FROM FORD THAT THEY HAVEN'T HEARD OF THIS ISSUE BEFORE. I AM NOT HAPPY BECAUSE I HAVE TO EXPEND THE MONEY TO FIX THIS BUT MORE SO I WANT TO HAVE THIS ISSUE CORRECTED BEFORE SOMEONE REALLY GETS HURT. IF AN ELDERLY PERSON WERE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WITH THAT PROBLEM THEY WOULD WRECK BECAUSE OF NOT HAVING THE STRENGTH TO KEEP THE WHEEL IN MOTION CORRECTLY. SAME MAY BE WITH A YOUNGER DRIVER. PLEASE PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THIS PROBLEM FOR ME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE VEHICLE WOULD EXHIBIT AN ABNORMAL SQUEALING WHEN FIRST STARTING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THE ALTERNATOR BELT BRACKET PULLEY WAS DEFECTIVE AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 39,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 38,900.

I RECENTLY NOTICED THAT MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE WAS LEAKING SOME FLUID ON THE DRIVEWAY. I HAD ALSO NOTICED SOME SLIPPAGE OF THE TRANSMISSION WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS. MY SERVICE STATION ADVISED THAT THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE TRANSMISSION COOLER. THEY ENCOURAGED ME TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER, BECAUSE IT WAS LIKELY UNDER WARRANTY. THE ESCAPE WAS A "CERTIFIED PRE'OWNED" MODEL WHICH CARRIED AN ADDITIONAL WARRANTY FOR THE TRANSMISSION. MY LOCAL FORD DEALER CONFIRMED THAT TRANSMISSION LEAK, BUT DECLINED TO COVER THE COST OF REPAIRS, BECAUSE THEY SAID THAT THE ITEM WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. AFTER LEARNING OF THE PROBLEM, I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AMONG OWNERS OF 2008 FORD ESCAPES. I FEEL THAT THIS TRANSMISSION LEAKAGE PROBLEM POSES A SAFETY RISK TO THE PUBLIC. IF FORD IS UNWILLING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, THEN THIS MODEL SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO A SAFETY RECALL. *TR

WE BOUGHT OUR 2008 FORD ESCAPE IN JUNE OF 2011. IT WAS A CERTIFIED USED VEHICLE WITH ABOUT 48,000 MILES ON IT. OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL ON OUR 2008 FORD ESCAPE SUDDENLY BEGINS VIBRATING AT STOP LIGHTS. ON THREE OCCASIONS NOW, THE STEERING HAS BECOME EXTREMELY HARD, ALMOST AS IF THE POWER STEERING JUST QUICK WORKING. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO HAPPEN FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN IT STOPS. THIS MORNING WHEN WE STARTED THE VEHICLE THE POWER STEERING WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY LOCKED. MY HUSBAND TURNED THE CAR OFF, THEN ON, THEN OFF, THEN ON AND THE POWER STEERING RETURNED TO NORMAL. WE ARE EXTREMELY WORRIED THAT THE STEERING MAY FAIL WHILE WE ARE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. MY HUSBAND CONTACTED THE DEALER THIS MORNING TO TELL THEM THAT WE ARE BRINGING THE VEHICLE BACK TO BE FIXED. *TR

I HAVE A 2008 FORD ESCAPE AND THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHAKE SO HARD ESPECIALLY WHEN I WAS JUST SITTING AT A STOP LIGHT OR NOT EVEN IN DRIVE THAT I WAS SHAKING WHILE HOLDING IT. THEN THE POWER STEERING STARTED TO GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT ANY SIGN OR LIGHTS OR ANYTHING INDICATING A PROBLEM. MY ISSUE ONLY HAPPENED ONCE IN 2-3 WEEK PERIOD WHEN I WOULD START THE CAR AND DRIVE I DIDN'T REALIZE THERE WAS A PROBLEM UNTIL I HAD TO TURN THE WHEEL AND IT WAS SOO HARD TO TURN. THEN IT STARTED TO HAPPEN ALMOST EVERYTIME I STARTED THE CAR SO I WOULD START THE CAR TRY AND MOVE THE WHEEL AND IF I FELT THE TENSION TURNED OFF THE CAR AND KEPT RESTARTING HOPING IT WOULD "FIX ITSELF". I LOOKED UP THE ISSUE ONLINE AND SAW ALL OF THESE COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME ISSUE, SOME HAD THIS ISSUE WHILE THEY WERE DRIVING AND LOST POWER STEERING AND HAD TO AVOID ACCIDENTS. I HAVE TWO TODDLERS IN THE CAR WITH ME AND I DID NOT WANT TO RISK THIS ISSUE GETTING THAT BAD. I TOOK IT INTO THE SHOP AND IT WAS TOLD THE STEERING SHAFT TORQUE SENSOR AND THAT THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED COSTING $1100.+ WITH ALL OF THESE COMPLAINTS AND SAFETY ISSUES I'M SHOCKED THAT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM THAT WE , THE CONSUMER, HAVE NO CONTROL OVER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME STIFF AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE TO BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000.

2008 FORD ESCAPE, 4X4, SLIDE WITH NO CONTROL ON 6 IN OF SNOW, CRASHED ON DRIVER SIDE. THE FRONTAL AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY, ONLY THE SIDE ONE DID. DRIVER BROKE THE NASAL BONES, THE BONES UNDER LEFT EYE AND THE NOSE NEED ABOUT 12 STITCHES. *LN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH OR ABOVE, THE POWER STEERING WOULD FAIL WITHOUT WARNING. ON OCCASION, THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND ALLOW THE POWER STEERING ASSIST TO IMMEDIATELY RESET ITSELF AND OTHER TIMES, IT WOULD TAKE OVER FIVE MINUTES BEFORE THE ENGAGING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC SHOP WHO ADVISED THAT THE STEERING PUMP FAILED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS CONFIRMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.