2010 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

The contact owns a 2010 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 30 mph while attempting to make a left turn, the steering wheel turned right inadvertently then ceased. The contact slammed on the brake pedal to stop the vehicle from going into a ditch. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed that the steering shaft torque sensor malfunctioned and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer since parts were on back order. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was 118,000.

FORD RECALL OF POWER STEERING RESET THE COMPUTER. POWER STEERING STILL FAILED REQUIRING THE SENSOR THAT WAS NOT REPLACED TO BE REPLACED. THE PROBLEM PRESENTED WITH THE SAME ERROR CODES AND SYMPTOMS THAT CAUSED THE RECALL. FORD SAID THAT THE RECALL WAS ALREADY COMPLETED. AT THE TIME THEY FLASHED THE MEMORY ON THE DEVICE INSTEAD OF REPLACING.

WHILE DRIVING MADE RIGHT HAND TURN INTO SERVICE STATION AND LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. FORTUNATELY HAD SLOWED FOR TURN AND ALTHOUGH SCARED NO ONE WAS HURT WHEN TOW COMPANY JACKED UP ESCAPE TO TOW IT ONTO FLATBED TRUCK WE SAW THAT FORWARD FRAME HAD RUSTED ALLOWING FRONT OF A ARM TO SEPARATE FROM FRAME CAUSING SUSPENSION TO SEPARATE FROM VEHICLE.

THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY - THE LIFT GATE TRAPS WATER INSIDE AND HAS CAUSED THE LIFT GATE TO RUST OUT SO BADLY THAT IT HAS CAUSED ME TO REPLACE THE LIFT GATE LATCH ACTUATOR MOTOR AND ASSEMBLY ON THE LIFT GATE 5 TIMES SINCE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN MAY 2010. MY SERVICE DOG HAS GOTTEN STUCK IN THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE LIFT GATE MOTOR BECOMING BROKEN. I WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE LIFTGATE AND HAD TO TAKE DOWN THE SEATS. IN THE EVENT THIS WAS AN EMERGENCY MY SERVICE ANIMAL WOULD'VE DIED. MY SERVICE ANIMAL IS TOO LARGE TO RIDE UP FRONT AND SHE RIDES IN THE BACK. ON OCCASION WHEN MY LIFT GATE WAS NOT WORKING, I HAD TO RENT A VEHICLE. IN ORDER TO FIX THE RECENT ISSUE WITH THE GATE, THE SHOP THAT I TOOK MY CAR TO HAD TO PRY OPEN THE GATE AND REPLACE THE MOTOR ASSEMBLY. THIS ISSUE WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THE LIFT GATE IS REPLACED AND NO LONGER HOLDS WATER. THIS IS A COMMON SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE FORD ESCAPES. ADDITIONALLY, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR ALSO HOLDS A LOT OF WATER. THE MILEAGE INDICATED IS FOR THE MOST RECENT REPAIR, BUT IT HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES PRIOR TO THIS DATE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE AT A STANDSTILL, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING ASSIST WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO LOCAL DEALER, AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V284000 (STEERING) HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 160,000.

FIRST I NOTICE THE CAR JUST DROP GEARS AND NEARLY STOP ON THE OFF RAMP OF THE HIGHWAY. SECOND TIME I TRIED TO REVERSE AND IT WOULD NOT MOVE AND I HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE IT TO THE GARAGE. FORD TOLD ME IT NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. FORD DEALERSHIP WANTED TO CHARGE ME OVER $ 5000 FOR THE JOB. I WINDED UP GOING TO A LEE MYLES THAT CHARGE COST TO $ 4000 FOR THE REPAIRS IT HAD DONE. NOW FEW MONTHS LATER AND THE VEHICLE IS SHAKING UPON START UP AND IDILING. WHENEVER I DRIVE THE CAR IT FEELS LIKE ITS JERKS SLIGHTLY WHEN GOING AT HIGHER SPEEDS. CHANGED OUT THE AIR FILTER, REBUILT TRANSMISSION AND STILL HAVING PROBLEM AFTER PROBLEMS WITH THIS 2010 FORD ESCAPE.

STEERING;AT SLOW SPEEDS AND ESPECIALLY AT IDLE THE STEERING WHEEL JUMPS BACK AND FORTH. JITTERY IS HOW I'D DESCRIBE IT. AT SLOW SPEEDS IT FEELS LIKE A LOOSE WHEEL WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES. THROTTLE BODY; RECALL IS EXPIRED. I PURCHASED THE CAR (SECOND OWNER) ABOUT 2015 FROM A DEALERSHIP IN ORANGE COUNTY, CA. I NEVER RECEIVED ANY COMMUNICATION FROM FORD ABOUT THIS ISSUE. OEM THROTTLE BODY FAILED IN 2019, WHICH WAS INDEPENDENTLY DIAGNOSED AND I REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE COMPONENT. NO RECOURSE AT THE PRESENT WITH EITHER ISSUE. BOTH ARE SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUES KNOWN THROUGHOUT FORD FORUMS AND INCLUDING THE MANUFACTURER.

WHEN I STARTED VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO SHAKE A LITTLE BIT ON ITS OWN, THEN I TRY TO LEAVE PARKING SPACE AND STEERING WAS REALLY HARD TO MOVE. I TRIED TO DRIVE LIKE THIS BUT IT IS REALLY HARD TO STEER VEHICLE ON THIS CONDITIONS TRYING TO DRIVE ON TRAFFIC HAS BECOME DANGEROUS DUE TO THE LACK OF STEERING, I OPTED TO STOP DRIVING THIS CAR UNTIL I CAN TAKE IT TO THE SHOP.

REAR SUBFRAME IS RUSTED, POTENTIALLY CRACKED CAUSING NOISE AND LOSS OF NORMAL CONTROL WHEN DRIVING.

THE CAR HAS HAD ISSUES STARTING SINCE I BROUGHT IT FROM A USED DEALER LAST SEPTEMBER. OVER TIME IT GOT MORE DIFFICULT TO CRANK. I STARTED CHECKING YOUTUBE TO SEE IF IT WERE JUST ME AND CAME TO LEARN THAT THERE IS A GREAT MULTITUDE OF OTHERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THEIR FORD ESCAPES. THE LOCKING MECHANISM FROM THE KEY THAT FLIPS THE IGNITION SWITCH IS EITHER TOO WEEK OR IT DOESN'T TURN FAR ENOUGH FOR THE VEHICLE TO CRANK. I HAVE HAD TO REMOVE THE COVERING FROM MY STEERING WHEEL AND MANUALLY USE THE SPARE KEY AS AN EXTENSION OF THE O E INSIDE THE IGNITION, IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO CRANK. THE SAME PROCESS IS REQUIRED IN TURNING THE CAR OFF. RIGHT NOW IT WORKS, HOWEVER COULD BE A HAZARD WITH ALL OF THE WIRING IN THE STEERING WHEEL EXPOSED. AND WHO IS TO SAY THAT ONE DAY THE VEHICLE WON'T JUST SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY WITH THE KEY AND IGNITION SWITCH HAVING AN IMAGINARY PHYSICAL CONNECTION?