2008 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

I OWN A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. MY WIFE WAS AT WORK AND WHEN SHE STARTED TO DRIVE HOME NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL DIFFICULT TO STEER. LUCKILY SHE WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY ON THE WAY HOME. SHE DID NOTICE VIBRATION OF THE STEERING WHEEL. I TOOK IT FOR A TEST DRIVE AND NOTICED IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER OR TURN AT LOW SPEEDS. ALSO THE STEERING/POWERTRAIN WRENCH LIGHT HAD COME LIT. IT WAS EVIDENT THE STEERING ASSIST HAD MALFUNCTIONED. AFTER SOME RESEARCH I BECAME AWARE OF AN ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SAFETY RECALL ON 2008-2011 FORD ESCAPES. WHICH IS THE EXACT SAME ISSUE I'M HAVING ON MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL FORD DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT ACCORDING TO THE VIN NUMBER THERE WAS NO RECALL ANNOUNCED FOR MY VEHICLE. THIS MAKES EXACTLY NO SENSE TO ME BECAUSE ITS THE EXACT SAME ISSUE AND VEHICLE FOR WHICH THE RECALL WAS MADE. I'M BASICALLY ON MY OWN TO FIX AT THIS POINT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING WITHOUT ANY WARNING. IT WAS TERRIFYING! I PARKED THE CAR. LATER I STARTED IT AND DROVE HOME IN A COLD SWEAT PRAYING IT DID NOT HAPPEN AGAIN! *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET, THE RED TRIANGLE LIGHT CAME ON, WITH A WARNING TO "STOP NOW, PULL OVER." LUCKILY I WAS ALREADY DRIVING SLOWLY AND I STOPPED SAFELY. THE ENGINE THEN DIED. I TRIED RESTARTING, BUT THE RED TRIANGLE CAME BACK ON, AND THE ENGINE DIED AGAIN. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP. THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A DEAD HYBRID BATTERY, WITH A REPLACEMENT COST $12,000. UNFORTUNATELY, THE 8-YR BATTERY WARRANTY EXPIRED JUST A FEW MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS. I ASKED ABOUT RECALL 14S19, WHICH SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER AND FORD CORP CUSTOMER SERVICE BOTH SAID MY SPECIFIC VIN WAS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL. ABOUT 18 MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS, I HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE, WITH THE RED TRIANGLE WARNING LIGHT COMING ON WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE SAME DEALER. THEIR INITIAL DIAGNOSIS WAS A DEAD HYBRID BATTERY, WHICH WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE NEXT DAY, THE DEALER CALLED BACK TO SAY THEY HAD DISCUSSED THE PROBLEM WITH FORD CORPORATION, AND THEY CHANGED THE DIAGNOSIS. THEY REPLACED THE "IGNITION SWITCH AND HOUSING" (NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY) FOR $743. THE CAR RAN OK UNTIL THE PROBLEM RECURRED THIS MONTH. *TR

WE WERE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY ON 10/12/16 WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WITHOUT WARNING THE STEERING WENT COMPLETELY OUT. I COULDN'T TURN RIGHT OR LEFT. I HAD MY FAMILY (WIFE, 2 CHILDREN (1 AUTISTIC) AND DOG) IN THE VEHICLE. WE BARELY AVOIDED A COUPLE ACCIDENTS AND A WALL. MANAGED TO PUSH THE VEHICLE TO SAFETY. I HAD A TOW TRUCK PICK IT UP, TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. TURNS OUT THE RACK AND PINION WENT OUT. THE FORD DEALER SERVICE ADVISOR SAID HE'D HELP ME OUT WITH THE PRICE WHICH WAS ESTIMATED AT 1400 DOLLARS. IT TOOK THE DEALER 6 DAYS TO HAVE MY VEHICLE READY. THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. THEY ARE AN INDEPENDENT DEALER. TO TAKE MY ISSUE UP WITH FORD. I CONTACTED THE NUMBER THAT THEY GAVE ME AND THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP AT FORD SAID THAT THE DECISION MADE BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY WAS JUST TO NOTATE THAT THIS HAPPENED. THERE WAS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. *TR

86,000 MILAGE. ABS SEVICE LIGHT ON FOR COUPLE MONTHS. PAST 2 DAYS REGEN BRAKES DISABLED MESSAGE ON, AND RED BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ON, BRAKES A LITTLE STIFF IN OPERATION THUS FAR. APPARENTLY THIS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM, AND $5000 TO FIX. CAN I RELY ON THE MECHANICAL BACKUP BRAKING? EVEN IF SO I AM NOW NOT CHARGING MY HV BATTERY, SO WILL BE JUST CARRYING AROUND A HEAVY LOAD, WITH NO BENEFIT TO THE CO2 ENVIRONMENT. WHEN WILL FORD BE REQUIRED TO RECAL & REMEDY THIS?

WHEN DRIVING, ABS LIGHT GOES ON, CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM SHOWN ON DASHBOARD PANEL, WHEN I SLOW DOWN (VERY SLOW, LIKE IN A PARKING LOT) I CAN FEEL SOMETHING UNDERNEATH THE CAR ENGAGE, AND THEN THE ABS LIGHT WARNING GO OUT. *TR

08 FORD ESCAPE POWER STEERING: CAR WAS STATIONARY AT TIME OF FAILURE. CAR WAS PURCHASED FOR TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM COLLEGE, DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING HOME AND STOPPED AT A RESTAURANT. WHEN SHE WAS LEAVING THE RESTAURANT SHE COULD NOT STEER THE VEHICLE AND ALMOST STRUCK SEVERAL CARS IN PARKING LOT. SHE HAD TO CALL ME (FATHER) TO COME GET VEHICLE AND DRIVE IT HOME. I AM A LARGE MALE WHO WORKS OUT AND I HAD TROUBLE STEERING THIS VEHICLE. SHE IS UNABLE TO CONTINUE TO USE THIS VEHICLE. IF THIS FAILURE WOULD HAVE HAPPENED 10 MIN. EARLIER IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED HER TO HAVE A COLLISION. ATTEMPTED TO HAVE DEALER REPAIR CAR DISCLOSED A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM, AND A RECALL HAD BEEN DONE ON THIS ISSUE ON THIS VEHICLE ON 06-24-2014. WHEN I ASKED, THEY REFUSED TO RECHECK RECALL. THE FIRST RECALL INVOLVED A SIMPLE REPROGRAMMING OF THE STEERING SENSOR. NOW I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT WILL BE AROUND $1500.00 AND THEY MUST REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING SHAFT.

POWER STEERING FAILED. HAD REPAIRED LAST SUMMER AT GIBBONS FORD. CALLED THEM AND WAS TOLD THEY DID WHAT THEY COULD AND CAN'T HELP ME. IT'S THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITH STEERING THAT WAS RECALLED. APPARENTLY WAS NOT FIXED CORRECTLY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THERE WAS A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER AND THE WRENCH INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN HOME. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED BUT NOT REPAIRED. THE PARTS THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WERE UNKNOWN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.