2008 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

I HAD RECALL FOR ELECTRIC POWER STEERING COMPLETED IN DECEMBER 2015, AND THEN IN JANUARY 2016 MY STEERING WHEEL STARTED VIBRATING/LOCKING. IN APRIL POWER STEERING WENT COMPLETELY OUT. I TOOK VEHICLE IN AND ASKED IF POWER STEERING WAS RELATED TO THE RECALL AND HE SAID NO IT WAS A SEPARATE SENSOR THAT WAS CAUSING THE POWER STEERING TO GO OUT. SO, I GAVE PERMISSION FOR THE WORK TO BE COMPLETED. THEN, I STARTED RESEARCHING AND FOUND THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO MANY PEOPLE. I HAD MY BOYFRIEND CALL BACK AS HE KNOWS MORE ABOUT CARS THAN I DO AND HE WAS TOLD AGAIN THAT A SENSOR NOT RELATED TO RECALL THAT WAS PERFORMED WAS CAUSING P.S TO GO OUT THAT WAS UNRELATED TO THE RECALL. WE GO TO PICK UP THE CAR AND PAY FOR IT AND WHEN WE ARE GOING OVER OUR PAPERWORK IN THE CAR WE FIND THAT THE WORK THEY DID WAS REPLACE THE TORQUE SENSOR WHICH IS PART OF THE RECALL. I CALLED THE OVERALL SERVICE MANAGER AND SPOKE TO HIM. I ASKED HIM IF I WOULDN'T HAVE BROUGHT IT IN DECEMBER WHEN I WAS EXPERIENCING NO ISSUES AND WOULD HAVE WAITED UNTIL APRIL WHEN MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT WOULD THE CODE (P2278) BE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL AND HE SAID YES, THAT I WOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THE WORK. THAT CODE WOULD CAUSE THEM TO REPLACE THE TORQUE SENSOR FREE OF CHARGE. SO I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS SUGGESTING THAT PEOPLE WAIT UNTIL THEY ARE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT SO THAT THE WORK WILL ACTUALLY BE COVERED? HE SAID NO OF COURSE NOT, BUT WHAT OTHER OPTION IS THERE? YOU TAKE IT IN WHEN THERE ARE NO ISSUES THEY UPDATE SOFTWARE, AND THEN WHEN YOU START HAVING ISSUES WITH TORQUE SENSOR OR STEERING COLUMN YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BILL. WHAT OPTION ARE PEOPLE GOING TO TAKE? OBVIOUSLY, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO WANT TO PAY A 675 DOLLAR REPAIR BILL ON SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED BY A RECALL SO THEY WILL DRIVE UNTIL POWER STEERING GOES OUT WHICH IS NOT SAFE.

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE ALL OF A SUDDEN LOST POWER AND THE VEHICLE STARTED SLOWING DOWN, AND THE WRENCH LIGHT BECAME VISIBLE ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. I PULLED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE ISSUE WAS. I REALIZED IT WAS THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY FAILING. I DROVE IT HOME AS I WAS ONLY A MILE FROM MY HOUSE. ONCE I STARTED IN FORWARD MOTION, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR, WHEN IT DID SHIFT, THERE WAS A FORCEFUL LUNGE FORWARD. I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF COMPLAINTS IN REGARDS TO THIS AND MANY OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE GOING WRONG WITH FORD'S ESCAPE MODEL. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED, WITH THE AMOUNT OF ISSUES THAT SUV HAS.

LOW SPEED TURNS, ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST FAILS TO ASSIST IN RETURNING WHEELS TO STRAIGHT AHEAD POSITION. WHEELS CAN BE BROUGHT BACK TO FORWARD POSITION WITH SOME EFFORT. HAPPENS CONSISTENTLY, EVERY DAY AT LOW SPEEDS WHEN THERE IS HIGHER TORQUE ON THE STEERING COLUMN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL MADE A CLICKING SOUND AND SHOOK WITHOUT WARNING. APPROXIMATELY 30 SECONDS LATER, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN AND FAILED. THE NEXT MORNING, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE MAINTENANCE WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED PER A RECALL IN AUGUST OF 2014 FOR THE SAME ISSUE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING TORQUE SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V28400 (STEERING) IN 2015, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED IN 2016. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 144,000.

JULY 2014 I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE REGARDING TORQUE SENSOR/STEERING COLUMN, I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP (STIVERS FORD/LINCOLN IN WAUKEE IOWA) WHERE THEY TOOK APPROX. 5 MINS TO DO WHATEVER IT WAS THEY WERE TO DO REGARDING THE RECALL. I WAS NOT HAVING ANY ISSUES WITH MY CAR AT THAT TIME. APPROX. 3 WEEKS AGO (MARCH 2016) I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY STEERING WHEEL SHAKING AND MOVING BACK/FORTH AT ALL TIMES WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND WHEN IDLING, ON HIGHWAY AND STREETS AND BEING PARKED, ALONG WITH ODD NOISES WHEN DRIVING. I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP (STIVERS FORD/LINCOLN IN WAUKEE IOWA) YESTERDAY (MARCH 29, 2016) TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG, THEY DID A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND FOUND THAT I NEEDED A NEW TORQUE SENSOR AND STEERING COLUMN. I TOLD THEM ABOUT THE RECALL OF THE EXACT SAME ISSUE FROM JULY 2014, THE GUY IN THE SERVICE DEPT (STEVE) CALLED FORD MOTORS AND THEY TOLD HIM THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE COSTS. I CALLED FORD MOTORS TODAY (MARCH 30, 2016) AT THEIR RETAIL NUMBER, THE FEMALE TOLD ME THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE COSTS AND SAID THAT THE RECALL HAD EXPIRED AND I SHOULD OF HAD IT FIXED THEN. (THERE WAS NO ISSUES AT THE TIME OF THE RECALL WITH MY VEHICLE AND I DID TAKE IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP AT THE TIME I RECEIVED THE RECALL LETTER). FORD MOTORS KNEW/KNOWS OF THE DEFAULTING PARTS (HENCE THE RECALL IN 2014), THEY SHOULD COVER THESE PARTS NOW. MOST CARS DO NOT GO OUT RIGHT AT THE TIME OF A RECALL. MY VEHICLE TOOK OVER A YEAR TO GO OUT SINCE THE RECALL, I HAVE FOUND FORD MOTORS TO BE VERY DISHONEST. THE SERVICE MAN I SPOKE WITH TOLD ME HE WAS WITH ME ON THIS ISSUE AND BELIEVED THAT FORD MOTORS SHOULD COVER THESE COSTS FOR REPAIRS OF THE TORQUE SENSOR AND STEERING COLUMN. RECALL LETTER STATES: ALTERNATIVELY, THE DEALER MAY NEED TO REPLACE THE TORQUE SENSOR OR THE STEERING COLUMN. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE (PARTS AND LABOR.

MY VEHICLE WAS DRIVING FINE WHEN IT STARTED CHIMING. I DIDN'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHY IT WAS MAKING THE NOISE. IT DID THIS 3 TIMES AND THEN A SMALL WRENCH SIGNAL SHOWED UP ON THE PANEL. I WAS DRIVING HOME WHEN ALL OF THIS HAPPENED. ALL OF A SUDDEN I HAD NO STEERING! SCARED ME TO DEATH. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME, THANK GOODNESS! THERE ARE RECALLS ON THIS PROBLEM, BUT NOT MY VIN NUMBER!

THE RECALL ISSUED IN MAY, 2014 FOR THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE SENSOR FAILED AGAIN, AND THE REMEDY BY FORD LITERATURE TO THE DEALERSHIP WAS ERRONEOUS AND OVERLY COSTLY TO ME. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT DETECTED A FAULT CODE, B2278, AND THE REMEDY LISTED THREE REPAIRS IN SEQUENCE TO FIX. THE FIRST WAS THE SOFTWARE UPDATE PROSCRIBED IN THE RECALL BULLETIN. THAT PROCEDURE HAD BEEN COMPLETED BY A DEALER PREVIOUSLY. THE SECOND IN THE SEQUENCE WAS TO REPLACE THE SENSOR. DEALER FOLLOWED THIS AND THE FIX FAILED, CAUSING REPLACEMENT OF THE STEERING COLUMN, COSTING AN ADDITIONAL $1200 ON TOP OF THE $500+ FOR THE FIRST FAILED FIX. ATTACHED RECEIPT FOR ENTIRE REPAIR OF A RECALL THAT DIDN'T GET FIXED THE FIRST TIME.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING BECAME INOPERABLE AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE MAINTENANCE SENSOR WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING TORQUE SENSOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V284000 (POWER STEERING); HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED THE SAME DAY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000.

WE TOOK OUR FORD MOTOR COMPANY 2008 ESCAPE TO THE DEALER FOR RECALL NHTSA 14V284000 OR FORD #14S05. THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE POWER STEERING MODULE. PRIOR TO THAT WE HAD NO PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER WITH THE STEERING. 4 MONTHS LATER THE STEERING HAS FAILED. FROM WHAT I AM READING AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS ON THE INTERNET THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. I AM ASKING THE NHTSA TO LOOK AT THIS PROBLEM CLOSER. MY OPINION IS THERE SHOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL RECALL THAT ADDRESSES THIS ISSUE. IF YOU'VE HAD A SIMILAR ISSUE I URGE YOU TO CONTACT FORD AND FILE A COMPLAINT AND CONTACT THE NHTSA AND VOICE YOUR CONCERN. I WAS TOLD BY FORD IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX THE VEHICLE AND THEY ARE OFFERING NO ASSISTANCE.