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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
13 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
13 / 0
Average Mileage:
96,112 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2009 Ford Escape steering problems

steering problem

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2009 Ford Escape Owner Comments (Page 6 of 39)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #680

Mar 152022

Escape

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I purchased this car for my daughters to use in college in California. They report that it suddenly loses power steering. It is very hard to turn wheel at all. It is currently at a mechanic shop and he says it is showing a code and that the steering motor on the column is working off and on causing power steering at times. we checked all the electrical power and ground to the motor and control module. I see that there was a recall for this issue but now it is not showing as an active recall. Please advise me on this recall and why it is not active on this car at this time and yet the vehicle is having the exact problem listed in the recall. Recall #14v284000 is the one I am speaking of. Can you please help us with this safety issue?

- Center, TX, USA

problem #679

Mar 132022

Escape 4-cyl

  • 173,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact stated that there was an audio alarm with the power steering assist fault displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repair. The contact stated that he went to the local dealer and was informed that the vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 173,000. Information stated consumer had not checked with mechanic. Since 3/17/22 consumer has checked with an independent mechanic and they have confirmed that the power assist steering fault is due to torque sensor and car is diagnosed as having error code B2278.

- Clovis, CA, USA

problem #678

Jul 292021

Escape

  • miles
I was driving in the middle of the highway when the steering wheel started to be hard to turn. Slowly I parked and turn the engine off and called the road assistance. They said they can-??t do anything about that. We wait about an hour then turned the engine back on and everything seems to be normal. I was driving to work that day. From my way back home the same thing happened. I decided to take it to ford dealership and they checked and it came out that it-??s the steering wheel column that has a problem and it-??s not safe to drive it. They said it is safety issue and unfortunately my car is not recalled and I will be charged for over $2000 to fix it. That-??s why I-??m filling a claim to have it recall.

- Louisville , KY, USA

problem #677

Mar 152022

Escape

  • 177,876 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the steering wheel lost power steering functionality. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact attempted to refill the power steering fluid but became aware that the power steering was an electrical unit. The contact's father arrived and drove the vehicle using physical force to steer the vehicle. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist since the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 177,876.

- Detroit, MI, USA

problem #676

Mar 082022

Escape

  • 250,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering assist failed and the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 250,000.

- Mcallen, TX, USA

problem #675

Mar 132022

Escape 6-cyl

  • 150,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon start of his vehicle, the "power steering assist fault" warning message appeared on the instrument panel. The contact then stated that excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle while driving at various speeds due to the failure. The dealer was notified and informed him that his vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided the same information as the dealer. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000. Vehicle is undergoing maintenance repairs because it is not listed under the recall.

- Englewood, CO, USA

problem #674

Nov 012021

Escape

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Power steering stopped while driving.

- Playa Del Rey, CA, USA

problem #673

Jan 232022

Escape

  • miles
Ford recall 14S05. Several years ago I had some work done on my vehicle. While in the shop, the dealer updated software on the vehicle, including for the power steering. I did not request the update. The update only turns on an indicator light if the power steering fails. On 1/23/22 at 9:00 am, I went to the grocery. Came out and got in the car. Backed up, narrowly missed a parked car, and nearly hit a telephone pole because the power steering had failed. Found out there was a recall for all components and software related to the issue. Took my vehicle to the local dealer. Failed torque sensor as mentioned in the recall. $1200 to repair. Called Ford customer service and was told the recall had been completed due to the software update. The update that was done without my knowledge to a vehicle that had no problem at the time. I argued and was told Ford would not honor the recall because it was closed for my vehicle. Who monitors these recalls?

- Anderson, IN, USA

problem #672

Jan 242022

Escape

  • miles
power steering assist is lost

- Pasadena, TX, USA

problem #671

Jan 212022

Escape

  • miles
Power steering assist fault came on in my Escape. I see there is recalls on so.e Escapes because of this, but not all of them. Why is that? This is a problem in all Escape from 2008-2011 and this is an expensive fix. Ford should be liable for this. They should not be allowed to pick which ones they feel like fixing. I will never buy another Ford because of this

- Centralia, IL, USA

problem #670

Nov 232021

Escape

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Loss of power steering /electric steering while driving vehicle. no codes.no check engine light.

- Egg Harbor Twp, NJ, USA

problem #669

Jan 172022

Escape 4-cyl

  • miles
While driving my car's steering abruptly lost power steering and displayed: Power assist fault" on dash board message center. Although Ford has issued recalls for this problem for Ford Escape vehicles manufactured between Aug.18, 2006 thru Sept. 11, 2010 my vehicle's Vin. does now appear on recall when cross-referenced with Ford's website re: recalls. This is a very dangerous problem. I have tried to contact ford's customer service number 1-800-392-3673, and its impossible to get a human with a pulse to talk to. Ford does not make available any Chat option on line for reporting and resolving this type of complaint or issue. Am I only left with the show up in person at a service center only to get turned away because my VIN #[XXX] does not reflect a recall in there database? INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Bushkill, PA, USA

problem #668

Jan 172022

Escape

  • miles
power steering quit working could hardly make a turn did not take car in yet, i am trying to see if there is some kind of recall. there was no warning lights

- Frankfort, IL, USA

problem #667

Dec 052021

Escape

  • miles
December 2021, while driving, the steering wheels suddenly locked up on my car, and it was perfectly fine the previous day. The car couldn-??t move, so, I kept trying and let the car warm up a bit while kept turning the key, so it started up and I drove off, but it kept losing power of steering whenever I stopped on a red light!. I also noticed that turning to the right or left was really hard because the wheel was very stiff and kept locking up. So, on my way back, the wheel could not move and I struggled I was able to move it and then it just kept stiffening up while I was driving which was scary, the car almost lost control and I almost hit other vehicles. It-??s very unsafe, I called and asked Ford if they had a recall on it but they said no. I took it to a Ford in Kirkland and they said they-??d charge me $2,500 to reprogram the steering and fix the power of steering, and that I-??ll pay less if they get used parts. This is not right, there-??s no reason why any vehicle steering wheels should lock up and suddenly stiffen up by itself, on a well maintained vehicle which appears to be in perfect condition, while a driver is driving, and sharing the road with other drivers. This is very unsafe, its a safety issue that Ford needs to look into and fix, it-??s the right thing to do. I strongly believe that this is a manufacturing issue and a vehicle programming issue, and as a driver and a customer, I do not need to be charged by Ford, for them to fix their error and manufacturing mistake that causes their steering to lock up causing my car-??s steering wheel to suddenly stiffen up and lock up while I-??m driving, and causing the vehicle not to move as freely as it should!. This issue puts my life and other drivers life-??s at risk. After this power of steering issue, I do not feel totally comfortable or safe driving this car as it is right now, and would like to request that it be recalled and checked by the manufacturer, if it wasn-??t already recalled. Thank you.

- Kirkland , WA, USA

problem #666

Nov 152021

Escape

  • miles
The steering wheel locks up and I am unable to start the car. Sometimes the ignition will turn and the car will start, but the wheel remains locked up. Eventually the car may start and the wheel will unlock, but I'm afraid it could go out while driving. I have discovered over 650 complaints about the same problem with Fords. I took the car to a mechanic (independent) who diagnosed a defective ignition module and steering column. We ordered the parts and 4 weeks later when they still hadn't arrived (there are no 2009 steering columns out there) I had the car towed to the Ford dealer. They replaced the ignition key cylinder, charged me $550 and said the car was fine. We jumped in the car to drive home and the wheel was again locked. The mechanic came out and told me they would further diagnose the problem and would call me later. It has been 6 weeks that the car has been inoperable. It has 54,000 miles on it. Ford has determined it's a power steering failure and the steering column needs to be replaced. $3500.

- Mill Valley, CA, USA

problem #665

Dec 262021

Escape

  • miles
Power steering failure occurred without warning making it difficult to control the vehicle and potentially dangerous for both myself and others on the road.

- Moscow, ID, USA

problem #664

Dec 232021

Escape

  • miles
I brought my 2009 Escape in for a steering recall. When Hopkins Ford checked for codes, they said there were none. They then performed a reset on the electric steering. After they performed the reset, my steering went out. I brought it back to have it checked again then they said now there is a code. They are now claiming they are not responsible for the code repair (Steering column) because in their eyes, they reset the recall. I have been in contact with Ford customer service and they said there is nothing they can do because they closed the case when they reprogrammed the recall. There were no issues prior, or codes prior to them reprogramming the steering. They now are trying to tell me it will cost me $1700 to repair an issue that is part of a recall.

- Elgin, IL, USA

problem #663

Dec 242021

Escape

  • 178,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering assist failed, and the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer and diagnosed with steering column failure. The steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 178,000.

- Fontana, CA, USA

problem #662

Dec 212021

Escape

  • 146,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon the start of her vehicle, the power steering assist fault warning message appeared on the instrument panel. The contact also stated that excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle which rendered the vehicle inoperable. The contact called an unknown dealer and was informed that her vehicle had been previously serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) prior to her owning the vehicle. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 146,000.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #661

Dec 132021

Escape

  • miles
Power steering electric assist failure, unable to steer or control vehicle in emergency, vehicle not inspected, no warning lights, system failed on December 13,2021

- Bay City, MI, USA

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