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.
The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape hybrid. The contact stated the vehicle stalled intermittently. The contact mentioned that a knocking noise emitted from the steering column as the power steering seized. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician stated that the contact's vehicle was affected by recall NHTSA campaign number: 14V284000 (steering). The vehicle was repaired. However, the second day after the software was reprogrammed the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who diagnosed that the entire steering column needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 117,540.
Car steering just stopped working and car became almost impossible to steer. Almost had accident. Took it to Ford dealer ship and they will charge over $900 to repair and take 2 days. Steering column must be replaced according to Ford dealer.
The contact owns a 2008 Ford escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 mph, the steering wheel seized without warning and excessive force was required. The vehicle was merged to side of the road where it was turned off and restarted. The vehicle resumed normal function but the failure recurred multiple times. The contact received a notification for recall NHTSA campaign number: 14V284000 (steering). The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician informed the contact that they would only update the software and could not replace the pscm. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer for a diagnosis and they stated that the pscm needed to be replaced. However, the part could not be replaced under the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and did not offer further assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.
This was already registered on this website, although no one has contacted me. I have also been in contact with sarah mcshane. This is in reference to recall 14V-284/14S05, where Ford escape and mariners lose their power steeting. Our vehicle actually lost its ps a couple of weeks before the recall. We took the vehicle to Washington (pa) Ford. They had to replace our ignition to get the recall code. Once they did that, they completed step 1 of the recall to reprogram the power steering module. At that point, Washington Ford closed out the recall, saying that it was fixed. This was before I was able to test the vehicle. As soon as I drove off of the lot, the ps continued to turn off and on. To this day (4 months later), the ps continues to turn off and on at random, accompanied by a loud click from the steering column. Woltz and wind Ford let us know that they contacted Ford corporate, and they were told that no work could be done on the recall, since it was closed. This seems like an error, and we need to have our recall opened back up. Please contact me asap to help me from wrecking. Numerous times, I have been going 60 or 70 mph on the highway when this has happened, resulting in near death. This cannot be safe or a responsibility of me, the owner.
I had my 2008 Ford Escape hybrid serviced at koons Ford after receiving safety recall 14S05 from Ford Motor Company. The recall is to repair a potential safety issue related to the electric power steering system. After receiving the repair to correct the issue in safety recall notice 14so5, my vehicle developed steering / suspension problems. At highway speeds the steering on the Ford escape is now very sensitive causing the vehicle to feel unsteady at times. (if feels like it is swaying slightly from side to side.) we first noticed the issue within a week of having the repair done. As we caravanned to our summer vacation, my wife was driving behind me on the highway. At a rest stop she asked if I was tired and having trouble driving. She informed that from her vantage point it looked like the car was swerving. I was well rested and shared with her that it also felt as though the steering / suspension was loose. We have also noticed, at low speeds, that the steering wheel has more play to it now.
- Washington , DC, USA
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I was making a corner at approximately 40 mph when my power steering gave out. If I had not been a wrestling coach, I would have had an accident. If my wife had been driving, there would have been an accident. I immediately got myself to the dealership, where they had to replace the entire steering column because of a broken part. I have had two friends where this has happened. I just recently received a recall notice 14S05/NHTSA recall 14V-284. I went to the dealership and found out the recall which affects the steering mechanism is a computer program that produces the same effect and not a structural problem of the steering column. I am having the repair done today, but I am concerned that there may be other dangerous structural problems out there with the steering column. My experience has not been unique.
12/26/2012 I was making a U-turn and my steering wheel locked up. Almost hit the light post, another car, almost ran up on the curb and almost hit a rock/boulder sign. Problem went away once I restarted car. Car sat in mechanic shop for weeks, due to back order, and was finally fixed. A new steering column cost me $1064.35 - I also have the original part. 10/26/13 I was driving on freeway, at midnight, and was two hours away from my house. My car kept slipping and the steering wheel was loose. I almost hit the freeway median multiple times, almost hit multiple cars, and almost spun out while on my drive home that night. I did not have a tow truck come because state farms computers were down and I'd have to pay $69 a mile if a tow came- and I was still two hours away from home. I took my car to my mechanic the next day and was told, again, that I am lucky to be alive. My U-join was completely broken and was told that this is also related for the steering column. I paid another $287.06 and had a new U-joint placed. I contacted Ford about this steering problem, when my column had to be replaced, and they told me that they have no documented reports of an issue and that there is no recall. The internet states otherwise, and I read thousands of accounts of people getting into accidents due to their steering wheel locking up.
While driving in a residential street at 30 miles per hour the steering wheel locked up for about three seconds during a deceleration period approaching a stop sign. This occurred while trying to move the vehicle slightly to the left in the center of the lane correction.
My vehicle is part of the Ford recall for the power steering control module. Ford is refusing to cover it, even though our VIN is reported on Ford's recall website as part of the recall.
Car goes limp. Ford has tsb 08-24-05. Mecp fails. Poor design. Has gone limp on me ~8 times. Each time car drifts to a stop regardless of location, speed, etc...(eg, can be going 75mph on highway) and it goes limp. Cannot move afterwards for minutes. Many cases of this happening have been reported. Tsb 08-24-5 states that some 2005-2008 Escape hybrid and 2006-2008 mariner hybrid vehicles may exhibit a red triangle light and codes indicating a transaxle overtemp. This condition may result in reduced power as the system activates fail safe operation. Codes P1A0E, P1A0F, P0A3C, P0A3E, P0A7A, P0A7C and P1A0D may also be set.
The power steering locked up on me as I was driving making it impossible to drive the car. I was able to pull over and stop the car because I happen to be driving very slowly at the time and shut off the car and then restarted it. After I restarted it the steering worked fine. I looked online to see why that would happen and I found 302 other people complaining of the same problem www.aboutautomobile.com/complaint/2008/Ford/escape/steering. the complaints say that this will happen more and more frequently and can happen when driving on the highway. Ford is not doing a recall apparently even though this lack of steering happens with no warning as people are driving at high rates of speed. This is very dangerous!
Driving up a slight hill through a gradual S curve with a sudden loss of the power steering. At the top of the hill the power returned. I am filing this because I noticed that there are quite a few reports of incidents similar to this with the 2008 escape. It could be very dangerous.
Power assisted steering locked upon starting the car, this has happened every time I start my car and I have to restart my car 6+ times to get my steering to unlock. The steering wheel shakes at stoplights and is favoring the left when driving straight. When the steering is locked it is near impossible to turn the car. I have to worry every day that the car might lock up on the freeway when I am driving to work. I have seen hundreds of other reports like this on the internet yet no recall...
Lost power steering totally on my Ford escape. No warning lites were displayed. Have had the steering stop a few times before and stopped vehicle and restarted and no problems. Per Ford when I asked in past it was something to do with the sensor located in steering column but nothing showed up in the computer. I have emailed Ford and received a response that there is no recall or financial assistance to repair problem. They recommend I save the receipt of about $1700. In case they do a recall later.
Several times since buying my car in Nov 2013 my steering wheel has locked up on me so that it is extremely difficult to turn the wheel, typically when turning a corner, almost causing accidents. I have been very lucky that there were no other vehicles around since I was unable to pull completely over in one case and I was unable to complete the turn in my own lane in another. I am very worried that this will happen in traffic and myself and others could be injured or even killed. And neither Ford or warranty company is willing to repair/replace.
I stopped at a stop sign and attempted to turn left up a hill. The steering locked and for a second or two I couldn't turn and was afraid I would crash into the hillside. After braking the steering column unlocked. I took it to the dealer and they were unable to duplicate the problem so they recommend replacing the whole column at my expense.
This has happened multiple times.... while driving slow (5-10 mph) and turning, power steering goes out making it extremely difficult to turn the wheel. This has resulted in near head-on collisions more than once when the turning radius could not be maintained and I drifted over into oncoming traffic. This is a major safety concern that many others with these electric power steering Escape hybrids have had. I will not let my wife drive the vehicle now until we have saved enough to fix the problem (quoted $1,400).
Steering wheel developed excess play and now pulses and vibrates with minimal pressure on the steering wheel. Steering has not yet failed but taking car into the dealership tomorrow. After reading about similar problems with Ford's electronic power assist steering I'm now afraid to drive the vehicle. Other problems seem to be reported at similar mileage to our vehicle's.
While driving the car I came to a stop sign and the steering wheel started to vibrate and jerk when the car was stopped. This continued for the drive to work, at each stop the steering wheel was moving. When leaving work, after starting the car, found that there was no power steering. Turned off the car and re-started it, the power steering came back. Since that time the problem has become more frequent. Sometimes I have to restart the car a few times before the steering activates. We just dropped it off at a dealership for inspection, our local garage could get no help from Ford on what was required for the repair or what the computer codes meant, other than they were related to the steering column. So now we are being told by Ford that the repair can range from $600 to $1,500 to fix the problem, but they are not sure what it is, and that they do not believe what was reported on the internet is the cause. If all of the symptoms match the others listed how can the problem be something else?
Stopped at intersection waiting to turn left. Turned the wheel left to make the turn while applying the accelerator. The power steering support went out, making it almost impossible to turn the vehicle. The wheel was partially turned and would essentially not turn any further. At the same time it felt like the brakes were not as effective either. After approximately two seconds, power was restored to the steering and I was able to recover and complete the turn. This has happened three times, all in left turns from a stop while attempting to begin the turn. After the third time I took the vehicle to the dealer. The Ford dealer replaced components of the steering column in an attempt to fix this, and so far it has not returned.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Passaic, NJ, USA