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.
I have a 2008 Ford Escape hybrid. While driving downhill and while braking, power steering seemed to fail completely for 3-5 seconds. Steering did not lock completely, it seemed, but it took real strength to move it as I was going around a gentle curve. I'm not sure my wife could have done same. Potentially very dangerous. Car is with dealership now.
I have a 2008 Ford Escape hybrid. While turning I have lost steering, the steering wheel becomes difficult to turn and the vehicle did not turn, it lasts approx 5 seconds and then works again, this has happened two times in 4 days and once almost causing me to crash into another vehicle. I took escape to Ford dealership where I was told they could not do anything because they can not find the problem. They said they tried to recreate it and were unable to do so (they only drove my escape 2 miles the entire 2 days they had it). I have noticed, always while driving straight, that sometimes when the engine switches from gas to electric there is sometimes a sudden difference in steering wheel tension, almost like the power steering turns off for a few seconds.
While slowing down to make a turn onto another street, the steering wheel 'locked' and would not turn. I jammed on the brakes to stop before hitting the vehicle that was waiting to pull out. I pulled hard on the steering wheel and it finally moved. After that, it went back to normal operation. This is a very dangerous situation. It has not done it since, but makes me nervous when driving it. I have not contacted the Ford dealer yet.
While return home on I70 freeway going downhill at approx. 70mph the electrical assisted power steering quit working. The vehicle was very hard, but not impossible, to steer going around a curve. This only lasted a few seconds then it started working again...
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Santa Monica, CA, USA