NHTSA Complaint #10242887 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE

ON MONDAY, 15 SEP 2008, ON MY WAY TO WORK (ABOUT 7AM) MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. I WAS NOT ABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL NO MATTER HOW MUCH I TRIED. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND SHUT IT OFF. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, I RESTARTED THE CAR AND EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE. ON TUESDAY, THE SAME THING HAPPENED THREE DIFFERENT TIMES. I CALLED THE DEALER FIRST THING WEDNESDAY MORNING TO SCHEDULE THE VEHICLE FOR SERVICE. I WAS TOLD TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN ON THURSDAY. ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK ON WEDNESDAY, I WAS GOING TO DROP IT OFF AT THE DEALER SO THEY COULD START RIGHT AWAY. AFTER EXITING THE HIGHWAY, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AGAIN AND THIS TIME I COULD NOT STOP BEFORE DRIVING OFF THE ROAD AND INTO A ROCK WALL. THE SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, BUT I STILL HIT MY HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS. THE DEALER SAID HE HAS NEVER HEARD OF THAT HAPPENING. I WAS GOING ABOUT 30 MILES PER HOUR. *TR