NHTSA Complaint #10402402 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE

I OWN A 2008 ESCAPE WITH THE EPS SYSTEM. I LOVE THE VEHICLE IN GENERAL, BUT OVER THE PAST YEAR I HAVE HAD 3 INCIDENTS WHERE THE POWER STEERING FAILS COMPLETELY WHILE DRIVING, RENDERING THE VEHICLE UNSTEERABLE. IN ALL THREE EPISODES, I HAD TO STOP THE VEHICLE (ON THE ROADWAY), SHUT OFF THE ENGINE, THEN RESTART IT, AND THE POWER STEERING AGAIN FUNCTIONED. I DID CONTACT MY LOCAL DEALER WHO SEARCHED THE FORD SERVICE BULLETINS, AND FOUND NOTHING, HOWEVER, HAD SERVICED A FEW VEHICLES HAVING THE EXACT SAME INTERMITTENT-TYPE PROBLEM, BY REPLACING THE STEERING COLUMN. (THEY SAID THIS WOULD COST ME $972.77) . I ALSO RESEARCHED THE ISSUE WITH THE NHTSA AND FOUND MANY OWNERS OF FORD VEHICLES WITH THE EPS SYSTEM HAVING EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM. SINCE THIS IS (OBVIOUSLY) A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CONCERN, IT SURPRISES ME THAT FORD HAS NOT YET ADDRESSED THE ISSUE VIA A RECALL OR AT THE VERY LEAST A SERVICE BULLETIN. I DO NOT WANT TO TRADE IN OR SELL THIS VEHICLE, BUT I CURRENTLY DO NOT FEEL CONFIDENT ABOUT ITS SAFETY RELIABILITY. ANY INFORMATION THAT CAN BE PROVIDED REGARDING THIS SIGNIFICANT ISSUE WOULD BE HELPFUL. *TR