NHTSA Complaint #10488992 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE

POWER STEERING WAS INTERRUPTED, LEAVING ME TO RELY ON MANUAL STEERING. POWER STEERING RETURNED AFTER THE CAR IGNITION WAS SHUT OFF AND THE CAR RESTARTED. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER ON MONDAY 12/17, AND WAS TOLD THAT A "CODE" SAID THAT A SENSOR IN THE STEERING COLUMN HAD FAILED, AND THAT THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN HAD TO BE REPLACED, AT A COST OF ABOUT $1400. DEALER SERVICE REP TOLD ME THE STEERING MIGHT "LOCK-UP" WHILE I WAS DRIVING IF I DIDN'T HAVE THIS FIX. I UNDERSTAND FROM AN INTERNET SEARCH THAT MANY FORD ESCAPES HAVE THIS POWER STEERING PROBLEM, AND THAT REPLACING THE STEERING COLUMN DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. IT SEEMS TO ME A RECALL IS IN ORDER. *TR