NHTSA Complaint #10495171 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE STEERING LOCKED UP. I MANAGED TO PULL INTO A GAS STATION AND ASKED A GENTLEMAN FOR ASSISTANCE. HE HAPPENED TO OWN A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. HE SAID TO TURN IT OFF AND START IT AGAIN AND IT WILL WORK. IT DID. NOW WHILE IDLING THE STEERING WHEEL MOVES LEFT AND RIGHT ERRATICALLY. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND IT IS HAPPENING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THIS VEHICLE, IN SOME CASES WITH SERIOUS ACCIDENTS. I RESEARCHED THE STEERING SYSTEM USED. I USES A STEPPER MOTOR FOR POWER ASSISTANCE. I WORK WITH CNC EQUIPMENT WITH STEPPER MOTORS. GENERALLY WHEN A STEPPER MOTOR ACTS ERRATICALLY OR LOCKS IN POSITION IT IS A PROBLEM WITH SOFTWARE HAVING BEEN CORRUPTED OR AN INCIDENCE THAT CAUSES THE ENCODER TO LOSE POSITION. ( BOTH CASES CAN BE CAUSED BY SHOCK, POWER SURGE OR LOSS OF COMMUNICATION) WHEN A STEPPER MOTOR IS UNDER POWER IT IS LOCKED IN POSITION UNTIL IT RECEIVES COMMUNICATION TO MOVE,IN STEPS,VERY SMALL INCREMENTS. (YOU CANNOT MOVE THEM BY HAND) THIS IS OK ON A CNC MACHINE. YOU JUST RUIN WHAT EVER YOU ARE FABRICATING. ON A VEHICLE STEERING SYSTEM, ITS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE (YOU CANNOT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL) AND A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE. STOPPING AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE AND HAVING IT WORK AGAIN SOUNDS LIKE THE SYSTEM REBOOTS. THE RE OCCURRENCE MAKES IT SOUND LIKE THE FIRMWARE IS CORRUPT. THE SYSTEM IS APPARENTLY NOT ISOLATED ENOUGH TO AVOID BEING CORRUPTED. IT MAY ALSO BE JUST A BAD BATCH OF ENCODERS AT ANY RATE IT IS A SERIOUS ISSUE FORD NEEDS TO ADDRESS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. IT ISN'T JUST THE OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLE THAT NEED IT FIXED. EVERYONE ON THE ROAD IS ENDANGERED. I LOOKED AT NHTSAS TEST PROTOCOL AND FOUND NO TESTS FOR ELECTRIC POWER STEERING SYSTEMS. IN THE PAST THIS WASN'T AN ISSUE WITH HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS, YOU HAD MANUAL OVER-RIDE. YOU CAN'T TURN THESE SYSTEMS MANUALLY. YOU GO WHATEVER DIRECTION IT IS POINTED WHEN IT LOCKS. *TR