NHTSA Complaint #10501167 — 2009 FORD ESCAPE

ON 2/9/2013 I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AT 25MPH WHEN I LOST MY POWER STEERING. TOOK CAR TO DEALER AND THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG THEY SAID IT CORRECTED ITSELF. I TOOK THE CAR AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED ON 2/18/2013. I RETURNED IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY DID A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND TOLD ME THE SENSOR IN THE STEERING CONTROL ASSEMBLY WAS ONLY OPERATING INTERMITTENTLY. THEY REPLACED THE ENTIRE MODULE AND HAD TO ALIGN THE VEHICLE. THIS COST $1256.22. I HAD TO WAIT FOR THE PART AS IT WAS ON NATIONAL BACKORDER. I CHECKED WITH ANOTHER GARAGE IN ANOTHER TOWN AND WAS TOLD THAT HE HAD JUST GOT THE SAME COMPLAINT ON ANOTHER 2009 FORD ESCAPE. HE SAID THAT THE NATIONAL BACKORDER INDICATED THIS WAS A PREVALENT PROBLEM AND HE FELT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL AS THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, ESPECIALLY IF SOMEONE WERE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. I AM A PRETTY RUGGED GUY AND IT TOOK ALL I COULD DO TO KEEP THE VEHICLE ON THE ROAD. I KEEP MY VEHICLE EXTREMELY WELL MAINTAINED AND HAVE THE RECORDS TO SHOW ALL THE SERVICE I HAVE HAD DONE SINCE IT WAS BOUGHT. ALSO I AM A PROFESSIONAL DRIVER. *TR