NHTSA Complaint #10554704 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE

IN FEB. 2013, THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT ON OUR 2008 FORD ESCAPE. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE ENGINE, I RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND THE PROBLEM WAS GONE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE FORD DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE SUV, THEY TOLD ME IT WAS ONLY AN ANOMALY, AND PROBABLY WOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. AT THAT TIME THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. ON NOV. 3RD, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AROUND A TURN WHEN THE STEERING WENT OUT AGAIN. SHE NARROWLY MISSED HITTING 2 CARS. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO THE SAME GARAGE, AND ONCE AGAIN THE PROBLEM WAS GONE AFTER RE-STARTING. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN LOCATED, AND IT WAS A SENSOR ATTACHED TO THE STEERING COLUMN, WHICH NECESSITATED A $957.14 REPAIR BILL. UNFORTUNATELY, THE EXTENDED WARRANTY HAD NOW EXPIRED. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THERE EXISTED NO RELIEF AS THERE HADN'T BEEN A RECALL FOR SAID PROBLEM. I HAVE NOW DISCOVERED THAT THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON AND ONGOING OCCURRENCE WITH THIS VEHICLE. THERE ARE MULTIPLE WEBSITES WHICH ATTEST TO SAID PROBLEM INCLUDING WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/COMPLAINT/2008/FORD/ESCAPE/STEERING, WHICH LISTS 155 COMPLAINTS FOR THIS PROBLEM. THERE HAVE BEEN LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF SUCH COMPLAINTS YET NO RECALL. THIS IS AN ONGOING SAFETY PROBLEM, AND WHO KNOWS HOW MANY ACCIDENTS AND/OR DEATHS HAVE BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO THIS DEFECT. I AM TOLD THAT THIS ELECTRICAL STEERING FEATURE WAS FIRST UTILIZED ON THE 2008 FORD ESCAPE, WHETHER IT WAS USED ON OTHER MODELS, I AM NOT AWARE. HARD TO BELIEVE FORD ALLOWED US TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE WHEN THEY WERE AWARE OF THE DEFECT I CERTAINLY HOPE YOU CAN SAVE OTHERS FROM SUFFERING NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES IN THE FUTURE. *TR