NHTSA Complaint #10559128 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE

MY WIFE ENCOUNTERED A STEERING FAILURE ON OUR VEHICLE YESTERDAY. UPON REVIEW BY MY MECHANIC HE REPORTED A FAILURE OF CODE B2278 AND THE REPORTED FIX IS THE REPLACEMENT BY FORD OF THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN. HE ALSO SUGGESTED I LOOK ONLINE BECAUSE THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AMONG THE MID-2000'S FORD ESCAPE HYBRIDS. THERE ARE DOZENS OF WEBPAGES, EACH WITH DOZENS OF ENTRIES SUCH AS THIS PAGE ( HTTP://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/COMPLAINT/2008/FORD/ESCAPE+HYBRID/STEERING ) DETAILING STEERING COLUMN FAILURES WITH NEAR TRAGIC RESULTS. A CLEAR PATTERN OF STEERING FAILURE IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE NHTSA'S EYES AS EVIDENCED IN THIS EMAIL. I AM IMPLORING YOU TO ACT. IT IS BAD ENOUGH THAT THE COLUMN COSTS $2,000 TO REPLACE. DOES MY SON HAVE TO DIE BEFORE THE AGENCY TAKES ACTION? PLEASE TAKE THE NECESSARY STEPS AVAILABLE TO THE AGENCY TO ENSURE THE REASONABLE SAFETY OF FORD ESCAPE DRIVERS. I WILL BE HAPPY TO DIRECT YOU TO THE OTHER FORUMS OR ASSIST IN ANY MANNER THE AGENCY REQUESTS. TAKE CARE. *TR