NHTSA Complaint #10564999 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE

WENT TO TURN ON THE VEHICLE AND HAD NO POWER STEERING. THE CAR HAD BEEN SITTING, IN THE COLD, A COUPLE DAYS. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SUGGESTED TURNING THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON BUT THIS DIDN'T WORK. I WAS NOT CLOSE TO HOME SO I DROVE THE CAR, WITH NO POWER STEERING TO THE CLOSEST AUTO SHOP. AT THIS TIME I FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS AN ELECTRIC POWER STEERING UNIT. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED BACK ON AT THE REPAIR SHOP THE POWERSTEERING WORKED FINE AND I DROVE HOME. OVER THE NEXT MONTH THIS WAS HAPPENING MORE AND MORE AND I STARTED HEARING A "NOISE" AND THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD MOVE WHEN IDLING. YESTERDAY, DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY I LOST ALL POWERSTEERING. I WOULD HAVE TO TURN THE CAR OFF/ON SEVERAL TIME TO GET IT TO WORK AND WHEN IT IS WORKING THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES! I WAS ASTOUNDED WHEN LOOKING ON LINE TO CHECK FOR A RECALL, THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS AND CUSTOMERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE...SAME MODEL AND YEAR, AND YET NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. I SPOKE WITH FORD THIS AFTERNOON, BOTH MY DEALERSHIP AT HOME AND THE MAIN CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER TO WHICH I WAS TOLD "THAT THEY ARE UNAWARE OF ANY ISSUES, NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED, AND THEY RECOMMEND THAT I GET THE REPAIR COMPLETED". OF COURSE THE REPAIR HAS TO BE DONE, TO THE TOON OF $1500...THIS IS CRAZY. THIS IS CLEARLY AND ISSUE WITH A MAJOR PART OF THE VEHICLE, A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN AS WELL. NO POWER STEERING ON A 4WD VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS! *TR