NHTSA Complaint #10565655 — 2008 MERCURY MARINER

OVER THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS WE HAVE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND AN INCREASINGLY SEVERE "SHAKING" OF OUR STEERING WHEEL WHEN IT IS WORKING. WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT WE NEED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN DUE TO A FAILURE OF THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING. THE PART ALONE IS $900, $1,400 WITH LABOR. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE IT APPEARS AS THOUGH THIS IS QUITE A COMMON ISSUE FOR '08 ESCAPES AND MARINERS (HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/FORD/ESCAPE/2008/STEERING/POWER_STEERING_FAILURE.SHTML). IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS BECAUSE I CANNOT TURN THE WHEEL AT ALL WHEN THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT. IT HAS NOT GONE OUT MID-DRIVE FOR US YET, BUT HAVE READ OF THAT HAPPENING TO PEOPLE. FOR US, WHEN WE TURN THE VEHICLE ON, THERE WILL BE NO POWER STEERING AND WE HAVE TO TURN IT OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN 1-3 TIMES BEFORE THE POWER STEERING WILL WORK. AND THEN THERE IS A SEVERE "SHAKING" WHILE DRIVING. I AM SHOCKED THE DEFECTIVE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED FOR THESE VERY POPULAR CARS. WE DRIVE A 3 YEAR OLD AND 5 MONTH OLD IN OUR CAR. WE CANNOT AFFORD THIS TYPE OF REPAIR, BUT CLEARLY CANNOT AFFORD TO DRIVE OUR CHILDREN IN THE CARS VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION. *TR