NHTSA Complaint #10568891 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE

I WAS HEADING TO WORK ONE MORNING, AND I STARTED THE CAR UP AND DIDN'T HAVE POWER STEERING. I SHUT THE CAR OFF, AND THE STEERING CAME BACK. (AT THE BEGINNING, SHUTTING THE CAR OFF WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM RIGHT WAY.) I PULLED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND DROVE DOWN THE ROAD WITH THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKING. THERE WAS ALSO A QUIET GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. AS THE CAR SLOWED DOWN (AT STOP LIGHTS ETC.), THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK MORE AND THE NOISE GREW A LITTLE LOUDER. AS THE DAYS WENT ON (3-4 DAYS LATER), THE SHAKING AND NOISE GOT WORSE UNTIL IT WAS AN UNCONTROLLABLE, CONSTANT SHAKING OF THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE NOISE BECAME SO LOUD AND HORRID THAT I THOUGHT THE CAR MIGHT BREAK DOWN. WITHIN THAT WEEK, AS I STARTED MY CAR, THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT ABOUT A TOTAL OF 10 TIMES, AND I HAD TO SHUT OFF THE CAR AND RESTART IT. UNLIKE AT THE BEGINNING, BY THE END OF THE WEEK, I HAD TO SHUT MY CAR OFF 4-5 TIMES BEFORE THE STEERING WOULD COME BACK. THE LAST DAY OF DRIVING THE CAR, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS SO LOOSE THAT IT WAS HARD TO CONTROL ON THE BACK ROADS/HIGHWAYS/FREEWAYS AND OVER POT HOLES. AT ONE POINT, I MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN, AND I ALMOST THOUGHT I WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO BRING THE STEERING WHEEL/CAR BACK. THANKFULLY, I (AND NO ONE ELSE) HAS DIED FROM THIS MANUFACTURER DEFECT IN THE 2008 FORD ESCAPES, BUT IS THAT WHAT IT IS GOING TO TAKE IN ORDER FOR SOMETHING TO BE DONE? *TR