NHTSA Complaint #10641494 — 2009 FORD ESCAPE

FIRST SIGN OF PROBLEM OCCURRED IN AUGUST 2014 WHEN I PUT KEYS IN IGNITION IT WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO START CAR. IT WAS LOCKED, OR FROZEN UP. I TRIED TO MOVE STEERING WHEEL BUT COULD BARELY MOVE IT. AFTER ABOUT 5 TO 7 MINUTES OF TRYING TO TURN WHEEL, IT UNLOCKED AND I WAS ABLE TO START VEHICLE. NEXT PROBLEM OCCURRED IN EARLY SEPTEMBER WHEN TURNING WHEEL TO BACK INTO PARKING SPACE, IT FROZE UP AND LOCKED. I SLOWLY TURNED WHEEL UNTIL IT KIND OF UNLOCKED. THE NEXT TIME THE STEERING WHEEL FROZE WAS IN LATE SEPTEMBER. WHILE MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN, I LOST MY POWER STEERING BRIEFLY. I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD AND PARKED FOR A MINUTE OR TWO BEFORE STARTING BACK ON THE DRIVE HOME. IT WAS UNNERVING TO FEEL LIKE I HAD NO POWER OVER THE CAR. AS OF YESTERDAY, OCTOBER 4TH, THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES WHEN VEHICLE IS IDLE. I CAME HOME FROM WORK, PARKED IT AND HAVE NOT DRIVEN IT SINCE. *TR