NHTSA Complaint #10662341 — 2011 FORD ESCAPE

DROVE A LITTLE OVER 2 MILES , EVERYTHING WAS FINE .CAME TO A STOP AT A RED LIGHT. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN I STARTED TO PULL OUT AND I NOLONGER HAD ANY POWER STEERING AND THERE WAS NOW A LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ADVISING OF N TRACTION OFF. I WENT HOME AND WAITED TILL MORNING AND DROVE TO MY REGULAR MECHANIC .THEY CHECKED IT OUT AND TOLD ME TO TAKE THE CAR TO FORD BECAUSE THIS WAS A RECALL AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY FORD. THE FORD DEALER SAID THAT THIS WAS NOT COVERED BECAUSE I HAD BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR THAT RECALL LAST YEAR WHEN THEY SENT ME THE NOTICE AND MY STEERING COLUMN AND ELECTRICAL WAS OK AT THAT TIME. SO ONE YEAR LATER AND $1100. LATER THIS PART BREAKS AND FORD DOES NOT THINK IT IS RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE IT WASN'T BROKE WHEN THEY LOOKED AT IT A YEAR AGO. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN TRAGIC IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY OR IF SOMEONE HAD PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME AS IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE WHEEL TO AVOID ANYTHING.I FRRL THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING IN THIS ESCAPE AND FORD KNOWS ABOUT IT AND IS NOT STANDING BEHIND IT RECALL/. THE DEALER SAID THIS WAS HIS THIRD SUCH PROBLEM IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS AND FORD WILL NOT TAKE CARE OF THEM I DID CONTACT FORD MOTOR CORPORATE ABOUT THIS BILL AND THEY TOLD ME THE PROGRAM WAS CLOSED BECAUSE MY CAR HAD BEEN INSPECTED AND DID NOT NEED THIS WORK DONE AT THAT TIME. *TR