NHTSA Complaint #10691518 — 2009 FORD ESCAPE

AT FIRST STEERING WHEEL WOULD VIBRATE ON ITS OWN WHEN CAR WAS STARTED. I CALLED FORD CUSTOMER CARE AND THEY SAID THEY HAD NEVER RECEIVED A COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS. I MADE AN APPT. TO TAKE CAR TO LEN STOLER DEALERSHIP IN OWINGS MILLS, MD. TODAY 3/2/15. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR TO TAKE IT IN MY MESSAGE PANEL READ " POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" AND THE POWER STEERING WAS COMPLETELY GONE! THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THE STEERING ANGLE SENSOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THAT IT REQUIRES REPLACING THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN! I WENT ONLINE AND THERE ARE MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS FROM OTHER FORD ESCAPE OWNERS. THE FORD DEALERSHIPS CHARGED FROM $1200- ALMOST $1900 TO FIX THIS. IN MAY 2014 THERE WAS A RECALL OF SOME FORD ESCAPES REGARDING THE POWER STEERING ISSUE. I WAS TOLD MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED. THERE SHOULD BE SOME ADDITIONAL RECALLS FOR THIS ISSUE..IF YOU CHECK THE INTERNET YOU WILL FIND I AM NOT ALONE! THERE ARE SO MANY COMPLAINTS I WOULD THINK THAT FORD WOULD HONOR A RECALL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY HURT. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE MY HUSBAND DRIVE MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE I COULD NOT NAVIGATE TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO GET THERE. THANK YOU. *TR