NHTSA Complaint #10704832 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE

WIFE LOST POWER STEERING AND WE TOOK ESCAPE TO FORD DEALER. THERE WERE NO CODES IN THE CAR'S COMPUTER. FORD DEALER UPDATED SOFTWARE PER FORD RECALL INSTRUCTIONS. APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS LATER, STEERING WHEEL WAS VIBRATING EVEN WHILE STANDING STILL AND WE RECEIVED POWER STEERING WARNING FROM DASHBOARD MESSAGE CENTER. FORD DEALER SAID THE CAR COULD LOSE STEERING ENTIRELY (NOT JUST POWER STEERING) IF NOT REPAIRED. WE REPLACED STEERING COLUMN AS DESCRIBED IN RECALL. AGAIN, THERE WERE NO CODES IN THE CAR'S MEMORY. BECAUSE THERE WERE NO "CODES" IN THE CAR'S COMPUTER MEMORY, FORD REFUSED TO PAY FOR REPAIRS AS DESCRIBED IN FORD'S DIRECTION TO DEALERS FOR THE RECALL. I CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SUPPORT MULTIPLE TIMES TO COMPLAIN. THREE CALLS TO WILLIAM FORD WERE UNANSWERED. FORD MADE THE PROCESS TO OBTAIN PAYMENT FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE RECALLED PART VERY DIFFICULT. NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE FORD'S PROCESS. HOW MANY STEERING COLUMNS WERE REPLACED?, HOW MANY WERE PAID FOR BY FORD AS PART OF THE RECALL? THEY ALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAID FOR BY THE RECALL! *TR