NHTSA Complaint #10716678 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE

SHORTLY AFTER TAKING MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE BACK TO THE DEALER TO ADDRESS A POWER STEERING RECALL IN OCTOBER 2014, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. ACCORDING TO FORD, THIS WAS RECALL 14S05. THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME THE POWER STEERING FAILED, BUT IN THE PREVIOUS INSTANCES THE PROBLEM WOULD RESOLVE ITSELF AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE. IN DECEMBER 2014 WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILED, THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. FORTUNATELY, IT'S A CAR MY SON DRIVES WHEN HE IS HOME FOR COLLEGE BREAK SO WE WEREN'T USING IT THAT OFTEN AND I HELD OFF TAKING IT BACK TO FORD DEALER. I WAS ABLE TO TAKE THE ESCAPE BACK TO THE DEALER THIS MONTH TO REPORT THE STEERING PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD THE ESCAPE NOW NEEDS TO REPLACE THE TORQUE SENSOR FOR THE POWER STEERING. (IN OCTOBER, THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE PSM AND MADE NO OTHER REPAIRS TO STEERING PARTS.) ALL OF THE NEWS REPORTS ABOUT THE RECALL THAT I HAVE READ THIS SPRING MENTION THAT THE TORQUE SENSOR WAS ONE OF THREE THINGS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED IN THE RECALL. THE TORQUE SENSOR IN MY ESCAPE WAS NOT CHANGED, AND NOW THE FORD DEALER IS QUOTING A PRICE OF $500 TO $600 TO DO THE REPAIR. I BELIEVE THIS TORQUE SENSOR SHOULD BE REPLACED NOW AS PART OF THE RECALL FORD MADE FOR POWER STEERING PROBLEMS. THANK YOU.