NHTSA Complaint #10781984 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE

ON 10-2-15 WHILE MAKING A 90 DEGREE LEFT TURN AT ABOUT 15 MILES PER HOUR, ABOUT HALF WAY THROUGH THE TURN, THERE WAS SUDDENLY NO POWER STEERING. I GRABBED THE STEERING WHEEL WITH MY OTHER HAND AND WAS ABLE TO TURN THE CAR ENOUGH TO KEEP FROM HITTING A CURB. THERE WAS ALSO A QUICK WARNING BUZZER BUT NO DASH LIGHTS STAYED LIT. THE LOSS OF STEERING WAS ONLY FOR A SPLIT SECOND BUT ENOUGH TO FEEL LIKE THE CAR HAD QUIT RUNNING WHICH WAS NOT THE CASE. I TOOK THE CAR TO GREAT LAKES FORD IN MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN ON 10-5-15, TOLD THEM ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR 10-12-15 TO HAVE IT CHECKED. I TOOK IT IN ON 10-12-15, THEY CHECKED IT OUT AND THEY RETRIEVED CODE B2278, DIAG. NEEDS STEERING COLUMN. THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT UNDER RECALL14S05 AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THE REPAIR DONE. ON 10-13-15 I CALLED FORD CUSTOMER CARE AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. IN SEPT. 2014, I RECEIVED THE RECALL LETTER FROM FORD ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND TOOK THE CAR TO GREAT LAKES FORD ON 10-27-14. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE RECALL WAS ABOUT AND THE PAPER WORK I GOT FROM THEM SIMPLY SAYS 14S05 ELECTRIC POWER STEERING RECALL 14S05 "14S05C". NO ONE EVEN SAID WHAT THE RECALL WAS ABOUT. AS IS, THIS CAR IS FLAT DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. FORD IS AWARE THAT IT IS DANGEROUS BUT DOESN'T SEEM TO CARE EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW IT'S A MANUFACTURES DEFECT.02/15