NHTSA Complaint #10787157 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE

WHEN TURNING CAR ON , ELECTRIC POWER STEERING DOES NOT ALWAYS TURN ON .. THIS USE TO HAPPEN ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH,YESTERDAY IT HAPPENED 4-5 TIMES ,ITS GETTING WORSE YOU HAVE TO TURN ENGINE OFF AND BACK ON TO SEE IF IT WILL TURN ON , SOMETIMES IT TAKES SEVERAL TIMES TURNING ON / OFF TO MAKE IT TURN ON. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT HAPPENED WHILE MOVING (DRIVING) AS I WILL NOT TAKE OFF UNTIL ITS WORKING. I'M AFRAID IT WILL PROGRESS TO TURNING OFF WHILE DRIVING.I'M SURE THE LARGER PROBLEM OF TURNING OFF WHILE DRIVING,STARTED OFF AS P/S NOT TURNING ON AND PROGRESSED. I CHECKED ON LINE AND FORD WAS RECALLING 100'S OF THOUSANDS OF VEHICLES FOR P/S PROBLEMS (ELEC . P/STR.) FROM 06 TO 15. I CALLED FORD CO. DIRECT AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL EVEN THOUGH MY PROBLEM SOUNDED EXACTLY LIKE THEIR DESCRIPTION EXCEPT FOR CAR MOVING OR NOT ,IN OTHER WORDS , P/S TURNING OFF WHILE DRIVING . FORD SAID IT HAD NOTHING TO DO , WITH DESCRIPTION , BUT WITH DATES OF MANUF. , PARTS USED , PLANT LOCATION ETC. ETC. THEY SUGGESTED I TAKE TO LOCAL FORD DEALER PAY TO REPAIR IT AND IF THEY DECIDED TO RECALL IT AT A LATER DATE , THEY WOULD INFORM ME BY MAIL AND REIMBURSE IF I HAD ALRE ADY HAD IT REPAIRED . THE PERSON AT FORD INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS AN ACTUAL RECALL ON MY CAR # 14S19 I TOLD HIM I KNEW ABOUT IT AND THEY HAD TOLD ME (EARLIER) THEY WOULD INFORM ME WHEN PARTS WERE AVAILABLE .....NEVER INFORMED . THE P/STR. PROBLEM , STARTED AT APPROX . 70K MILES -6/7 MONTHS AGO,NOW HAS 76K