NHTSA Complaint #10810181 — 2010 FORD ESCAPE

I HAD BEEN DRIVING, THEN MADE A BRIEF STOP. WHEN I STARTED MY CAR AND PUT IN "DRIVE" TO BEGIN DRIVING, MY POWER STEERING WAS OUT. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. LUCKILY I WAS ONLY ABOUT 1.5 MILES AWAY. I MANAGED TO GET HOME BUT HAD THE CAR TOWED TO NORTHGATE FORD IN CINCINNATI, OH THE NEXT MORNING. AFTER 3 DAYS AT THE DEALERSHIP, THEY CALLED TO SAY THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. I KNOW THAT OTHER FORD ESCAPES HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THE POWER STEERING GOING OUT, BUT CHECKED MY VIN AND MINE WAS NOT INVOLVED......YET! TWO MONTHS LATER, I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR CONTINUING DIFFICULTY WITH STARTING (NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN FOR ABOUT 10 TURNS OF THE KEY, THEN IMMEDIATELY WOULD START) AND INABILITY TO UNLOCK/LOCK CAR WITH FOB DESPITE CHANGING BATTERY. THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER, CYLINDER MODULE AND BOLT. SUDDENLY THE CAR BOTH STARTED RIGHT AWAY AND THE REMOTE KEY FOB WORKED AS WELL.