NHTSA Complaint #10824351 — 2009 FORD ESCAPE

MY 2009 FORD ESCAPE ON JAN 29,2016 WENT TO DEALER FOR OIL CHANGE SERVICE MAN TURNED KEY FOR MILEAGE A MESSAGE READ POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT HE SAID I WONDER WHY THIS IS SHOWING? HE FIDDLED WITH A FEW BUTTONS AND DISMISSED IT. LEFT CAR FOR OIL CHANGE RETURNED PICKED UP WENT TO APT. FOR FRONT BRAKES AND TIRE ROTATION LEFT DRIVING ABOUT 10 MILES PER HOUR SUDDENLY FELT A SHAKING IN STEERING WHEEL THEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING NEARLY RAN INTO A CURB GOT CONTROL DROVE TO NEAR AUTO STORE LOOKED FOR FLUID STICK WAS NOT ONE, WENT BACK TO DEALERSHIP TOLD THEM MY POWER STEERING JUST WENT OUT? THEY SAID WE NEVER HEARD OF THIS BEFORE? ANOTHER SERVICE MAN CAME LISTENED SAID HE HAD A TRUCK IN A MONTH AGO SAME THING COST CUSTOMER $1500 I WAS SHOCKED LEFT WENT HOME MY WIFE SUGGESTED I GO TO A AUTO MECHANIC A BLOCK FROM US I DID HE DID RESEARCH WHILE I WAS THERE, HE FOUND A RECALL IN 2014 FOR 2008-2011 FORD ESCAPES FOR POWER STEERING LOSS. I WENT BACK TO DEARLERSHIP TOOK THE PRINT OUT OF SAFETY RECALL THEY DID SOMETHING ON THEIR COMPUTER FOUND THEY HAD DONE A COMPUTER REPROGRAMING IN AUG 2014 AND SORRY THE RECALL FOR US WAS CLOSED. I DID NOT RECEIVE A LETTER BUT THE SERVICE DEPT IN AUG 2014 WHEN HAVING A REGULAR OIL CHANGE THEY PERFORMED THIS REPROGRAMMING FOR THIS RECALL WHICH AFTER NOW LEAVES ME UNABLE TO GET HELP. THEY RECENTLY EXPLAINED SINCE THEY DID THEIR DUTY AT THAT TIME AND FOUND NOTHING THAN THAT CLOSED THE SAFETY RECALL FOR OUR FAULTY POWER STEERING NOW GONE. I ASKED THEM WHAT IF YOU HAD NOT DONE THAT REPROGRAMING IN AUG 2014 AND NOW MY POWER STEERING GONE WOULD I NOW BE ABLE TO GET IT FIXED UNDER THE RECALL HE SAID YES! THIS SEEMS TO ME LIKE A SCAM TO ALL THEIR CUSTOMERS, THEY KNEW EXACTLY THE PROBLEM AND KNEW I MAY HAVE A LOSS LATER ON AND COVERED THEIR A SS ES . THEY HAVE QUOTED ME $1300 TO REPLACE STEERING COLUMN, RACK, TIERODS. THE OWNER OF THE DEALERSHIP SAID TO C