NHTSA Complaint #10896610 — 2013 FORD ESCAPE

POWER STEERING FAILS WITHOUT WARNING AND DISPLAYS THE FAULT MESSAGE "STEERING ASSIST FAULT: SERVICE REQUIRED". FAILURE MAKES STEERING VERY DIFFICULT AND CAN RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL. DEALERSHIP IDENTIFIED THE CAUSE AS A INTERNAL FAILURE OF THE PSCM (POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE) AND REPLACED THE PSCM AND RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY TO REPAIR. PLEASE NOTE THAT EARLIER MODEL YEAR FORD ESCAPES HAVE A SIMILAR PROBLEM AND HAVE BEEN RECALLED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V284000 AND FORD RECALL NUMBER 14S05. AS THIS ISSUE IS IDENTICAL TO THE PRIOR RECALL, I STRONGLY SUGGEST ADDING THE 2013 MODEL YEAR FORD ESCAPE VEHICLES TO THE RECALL. THE MOST COMMON TIME FOR THE POWER STEERING TO FAIL WAS RIGHT AFTER STARTUP AND MANEUVERING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT ON A CITY STREET OR GARAGE. AT THIS LOW SPEED MANUAL STEERING IS DIFFICULT AND AGGRESSIVE BRAKING IS REQUIRED TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT ONCE THE INABILITY TO SETTER IS APPARENT TO THE DRIVER. ONCE THE STEERING FAILS AND THE FAULT MESSAGE APPEARS, IT COULD BE OCCASIONALLY RESET BY SHUTTING DOWN THE ENGINE AND RESTARTING THE CAR. TURNING OFF A CAR ON A PUBLIC ROAD TO REGAIN STEERING CONTROL IS UNDESIRABLE AND UNSAFE. I SPOKE WITH BOTH FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND BOTH CLAIMED THAT THERE ARE NO TSBS OR RECALLS DESCRIBING THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING FOR THE 2013 FORD ESCAPE. THE REPAIR INVOICE (ATTACHED) SHOWS THAT THE DEALERSHIP VERIFIED THE FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE (AS IN PRIOR RECALLS OF EARLIER MODEL YEARS) AND THE NEED TO REPLACE THE PSCM AND ENTIRE PSCM/RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY. THE MILEAGE AT THE TIME OF REPAIR WAS 45281. THE FAULT OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY AT EARLIER MILEAGES AND BECAME MORE FREQUENT WITH INCREASING MILEAGE UP UNTIL THE TIME OF REPAIR TO TO SAFETY CONCERNS.