NHTSA Complaint #10906316 — 2009 FORD ESCAPE

I OWN A 2009 FORD ESCAPE. THERE WAS A VERY LARGE RECALL ON THE STEERING COLUMN A COUPLE YEARS BACK, AS THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD RANDOMLY FREEZE AND YOU HAD VERY LITTLE CONTROL OVER YOUR CAR. I HAD THIS ISSUE. I ALMOST GOT INTO A SERIOUS WRECK DURING ONE OF THESE FREEZING EPISODES WHEN I WAS MAKING A SLOW TURN ONTO A ROAD IN ATLANTA, GA. THE RECALL SAID TO BRING IN THE CAR TO A LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP, AND THEY WOULD EITHER DO A RE-SET ON THE COMPUTER, OR REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN IF DEEMED NECESSARY. ORIGINALLY, THEY RE-SET THE COMPUTER. IT HAPPENED ONE TIME AFTER THE COMPUTER RESET, BUT I FIGURED IT WAS JUST A FLUKE. ALMOST A YEAR LATER... THE SAME ISSUE STARTED HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY, AGAIN, AND WITHIN 2 DAYS, THE ELECTRONIC STEERING WAS COMPLETELY GONE. I LOST ALL POWER STEERING ABILITY. IT WENT OUT COMPLETELY. I BROUGHT IT BACK IN TO GWINNETT PLACE FORD, AND THE "SERVICE" CENTER SAID THE RECALL HAD EXPIRED, AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A STEERING COLUMN OUT OF POCKET ($1,400). I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO PAY OUT OF POCKET... EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NOT AN EXPIRATION DATE ON THE RECALL. FORD HQ STATED THAT THE DEALERSHIP COULD HAVE REPLACED IT FREE OF CHARGE (INSTEAD OF THE $1,400 THEY MADE ME PAY) AND THEN JUST SENT THE RECALL AND THE BILL TO FORD HQ FOR A REFUND. GWINNETT PLACE FORD BLAMED IT ALL BACK ON FORD HQ FOR AN "EXPIRED" RECALL. PER THE RECALL LETTER, THEY SHOULD HAVE REPLACED MY STEERING COLUMN FREE OF CHARGE....THEY DID NOT.