NHTSA Complaint #10947500 — 2009 FORD ESCAPE

THE STEERING WHEEL ON OUR 2009 FORD ESCAPE STARTED SHAKING CONSTANTLY AND THERE'S A WARNING SHOWING "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE." WE TOOK IT TO OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER. THEY DETERMINED IT WAS AN ISSUE COVERED UNDER A RECALL AND WE SCHEDULED A SERVICE APPOINTMENT FOR REPAIR. WHEN WE TOOK IT IN FOR THE APPOINTMENT, THEY THEN TOLD US IT WASN'T A RECALL AND WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. WE DIDN'T CONTINUE WITH THE REPAIR AT THAT TIME. WE RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND FOUND THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED ON 05/29/14, NHTSA CAMPAIGN #14V284000, FORD RECALL #14S05. WE OWNED THE VEHICLE AT THAT TIME OF THE RECALL AND WERE NEVER NOTIFIED. I CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE REGARDING THE ISSUE, BUT THE ONLY RESOLUTION THEY OFFERED WAS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE WITH OUR FORD DEALER, WHICH WON'T FIX THE PROBLEM UNDER RECALL. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND ASKED THEM TO CONDUCT A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK ON IT WITHOUT TELLING THEM THE BACKGROUND. THEY PERFORMED THE CHECK AND DETERMINED IT WAS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AND RECALL WE WERE ALREADY AWARE OF. THEY PROVIDED US WITH THE RECALL DOCUMENTATION AND ADVISED US TO GO TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY SHOULD REPAIR THE PROBLEM DUE TO THE PREVIOUS RECALL. COULD SOMEONE PLEASE PROVIDE US ASSISTANCE OR ADVICE IN GETTING OUR VEHICLE REPAIRED UNDER THIS RECALL? WE'RE FEARFUL OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE POTENTIAL LOSS OF STEERING LOSS AND DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW FORD IS REFUSING TO REPAIR A CLEARLY OBVIOUS RECALL ISSUE. THANK YOU. *TR