NHTSA Complaint #10950228 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE

IN MAY 2014 FORD ISSUED RECALL #14S05 FOR STEERING ISSUES. THE RECALL WAS 'PERFORMED' ON MY CAR IN NOV 2014, WHICH CONSISTED OF A 15-20 SOFTWARE UPDATE. I'M CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING THE SAME STEERING ISSUE AND NOW HAVE TO REPLACE THE TORQUE CENSOR AND FORD IS REFUSING TO HONOR/ASSIST/ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM IS RESIDUAL OF THE INITIAL RECALL. I'M FORCED TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR WHAT SHOULD BE STILL CONSIDERED A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. AFTER OVER A MILLION VEHICLES BEING RECALLED, HOW DO THEY FIGURE A SOFTWARE PATCH FIXED THE PROBLEM? WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS EXPENSE. FORD KNOWS THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLES AND SHOULD HAVE THE DECENCY TO HONOR THIS REPAIR AT ANY TIME. FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE STATES THAT THE RECALL IS OVER 12 MONTHS OLD AND THE SOFTWARE WAS UPDATED AND THEY NO LONGER CONSIDER IT AN ISSUE. MEANWHILE, I'M CURRENTLY STRANDED AND WILL BE OUT OF ALMOST $600 OR MORE THAT I DON'T HAVE! WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM A FORD DEALERSHIP SERVICE WHO WAS NOT VERY HELPFUL OR CONCERNED, I LOST ALMOST ALL STEERING AND NARROWLY MISSED GOING OFF THE SIDE OF 64 WEST AFTON MOUNTAIN IN VIRGINIA. I'M MISSING WORK AND STRANDED AND WILL HAVE TO DRAIN MY ACCOUNT FOR A REPAIR THAT IS CLEARLY A FORD DEFECT. HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED IN FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND BUSINESS ETHICS. IF/WHEN I GET RID OF THIS ESCAPE WHEN FUNDS ALLOW, I WILL NEVER CONSIDER A FORD AGAIN.