NHTSA Complaint #11048604 — 2009 FORD ESCAPE

SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST EVEN AFTER THE RECALL REPROGRAMMING. MY VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY TAKEN IN FOR FOR RECALL NUMBER 14S05 IN JULY. 2014. TROUBLE CODES WERE NOT FOUND AT THAT TIME SO THE DEALER SUPPOSEDLY DID A REPROGRAMMING WHICH WAS DESIGNED TO PREVENT THE LOSS OF POWER ASSIST. OUR VEHICLE HAD A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST WHILE DRIVING ON 11/7/17 I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER AND THEY FOUND TROUBLE CODE B1342 WHICH IF FOUND DURING THE 2014 RECALL APPOINTMENT, IT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE STEERING COLUMN BEING REPLACED. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BUT THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER ELIGIBLE FOR THE RECALL DUE TO THE PREVIOUS REPROGRAMMING, EVEN THOUGHT IT WAS COMPLETELY INEFFECTIVE IN RESOLVING THE CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE. CLEARLY, MY VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE EXACT POWER STEERING LOSS AND FAILURE CODE THAT WAS RELATED TO THE RECALL. THE REPROGRAMMING DID NOT HAVE THE INTENDED RESULT WHATSOEVER - I STILL EXPERIENCED THE POWER STEERING LOSS. I HAVE TRIED TO ESCALATE THIS ISSUE WITHIN FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE BUT THEY ARE DENYING ANY RESPONSIBILITY TO RESOLVE THIS KNOWN DEFECT UNDER THE RECALL WARRANTY DUE TO THE PREVIOUS REPROGRAMMING. I'M HOPING NHTSA CAN HELP RESOLVE THIS CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE - I'M SURE WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES AFFECTED! IM A SINGLE MOM AND DO NOT HAVE THE $1300 TO REPLACE THIS PART WHICH SHOULD OF BEEN REPLACED THE FIRST TIME!!!!!