NHTSA Complaint #11071628 — 2009 FORD ESCAPE

STEERING WHEEL STARTED SHAKING AND VIBRATING AT STOP LIGHTS. THIS WENT ON FOR ABOUT 3 DAYS THEN A MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL THAT SAID "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT". AFTER REACHING MY DESTINATION I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. UPON RESTARTING I HAD NO POWER STEERING. I DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME THEN TO THE DELERSHIP THE NEXT MORNING. THEY EXPLAINED THAT THEY RETRIEVED A CODE DTC B2278 AND SAID EITHER THE TORQUE SENSOR OR THE STEERING GEAR IS BAD AND THEY WOULD NEED TO TEAR DOWN THE STEERING COLUMN TO FIND OUT. THE ESTIMATE FOR THIS WAS $1200 TO $1800 DOLLARS. NOT HAVING THE RESOURCES TO HAVE THE CAR REPAIRED AT THE TIME THEY SENT ME ON MY WAY. HUMOROUSLY THE POWER STEERING WAS WORKING AGAIN AFTER THEY RETRIVED THE FAULT CODE. THAT LASTED ABOUT TWO DAYS AND NO MORE POWER STEERING. THIS VEHICLE IS LIKE DRIVING IN THE FIFTIES AGAIN. I AM A LARGE GUY AND REALLY HAVE TO STRAIN TO MAKE A TIGHT CURVE. I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WERE MY WIFE DRIVING. I UNDERSTAND AFTER A LITTLE RESEARCH THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR FORD AND SOME VEHICLES HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR IT, UNFORTUNATELY NOT MINE. I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THE PROBLEM IS REAL AND THE DANGER IS IMMINENT. WOULD YOU PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION OF LOSING POWER STEERING BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED?