NHTSA Complaint #11078340 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE

OCTOBER 2016, REGARDING RECALL 1405S, A TECHNICIAN DID A SELF TEST AND INDICATED NO DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES WERE PRESENT. THE SELF TEST AND OBSERVATION WERE PERFORMED FOR APPROXIMATELY 18 MINUTES (WHICH IS THE ALLOWABLE LABOR COST FOR RECALL REPAIRS). ALTHOUGH NO DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES WERE PRESENT, THE TECHNICIAN NOTATED HE 'REPROGRAMMED PSCM AND IC.' AT THE TIME I HAD MY VEHICLE SERVICED FOR THE RECALL, 1405S, I WAS NOT EXPERIENCING ANY POWER STEERING ISSUES. FEBRUARY 2018, LOSS OF POWER STEERING, CONSOLE READS 'POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT.' RETURNED TO FORD DEALERSHIP, INFORMED BY FORD THE OCD CODE WAS DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BECAUSE A PREVIOUS SELF TEST WAS PERFORMED AT BAYSHORE FORD, THE RECALL WOULD NOT APPLY AND INCUR AN OUT OF POCKET COST. HOWEVER, THE PREVIOUS UPDATED PSCM SOFTWARE CHANGES DID NOT CHANGE THE TORQUE SENSOR FAULT STRATEGY. ADDITIONALLY, FORD DID NOT INFORM CONSUMERS OF THE ULTIMATUM : HAVE VEHICLE REPROGRAMMED AND FORFEIT ANY FUTURE RECALL RELATED REPAIR COVERAGE.