NHTSA Complaint #11078589 — 2011 FORD ESCAPE

BEGINNING FEBRUARY 16, 2018 I BEGAN EXPERIENCING VIBRATION AND BOUNCING OF STEERING WHEEL EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. I ADDITION TO STEERING CONCERN - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM APPEARS TO BE SHORTING OUT AFFECTING THE DASH ELECTRONICS SUCH AS INDICATOR LIGHTS ON DASH, RADIO OPERATION AND DOOR LOCKS. THE STEERING MALFUNCTION BECAME STEADILY WORSE TO THE POINT THAT IN EARLY MARCH 2018 I BEGAN INQUIRING ON VEHICLE RECALLS. IN SPEAKING TO FORD WAS ADVISED THAT A STEERING UNIT RECALL WAS ISSUED BUT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT LISTED. FURTHER COMMUNICATION WITH FORD IDENTIFIED THE POSSIBILITY THAT A CLERICAL ERROR OCCURRED WHICH FAILED TO INCLUDE MY VIN TO THE RECALL AS MY VEHICLE STICKER DID NOT IDENTIFY THE DATE OF MANUFACTURE ONLY THE MONTH AND YEAR. MORE TELEPHONE CALLS WITH FORD IDENTIFIED MY 2011 FORD ESCAPE AS BEING MANUFACTURED ON 09/09/2010 AND WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. CONVERSATIONS SINCE 2/16/18 YIELDED THAT MOJAVE AUTO GROUP PERFORMED A SOFTWARE RESET IN DECEMBER 2014 RATHER THAN REPLACEMENT OF THE STEERING UNIT. WHEN I BEGAN SPEAKING WITH FORD AND NHTSA THE VEHICLE WAS STILL OPERATIONAL. ON 3/6/18 MOJAVE AUTO GROUP HAS INSPECTED MY VEHICLE AND WRITTEN UP THE POWER ASSIST FAILURE AND FOUND THE STEERING COLUMN BAD AND NEEDING REPLACEMENT. INFORMATION ON MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED WITHIN THE MOJAVE AUTO GROUP SYSTEM UNDER SO#605329