NHTSA Complaint #11173014 — 2011 FORD ESCAPE

STOPPED AT A STOPPED SIGNED PULLED OUT SLOWLY TO THE RIGHT AND THE STEERING COMPLETELY LOCKED UP THEN CORRECTED A FEW SECONDS LATER. A WEEK LATER AT A STOP SIGN SLOWLY PULLED OUT TO THE RIGHT AND THE STEERING LOCKED UP AND I DRIFTED INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC WITH NO CONTROL AND HIT A CURB THEN STARTING STEERING CORRECTLY. I AM SO THANKFUL NO ONE WAS HURT OR WORSE. THE TRUCK WAS TAKEN THE SAME DAY TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT AND HAVE IT SERVICED. I WAS TOLD THEY RECEIVED CODE B227B WHICH WHEN I RESEARCH FALLS UNDER THE FOLLOWING/ RECALL NUMBER 14V284000 RECALL DATE 05/29/2014 COMPONENT STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM SUMMARY FORD MOTOR COMPANY (FORD) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008-2011 FORD ESCAPE AND MERCURY MARINER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED AUGUST 18, 2006, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 11, 2010. THE AFFECTED VEHICLES HAVE A STEERING TORQUE SENSOR THAT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PROPERLY DETECT DRIVER STEERING INPUT. AS A RESULT, THE SYSTEM COULD REMOVE THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING (EPS) ASSIST. CONSEQUENCE IF POWER STEERING ASSIST IS LOST, GREATER DRIVER EFFORT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO STEER THE VEHICLE AT LOW SPEEDS, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH I WAS TOLD MY VIN # IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL.