NHTSA Complaint #11182628 — 2009 FORD ESCAPE

I WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY STEERING WHEEL SHAKING, I TOOK IT INTO MIDAS TO HAVE IT CHECKED AND THEY THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE A BUILD UP OF SNOW AND ICE AS THE WEATHER HAS BEEN VERY COLD. THEY SAID IT COULD ALSO BE THE STEERING AND TO TAKE IT TO FORD. I DROVE TO SEE MY SON IN BATTLE CREEK ABOUT 40 MILES AWAY AND AFTER MY VISIT AND ON MY WAY HOME IT SEEMED TO BE GETTING MORE SHAKY SO I WENT RIGHT HOME AND AS I TURNED INTO THE DRIVEWAY THE STEERING WENT OUT. SO I CALLED BROOKLYN FORD AND HAD MY CAR TOWED TO THEM AS THEY ARE VERY REPUTABLE. THEY SAID THAT I WAS THE EIGHTH PERSON THEY HAD TO FIX THIS SAME PROBLEM. NOW I THINK THAT IS EIGHT TO MANY AND THINK SOMETHING WAS WRONG WHEN THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM ON THE 2008 MODELS. BROOKLYN FORD SAID THE CAUSE WAS A SCANNED CODE-B2278 STEERING SHAFT TORQUE SENSOR MALFUNCTION-INTERNAL FAILURE TO TORQUE SENSOR. BROOKLYN FORD HAD TO REPLACE STEERING COLUMN ( PART NUMBER CL8Z 3C529D), REPROGRAM, CLEAR CODE, RETEST. THE COST FOR THIS WAS $1,285.85 AND BEING A RETIRED SENIOR THIS WAS A GOOD SHARE OF MY LIVING EXPENSES. PLEASE RESEARCH THIS AS IT JUST SEEMS FUNNY THAT SO MANY CARS HAD TO HAVE THIS DONE JUST THIS YEAR.