NHTSA Complaint #11222689 — 2009 FORD ESCAPE

ON APRIL 15, 2019, WE PURCHASED THE USED 2009 FORD ESCAPE WITH LESS THAN 33,000 MILES. OUR TEENAGE DAUGHTER DROVE IT TO WORK ON APRIL 17, 2019 WITH NO NOTICEABLE ISSUES, AND WHEN SHE WAS ON HER WAY HOME, SHE NOTICED SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE ESCAPE. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS GETTING MORE DIFFICULT FOR HER TO MOVE AS SHE WAS LEAVING WORK AND COMING HOME. WE HAD PURCHASED THE ESCAPE ONLY 2 DAYS PRIOR, SO WE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP WHICH SAID THERE HAD BEEN NO KNOWN ISSUES, OF COARSE. WE TOOK THE ESCAPE TO A LOCAL FORD DEALER WHO INFORMED ME THE COMPUTER HAD BEEN RESET FOR THIS ISSUE IN 2014, WHEN A RECALL WAS ISSUED. HE SAID AS TIGHT AS THE STEERING WAS, IT WAS DEFINITELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THEY TRIED RESETTING IT AGAIN WITH NO IMPROVEMENTS AT ALL. ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN HAD TO BE REPLACED. I WAS GIVEN AN ESTIMATE THEN. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED OUR DAUGHTER TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT FROM MY UNDERSTANDING. WE HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR WORK, BUT WAS NOTIFIED FROM THE REPAIR MAN THAT A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED IN 2014 FOR THIS REASON. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH SEVERAL REPRESENTATIVES TODAY, AND ONE INFORMED ME THAT THIS ESCAPE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, EVEN THOUGH IT HAS HAD THE SAME ISSUES AS OTHERS IN THE 2008-2011 RANGE. I UNDERSTAND THE VIN NUMBER WAS RUN AND THEY SAID NO ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE, BUT I HAVE THE REPAIR WORK TO PROVE IT DID. SO I WOULD LIKE THIS TO BE RESEARCHED FURTHER IF POSSIBLE, WITH THIS HAPPENING, WHY WAS IT NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL? REIMBURSED? ONE REPRESENTATIVE INFORMED ME THAT THIS ESCAPE WAS NOT MANUFACTURED IN THE LOCATION THE OTHERS WERE ON THE RECALL LIST SO THE RECALL DID NOT INCLUDE THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE, YET IT HAD THE EXACT SAME ISSUE?? THIS MAKES NO SENSE TO ME. THANK YOU