NHTSA Complaint #11233920 — 2013 FORD ESCAPE

THE 2013 ESCAPE WON'T PULL OUT OF A TURN WITHOUT ADDITIONAL FORCE APPLIED OR WILL TRY AND MAKE A TURN ON ITS OWN. ONCE YOU FORCIBLY MAKE IT STRAIGHTEN OUT, IT WORKS FINE. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVEN TIMES IN THE LAST SIX WEEKS. FORTUNATELY WE HAVEN'T BEEN GOING FASTER THAN 30 MILES AN HOUR. IF IT HAPPENS AT A FREEWAY SPEED, NO TELLING WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. I HAPPENED TO MY WIFE LASST WEEK AND SHE SAID IF A CAR WAS COMING FROM THE OTHER DIRECTION, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY CLOSE TO AN ACCIDENT. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS CAR IS MAKING US VERY NERVOUS. WE TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER WE BOUGHT IT FROM, MARYSVILLE FORD IN WASHINGTON AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. A TEST DRIVE DOESN'T WORK, SINCE IT HAPPENS SO SELDOM. WHAT DO WE DO? IF I TRADE IT IN AND TELL WHAT IS THE PROBLEM, I WON'T GET ANYTHING FOR THE CAR. IF I DON'T SAY SOMETHING, SOMEONE MAY GET KILLED! THE CAR HAS 37000 MILES. AT 20000 MILES IT OVERHEATED FOR NO APEARANT REASON AND FORD COULDN'T FIND THAT PROBLEM EITHER. THEY FINALLY CHANGED OUT THE ENGINE SINCE ON ONE COULD FIGURE IT OUT. WE WANT TO GET RID OF THIS LEMON AND WANT FORD TO BUY IT FROM US AT FAIR MARKET VALUE. A MECHANIC FRIEND OF OURS SAID IT MIGHT BE THE "VARIABLE RESISTER" IN THE STEERING. IF THIS IS SO, WHY COULDN'T THE FORD DEALER FIGURE THAT OUT. I'VE READ FORUMS WHERE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS. WHY ISN'T THIS A RECALL ITEM? A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THIS, INCLUDING THE DEALER, SO IF WE GET INTO AN ACCIDENT, THERE WILL BE REPERCUSSIONS.