NHTSA Complaint #11256291 — 2013 FORD ESCAPE

THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. I WAS DRIVING ON A SUNNY DAY ON THE HIGHWAY GOING 70 MPH ON A LONG CURVE. WITHOUT WARNING MY STEERING WHEEL COMPLETELY LOCKED UP. I WAS SO SCARRED BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE GOING THE SAME SPEED OR ABOVE WHAT I WAS. I THOUGHT QUICK ENOUGH TO PUT ON MY HAZARDS, I COULDNT DIRECT THE CAR TO GO TO THE CURVE, SO I FIGURED I WOULD SLOW TO A STOP AND GO FROM THERE. A COUPLE MINUTES LATER WHEN I WAS DOWN TO ABOUT 10 MPH AND PEOPLE HONKING AND FLYING PAST ME THE POWER STEERING ASSIST. FAILURE LIGHT CAME ON AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY WHEEL JERKED TO THE RIGHT A LITTLE AND I WAS ABLE TO SLIGHTLY START GOING TO THE SHOULDER. IT TOOK BOTH HANDS AND ALL THE STRENGTH I HAD TO MOVE THE WHEEL BUT I MANAGED. I CALLED MY HUSBAND TO COME PICK ME UP, WHILE WAITING I TURNED THE CAR ON TO MAKE SURE IT WAS THE POWER STEERING LIGHT THAT CAME ON, WHEN I TURNED THE CAR ON THE STEERING WAS BACK TO NORMAL, MY HUSBAND FOLLOWED ME HOME WHILE I DROVE SLOWLY. THE NEXT DAY THE CAR WAS STILL FINE, UNTIL I WAS DRIVING BACK FROM THE STORE ON A COUNTRY ROAD THAT IS HILLY AND WINDING GOING 30 MOH THE LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN THE STEERING WAS REALLY HARD TO TURN OR MOVE IN ANY DIRECTION. I MANAGED TO GET HOME AND THAT IS WHERE MY CAR HAS SAT SINCE, I'M TOO SCARED TO DRIVE IT AGAIN. THIS IS BEYOND DANGEROUS.