NHTSA Complaint #11298374 — 2014 FORD ESCAPE

MY WIFE'S 2014 ESCAPE WORKED FINE IN THE MORNING FOR HER TO RUN AND DO AN ERRAND. WHEN SHE WENT TO START THE CAR IT FAILED TO START AND I WAS ABLE TO JUMP IT AND GET IT TO A LOCAL AUTO ZONE FOR A BATTERY REPLACEMENT. WHEN I WAS PULLING INTO AUTO ZONE I NOTICED A SMALL CATCH WHILE TURNING LEFT AND LOST POWER STEERING FOR A FEW SECONDS. I MADE NOTE OF IT MENTALLY BUT JUST FOCUSED ON GETTING THE BATTERY REPLACED AS THAT SEEMED TO BE THE UNDERLYING ISSUE. NOW THE BATTERY HAS BEEN REPLACED AND I GO TO LEAVE AND I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO POWER STEERING WITH A WARNING STATING "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" SERVICE REQUIRED. I MUSCLED HER CAR HOME TO RECHECK MY WORK AND ITS ALL GOOD. A DAY LATER AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE I THROW A HAIL MARY AND DISCONNECT THE BATTERY FOR ABOUT A MINUTE AND THEN RECONNECTED IT AND BINGO I HAVE STEERING. MY WIFE LATER LEFT FOR SHOPPING AND HAD ZERO ISSUES UNTIL HER ATTEMPT TO LEAVE. SHE IMMEDIATELY GOT THE ERROR MESSAGE AND HAD INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING ON HER DRIVE HOME BUT WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT WITH THE USE OF BRUTE FORCE. I HAD THE TRANSMISSION AND RECALL ADDRESSED ABOUT TWO TO THREE MONTHS AGO AND THIS CAR HAS BEEN A PAIN SINCE THEN WITH NEEDING A JUMP IN COLD WEATHER. NOW THIS AND THE OUTLOOK OF A 2,000 REPAIR WHEN IT TOOK A DEALERSHIP 2 MONTHS TO DO A RECALL AND REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION THAT WAS MAGICALLY "FRIED" I'M HESITANT TO TRUST ANYTHING FORD SAYS BUT THIS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE THAT HAS DOCUMENTED HISTORY AND NEEDS TO BE A RECALL. NOW I NEED TO FIND OUT WHY ITS IN AND OUT AND WHAT TO DO MOVING FORWARD. #FORDSERVICESUCKS