NHTSA Complaint #11300191 — 2010 FORD ESCAPE

FOR THE LAST 2 MONTHS OR SO, WHEN I HAVE TURNED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. I WOULD HAVE TO TURN THE KEY BACK TO THE OFF POSITION & TRY REPEATEDLY TO TURN THE KEY ALL THE WAY FORWARD TO FINALLY GET THE VEHICLE TO START. BECAUSE OF PAST PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE ENGINE DYING SUDDENLY ON ME & IN PARTICULAR A COUPLE TIMES WHEN I WAS TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL & MY RIGHT HAND HAPPEN TO GENTLY BRUSH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION.... I NOW WONDERED IF I COULD START THE ENGINE MY SIMPLY GENTLY TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. THE NEXT TIME I TURNED THE KEY ALL THE WAY FORWARD TO START THE ENGINE & NOTHING HAPPENED I KEPT THE KEY TURNED ALL THE WAY FORWARD IN THE IGNITION & TRIED TO GENTLY TURN THE STEERING WHEEL... THE ENGINE CAME RIGHT ON. QUITE ALARMING & SCARY TO THINK THAT YOU CAN TURN THE ENGINE ON BY TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. EXPLAINS WHY THE ENGINE EASILY TURNED OFF IN THE PAST WHEN MY RIGHT HAND BARELY TOUCHED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION & I LOST POWER STEERING. PERHAPS FORD'S SAFETY RECALL 14V-284 WAS ACTUALLY ABOUT THIS PROBLEM & NOT THE TORQUE SENSOR THEY CLAIMED... THAT SITUATION INVOLVED AN ELECTRIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAULT & LOSS OF POWER STEERING AS WELL. A LOCAL FORD DEALER (1-7-2020) CHARGED ME $618 TO REPLACE THE LOCK HOUSING & THE PROBLEM HAS NOT HAPPENED SINCE. HOPEFULLY I DON'T LOSE POWER STEERING AGAIN ANY TIME SOON AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAS JUST OVER A 100,000 MILES & HAS BEEN HORRIBLY HORRIBLY HORRIBLY UNRELIABLE. WE BOUGHT THIS JUNK BRAND NEW & NEITHER FORD NOR THE DEALER HAVE EVER REACHED OUT TO US TO RIGHT THIS WRONG. NEARLY $40,000 WASTED FOR AN UNRELIABLE VEHICLE THAT I WOULD BE LUCKY TO GET $3,000 FOR ON A TRADE-IN NOT TO MENTION THAT I AM SCARED A NEW UNAWARE OWNER COULD LOSE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY & NOT KNOW HOW TO REACT.... ESPECIALLY @ HIGH SPEED & IN A TURN IN A ROAD. GOD HELP YOU IF YOUR NOT STRONG & CALM.