NHTSA Complaint #11315357 — 2009 FORD ESCAPE

POWER STEERING WOULD GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING MAKING STEERING CONTROL VERY DIFFICULT ESPECIALLY AT LOWER SPEEDS. IT EVENTUALLY WENT OUT COMPLETELY WHILE I WAS VISITING FLORENCE, OR FROM SEATTLE, WA. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED IT WAS ON A CITY STREET AT A LOW SPEED, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO MANUVER ESPECIALLY TURNING AND PARKING. AFTER THAT IT HAPPENED ANY WHERE I DROVE. I TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE FOR SOME OTHER PROBLEMS AND MENTIONED THIS. THEY DID RESEARCH FINDING OUT ABOUT A RECALL THAT HAD BEEN DONE ON THESE VEHICLES FOR THAT ISSUE. I MYSELF THEN DID SOME RESEARCH FINDING OUT THAT IT HAD BEEN TAKEN IN FOR THE RECALL IN JUNE OF 2014. I THEN TOOK IT TO THE JOHNSTON MOTOR CO. IN FLORENCE, OR. THEY DID TESTING AND FOUND THAT IT IS RECCOMENDED THAT THE PSCM/STEERING COLUMN BE REPLACED, ESTIMATED COST IS $1690 AND SINCE FORD DID THE "SENSOR REPLACEMENT" ON THE RECAL L IT NOW MY PROBLEM. I HAVE READ DOZENS OF COMPLAINTS FROM PEOPLE WHO HAD THE PROBLEM FIXED THROUGH THE RECALL AND ARE NOW DEALING WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAD TO DRIVE HOME TO SEATTLE FROM FLORENCE OR WITH NO POWER STEERING AND PRAY THAT IT DIDN'T LOCK UP COMPLETELY. I AM A 70 YEAR OLD WOMAN WITH BACK PROBLEMS AND ARTHRITIS, I WAS IN PAIN TO THE POINT OF NOT BEING ABLE TO STAND UP STRAIGHT FOR 4 DAYS AFTER DRIVING HOME, HERDING THAT MONSTER DOWN THE ROAD. MILEAGE AT TIME OF THIS IS AT 67,400.