NHTSA Complaint #11366502 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE

VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT APP. 50 MPH FROM INTERSTATE ONTO OFF-RAMP. WHILE TURNING, I NOTICED THE WHEEL BECOME VERY HEAVY. I PUT MORE FORCE INTO THE WHEEL, BUT IT WAS IF IT WAS LOCKED. THIS DID NOT FEEL LIKE A MECHANICAL LOCK, SUCH AS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS OFF - THAT GENERALLY HAS QUITE A BIT OF PLAY. I STOOD ON THE KICK PANEL AND PULLED THE STEERING WHEEL WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO DEFORM THE STEERING WHEEL. IT FELT LIKE IT WAS PULLING BACK JUST AS HARD. A SCREECHING/HISSING NOISE THAT SOUNDED SIMILAR TO A POWER STEERING WHINE WAS OBSERVED. A FEW FEET SHORT OF GOING HEAD-ON INTO THE GUARDRAIL, THE WHEEL FINALLY RELEASED, AND THE VEHICLE SPUN OUT. THE STEERING WAS THEN ACTING FINE. ONE MILE LATER, THE STEERING BEGAN TO DIE COMPLETELY. 0.5 MILES LATER, IT BEGAN TO FIGHT AGAIN. I WAS ATTEMPTING TO TURN RIGHT WITH THE DEAD POWER STEERING (BEING ABLE TO BE CONTROLLED WITHOUT MUCH EFFORT). THE WHEEL SUDDENLY FROZE UP AGAIN, THIS TIME THOUGH, I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON WHILE IN NEUTRAL. CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WAS REGAINED, AND THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM WAS DEAD AFTER THE FLARE-UP. THE VEHICLE TRAVELED ANOTHER 2 MILES COMPLETELY DEAD, BUT NOT LOCKED UP. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, AND I DON'T FEEL IT IS SAFE TO DRIVE. I CONTACTED FORD OF MURFREESBORO ON 10/26/2020, WHO WAS UNWILLING TO DIAGNOSE THE SAFETY ISSUE WITHOUT ME FIRST PROMISING TO PAY $135 BEFORE TAX. THIS IS NOT A DESIRED FAIL-SAFE OPERATION, AND I BELIEVE IT MAY POSE AN ISSUE WITH SIMILAR YEARS OF THE ESCAPE. I DON'T EXPECT IT TO BE FIXED FOR FREE, BUT FORD NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE THE ESCAPE'S ELECTRIC POWER STEERING TO MAKE SURE THIS WAS A FAILURE SPECIFIC TO THIS VEHICLE.