NHTSA Complaint #11366900 — 2011 FORD ESCAPE

THE STEERING WHEEL OF VEHICLE LOCKS UP WHILE DRIVING MAKING THE VEHICLE VERY DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. AFTER STOPPING THE VEHICLE, PUTTING THE GEAR IN PARK, AND THEN SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVER CAN ONCE AGAIN GAIN CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL. HOWEVER, THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY, THAT IT MAKES DRIVING THE VEHICLE VERY HAZARDOUS AS YOU NEVER KNOWN WHEN THIS LOSS OF STEERING MAY OCCUR. THE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL HAS HAPPENED BOTH ON CITY STREETS AND ON THE HIGHWAY, BUT APPEARS TO BE MORE NOTICEABLE WHEN TURNING BECAUSE THAT IS WHEN THE DRIVER SHOULD BE ABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THIS IMPACTS SAFETY IN REGARDS TO BEING ABLE TO CONTROL THE DIRECTION OF THE VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY ON SNOWY WINTER ROADS. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE STATION WHERE I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE, IT SHOWED A DTC CODE OF B2278, INDICATING THAT THE ISSUE IS WITH A TORQUE SENSOR THAT IS PART OF THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM AND THAT THIS CODE IS LINKED TO SAFETY RECALL #14S05. HOWEVER, THE FORD DEALERSHIP IN MY AREA TOLD ME THAT THIS SAFETY RECALL DOES NOT PERTAIN TO THE VIN NUMBER ASSOCIATED WITH MY VEHICLE.