NHTSA Complaint #11396142 — 2018 FORD ESCAPE

VEHICLE STEERING STIFF AND DOES NOT UNLOCK AFTER STARTING. MUST WORK MOVING STEERING WHEEL FORCE ABLE TO UNLOCK TO DRIVE. ALSO MAKES NOISE WHEN DRIVING AND TURNING THE WHEEL. I THOUGHT IT WAS A LOW BATTERY TAKING/CONSERVING POWER; HOWEVER UPON TAKING TO FORD DEALERSHIP IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT MY RACK AND PINION NEEDS REPLACED. MY 2018 FORD ESCAPE HAS APPROXIMATELY 46,000 MILES AND IS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE FORD TECHNICIAN INDICATED THIS WAS AN UNUSUAL REPAIR DUE TO THEY USUALLY DON'T SEE THIS REPAIR ON VEHICLES THAT HAVE LOW MILEAGE AND IT'S ABOUT 100,000 MILES LESS THAN HE USUALLY SEES. IT IS A DRIVING HAZARD AND COULD HAVE WENT OUT COMPLETELY WHILE I WAS DRIVING. SO DISAPPOINTED AND FEEL THERE IS A DEFINITE FACTORY-PROBLEM. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE NEW.