NHTSA Complaint #11405492 — 2009 FORD ESCAPE

I PURCHASED A USED 2009 FORD ESCAPE XLT THREE YEARS 8 MONTHS AGO. ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING IS GONE. APPARENTLY THERE WAS A RECALL THAT BEGAN JULY OF 2014 AND THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD IT REPROGRAMMED BUT IT HAS GONE OUT AGAIN WHICH SPEAKS TO IT BEING A CHRONIC ISSUE. AS THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL THAT CAME OUT OF THE KANSAS PLANT, IT SHOULD BE REPLACED AT NO COST AS OPPOSED TO SIMPLY BEING REPROGRAMMED AS IT IS NOW A SAFETY ISSUE, NOT TO MENTION THAT IT RENDERS MY CAR UNDRIVABLE. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED THE FIRST TIME SIX MONTHS AGO WHILE I WAS AT AN OFFICE DEPOT PARKING LOT ABOUT TO ACCESS A BUSY, MAIN THOROUGHFARE. I THOUGHT I FORGOT TO RELEASE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, SO I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED WITH NO ISSUE. THIS PAST SATURDAY, I RAN ERRANDS EARLY IN THE DAY AND EXPERIENCED NO PROBLEMS WITH STEERING BUT LATER IN THE DAY AS I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, THE STEERING WENT OUT. I CONTACTED FORD AND THEY WANT ME TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. APPARENTLY THE ISSUE FALLS UNDER THE PCR ELECTRONIC STEERING CATEGORY 14SO5