NHTSA Complaint #11408533 — 2015 FORD ESCAPE

AFTER DRIVING THE CAR FOR ABOUT 1.5 HOURS, WE STOPPED AT A CONVENIENCE STORE. WHEN WE RESTARTED THE CAR, AN ERROR MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE DRIVERS INFORMATION SCREEN THAT SAID: "STEERING ASSIST FAULT SERVICE REQUIRED" (PLEASE SEE ATTACHED PHOTOS) AND THE VEHICLE HAD LOST POWER STEERING. THIS MADE THE VEHICLE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE BUT WE WERE FORTUNATELY VERY CLOSE TO OUR DESTINATION. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THIS ERROR HAD OCCURRED, THE FIRST TIME WAS ON A MUCH LONGER DRIVE BUT AFTER SITTING FOR 10 MINUTES OR SO (VEHICLE OFF) THE ERROR WENT AWAY WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED. THIS TIME, EVEN AFTER LETTING IT SIT OVERNIGHT, THE ERROR HAS NOT GONE AWAY AND THERE IS STILL NO STEERING ASSIST. I HAVE FOUND MANY POSTS ABOUT THIS VERY ISSUE WITH THE FORD ESCAPE VEHICLE (AND OTHER FORD VEHICLES) AND AM VERY SURPRISED THAT THERE IS NOT A RECALL FOR THIS VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM. IF THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING HAD GONE OUT WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (AS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS), THE RESULT COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. PLEASE TAKE THIS ISSUE VERY SERIOUSLY. THANK YOU.