NHTSA Complaint #11430495 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH and attempting to make a right turn, the steering wheel inadvertently lost power. The Power Steering Assistant Fault message was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact stated she was able to pull to a nearby gas station and she turned off the vehicle. The contact stated when she restarted the vehicle, the steering wheel was significantly more difficult to maneuver. The contact stated she was able to forcefully maneuver the steering wheel and drove to her residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that she would be responsible for the cost of the repair since the vehicle was out of warranty. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 179,643.