NHTSA Complaint #11582312 — 2011 FORD ESCAPE

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and attempting to make a left turn, the steering wheel locked, causing the vehicle to drive straightforwardly towards oncoming traffic. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she stopped the vehicle and reversed. The contact stated that a road construction worker placed traffic cones around the vehicle to prevent a crash. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the Electric Power Steering (EPS) assist motor had failed and needed to be replaced. The mechanic contacted the dealer for the part and was informed that the part was not available. The contact followed up with the dealer, who informed her that the part had been discontinued. Additionally, the contact stated while the vehicle was being towed to the independent mechanic, the front driver's side lower control arm fractured due to severely rusted bolts. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 154,000.