NHTSA Complaint #11611822 — 2014 FORD ESCAPE

The contact's daughter owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the battery was drained. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The battery was replaced. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at 35 MPH, the power steering became inoperable. The driver pulled over, turned the steering wheel to the right, and turned on the flasher. The power steering and engine warning lights became illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering gear assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that there was no recall coverage for the vehicle and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.