2011 FORD ESCAPE Steering Problems

Power steering locks up and makes it almost impossible to turn the wheel. Error diagnostic code is B2278. VIN is not included in the recall.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the power steering failed to function as needed. The contact was able to park and restart the vehicle; however, the power steering failed to regain normal functionality, making it difficult to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed as having power steering failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 240,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after driving approximately 10 MPH and then attempting to park the vehicle, the power steering abruptly switched to manual steering mode and became difficult to turn. The contact stated after turning off and restarting the vehicle, the power steering regained normal functionality before the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

This 2011 Ford Escape has a front K-frame (subframe) failure. The area where the front passenger lower control connects to the k-frame has completely rusted through, causing the lower control arm to almost detach from the vehicle at the front bushing. While driving, the steering wheel suddenly became crooked and the car was taken to a shop for an alignment. Upon inspection it was learned that the K-frame has rusted in that one area so badly that the wheel could become detached if the vehicle is driven any further. I see that Ford has this exact issue with 2001-2004 models and did a recall. However, they are not indicating that they are addressing this same problem with newer models.

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...

The power steering keeps locking up while driving on the highway and taking turns. Driving this car when this happens is very stressful and frighting, since you have to turn the car off and move the steering wheel to loosen it up before you can drive again. This has almost cause me to have several accidents. And there is no warning when this is going to happen, it just locks up. Ford has done a recall for the power steering issue for the Ford Escape and for the same year. They are telling me that my car is not listed for this recall. Took the car to Ford Auto Nation in July of 2023 and paid over 3000.00 to have fixed. Not even a week later the steering was locking up more. Took the car back and they have had it ever since. It has been 9 months waiting for...

The contact's daughter owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was veering around a curb the vehicle temporarily lost power steering functionality. The contact’s daughter was unsure if any warning lights were illuminated; however, 5 audible dings were coming from the system. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic, and it was diagnosed with an intermittent power steering failure. The mechanic informed the contact there was a recall for that failure and to contact the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the recall was not associated with the VIN. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline by the manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, she became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, prompting her to pull to the shoulder of the roadway. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the power steering torque sensor. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 150,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated when he entered the vehicle, the vehicle was without power steering functionality. The contact stated that while the vehicle was started, the vehicle was jerking. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) as a possible solution; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 313,000.

Loses power steering. Recall had been fixed way before I bought it.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering function became inoperable. The contact stated that while making a turn, the power steering was inoperable, and the vehicle was very difficult to steer. In addition, the contact became aware of a failure with the electrical system. The contact stated the radio and other features did not function as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that after driving the vehicle, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contacted stated while driving at approximately 30 MPH and steering the vehicle to the right around a traffic circle, the power steering functionality failed. The contact was able to pullover and stop the vehicle. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the power steering functionality returned. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the steering failure was intermittent but was a reoccurring failure. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 206,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her granddaughter was driving at approximately 10 MPH and making a turn, the steering wheel started spinning abnormally. The contact was unaware if there were any warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the steering sensor and steering column needed to be replaced. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

Power steering will go out. Sometimes if I turn the car off and back on it will come back. Very stiff steering when it goes out. Drives really rough when it’s out.

My 2011 Ford Escape loses power steering while driving. There was recall out for this issues; however, my car did not receive a recall. The symptoms on the recall are the excact symptoms I am experiencing. It appears to be a fault with the Electric Power Steering sytem. Please take into consideration this is a mjor safety concern and I believe this car should have been under the recall procedure. I can be reached at [XXX] . Thank you for your consideration. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The power steering went out on us several times, but this last time, I was almost in a accident. Also, it has a rubbing/ grinding sound in the front with a shimmy and no matter what,it won't quit.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was at an intersection and attempting to make a left turn, the vehicle lost power steering inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's wife turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact's wife was able to drive on a straightforward roadway to his daughter's residence. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that a fee would be charged for a diagnostic test. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

Steering goes out randomly. Steering becomes very stiff and sometimes corrects itself after turning vehicle off and back on.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 15-10 MPH and attempting to make a left turn, the power steering assist failed. The contact was able to maneuver the vehicle with excessive force to the side of the roadway. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the power steering assist had failed. The contact was informed of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) and became aware that the VIN was not included. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

My car is a 2011 Ford Hybrid Escape and is having the same safety recall 14S05 issue for Ford models; 2008-2011 Escape and Mariner Vehicles Electric Power Steering, yet my car was not included within this recall. Problem: without any warning displayed on my car's instrument cluster message center the power steering goes out while driving. The steering wheel becomes very hard to steer, making it a safety issue for me to drive safely on the road. This problem started about a month ago (October 10, 2023} and it occurs intermittently. The problem can occur at any point of driving; from departure of being parked or during driving, the car will become hard to steer. Our Mechanic confirmed this problem through an auto diagnostic given on 11/02/2023 (see Hi-Tech Auto Repair attachment). Additional inspections on my car or the component have not been done by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives...

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle power steering and the A/C intermittently became inoperable. The battery warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 253,877.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on multiple occasions while he or his wife was driving at undisclosed speeds, the steering wheel became stiff and difficult to maneuver. The contact stated that his wife had to turn the vehicle off and restart the vehicle however, the failure recurred. The contact was unsure if any warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering column failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unavailable.

While driving on a side street, the power steering failed. The steering wheel was very difficult to turn making it much more difficult to control the vehicle. If it wasn't as early in the morning as it was, there would have been more vehicles on the road and the risk of hitting another vehicle would have been much greater. The inability to control my vehicle made it more dangerous for me and others on the road. Ford Motor Company issued a recall on 2008-2011 Escapes for a problem with the steering torque sensor. I contacted Ford and, even though this vehicle fits the years included in the recall, I was told this vehicle was not included in the recall. There were no warning lights, messages or other symptoms prior to the failure.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering assist, causing the steering wheel to become firm. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.

Hello, I have submitted a complaint to the National Highway Traffic Safety Department on February 4, 2023 to report an issue with my 2011 Ford Escape. My Steering wheel is locking while in motion. I have spoken to a Representative who verified that my vehicle was manufactured in Kansas City, Mo. I viewed the Recall letter that was submitted from the Manufacturing Company on July 1, 2014 with Recall number 14S05. My Case number is [XXX]. I also spoke with a Representative with NHTS DepartmI hope this isent today August 30, 2023 and was advise to Edit and update my complaint. My ODI 11450799. My Vehicle is currently at the Barton Ford Dealership Service Department at 1600 N. Main St in Suffolk Va. This incident has occurred frequently. Again the issue was reported this year in February of 2023. Lately the incident has occurred everyday this past week. I do...

We bought a certified pre-owned 2011 Ford Escape from Simi Valley Ford dealer back in late 2014. We then gave it to our son when he started college in 2018. It has been working okay for him until three weeks ago the steering wheel locked a few times on him while driving and he took it to the local repair shop where he was told that there had been a recall on the 2011 Ford Escapes for issues with steering so his best bet would be to take it to the dealership. He took it to a Ford dealership and they said it needed a new steering column but that it was not covered under the recall (codes did not match). We authorized the replacement of the steering column over a week ago and we keep being told that the part has not shipped from the manufacturer and that they...

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his mother was driving at 5 MPH and exiting a parking lot, the power steering assist failed, and the power steering function was inoperable. However, after driving a short distance, the power steering became operable, and she was able to safely drive the vehicle to her residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that the first failure experience occurred three months ago, but the failure had reoccurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, while attempting to slow down the vehicle pulled to the right. The vehicle returned to normal functionality however, the failure became a regular occurrence. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the EPS module. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 150,000.

The torque sensor failed while turning left at a stoplight and the power steering didn't work. It was extremely difficult to keep the steering wheel rotated in order to complete the turn. I came very close to hitting the car on the opposite direction at the stoplight and to hitting the curb. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer service center. The Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC)was B2278. To my knowledge the manufacturer has not inspected the torque sensor. The dealer did say the sensor had a yellow paint or chalk line it and when they received the replacement sensor, the literature called for the entire steering column assembly to be replaced if the yellow paint line was present on the failed sensor. There were no warning lights, checking engine lights, or any other symptoms of the problem prior to the sensor failure. The failure just occurred without warning in...

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds while making a left or a right turn, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated that she had to turn off and restart the vehicle to unlock the steering wheel. No warning light was illuminated. The contact’s father diagnosed the vehicle and retrieved DTC code: B2278. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was transferred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

Power steering fails intermittently with no warning. Causes loss of steering control momentarily, then returns to normal after restarting. It has affected this vehicle sporatically since 152K miles. Odometer reads 156K on 7-10-23. It has not been inspected by any mechanic, dealer, or insurance professional. This is a serious safety risk.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the steering column before the power steering malfunctioned and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 200,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on three separate occasions, while driving at low speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The contact was able to turn off and restart the vehicle on each occasion. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and produced code: B1342. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at low speeds, the power steering functionality failed to remain operational. The steering wheel failed to turn with the wheels. The steering wheel was shaking. The steering wheel failed to turn. There was an unknown sound detected outside the vehicle. The tire warning light was illuminated. The navigation system was dimmed and not responding. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact about a recall. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 143,000.

When starting the car the steering wheel shakes and it is hard to turn. Shutting the car off and restarting would sometimes fix it. But now it happens every time. Installed a new power steering torque sensor. That stopped the shaking, but it is still hard to steer. Taken it to a Ford Dealer but they just sit on the car and never get around to looking at it. THis happened at 155,000 miles.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality with the steering wheel shaking abnormally. The contact was able to pull over. The vehicle was taken to independent mechanic and the mechanic stated that the vehicle was experiencing the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The dealer was contacted, and the dealer stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 120,000.

I have lost the ability to steer my car while driving several different times, able to pull over and turn car off. When car is restarted the steering electric power assist system kick in and I am able to continue driving. The recall was from vehicles from 20006 thru 2010/ My vehicle is a 2011 apparently there are still problems.

Electric power steering fails while driving. Car is available for inspection. Power steering failure while driving is an extreme safety risk. Problem has been confirmed by an independent mechanic. Car goes to the Ford dealer in two weeks (earliest appointment). Vehicle has not yet been fully inspected. No warning lights or error codes were shown. It appears that this vehicle SHOULD HAVE been recalled by Ford but was not.

STEERING MALFUNCTIONED WHILE I WAS DRIVING. MY SAFETY WAS AT RISK BECAUSE I WAS DRIVING IT. NO DEALER HAS NOT SEEN CAR YET HAD TO MAKE AN APPT FOR LATER DATE DUE TO AVAILABILITY. WHEN POWER STEERING FAILED LED MESSAGE CAME UP AT THE SAME TIME SO THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while her husband was driving 70 MPH, the vehicle shuddered significantly and made abnormal knocking sounds. Additionally, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's husband veered to the side road and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated upon restarting the vehicle, the power steering became operable. The contact's husband was able to drive to the residence; however, the failure reoccurred intermittently while driving. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under the...

Power steering goes on and off without warning, you will just hear a click sound. It appears that there is a short circuit somewhere as it also affects my temp control, radio and dash gauges. We almost had an accident as a family of 4 driving in i88.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering assist failed to operate as needed. The contact called the dealer and was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The vehicle was diagnosed and repaired by the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH and making a left turn, the steering wheel became stiff and the vehicle momentarily lost power steering assist; the vehicle immediately regained power steering assist functionality. On another occasion, while driving 15 MPH and making a right turn, the failure recurred, and the steering wheel became stiff with an audible beeping sound and the steering assist failure warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle home. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The independent mechanic reset the power steering assist fault code. The dealer was contacted but offered no assistance because the vehicle had a Salvage Title. The manufacturer was not contacted. The...

electric power steering failed without warning while driving.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and transferred the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 220,000.

I was driving down the road a couple months ago and my steering would go out randomly and then kick back on and some times it would kick off and I would have to pull over and turn the car off and turn it back on and it would start working again. There has been a couple times I would be driving down the highway and it goes out. Now the power steering is out completely. I see that other vehicles like my are being recalled and my car doesn’t I’m confused. It’s very dangerous, considering I will have a child soon and won’t drive this vehicle with my child

Power steering gave out while driving down highway. Checked out by mechanic and no cause found. This vehicle has a recall involving the steering torque sensor, specifically to vehicles manufactured in the Kansas plant....BUT only a specific group that were assembled during a specific time frame ending September 11, 2010. My vehicle was assembled in the Kansas plant in January 2011....4 months after the affected vehicles. I believe my vehicle is affected by this and my torque sensor is faulty

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while exiting a parking lot, the vehicle lost power steering functionality without any waring. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle operated normally. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the power steering control module needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 115,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering malfunctioned, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the power steering operated as needed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the power steering module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 150,000.

I have lost power steering x 2 on the freeway, 70 mph. I had it in for repair at a Ford dealership, they said it was the alternator and repaired with new alternator. Started to loose power steering again, same situation. Now I read that there are hundreds of other people with similar problems, Ford has done a limited recall but has left the rest of us with no recourse. How can all of us get this information in mass before someone does get killed. There have been accidents and some injuries to those recalled, but nothing for the rest of us. Are we just to keep driving these unsafe cars? This is reportedly the EPS system. Ford says there should be a warning light, but mine has had no such warning lamps.