2009 Ford Escape Hybrid

POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE OPERATING VEHICLE ON PUBLIC ROADS. I BELIEVE THE FALURE WAS CAUSED BY A FAULTY STEERING TORQUE SENSOR HTAT WAS THE SUBJECT OF FORD RECALL NOTICE 14S05. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED BY DEALER TO ADDRESS THIS RECALL AND THE DEALER PERFORMED A "SOFTWARE UPDATE" TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. "THE UPDATE ALLEGEDLY WOULD MAKE SURE THE SUVS WOULDN'T LOSE POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING AND WOULD PROVIDE AUDIO AND VISUAL WARNINGS IF PROBLEMS OCCURRED. IF A DRIVER RECEIVED WARNINGS, THEY WERE TOLD TO RETURN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER." THE AUDIO AND VISUAL ALERTS DID NOT OCCUR AND THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILED LEAVING ONLY MANUAL UNASSISTED STEERING, MAKING OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE UNSAFE.

I WAS DRIVING LOW SPEEDS IN A PARKING LOT AND CRASHED DUE TO A POWER STEERING FAILURE. I WAS TRYING TO TURN 90 DEGREES BUT IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL EVEN WITH BOTH ARMS. I HAD A LOW-SPEED CRASH THAT WRECKED MY FRONT END. I CHECKED WITH FORD DEALER BUT THEY STATED THE POWER STEERING RECALL DID NOT APPLY TO MY FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT THE SAME FAULTY STEERING SYSTEM IN MY HYBRID IS NOT COVERED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE STEERING POWER RESUMED. THE FAILURE RECURRED A COUPLE OF TIMES. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.

WHEN DRIVING AT ALL SPEEDS, BUT MORE SO AT SLOWER "CITY" SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING HAS FAILED AND CONTROL CAN ONLY BE MAINTAINED VIA MANUAL STEERING WHICH IS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AND MANEUVER. THIS VEHICLE HAD BEEN "REPROGRAMMED" WITHOUT ANY REPORTED SYMPTOMS IN 2014 AND HAS NOW EXPERIENCED THESE ISSUES APPROXIMATELY 10K MILES LATER. THIS REPROGRAMMING WAS DONE THROUGH A PREVIOUS RECALL PROGRAM THAT DID NOT HAVE AN ADEQUATE REPAIR TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING FIRST OCCURRED IN NOVEMBER 2015. I GOT AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY LOCAL FORD DEALER IN DECEMBER 2015. THEY RESET THE POWER STEERING MODULE. AFTER DRIVING WITHOUT ANY ISSUES FOR TWO WEEKS, THE POWER STEERING IS GONE AGAIN. BEFORE THE RESET, SWITCHING OFF THE ENGINE WOULD REMEDY THE ISSUE, NOW I HAVE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITHOUT POWER STEERING AND MY LOCAL FORD DEALER IS SAYING THE PART IS NOT COVERED IN THE RECALL AND ITS COSTING $1,600 FOR THE PART AND LABOR.

TWO MONTHS AGO, WE TOOK OUR VEHICLE INTO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP FOR A FIRMWARE UPGRADE THAT WAS PART OF A WIDER FORD RECALL FOR SOME POWER-STEERING ISSUE. WE HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY STEERING ISSUES AT ALL WITH OUR VEHICLE, BUT WE WENT AHEAD WITH THE FIRMWARE UPGRADE TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE. WELL, TWO DAYS AGO, WE STARTED OUR VEHICLE, AND STEERING WAS UNCOMMONLY DIFFICULT. WE THEN TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, AND RE-STARTED THE VEHICLE; AFTER THE RE-START, STEERING WAS BACK TO NORMAL. THEN YESTERDAY, WE STARTED THE VEHICLE, AND STEERING AGAIN WAS UNCOMMONLY DIFFICULT. AFTER TWO RE-STARTS, THE DIFFICULT STEERING PERSISTED. WHEN I SAY "DIFFICULT" HERE, I REALLY MEAN HARD -- ONLY A PHYSICALLY STRONG AND FIT PERSON COULD MANAGE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE MANEUVERING FELT SO UNSAFE, THAT I FELT COMPELLED AFTER A SINGLE DRIVE TO TAKE OUR VEHICLE INTO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP THIS MORNING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING ABILITY WAS LOST COMPLETELY AND THE SERVICE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,599. UPDATED 03/11/16*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. UPDATED 04/07/16. *JB

MY VEHICLE HAD A RECALL 14S05 INVOLVING POWER STEERING DONE 7/23/14 YESTERDAY WHILE AT THE POST OFFICE, WHEN I STARTED THE CAR AND WENT TO BACK UP THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN AND HANDLE. ABLE TO GET HOME WITHOUT POWER ASSIST, BUT NOW AFTER RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM, I UNDERSTAND THAT SINCE THE RECALL DONE WAS JUST A COMPUTER UPGRADE AND NOTHING PHYSICAL DONE, I HAVE NO RECOURSE EXCEPT TO HAVE THE POWER STEERING COLUMN REPLACE AT MY EXPENSE. THIS IS A DECEPTION ON FORD'S PART, AS MOST PEOPLE WOULD TAKE THE CAR IN FOR RECALL WITHOUT QUESTIONING THE PROCEDURE TO BE DONE. FORD SHOULD BE PAYING FOR EVERY FAULTY STEERING PROBLEM AS A MATTER OF SAFETY AND AVOIDING ANY LOSS OF LIVES

WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, MY POWER STEERING SUDDENLY AND COMPLETELY WENT OUT. A DASHBOARD LIGHT CAME ON WHICH READ "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT." I DROVE TO MY FORD DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT MY VIN WAS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST AND THE LIST WAS "VIN SPECIFIC." I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THE PART THAT NEEDED REPLACEMENT IS THE TORQUE SENSOR WHICH IS ONE OF THE PARTS SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED IN THE RECALL FOR THE 2009 ESCAPE. THE NHTSA WEBSITE CALLED THE RECALL 14S05. I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT WILL COST APPROX. $900.00 TO REPAIR MY VEHICLE.