2009 Ford Escape Hybrid

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.

THE INITIAL INCIDENT IN WHICH THE HYDRAULIC BRAKES FAILED IN MY 2009 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID WAS IN EARLY JUNE 2015. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AT THE DEALERSHIP ON JUNE 17, 2015 AT 57,164 MILES. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE BRAKE FAILURE: WHERE HYDRAULIC BRAKES GO SOFT, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP, AND THEN THE CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT AND THE ABS LIGHT TURN ON. THE VEHICLE MUST BE TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED FOR THE SYSTEM TO RESET ITSELF. THE HYDRAULIC BRAKES FAILED AGAIN ON JULY 25, FOLLOWED BY TWO MORE FAILURES ON JULY 26, 2015. THE ONLY COMMON FACTORS THAT MAY BE LINKED TO MY BRAKE FAILURE INCIDENTS ARE USE OF POWER WINDOW AND TURNING AIRCONDITIONING ON/OFF MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE SPENT A FULL DAY AT THE DEALERSHIP (JULY 27), AND BAFFLED SERVICE PERSONNEL ARE WAITING FOR FORD HOTLINE TO PROVIDE DIRECTION.

WHILE DRIVING, THE 2009 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID SLOWED SUDDENLY AND WHILE I STILL HAD POWER, I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. I WAS ON A BUSY ROAD AND THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO TO GET MY VEHICLE TO "GO". THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON AND WE WERE ABLE TO ENTER A NEIGHBORHOOD AND PULL OVER. WE TURNED OFF THE CAR AND LOOKED THROUGH THE MANUAL BUT COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING. THE CAR STARTED UP AGAIN AND SEEMED TO DRIVE NORMAL BUT WITH THE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" ILLUMINATED. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPON INVESTIGATION, IT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE AND WHILE THEY REFUSED TO ISSUE A RECALL, FORD HAS ISSUED A "CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM" TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THAT PARTICULAR PART - WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE HYBRID MODEL. THIS PROBLEM IS THE EXACT ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING IN THE OTHER ESCAPES AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE HYBRID IS EXCLUDED FROM THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THAT WAS NOT ONLY TERRIFYING BUT DANGEROUS.

ON WED, JUN 3, 2015 - I WAS DRIVING, ENGINE CUT OUT AND WOULD NOT LET ME GO OVER 35-40, WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON, I PULLED OVER, STOPPED, TURNED IGNITION OFF, WAITED A MINUTE, TURNED BACK ON, WRENCH LIGHT STAYED OUT. ON FRI, JUN 5, 2015 - I CALLED THE LOCAL FORD DEALER FOR AN APPOINTMENT, GOT ONE FOR MON, JUNE 8, 2015. AS I STARTED DRIVING, THE SAME THING HAPPENED EXCEPT AFTER I STARTED THE CAR AND BEGAN DRIVING AGAIN THE WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER. MON, JUN 8, 2015 - WAS CALLED AND INFORMED THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND THAT IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE CONSUMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM 13N03. WAS TOLD IT ONLY APPLIES TO GAS MODELS NOT HYBRIDS. I WILL BE CONTACTING FORD TO FILE A FORMAL COMPLAINT.