Problems with 2008 Ford Escape STEERING

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. the contact stated that the power steering warning indicator illuminated and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. the failure occurred on several occasions. the dealer stated that the torque sensor needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact also stated that the vehicle was serviced according to nhtsa campaign number: 14v284000 (steering), but the failure recurred. the manufacturer stated that the recall repair was unable to be performed twice. the approximate failure mileage was 98,000.

I was driving on a city street when all of a sudden the power steering stopped. it was difficult to steer and turning left was nearly impossible and very painful. i could not turn the steering wheel to park the car. i was very afraid that i would lose all steering capability and get into an accident. *tr

Experienced frequent loss of power steering at speed and at stop a few months ago. replacing the battery resolved it for 2 months. then it started again when in tucson. extreme wobble in the steering column at all times. restarting the car helped reset power steering for the first 2 days if the car lost power steering while at rest. restarting the car at speed is not possible and losing power steering is pretty sudden and scary. was driving at 70mph on interstate 10 and lost power steering several times. had to pull over with available manual steering, which was hard. researched online and found similar issues with the 2008 ford escape--loss of power steering both at rest and at speed. filing complaint. *js

Once again, my power steering failed and had to reset it. is ford waiting for a lawsuit or a death to recall this hazard? if someone's vehicle does this while at highway speeds- a lawsuit is waiting to happen. *tr

Was driving and taking a turn when the power steering went out. stopped the car and then shut it off. when i restarted the car the power steering was back on. however, there was considerable shaking in the steering wheel with a rattling noise coming from the steering column. this was only the latest incident. earlier in the morning when i started my car there wasn't power steering. i turned the car off and then on again at which time it worked. this has been going on for about a month happening maybe 1 or 2 times a week. the shaking and noise from the steering column is getting louder while idling. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the steering wheel seized. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering sensor needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure and current mileage was 154,000.

Complaint description case # [xxx] in the past i have been a supporter of the "american" company, ford. ford has not stood by its product (and post the links that are on the internet concerning your "steering column problem"!) i could have been killed the day the steering column went out!!! i want my money back! $1,300.00 (i had to replace the steering column, just 7 months after i bought the vehicle. i am definitely of age, i work hard as a graphic designer and know what i am talking about, and know that you have/are robbing the american public, by not doing a recall. (let alone your responsibility in possible injury and even death!!!) in your 2008 ford escape there is a problem with the steering column. you; an american company, meaning i am not dealing with some foreign car dealer! i have heard that you have replaced 5 computers in trying to solve the problem with your steering columns . steering column phoned: 1-800-392-3673 8:46am on march 21st. case #[xxx]you the owner of the vehicle :yesvin : [xxx] contact informationfirst name : [xxx] last name :[xxx]address :[xxx]: [xxx] state :[xxx], zip :[xxx]email address :[xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Power steering would fail often. at first it would not work right after vehicle was started. after shutting down and restarting it would often kick back in and work. it progressively got worse and about 2 weeks after initial incident it would often fail while traveling on the highway at speeds up to 70 mph. this is my wife's primary vehicle and if something were to happen and the power steering failed at those speeds she would not have the strength to properly maneuver the vehicle out of danger. *tr

!st time started to leave, no assist. drove short distance to my home. hard to steer but drivable. second time my wife was driving and started to make a turn ,no assist. was arriving at destination. both times when the car was restarted the power assist worked normally. the 2 above incidents were about 2 weeks apart.the loss of assist wile driving was on 04-01-14. *tr

As i was driving, i was about to make a turn and that's when i lost power to my steering wheel. the wheel was very difficult to turn. i stopped my vehicle, shut if off, and restarted. it began to go back to normal but the steering wheel is shaking on it's own. ever since the first incident, off and on, the steering wheel will have no power. today, i almost crashed while making a left hand turn. it took all of my strength to make sure i didn't hit the median. i was coming to a stop to make my turn and it went out right then and there. after leaving work today again it failed. i was only backing out when i lost power. i already got in touch with ford and they did say it's a known issue but not a recall. *tr

Without warning, the power steering on my 2008 ford escape simply went out. i had no issues or indication that the steering was about to fail and suddenly, the power steering simply stopped working. fortunately, this loss of power steering didn't result in a crash in my case. i quickly scheduled an inspection at the ford dealership and they confirmed that the power steering had in fact failed. in researching this issue on the internet, i have found scores of other people with the same issue. i discovered that ford had changed from a hydraulic power steering system to an electric system starting in 2008. clearly this system is defective and should be looked into immediately. i was lucky not to have had an accident but one day some one will be killed when this system fails again. don't let this turn into another issue like is currently happening with gm ignitions and lives are lost. *tr

While driving in regular traffic, i noticed that my steering wheel would shudder when stopped. after parking, shutting off car, and then returning, my car had lost its power steering. it has intermittently returned after turning car. off/on, but it is happening more often. quick internet search listed very similar issues and symptoms. all pointing towards the electronic steering assembly. which looks like it costs nearly $1400 to fix usually. i find this extremely dangerous and will not be having my wife or child in this vehicle. *tr

While driving at highway speeds the steering wheel began to pull and shake to the left and right. the power steering also shuts off entirely while driving, and randomly when starting the car. the car is incredibly difficult to steer when this occurs, making it almost impossible for me to drive. shutting off and restarting the car will sometimes restart the power steering, but the shaking and pulling does not stop. *tr

For the last couple of days, whenever i put my car in reverse and begin to back up, i lose my steering ability. the only way i can get my steering wheel to work again is if i turn my car off and then turn it back on again. well, today, it happened again, but this time i tried multiple times to turn my car off and turn it back on and my power steering would not kick back in. i have read through many complaints on here as well as other sites and see that a lot of people are having the same issue with their 2008 escape. i have seen that it can cost over $1400 to get it fixed!! i do not have that kind of money right now!! the fact that there was no warning light to tell me that something in the power steering was going is ridiculous!! in the past 2 years i have had to replace the transmission, get a new battery, get brakes, tires,new gas tank, new sensor for the heating control, and the list continues. this car is only 6 years old and just past 100,000 miles!!! i should not have had to replace all these things already!! i am not about to put another $1400+ in this vehicle especially since it seems to be an ongoing problem with many other escapes. time to do a recall people or you can gladly take this car back!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. the contact stated while at a stop sign with the vehicle idle the steering wheel jerked to the left independently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the steering column assembly needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 124,693.

This is the fourth time that the powering steering has gone out on my escape. i have reported the other incidents as well. just impatiently waiting for ford to recall this issue that is life threatening!! these last two times have been at a low rate of speed thank goodness! its really scary when the steering goes out while driving. i really like my vehicle but i think i am going to trade it so driving will be less stressful for me, even though i have invested thousands of dollars in this vehicle. ford sucks and needs to help save lives... i will not buy ford again, this neglect really makes me angry! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. the contact stated that the power steering assist failed. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 140,000. the vin was unavailable.

My escape had a faulty power steering sensor or steering column that would allow the power steering to stop working at unknown times. this happened several times while driving and affected the way the car would steer. i had to replace this at the ford dealership at a cost of $1,200 to me. this should be a recall item that ford is required to pay for. *tr

At first the power steering didnot work upon starting car, restarted and it worked. as time went on this got worse, having to restart several times and now once power steering works it will go off anytime even just driving straight on the highway. also when power steering is working the steering wheel shakes. this should be a recall as there have been so many complaints that ford has offered a torque sensor kit instead of having to replace the whole steering column. *tr

Happened several times since nov 2013, while pulling from parked position, steering is very difficult to turn. have to turn off engine and restart to have steering operational. has occurred 6 times. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. . the contact stated when he attempted to pull out of the parking space, he was unable to steer. the contact stated that the failure had occurred multiple times. the vehicle had not been taken the dealer or independent mechanic for a diagnoses of the failure .the manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. the failure mileage was aproximately 119,000.

Starting in about the middle of march, power steering will fail unexpectedly. since then it has become more frequent. if you just start the car with the steering wheel basically on center, there will be no power steering at all. if you crank the wheel to the left or right as you start the car, the steering will work for a while but the wheel will shake and make a noise when it is on-center. it will then sometimes fail completely after a few minutes. stopping and restarting the car may get it to work for a while.

I am writing to you to seek help on sending a formal complain to ford motor co. to investigate an issue with the 2008 ford escapes where the steering wheel locks in while driving. at first, i didn't think it was a big deal because it has happened only once so far with my 2008 ford escape on 3/13/14 when i was taking my younger daughter to school. i couldn't really move the car and it got so stiff turning left or right that i thought i was going to break the thing. i turned it off and turned it back on right away and nothing happened and i got saddened because i had a field trip to go to that day with my daughter. i decided to go but it was "painful" driving the suv with a very stiff wheel.. ..parking the car at the field trip location it was pretty bad because i couldn't turn the car ,i ended up using 2 parking spaces .i asked one of the parents about the issue and he asked me if it was leaking oil,etc(no leaks) ... the weird thing that happened later that day when he checked my car , it was fine,like nothing has happened.....time went by and after hearing the last few days in the news about gmc complaints and issues never reported, i did a search engine on the web about issues with ford escapes. i went to "carcomplaints.com" and found out that there are over 160 complains about the same issue as mine in different parts of the country and no solutions,no recalls from ford. i sent an email to ford motor co. with no response and i decided to contact 10tv investigates to start"something" about this problem. now more than ever i will be driving nervously thinking when the stiffness issue is going to happen again and god forbid get into an accident. *tr

After starting my car to leave the parking lot from my work, i noticed that the power steering wasn't working as i was backing out. i pulled back into my spot, put the vehicle in park, shook the steering wheel to try to get it to work, and nothing. i turned the vehicle off, restarted it, still nothing. i restarted it once more, shook the wheel while starting the engine and it worked fine. i now have to wiggle the steering wheel while starting the vehicle to make sure that the power steering assist turns on. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. the contact stated that the power steering failed. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. the failure mileage and vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. the contact stated that while idling, the steering wheel shook and lost power steering. the vehicle was restarted on numerous occasions in order to regain power steering. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the torque sensor needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign id number 14v284000 (electrical system), however the vin was not included. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 182,119.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. the contact stated that while traveling various speeds, the power steering failed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was found that the electronic power steering had failed. the vehicle was being repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 80,000. *tr

After driving on the freeway for approximately 45 miles, i was unable to steer the wheel without a lot of force. i was unable to stay on the road and came very close to hitting another vehicle before coming to a stop along side the freeway. in the past 6 months i have had to replace the transmission (at 69000 miles) and now this. i am not an aggressive driver and feel these problems should be addressed. the steering is a very serious safety issue and should have a recall! *tr

Electric power steering went out without zero warning signs and zero warning signifiers from vehicle dash. was driving on i-10 at 75 mph - steering has always shook at speeds over 70 mph - steering just locked up in the middle of driving, and went into manual mode. there is no recall on this item with ford, but the same issue, at about the same mileage has been reported all over north america (up into canada as well. canada has opened an investigation on this matter for their citizens. a report has been submitted to ford and i have been told to contact the dealership - it is my perception that all owners of this vehicle have been told the same thing. however, a resolution must be made - and not at the cost of the owners because this seems chronically defective. the 2008 ford escape was the first to have this specific power steering placed in it. *tr

At idle and while driving the steering wheel twitches from left to right uncontrollably and without warning. many consumers i've researched are having same problem followed by total power steering failure and extreme difficulty in steering. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. the contact stated while driving approximately 40 mph, the steering wheel became very difficult to turn without warning. the vehicle was driven onto the emergency lane; however, the contact continued to drive the vehicle as the failure occurred. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who indicated that the power steering module needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 90,000. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the steering wheel became very difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering column sensor needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 118,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. the contact stated that while traveling various speeds, steering became extremely difficult. the contact also mentioned that the vehicle vibrated excessively. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 84,000. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the steering wheel seized. the vehicle was shut off and restarted several times before the vehicle functioned normally. the vehicle was taken the dealer for inspection where they stated that the steering torque sensor needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure but was unable to produce a remedy. the failure mileage was 171,979. *tr

While driving i lost all power steering. the suv became very difficult to steer. once i was able to muscle it over to the side of the road the steering wheel started to shake back and forth on its own. after turning the car off then back on this went away for a short time. then after about a month or so it happened again. now this happens frequently. i cant drive without this happening. this is very dangerous and needs to be recalled. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the steering wheel started to shake and vibrate. the vehicle was shut off and restarted however, the failure recurred sporadically. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for a diagnostic. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure and current mileage was 84,000.

While driving the vehicle in a parking lot the powersteering cut out. i was able to stop the vehicle and after shutting the car off and turning it back on power steering was restored. when the vehicle is stopped the steering wheel has started to ratchet back and forth. after looking at a few forum i found that the steering wheel position sensor fails and causes these problems regularly. *tr

Upon starting my car, i realized i could not turn the steering wheel without great effort. tried it the next day, and the power steering was working, although the steering wheel was vibrating strangely. have had the same problem 2 additional times. after reading numerous other entries on nhtsa website on this same issue, i learned that if i turned the car off and then turned it on, power steering resumed. this worked for me this morning after 3 attempts. brought into mechanic and they could not assess issue. will be bringing into dealer this week. very concerned about what happens if i'm driving and this outage recurs. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. the contact stated while driving at no particular speed the vehicle lost power steering without warning and the steering wheel was very hard to turn. the power steering was engaged when the vehicle was turned off and restarted. this failure occurred thirty times over a period of a month. the vehicle was not taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 125,000.

Steering wheel started to shake from side to side then lost power to steering wheel like it went from easy to very hard to steer. turned car off the restarted and it was ok. now it happens all the time. when i start car up no power, while i'm driving and i loss power. *tr

I was heading to work one morning, and i started the car up and didn't have power steering. i shut the car off, and the steering came back. (at the beginning, shutting the car off would fix the problem right way.) i pulled out of my driveway and drove down the road with the steering wheel shaking. there was also a quiet grinding noise coming from the steering column. as the car slowed down (at stop lights etc.), the steering wheel shook more and the noise grew a little louder. as the days went on (3-4 days later), the shaking and noise got worse until it was an uncontrollable, constant shaking of the steering wheel and the noise became so loud and horrid that i thought the car might break down. within that week, as i started my car, the power steering went out about a total of 10 times, and i had to shut off the car and restart it. unlike at the beginning, by the end of the week, i had to shut my car off 4-5 times before the steering would come back. the last day of driving the car, the steering wheel was so loose that it was hard to control on the back roads/highways/freeways and over pot holes. at one point, i made a right hand turn, and i almost thought i was not going to be able to bring the steering wheel/car back. thankfully, i (and no one else) has died from this manufacturer defect in the 2008 ford escapes, but is that what it is going to take in order for something to be done? *tr

Power steering quit while driving down the road. could not get the vehicle off the road fast enough for on coming traffic. i see that there had been quite a few complaints with the same problem. not sure why a recall has not been made. *tr

Power steering stopped working pulled over stopped engine restarted steering working again google problem when i returned home found many angry people with same problem. seems to be a problem that is not an easy fix and common to the steering of the 2008 ford escapes. *tr

I was driving to work and the steering column started to vibrate and then the power steering went completely out. my vehicle was doing the same thing last summer and i received a mailed postcard with a power steering recall. i took it to my local dealer and they reset a sensor. it had been working fine until two weeks ago. the power steering has gone out several more times for short periods. i called ford regarding the issue and they told me they could do nothing for me this time & that the repairs would be at my expense. i feel as if the power steering going out is a safety issue and because of the recall from last summer, ford should be responsible for fixing it. updated 09/23/15.*jb

The power steering suddenly stopped functioning while traveling 45 mph on the highway. i was able to pull the car over to the side of the road and call for assistance. after getting the car to a nearby garage they informed me nothing was wrong once the car was turned off and then on again. i took the car to a ford dealer where they knew of the issue and said it was a common failure in the 2008 ford escapes. the fix was to replace the entire steering column. a quick search of the internet for 2008 ford escape power steering fail yielded multiple results and a pending recall in canada for an issue with the power steering sensor. *tr

I turned my car on and started driving straight forward. shortly after i realized i had no power steering. the only way i could turn was to muscle the wheel. backed up and parked the car for the night. next morning started it and had no issues. the week before i had noticed some knocking and ticking in the wheel. so figured i'd get it checked out after loosing it completely. stopped to get gas and as i was pulling out onto the busy highway lost it again had to muscle the wheel to avoid being t-boned. immediately took it to the dealership. they knew the problem immediately and gave me high estimates which was a red flag for me that it might be a common issue if the receptionist can diagnose it. did some research to check other options like fluid or belts. saw 1000's of similar complaints online and 100's here. something needs to be done to make ford recall this before someone dies.even if someone dies it probably won't get fixed because they aren't around to tell that they lost steering. plus the problem fixes itself after being turned off so it may not show in investigations of a fatality. also the issue seems to happen after the car reaches 100,000 miles. so complaints and incidents will only go up as more cars hit that 100k mile mark. now it the time to attack the problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving approximately 30mph, a loud grinding noise emitted under the front and the steering wheel failed without warning. the contact was able to exit traffic by turning the steering wheel with force. the local mechanic inspected the vehicle and located the failure at the power steering column and advised that the power steering system needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 125,000. *tr updated 11/20/14*cn the consumer stated the vehicle was repaired. updated 5/5/2015 *js

I was going to drive home from work, upon going to back out of my parking space i realized i had no power steering. i had no choice but to drive the vehicle home, 25minutes on the freeway. after getting home and going to take the vehicle to the mechanic the steering was fine. mechanic said it was electronic and had to be repaired at the dealer. while researching the part this evening i found hundreds to thousands of the same complaint. just emailed ford from their website, will also try calling on monday. this part failure is going to cause serious injury, accident or death and needs to be investigated and recalled. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph, the power steering assist suddenly malfunctioned as the steering wheel became very difficult to turn. the contact stopped the vehicle and turned the engine off. after restarting the engine the vehicle operated normally. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering column was faulty and would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. no additional information was available. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 82,000.

Power steering works intermittently steering wheel has a slight twitch most definitely a safety hazard when it just randomly stops seems to be a common issue among ford escapes. *tr