2008 Ford Escape Steering Problems

Which parts fail

• Column
  12
• Electric power assist system
  7
• Hydraulic power assist system
  2
• Rack and pinion
  1
• Hydraulic power assist › Power steering fluid
  1
• Steering control module
  1

Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  192%
• 25k–50k
  283%
• 50k–75k
  849%
• 75k–100k
  19320%
• 100k–150k
  41944%
• 150k+
  21322%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Ford Escape owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the steering wheel locked inadvertently and became significantly difficult to steer. A message indicating a power steering assist failure was displayed. The contact stated while attempting to veer to the side of the road, he lost control of the steering wheel and the vehicle struck a road construction barrier. The hood of the vehicle flew open and struck the windshield. The contact did not sustain an injury. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that he was informed by the local Pep Boys that his vehicle had an electric power steering; therefore, he could not add power steering fluid. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). …

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 35 mph, the power steering failed while the contact was making a left turn. The failure caused the contact to crash into a parked vehicle. The air bags were deployed upon impact. The contact sustained injuries to her neck, back, left hand, and ringing noises were heard in her ears. However, no medical attention was received. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and was not yet deemed totaled by the insurance company. Prior to the failure, the steering rack and pinion and lower steering coupler shaft were replaced by the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH and coming to a complete stop, the steering wheel jerked and turned independently towards the left, almost causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she steered the steering wheel all the way to the right and then steered back to the center. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the steering shaft torque sensor kit and steering angle sensor calibration had failed and needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic informed the contact that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) and referred to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. …

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that occasionally while driving at undisclosed speeds, the steering wheel became stiff and difficult to turn in either direction. The "Power Steering Assist Fault" message was displayed. In addition, the contact stated that the failure had worsened. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The vehicle was taken to a local independent service center for a second opinion and the vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the steering shaft and steering sensor kit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. An appointment with the local independent service center was scheduled to inspect the vehicle. …

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH and attempting to make a right turn, the steering wheel inadvertently lost power. The Power Steering Assistant Fault message was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact stated she was able to pull to a nearby gas station and she turned off the vehicle. The contact stated when she restarted the vehicle, the steering wheel was significantly more difficult to maneuver. The contact stated she was able to forcefully maneuver the steering wheel and drove to her residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that she would be responsible for the cost of the repair since the vehicle was out of warranty. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. …

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25-35 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the steering torque sensor was not detecting the driver's steering input and that the power steering assists needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic informed the contact that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and advised the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under the recall because the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 35 MPH, the steering wheel seized and would not turn in either direction. The driver turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the steering wheel functionality returned but the power steering assist was inoperable. The driver was unaware of any warning lights being illuminated. The contact's husband arrived on the scene and drove the vehicle back to the residence. The vehicle remained in the driveway and had not been taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact had spoken to independent mechanics who had not diagnosed the vehicle but verbally stated that there were recalls for similar years, makes, and models. The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that there were no open recalls on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle lost power steering functionality and excessive effort was needed to turn the steering wheel. The "Power Steering Assist Fault" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with a defective power steering column. The contact was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The dealer was also notified of the failure and the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was given the same diagnosis as the independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, he felt the steering wheel jerk to the left and while attempting to correct failure, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact observed that the "power steering assist fault" warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over safely and turned off the vehicle and upon restarting the vehicle the power steering was still not functioning as needed. The contact called an independent mechanic who went out to where the vehicle was parked and performed a temporary fix. The mechanic advised that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer to be repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 152,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering malfunctioned causing the steering wheel to vibrate and become very difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the torque sensor but the vehicle would erroneously steer to the right. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the entire steering column was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the NHTSA campaign number 14V284000 (Steering). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 78,000.

Related recalls

NHTSA investigations

Steering complaints in other Escape years