Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Ford Escape owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Sudden loss of power steering assist even after the recall reprogramming. My vehicle was previously taken in for for recall number 14s05 in July. 2014. Trouble codes were not found at that time so the dealer supposedly did a reprogramming which was designed to prevent the loss of power assist. Our vehicle had a complete loss of power steering assist while driving on 11/7/17 I took the vehicle to my local Ford dealer and they found trouble code b1342 which if found during the 2014 recall appointment, it would have resulted in the steering column being replaced. I was told by the dealer that the steering column needs to be replaced but that my vehicle was no longer eligible for the recall due to the previous reprogramming, even thought it was completely ineffective in resolving the critical safety issue. …
Power steering assist fault. And also tire pressure sensor fault Escape 4wd v6 w/ ~172,[redacted]. Dash notification appeared on 02/09/19 but quickly went away. Power steering was fine, not one issue ever. Then on 02/11/19 on the way home, the dash alert showed "power steering assist fault" and it wouldn't go away and beeped multiple times. I parked it at home in driveway and went to move it into the street a little bit later and the power steering was nonexistent. Took full body weight to just get it to in front of the house. Lucky that I wasn't driving or delivering for my job like I usually am during the week. But to my luck, my VIN isn't under the recall even though my Escape was built in May 2009, well within the recall time period. I think highly of Ford and am very disappointed at their attempts to silence and curb customer issues... And this is a dangerous manufacturing issue! …
I was on my to work one morning entering the interstate on ramp and I lost power steering which almost caused me to have an accident. Making it extremely hard to steer the vehicle. Upon taking it to my local Ford dealership they told me my power steering torque control module was failing. This was a recall on escapes from 2008 / 2011, but they said my particular VIN was not part of the recall??? Upon further investigation myself I'm seeing where numerous Ford owners were having the same issue and like myself had to pay for this repair out of pocket...not cheap I May add. It seems that someone will have to loose their life as a result of this defect before a recall is issued for (all) models in this time frame... What a horrible thing for Ford to put their consumers and their families in jepordy due to these defective parts. …
Loss of powering steering in vehicle going 55 MPH on a busy highway. No engine lights or safety signals appeared on the dash when this occurred, there was absolutely no warning. Luckily, I was not in a serious accident when the loss of power steering occured and I was able to take the vehicle to the dealership to have it looked at. At this point they said the recall should have fixed everything regarding the electrical powering steering issue, but now that the recall has been closed there is nothing they can do and I am now responsible to have the power steering column replaced. When the vehicle was taken in the recall initially, it took them 2 minutes to complete the check list checking for dtcs and to reprogram the pscm and instrument cluster. …
While driving on the interstate in July of 2017, the car suddenly lost power steering and lost speed. We were barely able to get off on the shoulder and cut the car off. When we started up the car again, everything was back to normal. However, this happened 2 or 3 times in the next couple of days. I called Ford motor co. To report the problem, and they opened case #cas-12676591. I found a recall notice on this problem dated 09/03/2010, recall #10e043000 and another recall notice #14s05/NHTSA recall 14v-284 dated July 2014. However, Ford motor co. Refused to repair the problem telling me it was a different manufacturer. My complaint is that the problem was identical to the recall regardless of the manufacturer. It cost us $1,868.04 to repair the vehicle. Then it happened again in July of 2019, and cost us another $776.60 to repair. …
On a snowy morning the brakes were applied normally and the slippery conditions caused anti-lock brakes to activate. They seemed to work normally, but after that activation the brake pedal felt very soft and would not engage the brakes until the very end of the pedal travel. The vehicle would still stop, but the brakes were unpredictable and unsafe. The problem was diagnosed as a bad hydraulic control unit (hcu) and was replaced with the ABS module as a unit ($1700). The new unit required reprogramming and bleeding at the dealership ($200). Because this is a safety component within a reasonable mileage (140,000 vehicle mileage), this should be addressed by the OEM with at least a TSB.
While driving with my whole family. 2 little girls 12 and 6 and thankfully my husband driving and not me, we were returning a rental car when my car flashed out of no where going about 45mph power steering assist fault upon my research; there has been certain vehicles recalled. Come on Ford! Whatever the default is, can you at least give us owners insight on this stuff to get it fixed? Is this some kind of money maker for you all? To set up certain timers for this stuff to happen? I'm just so thanmf that I wasn't driving. I would have not had the power my husband does to overtake the wheel. Please please please do something!
I have a 2009ford Escape purchased used in May 2014. Last night when driving home my car stalled as if it were not getting gas. We were almost hit by another car because of this. I called Ford this morning and they say they "cannot" do anything because the window to get them fixed ended January 2015. It infuriates me that Ford and NHTSA is aware there is a problem but my children and I could have been killed because they did not issue a "true recall" and now refuses to do anything to correct the problem. This is not acceptable!!?!
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. While driving 20 MPH and making a right turn, there was an abnormal noise underneath the vehicle. The traction control, ABS, air bag, and eas warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the clock spring needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 14V373000 (air bags, electrical system). The clock spring was not replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 99,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. While driving 30 MPH, the ABS, brake, and traction control warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the ABS control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 21,300. Updated 04/14/16
Traction Control complaints in other Escape years
Frequently asked questions
How common are traction control problems on the 2009 Ford Escape?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the stability & traction control of the 2009 Ford Escape, 1% of the model year's 1,693 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2009 Ford Escape traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control recall for the 2009 Ford Escape, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2009 Ford Escape traction control problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 105,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.