Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Ford Escape owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH in the snow and icy road conditions, power steering failed and the contact lost control of the vehicle. The contact stated that no warning lights were illuminated. As a result of the failure, the contact crashed into a ditch. The contact stated that there were no injuries sustained, nor was medical attention needed. The contact stated that her husband was on the passenger side during the incident but was able to drive her vehicle to her residence after the crash. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and was advised to call NHTSA to check for a recall on the vehicle. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The mileage failure was 166,000.
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 15 MPH and making a left turn, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and the steering wheel locked. The contact stated that the vehicle was stopped but the engine was still running. The contact stated that after the vehicle came to a full stop, the power steering regained proper functionality. The contact stated that his wife had heard a loud beeping sound but had not observed any warning lights being illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but occurred while the vehicle was driving at slow speeds and turning to the left or the right. The contact had driven the vehicle to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed; and it was determined that the steering shaft torque sensor needed to be replaced. …
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the ABS warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that her husband was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the ABS had failed, which led to the power steering failure. An unknown ABS part was replaced; however, the power steering failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the battery was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the power steering control module (PSCM) had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the steering wheel seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was unable to veer to the side of the road and continued driving straightforward. The contact stated as she continued driving, the power steering became operative. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the electric power steering assist had failed. The independent mechanic associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) and referred the contact to the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure an informed the contact that they could not assist as the software for the power steering control module (PSCM) and the instrument cluster module had been previously updated and the computer had been recalibrated under the recall. …
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, she became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, with the steering wheel requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The driver was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, and upon restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the steering column. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who was unable to confirm the diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering), but the VIN was not included. …
The contact's sister owns a 2010 Ford Escape. While the contact's sister was making a left turn at a stop light, the power steering assist failed with the "Steering Assist Fault Service Required" message displayed on the instrument panel. The contact's sister used excessive force to steer the vehicle off to the shoulder of the road and later managed to drive the vehicle to an independent mechanic. The independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with a defective steering column and the contact's sister was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced by a dealer. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact's sister that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact's sister was informed that the vehicle was previously repaired under the recall. …
I was driving at a speed of less than 40mph. I was going around a curve and the wheel felt as though it yanked from my hand to the right and I went into the ditch and up the embankment. I was unable to control the wheel. I came to a stop partially on my side due to the steep incline. Due to the snow and ice in the ditch, many components under my right side were broken and torn off making it difficult to see all the damage. My car was totaled. Police responded and I was helped out of my vehicle. The tow company came and towed it. No warning lights were on. I am very lucky to be alive- if I had been going any faster I would likely have rolled my vehicle due to the lack of control I had of the wheel and tires. It felt as though it was "slippery" under my grip, like the wheel wasn't controlled tightly by my steering. …
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Escape. The contact stated while he was seated in the passenger's side front seat with his daughter driving 50 MPH, the steering wheel seized inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's daughter turned on the hazard lights and depressed the brake pedal while the contact used extra effort to steer the vehicle to the side of the roadway. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle however, the steering wheel remained locked. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering module had failed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist since the vehicle had previously been repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) in 2014. A case was opened. The contact was awaiting a call back. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact's cousin owns a 2010 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his cousin was driving 45 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. A message indicating a power steering assist failure was displayed. The contact's cousin veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The contact diagnosed that the steering shaft torque sensor had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). However, the contact stated that only the power steering control module (PSCM) update was completed during the recall repair. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. …
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, there was an abnormal bell sound detected. The power steering assist fault message was displayed. The power steering became inoperable. The contact stopped and looked underneath the hood but was unable to find a power steering fluid reservoir. The contact checked the Owner's Manual and determined that there was no power steering fluid reservoir. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (STEERING). The local dealer was contacted, who informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall for the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall, opened a case, and referred the contact to the local dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 225,000.
Related recalls
Steering › Electric power assist system
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured August 18, 2006, through September 11, 2010. The affected vehicles have a steering torque sensor that may not be able to properly detect driver steering input.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power steering control module (PSCM) and the instrument cluster module, free of charge.
NHTSA investigations
Loss of power steering while driving
On May 27, 2014, amended June 2, 2014, Ford Motor Company (Ford) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA describing a safety defect that may result in a sudden loss of power steering assist while driving in approximately 746,067 model year (MY) 2008 through 2011 Ford Escape vehicles equipped with electric power assisted steering (NHTSA 14V-284, Ford 14S05).
Steering complaints in other Escape years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2010 Ford Escape?
NHTSA has 423 complaints about the steering of the 2010 Ford Escape, 20% of the model year's 2,070 complaints. The component named most often is column (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Ford Escape steering problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 14V-284 (electric power assist system, May 29, 2014). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2010 Ford Escape steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 114,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries to steering problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.