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 2011 Ford Escape owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 5-10 MPH and making a turn, the vehicle lost power steering inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact continued to drive by using physical strength to steer the vehicle. The contact stated upon reaching her destination, she turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle regained power steering functionality. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the software for the power steering control module (PSCM) and the instrument cluster module needed to be updated, and the torque sensor signal needed to be replaced. …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and attempting to make a left turn, the steering wheel locked, causing the vehicle to drive straightforwardly towards oncoming traffic. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she stopped the vehicle and reversed. The contact stated that a road construction worker placed traffic cones around the vehicle to prevent a crash. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the Electric Power Steering (EPS) assist motor had failed and needed to be replaced. The mechanic contacted the dealer for the part and was informed that the part was not available. The contact followed up with the dealer, who informed her that the part had been discontinued. …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while her husband was driving 70 MPH, the vehicle shuddered significantly and made abnormal knocking sounds. Additionally, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's husband veered to the side road and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated upon restarting the vehicle, the power steering became operable. The contact's husband was able to drive to the residence; however, the failure reoccurred intermittently while driving. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer. …
For months my vehicle has had intermittent loss of power steering making it nearly impossible to control direction. On Jan. 29, 2026, I ran into the back of a vehicle that stopped suddenly and due to sudden power steering loss, I wasn't able to swerve and avoid collision. I was issued an infraction for this incident and had to file an insurance claim to repair the front end damage to my vehicle. I brought my vehicle to an independent repair shop who confirmed the issue and said the entire steering column would need to be replaced and would cost approximately $3,000.00. I was also notified that Ford issued Safety Recall Campaign/NHTSA #14S05/14V284 for this exact issue. I contacted the Ford dealership where I purchased my vehicle and they said my VIN is not included in that recall. …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 15-20 MPH and taking the grandchildren to school, the driver heard an abnormal popping sound coming from under the steering wheel and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was turned off and restarted; however, the failure persisted. The contact met his wife and assisted in driving the vehicle to the residence. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle the following morning, the power steering was functional. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring intermittently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that he was a retired independent master mechanic, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while her husband was driving approximately 20-25 MPH and making a right turn with the contact occupying the front passenger's seat, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, nearly causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The driver was able to drive to the nearby residence of the contact's brother. The contact stated upon restarting the vehicle approximately two hours later, the power steering functionality had returned. The vehicle was taken to the dealer the following day and was diagnosed with steering shaft torque sensor malfunction. The dealer replaced and calibrated the steering shaft torque sensor twice. The vehicle was repaired. …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH and making a left turn, the steering wheel became stiff and the vehicle momentarily lost power steering assist; the vehicle immediately regained power steering assist functionality. On another occasion, while driving 15 MPH and making a right turn, the failure recurred, and the steering wheel became stiff with an audible beeping sound and the steering assist failure warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle home. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The independent mechanic reset the power steering assist fault code. …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH on a roundabout, the steering wheel inadvertently lost power steering functionality. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and power steering functionality returned. The contact continued to drive the vehicle; however, the failure reoccurred several times while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the torque sensor signal needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that the manufacturer suggested that the entire steering assembly be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the repair would be completed at his expense because the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 45-50 MPH, the vehicle lost electrical power steering functionality and was nearly rear-ended. The contact stated that the steering wheel was significantly difficult to turn. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to veer into a parking lot. A mobile mechanic determined that the electric power steering had failed. The mechanic turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the electrical power steering became functional. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering torque sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) because the VIN was not included. A case was opened. …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his wife was driving approximately 60 MPH, she felt the steering wheel was more difficult. The contact stated that his wife was able to drive the vehicle back to the residence where he turned the vehicle off and on, and the power steering functionality returned. The contact stated that the failure was an intermittent failure. The contact stated that his wife was not aware of any warning lights being illuminated during the failure. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000. …
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 2011 Ford Escape?
NHTSA has 411 complaints about the steering of the 2011 Ford Escape, 31% of the model year's 1,318 complaints. The component named most often is electric power assist system (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 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 2011 Ford Escape steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 110,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 5 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.