2010 Ford Escape Hybrid

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE LOST STEERING FUNCTIONALITY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING REQUIRED EXCESSIVE EFFORT TO OPERATE. THE POWER STEERING AND TRACTION STABILITY CONTROL WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. LEIF JOHNSON FORD (501 E KAENIG LN, AUSTIN, TX) DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V284000 (STEERING). THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE RECALL WAS SATISFIED AFTER THE SOFTWARE WAS UPDATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RECALL LETTER STATED THAT THERE WERE THREE STEPS THAT WERE TO BE PERFORMED REGARDING THE RECALL; HOWEVER, THE DEALER ONLY PERFORMED THE FIRST STEP. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000. *BF *AS THE CONSUMER WANTED TO ADD 4 QUESTIONS TO EVOQ AND THEY ARE AS FOLLOWS: WHY OR HOW, WOULD REPROGRAMMING THE PSCM REMEDY THE FAULTY TORQUE SENSOR? WHY WOULD OR HOW COULD THIS SATISFY THE RECALL ENOUGH TO CLOSE IT OUT, ALL THE WHILE, THE FAULTY TORQUE SENSOR IS STILL IN MY VEHICLE? IF A SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS COMPLETED, CUSTOMERS SHOULD KEEP A FAULTY PART IN THEIR VEHICLE, EVEN THOUGH THAT FAULTY PART IS PRONE TO A FAILURE THAT COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT? IF THIS IS NOT THE POSITION HELD, CAN YOU CONFIRM FOR ME THEN, IT SEEMS TO BE THE POSITION OF FORD, THAT IF THE REPLACEMENT PARTS HAVE A LOWER PROBABILITY OF FAILING, THIS STILL DOES NOT WARRANT AN EXTENSION TO THE COVERAGE FOR THOSE OLDER/ORIGINAL PARTS, IS THIS CORRECT? *TR

PROBLEM FIRST AROSE WHILE DRIVING ~60 MPH ON HIGHWAY, THERE WAS A SLIGHT JERK OF THE STEERING WHEEL, AS WELL AS A DINGING-ALARM HEARD. DID NOT NOTICE A WARNING ON THE DASH AT THE TIME, CAR DROVE FINE THE REST OF THE DAY BESIDES THIS QUICK INCIDENT. A FEW DAYS LATER, THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT UPON TURNING RIGHT AT A STOP LIGHT, STEERING WAS VERY HARD BUT MANAGEABLE. UPON STARTING THE CAR AGAIN LATER THE SAME DAY, I NOTICED A MESSAGE OF "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" ON MY DASH ALONG WITH DINGING HEARD, AND NO POWER STEERING AT ALL. DROVE HOME WITHOUT POWER STEERING, FORCED AND DIFFICULT TURNING. FOUND THAT THERE WERE RECALLS FOR THIS PROBLEM OF MY CAR, JUST NOT FOR MY VIN SPECIFICALLY.

MY VEHICLE IS COVERED UNDER RECALL #14V284000. I HAVE TRIED 4 TIMES WITH LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP TO SETUP THIS APPOINTMENT AND EACH TIME GOTTEN A RUN AROUND. DATES AND TIMES I ATTEMPTED TO TRY: FEB 15TH AT 4:07PM, FEB 11, FEB 8TH, 2:15PM, FEB 1ST, AT 1:45PM AND JAN 2ND AT 2:45PM. FORD IS CLEARLY TRYING TO AVOID FIXING MY TRUCK AND HAS GIVEN ME EXCUSING RANGING FROM WE WILL HAVE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CALL YOU BACK TO NO ONE IS IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW. NEVER HAVE THEY CALLED ME BACK ONCE. I CONSIDER THIS CRIMINAL INTENT TO AVOID FIXING THIS ISSUE TILL MY VEHICLE IS OVER THE 150,000 LIMIT. I AM EXPECTING NHTSA TO PROMOTE THIS CASE AS SUCH OR I WILL DO SO WITH EVERY MEANS AT MY DISPOSAL.

THE STEERING STOPS WITH NO WARNING. IT FIRST HAPPENED IN 2011 WITH 27,259 MILES AND THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE POWER STEERING COLUMN/MODULE ASSY. IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN. THERE IS A RECALL, BUT THE DEALERSHIP SAID OUR CAR WAS NOT PART OF THAT RECALL AND THEY COULDN'T GET THE CODE TO COME UP SO THEY DID NOTHING! THIS LAST TIME, MY YOUNG DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING! *TR