2016 Ford Escape

2ND REFERENCE TO 11032043, ROBERTS FORD COULD NOT FIND ANY FAULTS IN THE ECU, ONLY SHOWED A SENSOR ERROR. WAS DRIVING THE SUV ON 10/15/17 AT 1215HRS WHEN I TURNED A 22 DEG TURN AT 15MPH AND STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, WENT THOUGH A DITCH, MISSED A TREE AND FINALLY STOPPED 7 FT FROM SOMEONE'S HOME. #FORDMOTORS NOT VERY HAPPY, 25 YEARS OF FORD PRODUCTS AND ALL I GET IS, WE WILL LOOK INTO IT. OH, WOKE UP THIS MORNING, TURNED THE CAR ON, GUESS WHAT, NO POWER STEERING.

IN THE LAST MONTH I HAVE HAD A FAULT CODE, STEERING ASSIST FAILURE. 4 TIMES IN MY DRIVEWAY UPON START UP, ALMOST DROVE OFF DRIVEWAY DOWN 20 FOOT CREEK. ONE OF THEM WHILE TRAVELING FROM A 55MPH STATE ROUTE TRYING TO TURN RIGHT, SLOWED TO BELOW 20 MPH AND TRIED TO TURN WHEEL. THE STEERING WHEEL DID NOT TURN, I TRAVELED ACROSS TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC AND ONTO A GRAVEL ENTRANCE FOR TRACTORS INTO THE FIELD. I HAD TO LOCK THE BRAKES UP AND SLID INTO THE CORN FIELD. ONCE STOPPED, I TURNED THE ESCAPE OFF AND LET IT SIT FOR 10 MINUTES, RESTARTED THE ESCAPE AND BACKED OUT ONTO THE ROAD SAFELY. I AM AT ROBERTS FORD IN ALTON, IL. THE CODE IS NOT SHOWING, (SO SAYS THE SERVICE WRITER, SO FORD IS NOT WILLING TO REPAIR. THE DATE BELOW IS THE LAST TIME IN WHICH THIS HAS HAPPEN. SAFETY BEFORE PRODUCTION, MUST BE THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT MY FAMILY OR THE PUBLIC. TIME FOR SOCIAL MEDIA.

2016 FORD ESCAPE WITH 5770 MILES. STARTED CAR AND HAD STEERING ASSIST FAULT. NO POWER STEERING. HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER. THEY REPLACED THE STEERING UNIT DUE TO A STEERING CONTROL UNIT FAILURE. IF IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AS IT WAS NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. REPAIR COVERED BY WARRANTY. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AT THE TIME OF FAILURE.

IN JULY,, 2016 THE "STEERING ASSIST FAULT" SENSOR LIGHT CAME ON AS I WAS BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY. I WAS UNABLE TO TURN WHEEL. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP WHERE PURCHASED WHERE THEY FOUND A "FAULTY STEERING RACK" THAT, I ASSUME WAS REPAIRED. TODAY, MARCH 8, 2017 I WAS PARKING THE VEHICLE IN TOWN AND THE "STEERING ASSIST FAULT" SENSOR LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL. IT WAS, AGAIN, TOWED TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP. LUCKILY, BOTH TIMES I WAS NOT IN TRAFFIC BUT ON A SIDE STREET. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WHILE ON A HIGHWAY OR A MAJOR ROAD THINGS MAY HAVE TURNED OUT DIFFERENTLY AND COULD HAVE BEEN LIFE-THREATENING.

THE 2016 FORD ESCAPE DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT IT, I CHECKED FOR IT. IT NOW HAS APPROXIMATELY 15,000 MILES HAS DEVELOPED WHAT I WOULD CALL TORQUE STEER. IT PULLS TO THE RIGHT UPON FAIRLY HARD OR SUDDEN ACCELERATION FROM A STOPPED POSITION. MY AUTHORIZED FORD DEALER SAYS IT IS NORMAL FOR THE VEHICLE TO DO THIS AND CLAIM THERE IS NO PROBLEM AND NO REPAIRS NEEDED.

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH MY VEHICLE DIED. NO POWER STEERING. VERY DANGEROUS. THE SCREEN SAID 'ENGINE FAULT'. MANAGED TO GET TO THE SHOULDER AND IT RESTARTED RIGHT AWAY. DROVE A LITTLE FURTHER, SAME THING. MANAGED TO GET IT HOME BUT IT DID THIS 4 TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF THE WEEKEND. IT IS AT THE SHOP TODAY BUT THERE ARE NO LIGHTS ON NOW SO I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WILL BE ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM.