2008 Ford Escape complaints

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH and coming to a complete stop, the steering wheel jerked and turned independently towards the left, almost causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she steered the steering wheel all the way to the right and then steered back to the center. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the steering shaft torque sensor kit and steering angle sensor calibration had failed and needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic informed the contact that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) and referred to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under the recall as the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 225,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the steering wheel locked inadvertently and became significantly difficult to steer. A message indicating a power steering assist failure was displayed. The contact stated while attempting to veer to the side of the road, he lost control of the steering wheel and the vehicle struck a road construction barrier. The hood of the vehicle flew open and struck the windshield. The contact did not sustain an injury. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that he was informed by the local Pep Boys that his vehicle had an electric power steering; therefore, he could not add power steering fluid. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under the recall as the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.

Similar to the steering issues that others are experiencing, my Escape is pulling significantly to the right. I have had the suspension practically rebuilt, new tires put on and everything re-aligned, and the vehicle continues to pull to the right significantly. The mechanic checked with a local dealership who recognized that there are steering recalls with this make and model year, however my VIN does not appear to be included in the recall. This is a very dangerous situation, because if a situation arose to where I had to correct my steering wheel to the right to avoid a collision or animal, I would likely easily lose control. There are no warning messages on my dash associated with this.

The brakes stopped working correctly and are very unsafe. The Regenerative brakes get disabled, and the ABS light is on, you lose the power brakes stopping power. I have to step on the brake pedal very hard for the vehicle to stop. It feels like the old school pre-power brakes. I took it to the Ford dealer, and they want to charge 5000 + dollar to fix it, they also say parts are no longer available, they instructed me to call my insurance company and have it totaled. I read the escape hybrid forums and I see many people having this same problem

I bought it 2 months ago it's happened to me three or four times now when I'm driving all of a sudden the power steering goes out and there's no power steering at all .I found out by turning it off and turning it back on it works the power steering but it's very dangerous all of a sudden it goes out. It's called the steering modular unit sensor. There's no warning or nothing it's loses all power steering. There was a recall on it when I first bought it I checked it out but now it's not there I don't know what happened to it. The car is available for inspection. I have not had it expected. I did have an appointment to get it looked at at the dealership but I canceled the appointment due to very hot temperatures that day. I wrote it down on a piece of paper what the recall said at that time and it said it was the steering modulator sensor something like that. If I can find it I will upload the paper.

Driving in the highway, the back shock absorber felt down crashing against the back right tire.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while a friend was operating the vehicle, the power steering suddenly malfunctioned and the steering wheel became very difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the steering rack was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign 14V284000 (Steering). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 145,000.

I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH FOR A FEW MONTHS . AT TIMES MY CAR WONT START. EVERYTHING COMES ON. iT FEELS VERY LOOSE AND HAVING TO PUSH IN THE KEY AND TURN IS VERY DIFFICULT AND HURTS MY HAND. PLUS THE ALARM BUTTON GETS PRESSED WHEN I TURN THE KEY.. i HAVE TO TURN KEY ON AND OFF WHILE PUSHING KEY INTO IGNITION SEVERAL TIMES AND PRAY THAT IT WILL CRANK. i HAVE HAD NO OTHER ISSUES OR REPAIRS THAT ARE NEEDED. i NOW HAVE MY CAR IN THE SHOP TO REPLACE THE IGNITION LOCK ASSEMBLY i HAVE AN ESTIMATE OF $400 FOR THIS REPAIR. i HAVE HEARD THIS IS A COMMON REPAIR FOR THIS PART ON THE VEHICLE I OWN.

ABS light on, vehicle stalling, dragging while driving 40mph or over. Brake petal non functional. *c1313, c1480, c1481 Brake hoses restricted not allowing brake pressure in caliber *HCU damage *Sway bar links damage, excessive noise and play

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the steering wheel was uncontrollable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the ignition module switch needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 126,000.

The power steering assist failed when I was driving home about 2 months ago. I cannot afford repair to the Power steering assist. The warning light came on as it failed. It put myself and the person with me at risk, as we were on a major highway. The Ford recall number as of 2014 is 14S05. My mechanic said it is most likely the Power Steering Assist motor.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle was without power steering assist functionality. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The power steering failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed the failure and determined that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The failure mileage was unknown.

I was sitting on a driveway that is at an angle. Not sitting flat…. My vehicle dies & Safety Alert Light comes on with the! In the middle of a triangle and vehicle dies will not stay started it will start and then shut off.Died in Middle of Road!!

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering malfunctioned causing the steering wheel to vibrate and become very difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the torque sensor but the vehicle would erroneously steer to the right. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the entire steering column was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the NHTSA campaign number 14V284000 (Steering). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 78,000.

The contact's son owned a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her son was driving at approximately 60 - 65 MPH, another vehicle rear-ended his vehicle in a hit-and-run collision. The driver's side front seat fractured and detached, hitting the contact's grandson's face. The airbags were not deployed upon impact. The contact's son sustained head injuries, and her grandson suffered facial fractures and a broken jaw. Medical attention was received. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000. The VIN was unavailable.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, he felt the steering wheel jerk to the left and while attempting to correct failure, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact observed that the "power steering assist fault" warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over safely and turned off the vehicle and upon restarting the vehicle the power steering was still not functioning as needed. The contact called an independent mechanic who went out to where the vehicle was parked and performed a temporary fix. The mechanic advised that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer to be repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 152,000.

CAR RAN OUT OF GAS AND WAS PROMPTED TO SAFELY STOP CAR I DID, THEN PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL AND WAS ASSISTED IN PUSHING OFF TO NEAREST PARK N RIDE LOT. WAS ABLE TO GET GAS INTO CAR AND WHEN I WENT TO DRIVE IT A PROMPT CAME UP STATING POWER ASSIST FAULT. LOOKED ONLINE HOW TO FIX AND TRIED ONLINE INSTRUCTIONS BUT TO NO AVAIL, PROMPT IS STILL ON DASHBOARD. HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY MECHANIC YES CAN BE INSPECTED UPON REQUEST SAFETY WAS OK AS I TURNED HAZARD LIGHTS ON, NO PREVIOUS WARNING SIGN OR MESSAGES PRIOR TO THIS HAPPENING. MILEAGE ON CAR WHEN IT HAPPENED 271,071

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the power steering fault warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact lost power steering; however, safely drove to the local mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the failure to the torque sensor. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The approximate failure mileage was 125,000.

The HCU fails causing the car to have little to no braking power while driving, at random times. There is a loud grind coming from the front right.. Happens only when it is warm.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and repaired under NHTSA Campaign number: 14V284000 (Steering) in 2014. The failure recurred in 2019 and was repaired by the owner however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 94,000.

I was driving on a dirt driveway to visit husband at work, I went to park in grass to avoid getting stuck in mud. Then it started getting difficult to turn my car. I ignored it at first and shut my car off. When I left my destination it was difficult to turn my wheel to back out of the driveway. Started to drive home, could not turn wheel to turn into home driveway. I pulled over on the side of the road, made a y-turn to go back to dirt driveway to had husband check out car. Fluids are full, car sounds fine, belt is fine, no other worries when checked out. We are assuming it’s steering pump from non-mechanics. No safety or injuries. No mechanics available at time to check out car, we live on a rural island with limited resources, will be getting checked out ASAP. No insurance claims No warning lights

When the car was started in a shopping center parking lot, the emergency brake light and the abs warning light were displayed and remained displayed. When driven, the brakes were "spongy" and then "regenerative braking disabled" appeared in the odometer display. I pulled over briefly, turned the car off for a short period and then restarted it. The same messages and odometer display remained, and brakes were still spongy. As I continued to drive (carefully), the situation resolved itself, though the "regenerative braking disabled" continued for another minute or two. Normal braking then resumed. This issue just occurred so it has not yet been taken to a dealer, nor has it been inspected by mfr, police, etc. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED MANY TIMES BY OTHERS WITH ALMOST IDENTICAL SYMPTOMS AT THIS WEBSITE https://www.carproblemzoo.com/ford/escapehybrid/2008/service-brakes-problems.php THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE THAT HAS GONE IGNORED BY FORD FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND DESERVES NHTSA'S IMMEDIATE ATTENTION.

I was driving my car in a 3 hour trip. I noticed the power steering was going out. My steering wheel was stiff when turning at. It was coming in and out then it stopped. The following day we started our 3 hours trip back but my power steering was not working. The steering wheel again did not want to move and was stiff at the turn. This could of killed me and my passenger plus our dogs. If I lost power steering while driving on the highest back home could of cost a accident and lives. I had no warning light or a audio warning. The car was running fine before this happened and was not failing on me. The Escape is currently being fixed by a independent service center for the torque sensor. I hoping my power steering will work after.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the front frame detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the contact was unaware the diagnosis however, the frame was replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the contact noticed the frame was slowly detaching from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that underneath the vehicle was rusted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and it became difficult to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the steering wheel lost power steering inadvertently. The contact veered to the side of the road, turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the steering wheel did not regain power steering functionality. The power train warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle had already been repaired for the same failure under an unknown recall six years ago. The failure mileage was approximately 185,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the power steering failed to operate. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that she used her physical force to steer the vehicle while driving at various speeds. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that her VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (STEERING). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.

Steering shaft torque sensor failed which is part of vehicle recall through Ford on Escape Models . Upon conversation with ford they said recall was used by previous owner. If same part fails again should it not still be part of recall under safety guidelines loosing power steering while driving ? Thankfully no accident and able to pull off highway safely

Unknown mechanical issues

Power steering failure and shaking while idling in park. Went out fully while pulling out of parking lot. whole vehicle inspected by dealership before purchasing. No warning lamps. Felt like had a bad tire while driving down the road and steering wheel started shaking in park 24 hours prior to it failing.

On January 22, 2022, I was driving my 2008 Ford Escape from Everett, WA to Puyallup, WA. A few miles from my destination, the wrench indicator came on at the same time my steering wheel jerked from my hands for a second, then went back to normal driving and the wrench indicator turned off. Several more miles passed and I arrived at my destination, but as I was backing up to park, the wrench indicator came back on and I had complete loss of steering. Later that afternoon, I started my car again and the wrench indicator was still on and I had still had complete loss of steering. I had to have my car towed to my mechanic. After diagnostics, they confirmed there was an issue with the steering torque sensor, but that they would have to refer me to a Ford Dealership for further diagnostics. My car was then towed to the Ford Dealership. I was told the torque sensor was faulty and I had two options. I could replace the steering torque sensor or replace the entire steering column. But as steering columns are on back order with no ETA of when they will be back in stock, the sensor was my only option to have an operable vehicle. The dealership replaced the sensor and recalibrated the system on Feb 15, 2022. I picked up my car on Feb 18, 2022 and drove it home with no issues. A couple hours later I drove to a FedEx and the wrench indicator started coming on and off, accompanied by my wheel jerking slightly, and loss of steering. Vehicle was returned to Ford Dealership on 2/21/22 for furt

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the steering wheel started shaking and it was slightly difficult to steer the vehicle. The contact stated that she then went to a local auto store to have power steering fluid added to the reservoir however, she was informed that the vehicle was equipped with an electronic power steering. The following day after starting the vehicle, the vehicle lost power steering assist functionality and was difficult to steer. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

My 2008 Ford Escape XLT electrical power steering will stop working while driving the vehicle. It is available for an inspection at anytime. The safety issue is the car is next to impossible to steer once it stops working. My wife just missed running into a power pole while driving in a roundabout when it stopped working while she was driving it. It has happened more then this one time. If it happens at low speed it’s even harder to steer. I called a recall number to see if it was in a recall but was told it was not in a recall due to where it was manufactured. I have not taken the Escape to a Ford dealer yet because of what I was told about the recall. However since that time I found out my Escape was manufactured at the plant where the recall is for. There has not ever been a warning light that comes up on the dash before it stops working, it just stops working. It has the same symptoms that are given in the recall.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 35 MPH, the steering wheel seized and would not turn in either direction. The driver turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the steering wheel functionality returned but the power steering assist was inoperable. The driver was unaware of any warning lights being illuminated. The contact's husband arrived on the scene and drove the vehicle back to the residence. The vehicle remained in the driveway and had not been taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact had spoken to independent mechanics who had not diagnosed the vehicle but verbally stated that there were recalls for similar years, makes, and models. The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that there were no open recalls on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

STEERING WHEEL STARTING CLICKING AND MOVING ON ITS OWN, A FEW DAYS LATER A POWER STERRING ASSIST FAULT ERROR MESSAGE CAME ON AND THE SAME DAY THE POWER STEERING WENT COMPLETELY OUT.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the steering wheel suddenly became difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the steering torque sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced however, the part was on back order. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 150,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his wife was driving approximately 50 MPH, the power steering assist warning light illuminated, and remained illuminated. The driver continued driving the vehicle in manual steering mode until arriving at his destination. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 112,832.

Having issue with throttle body and or controller. Break takes time to respond and is stiff. When on an incline road, the car rolls backwards before accelerating forward. The rolled back at stop signs on inclined roads and inclined parking lots. The car shows no warming lights. The car has issues accelerating and decelerating. The car has rolled back while another car was behind it. The car at some instances has come to almost a halt while driving at 70 mph on the highway. While displaying no warming signals. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? This type of issue has been confirmed by the dealership and has been recalled for some ford escapes but not all. The car has been inspected by a technician. The transmission has been rebuild but that did not work so a new transmission was placed inside yet this did not resolve anything. The car has been having these issues for some years.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25-35 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the steering torque sensor was not detecting the driver's steering input and that the power steering assists needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic informed the contact that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and advised the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under the recall because the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

While I was driving my car my power steering stopped working.I took it to my service garage and he did some kind of a rebate on it.But he also said he dosen"the no how long it will work.

While I was driving is when I notice the diffrence.And when I was stopped I couldn'do even turn the steering wheel..

I have a 2008 Ford Escape. I was driving with my 7 year old and 4 year old and my power steering out, out of nowhere and went into manual steering. Without me being aware of that I went to turn and my car would not turn, I almost wrecked (because I could not turn the wheel) into the person at the stop light while my kids were in the car. Thankfully I hit my breaks and did not but it was a very scary moment for myself and my kids. I had my car towed to my mechanic who then told me the torque sensor went out. He looked online and it said there was a recall on the exact problem I am having for the exact model I have. I called Ford and one person told me that the software was cleared. I talked to another guy from a different ford who then told me that my car doesn’t and has never had a recall done and it doesn’t qualify. So I am frustrated trying to get this recall done that I’m getting misinformation on from multiple different people at ford. I can not drive my car because the steering is a safety hazard one and two I am not strong enough to turn the wheel if I wanted to. I need to get my children to and from school and myself to and from work and can’t because of this problem. I don’t understand how one person can tell me I had a recall done and the other tell me I did not and can’t. I’m having a hard time believing that I don’t have a recall on this problem when I have the exact problem and my car is a 2008 escape and the recall they have is for a ford escape models 2008-2011

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the "Power Steering Assist Fault" warning message was displayed. The steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic reset the computer code B2278 (Power Steering Shaft Torque Sensor) and performed steering angle torque sensor calibration; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with NHTSA. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 124,510.

The rear passenger door will not catch to release unlock or lock latch. It's like the door is forced closed will not open.

Vehicle lost electric steering assistance system while driving causing a crash in a street curve. This system problem is now intermittent. The Ford dealer told there is nothing they can do if I don't pay for the repair. I think this is a secury issue and Ford is responsible for it.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the pedal went straight to the floor before stopping. The contact veered to the side of the road and waited for a few minutes before restarting the vehicle before driving back to the residence. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who inspected the vehicle but could not duplicate the failure. The mechanic suspected that the ABS brake booster and brake master cylinder had caused of the failure. The failure recurred a few months later. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,550. Consumer had the master cylinder replaced (2/25/22) on the advice of the mechanic who originally suspected it might be a master cylinder issue.

Power steering assist fault is being displayed on the screen. My vehicle is hard to turn when slowing down.

Electric power steering intermittently has a failure while driving. Vehicle gets very hard to steer.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing out of her driveway, the power steering assist failed without warning. The contact called an independent mechanic to her home who informed her that there had been a recall placed on similar vehicles for the power steering, which he linked to the failure. The manufacturer was then notified of the failure and informed her that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The manufacturer then referred the contact to NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 35 mph, the power steering failed while the contact was making a left turn. The failure caused the contact to crash into a parked vehicle. The air bags were deployed upon impact. The contact sustained injuries to her neck, back, left hand, and ringing noises were heard in her ears. However, no medical attention was received. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and was not yet deemed totaled by the insurance company. Prior to the failure, the steering rack and pinion and lower steering coupler shaft were replaced by the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.