2011 Ford Escape complaints

My 2011 Ford Escape loses power steering while driving. There was recall out for this issues; however, my car did not receive a recall. The symptoms on the recall are the excact symptoms I am experiencing. It appears to be a fault with the Electric Power Steering sytem. Please take into consideration this is a mjor safety concern and I believe this car should have been under the recall procedure. I can be reached at [XXX] . Thank you for your consideration. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The power steering went out on us several times, but this last time, I was almost in a accident. Also, it has a rubbing/ grinding sound in the front with a shimmy and no matter what,it won't quit.

My ignition is very messed up I have to push the key in way hard and twist fast to get it to work sometimes. Yesterday it took me 4 hours to get my car to turn over. I have had this problem since I have had the car since 2022 it I guess it’s just getting worse. I took in to a dealership and they didn’t fix that problem they fixed the my key problem instead. The shop I took it to even asked me how do I get my car to turn on and I had to show them. You have to have the key in a certain way to get it to work well now that way isn’t even working what do I do and how can I get help getting this fixed. I am on disability and I think this should be in the recall for the ignition doing this

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was at an intersection and attempting to make a left turn, the vehicle lost power steering inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's wife turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact's wife was able to drive on a straightforward roadway to his daughter's residence. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that a fee would be charged for a diagnostic test. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

Steering goes out randomly. Steering becomes very stiff and sometimes corrects itself after turning vehicle off and back on.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 15-10 MPH and attempting to make a left turn, the power steering assist failed. The contact was able to maneuver the vehicle with excessive force to the side of the roadway. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the power steering assist had failed. The contact was informed of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) and became aware that the VIN was not included. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

My car is a 2011 Ford Hybrid Escape and is having the same safety recall 14S05 issue for Ford models; 2008-2011 Escape and Mariner Vehicles Electric Power Steering, yet my car was not included within this recall. Problem: without any warning displayed on my car's instrument cluster message center the power steering goes out while driving. The steering wheel becomes very hard to steer, making it a safety issue for me to drive safely on the road. This problem started about a month ago (October 10, 2023} and it occurs intermittently. The problem can occur at any point of driving; from departure of being parked or during driving, the car will become hard to steer. Our Mechanic confirmed this problem through an auto diagnostic given on 11/02/2023 (see Hi-Tech Auto Repair attachment). Additional inspections on my car or the component have not been done by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others.

Front sub frame rusting through that could potentially result in the control arms breaking away from the sub frame and the driver losing control of the vehicle. No incident has occurred from this, but could if not inspected and found. This was found by an independent service center. No warning lamps

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle power steering and the A/C intermittently became inoperable. The battery warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 253,877.

Sub frame rotting out, lower control arms. Know issue with A/C leaking onto frame cause extreme rust. This can/will cause loss of control when driving. Purchased used and was not made aware of the issue and unknown history.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated when the vehicle was parked the key was inserted into the ignition approximately five times before the vehicle started. Additionally, the contact stated on three occasions while driving at various speeds the steering wheel became stiff. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and restarted. The vehicle was taken to a independent dealer where it was diagnosed that the ignition cylinder switch and torque sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000. .

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on multiple occasions while he or his wife was driving at undisclosed speeds, the steering wheel became stiff and difficult to maneuver. The contact stated that his wife had to turn the vehicle off and restart the vehicle however, the failure recurred. The contact was unsure if any warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering column failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unavailable.

While driving on a side street, the power steering failed. The steering wheel was very difficult to turn making it much more difficult to control the vehicle. If it wasn't as early in the morning as it was, there would have been more vehicles on the road and the risk of hitting another vehicle would have been much greater. The inability to control my vehicle made it more dangerous for me and others on the road. Ford Motor Company issued a recall on 2008-2011 Escapes for a problem with the steering torque sensor. I contacted Ford and, even though this vehicle fits the years included in the recall, I was told this vehicle was not included in the recall. There were no warning lights, messages or other symptoms prior to the failure.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering assist, causing the steering wheel to become firm. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.

Hello, I have submitted a complaint to the National Highway Traffic Safety Department on February 4, 2023 to report an issue with my 2011 Ford Escape. My Steering wheel is locking while in motion. I have spoken to a Representative who verified that my vehicle was manufactured in Kansas City, Mo. I viewed the Recall letter that was submitted from the Manufacturing Company on July 1, 2014 with Recall number 14S05. My Case number is [XXX]. I also spoke with a Representative with NHTS DepartmI hope this isent today August 30, 2023 and was advise to Edit and update my complaint. My ODI 11450799. My Vehicle is currently at the Barton Ford Dealership Service Department at 1600 N. Main St in Suffolk Va. This incident has occurred frequently. Again the issue was reported this year in February of 2023. Lately the incident has occurred everyday this past week. I do not feel safe driving this vehicle and I am afraid that having this issue could cause me to get into an accident. I hope this issue can be resolved. Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

We bought a certified pre-owned 2011 Ford Escape from Simi Valley Ford dealer back in late 2014. We then gave it to our son when he started college in 2018. It has been working okay for him until three weeks ago the steering wheel locked a few times on him while driving and he took it to the local repair shop where he was told that there had been a recall on the 2011 Ford Escapes for issues with steering so his best bet would be to take it to the dealership. He took it to a Ford dealership and they said it needed a new steering column but that it was not covered under the recall (codes did not match). We authorized the replacement of the steering column over a week ago and we keep being told that the part has not shipped from the manufacturer and that they do not have an ETA as to when it will be available. I spoke to another dealership and he told me that FORD is not allowing the sale of this part. Part Number: CL8Z3C529D Steering Column.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his mother was driving at 5 MPH and exiting a parking lot, the power steering assist failed, and the power steering function was inoperable. However, after driving a short distance, the power steering became operable, and she was able to safely drive the vehicle to her residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that the first failure experience occurred three months ago, but the failure had reoccurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, while attempting to slow down the vehicle pulled to the right. The vehicle returned to normal functionality however, the failure became a regular occurrence. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the EPS module. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 150,000.

The torque sensor failed while turning left at a stoplight and the power steering didn't work. It was extremely difficult to keep the steering wheel rotated in order to complete the turn. I came very close to hitting the car on the opposite direction at the stoplight and to hitting the curb. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer service center. The Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC)was B2278. To my knowledge the manufacturer has not inspected the torque sensor. The dealer did say the sensor had a yellow paint or chalk line it and when they received the replacement sensor, the literature called for the entire steering column assembly to be replaced if the yellow paint line was present on the failed sensor. There were no warning lights, checking engine lights, or any other symptoms of the problem prior to the sensor failure. The failure just occurred without warning in the middle of a left hand turn.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds while making a left or a right turn, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated that she had to turn off and restart the vehicle to unlock the steering wheel. No warning light was illuminated. The contact’s father diagnosed the vehicle and retrieved DTC code: B2278. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was transferred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the sunroof inadvertently exploded. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

Subframe rusted only on passenger side front where the weld is to hold/ support the passenger front wheel. It snapped and wheel was completely free/ had no control over it and causing the front axle to snap.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the subframe on the passenger’s side front had detached due to extreme corrosion, causing the front axle to become detached. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V165000 (Structure). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 178,596. The VIN was not available.

Loss of brake assist. Pedal hard and unresponsive.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving into a parking area at a slow speed, the vehicle abruptly lost electric power steering assist. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality; however, the failure recurred and had since become a regular failure. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. After investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 95,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal would depress to the floorboard. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that the brake pads needed to be replaced. The brake pads were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The brake rotors and calipers were replaced but the failure persisted. The dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the flex brake line needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The flex brake lines were replaced by the contact's husband. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the front driver side wheel seized and would not release. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a fractured wheel dimension as a result the dimensions needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,899.

Power steering fails intermittently with no warning. Causes loss of steering control momentarily, then returns to normal after restarting. It has affected this vehicle sporatically since 152K miles. Odometer reads 156K on 7-10-23. It has not been inspected by any mechanic, dealer, or insurance professional. This is a serious safety risk.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the steering column before the power steering malfunctioned and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 200,000.

Rust around wheel wells and rear liftgate along bottom edge.

The power steering keeps going out and the car becomes almost impossible to control. I have to turn the car off and on several times for it to work again. I am scared to drive it because I do not want to wreck. No warnings it just goes out. This has happened on numerous occasions. I noticed recalls on this for the same reason on the same vehicle. Why does my car not have the same recall?

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rear windshield wiper motor failed to deactivate, causing the battery to drain. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rear windshield wiper motor needed to be replaced; however, the dealer confirmed that the warranty had expired. The contact stated that the dealer had previously replaced the rear windshield wiper motor; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000. The VIN was unavailable.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for a routine maintenance inspection, and he was informed by the mechanic that the front subframe engine cradle displayed rusted holes and corrosion located near the control bracket and the contact was concerned for his safety. The contact also stated that the rear wheel rails had started to rust. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that a fee would be charged for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

Discovered my car has electric power steering not seeing a reservoir did some research and seen that there were a lot of 2011 Ford Escapes with safety recalls three being the main problems I've had with my car since I began financing it almost 4 years ago my last payment is in 2 weeks. Went to leave a driveway and within a few seconds my steering wheel locked up and I thought it was strange that's when I found out I have electric power steering and that there has been recalls turned the car off turn to back on and it was just fine. Found out that is a common thing although it may not be considered a safety recall just yet but I would believe it is a major problem because anytime in my life if I was to believe my power steering was failing me I would still have control over the wheel but this thing locks up as if I ain't going nowhere. I seen that there has been recalls for fuel systems front wheel bearings and electric power steering. My engine light has been on for a very long time and people say it's because of the O2 sensor causing a misfire to appear random. My front wheels kind of knock making me think it could be between the rack axle and bearing. Other than that my radio face button stopped working one day as if they were possessed until they completely shut off and I have no access to it besides the steering wheel components. Rear wiper stuck in the up position one day was causing a tick I could hear with no power and no key in the ignition that caused my battery to d

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on three separate occasions, while driving at low speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The contact was able to turn off and restart the vehicle on each occasion. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and produced code: B1342. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at low speeds, the power steering functionality failed to remain operational. The steering wheel failed to turn with the wheels. The steering wheel was shaking. The steering wheel failed to turn. There was an unknown sound detected outside the vehicle. The tire warning light was illuminated. The navigation system was dimmed and not responding. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact about a recall. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 143,000.

When starting the car the steering wheel shakes and it is hard to turn. Shutting the car off and restarting would sometimes fix it. But now it happens every time. Installed a new power steering torque sensor. That stopped the shaking, but it is still hard to steer. Taken it to a Ford Dealer but they just sit on the car and never get around to looking at it. THis happened at 155,000 miles.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality with the steering wheel shaking abnormally. The contact was able to pull over. The vehicle was taken to independent mechanic and the mechanic stated that the vehicle was experiencing the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The dealer was contacted, and the dealer stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 120,000.

I have lost the ability to steer my car while driving several different times, able to pull over and turn car off. When car is restarted the steering electric power assist system kick in and I am able to continue driving. The recall was from vehicles from 20006 thru 2010/ My vehicle is a 2011 apparently there are still problems.

Rust is happening at an increasing rate on the rear wheel wells and rear lift gate.

Electric power steering fails while driving. Car is available for inspection. Power steering failure while driving is an extreme safety risk. Problem has been confirmed by an independent mechanic. Car goes to the Ford dealer in two weeks (earliest appointment). Vehicle has not yet been fully inspected. No warning lights or error codes were shown. It appears that this vehicle SHOULD HAVE been recalled by Ford but was not.

STEERING MALFUNCTIONED WHILE I WAS DRIVING. MY SAFETY WAS AT RISK BECAUSE I WAS DRIVING IT. NO DEALER HAS NOT SEEN CAR YET HAD TO MAKE AN APPT FOR LATER DATE DUE TO AVAILABILITY. WHEN POWER STEERING FAILED LED MESSAGE CAME UP AT THE SAME TIME SO THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING.

Escape was parked in driveway when I opened hatchback/lift to retrieve items. Suddenly the windshield shattered. No one was inside the vehicle at the time. There has been no reproduction/confirmation by a dealer. As new owner of the vehicle purchased from dealer, it has been inspected in both VA and in MD on 01/13/2023. There was no warning.

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. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under the recall due to the manufacture date. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

Power steering goes on and off without warning, you will just hear a click sound. It appears that there is a short circuit somewhere as it also affects my temp control, radio and dash gauges. We almost had an accident as a family of 4 driving in i88.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering assist failed to operate as needed. The contact called the dealer and was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The vehicle was diagnosed and repaired by the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

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 dealer was contacted but offered no assistance because the vehicle had a Salvage Title. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 100,000.

Electric power steering failed without warning while driving.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and transferred the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 220,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side seat belt failed to operate properly, and the retractor malfunctioned. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.