general problems of the 2008 Ford Escape - part 1

The power steering started going out at low speeds and eventually just stopped working. The car keeps saying power steering assist fault. The power steering no longer works.

The electronic power steering stopped working and it is almost impossible to move or turn the car. Dashboard shows fault. This is a Ford Escape hybrid 2008 model with 142,000 miles. The car has not been repaired and I have yet to take it to a Ford dealership.

Vehicle: 2008 Ford Escape VIN: [xxx] component: steering – electric power steering assist recall involved: 14s05 / NHTSA 14v-284000 description of the safety problem: my vehicle is experiencing a recurrence of electric power steering assist failure after a prior safety recall repair. This 2008 Ford Escape was subject to safety recall 14s05 (NHTSA campaign 14v-284000), which addresses sudden loss of electric power steering assist due to a torque sensor fault. This condition can occur while driving and results in significantly increased steering effort, creating a safety risk. Ford records show the recall was marked “completed” on November 22, 2014. In a written response dated December 22, 2025, Ford motor company confirmed that the recall remedy consisted only of software reprogramming of the power steering control module (pscm) and instrument panel cluster (ipc). No mechanical components (including the torque sensor or steering column) were replaced. In 2025, the same steering assist failure recurred, resulting in heavy steering effort and renewed safety concerns. This indicates that the recall remedy did not correct the underlying defect. Ford motor company has acknowledged in writing that: the recall was software-only the recall is closed no current programs provide coverage for the recurring steering failure Ford denied further assistance strictly on eligibility grounds and did not dispute the recurrence of the defect or its safety implications. Because this is a recurrence of the same safety-related defect addressed by the recall, I am concerned that the recall remedy was inadequate, and that other vehicles repaired under this recall may also experience recurrence after software-only updates. I am submitting this complaint to request NHTSA review the adequacy of recall 14s05’s remedy whether a software-only repair sufficiently addresses torque sensor failure the safety implications of recurring steering assist loss after recall completion loss of information redacted pursuant to the freedom of informatio.

Forscan showing torque sensor malfunction, the same issue that was recalled in 2014. Causing loss of power steering.

Manufacturer failed to respond to certified written request for recall coverage determination.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while stopped at a light and attempting to make a turn, the steering wheel became inoperable. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized and became difficult to turn, and a crescent wrench warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was provided error code b2278 and informed that the steering column motor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

Please see uploaded documents. One is a letter to Ford, and damerow Ford. The other is receipts for sending certified mail, return receipt, signature requested, to have a response within 30 business days. We've contacted the dealership, emailed [xxx] , and customer service, and spoke to customer service to have a case number. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring an increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 14v284000 (steering); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 159,000.

The power steering in my '08 Ford Escape has intermitten issues, and does not engage sometimes (especially when starting the vehicle). There was a recall by Ford (recall 14s05) in 2014, and when I called the Ford customer service, they said the recall was repaired in 2015. They said my current issue would not be covered under the recall. I called my local Ford dealership, and they said they would likely not cover the repair either. This recall is for the electronic power steering, which is a major safety issue.

While driving, steering column locked up and could not turn - nearly causing crash. Steering column is not key locked, but still will not turn in any position. A few small clicks right behind the steering and one loud click immediately before strong locked up was the only indicator that something was wrong.

It has the no power steering problem just like the other vehicles of the same model and year.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the steering wheel became firm and difficult to turn. The contact stated that the air bag and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

Power steering fail. Went to a doctor's appointment, when leaving I start backing up to leave the parking spot and the power steering was too hard, stiff & very difficult to turn end so end up pulling back into the parking spot. Turn off the vehicle then open the hood, inspect the hood and under the car, check fuses and everything was fine. No warning light or anything in the dashboard. Turn on the vehicle again after a few and give it another try but still was really hard to turn. I end up calling a family member for help and end up towing the car. This could have been a serious accident or injury if happened while driving. While doing research about the issues I found out that there was a recall related to the issue 14a05, NHTSA campaign number: 14v284000 (steering); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was diagnosed by a local mechanic but has not been repair.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35-40 mph and making a turn, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact was able to make the turn, but the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The contact stated that the failure was initially intermittent but had become a persistent failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was called several times, but was unreachable, and the mailbox was full. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 14v284000 (steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The power steering failed, turning my steering wheel all the way to the left with excessive force. A safety recall exists for my type of vehicle but my vehicle VIN number is not included recall, numbered 14s05 for Ford Escape model years 2008 - 2011.

The steering wheel began to shake while parked. The wrench light came on and the steering wheel became stiff while driving. After researching it is apparent it is the torgue sensor as Ford had a recall for previous 2008-2011 Ford & Mercury vehicles torgue sensors. 2008 Ford Escape hybrid recall item affected: date announced: 05/29/2014 description of recall: 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. As a result, the system could remove the electric power steering (eps) assist. Action need to fix 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. If a vehicle shows a history of a loss of the torque sensor signal or fault codes relating to the pscm when the vehicle is brought in for the recall remedy, the affected components will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin by July 25, 2014.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while the vehicle was parked. The failure had occurred on several occasions. No warning light was illuminated; however, the "power steering failure fault" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle remained at the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving downhill at 40 mph, the steering wheel became stiff, and the "steering assist fault" message was displayed. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and restarted; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was connected to a handheld diagnostic machine by a friend who stated that there was a failure with a sensor within the steering column. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 121,000.

My power steering goes out. I have to turn my car off, let it sit and turn it back on. Then I have power steering but then while I'm driving it goes out again. I looked up the issues and found out that there was a recall for the torque sensor on 2008 Escapes but mine wasn't included in the recall and I am am having the same issue that the recall is for. I can be doing 25mph and it goes out sometimes when I start my car I automatically don't have power steering but if I turn it out and back on I do.

So the wheel is very hard to drive and turn. I took it to the dealer tom wood Ford in indianapolis indiana and I let them know about the issue and they ended up only fixing the water pump which it was recalled and im sure the power steering has to have some type of recall . I usally drive and my kids ride with me and to have that fault of 2008 Ford Escape power steering assist fault light and be very hard to drive it can cause to have a motor vehicle accident because while driving it looses power.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that occasionally while driving at undisclosed speeds, the steering wheel became stiff and difficult to turn in either direction. The "power steering assist fault" message was displayed. In addition, the contact stated that the failure had worsened. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The vehicle was taken to a local independent service center for a second opinion and the vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the steering shaft and steering sensor kit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 14v284000 (steering); however, the VIN was not included. An appointment with the local independent service center was scheduled to inspect the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that occasionally, while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. An unknown warning light was illuminated, and an audible ringing sound was coming from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign: 14v284000 (steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

The power steering goes out. There is not warning light. The vehicle has been to several mechanic shops. They are able to reset the system and it works temporarily, but happens again. There were no warnings, or other symptoms. It happens out of the blue, and could potentially cause an accident.

While the person was driving the wheel suddenly became stiff and very difficult to turn but luckily was in his neighborhood to park it. This could have been a very deadly crash if it happened anywhere else or suddenly on the main road. The person could have been seriously injured due to this malfunction or other people as well. This problem has been confirmed by Ford and they issued a recall in 2014 for this exact same issue. The issue with the recall is my vehicle was manufactured during this 3 year period time of faulty manufacturing but is still not included in the recall list and so many other americans are dealing with the same issue and no repairs. I would like Ford to be held accountable and extend the VIN list of cars needing repairs. No the vehicle has not been inspected. There were no warning lamps prior until the incident which it now says power steering assist fault.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The contact researched and was made aware of NHTSA campaign number: 14v284000 (steering); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.

The power steering assist has gone out but I don't understand why it is not included in it.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle lost power steering functionality and excessive effort was needed to turn the steering wheel. The "power steering assist fault" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with a defective power steering column. The contact was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 14v284000 (steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The dealer was also notified of the failure and the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was given the same diagnosis as the independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "power steering assist fault," message displayed; after which, the driver became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 14v284000 (steering), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

Driving and lost power steering. Replaced torque sensor within the steering column, but power steering is still a no go.

The power steering while driving goes out and trys locking.

The torque sensor in my steering wheel is malfunctioning. My steering wheel vibrates and shakes while I’m driving and while I’m sitting in park. There was a recall for this exact issue for 2008-2012 Ford Escapes, yet this website says my car does not have any recalls…I have videos of my steering wheel shaking.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while making a turn from a complete stop, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and the steering wheel was significantly difficult to turn. The message "power steering assist fault" was displayed. An independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the power steering had malfunctioned. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure 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 contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

Power steering was lost randomly during driving. Before completely going out the steering wheel starting vibrating uncontrollably. Later, the loss of electric power steering assist message appeared on dash memo.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph the power steering suddenly malfunctioned causing the steering wheel to become extremely difficult to turn in each direction. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who was unable to diagnosed the cause of the failure and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and indicated that the vehicle was previously serviced under the NHTSA campaign number: 14v284000(steering). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced that same failure listed in the recall. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 176,000.

I’ve bought this 08 Escape from a mechanic shop out right as is… had to problems with it at all until a couple of months my steering wheel started to shake, then it got worse to the point where I had to put a firm grip on the wheel, looked it up and did some research on it apparently there was a recall on this a while back due because of the power steering motor,.