general problems of the 2011 Ford Escape - part 1

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 40 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated that several messages were displayed. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure NHTSA campaign number: 19v632000 (steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was 251,000.

Subject: urgent safety concern – request for recall coverage assistance to whom it may concern, I am writing with a heartfelt and urgent request regarding a serious malfunction in my vehicle's steering column, which has made it extremely difficult to turn. This presents a clear and dangerous safety hazard, particularly on expressways and in everyday driving when the ability to maneuver quickly is critical. My safety, my child’s safety, and the safety of others has been compromised due to this issue. The vehicle has been thoroughly inspected by a mechanic, and there were no warning lights or prior indicators of an impending failure. I have learned that there is an active recall related to this exact issue for vehicles manufactured between 2008 and September 2011. My vehicle was manufactured in January 2011, just a few months before the cut-off. To be denied assistance over a matter of months feels deeply unfair and disheartening — especially when the failure matches the recall description exactly. I am a single parent who depends on this vehicle for work and daily life. The financial burden of repairs right now is overwhelming, especially given the rising cost of living, inflation, and how expensive everything has become. I’m simply trying to keep my family safe and get to work. I am respectfully and desperately asking you to reconsider support and allow my vehicle to be included in this recall, as it clearly qualifies based on the issue — if not technically by the cut-off date. Please don’t let a few months be the reason help is denied when it’s needed most. Here is my vehicle information: VIN: 1fmcu9d79bkb35915 make/model/year: 2011 Ford Escape manufacture date: January 21, 2011 thank you for your time, understanding, and attention to this matter. I truly hope you can see the urgency and importance of this request.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. In addition, the contact stated that the steering wheel became extremely tight. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed power steering module. The contact was advised that the power steering module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 14v284000 (steering) as a possible cause for the failure; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

My car is experiencing the issue in this recall for powerstearing but my VIN is not associated, my Ford year make mosel and issue is called out in the recall but my 2011 Escape VIN does not pull up the recall. I lose power steering and its not safe to drive. 14v284000 14so5 I called Ford customer service and my vehicle is in the Ford dealership, they are refusing to support me.

While driving, the power steering assist intermittently fails without warning. This makes steering very difficult and creates a serious safety hazard, especially at low speeds or during turns. The issue can be temporarily resolved by turning the engine off and restarting the vehicle, but it recurs unpredictably. There are no warning lights or error messages displayed on the dashboard. This is a known issue on this model year and may relate to a defective eps (electric power steering) module. Please investigate.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 mph and descending a steep grade, the contact attempted to turn the steering wheel to the right however, the steering wheel failed to turn or respond as needed. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stopped and turned off and restarted the vehicle and was able to regain power steering functionality. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The contact had researched online and related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 14v284000 (steering). The contact had called the manufacturer and was advised that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, the steering wheel seized intermittently. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that on another occasion while the vehicle was parked, the sensor failure caused the steering wheel to move back and forth with a loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with torque sensor failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 250,000.

Yesterday, when coming to a stop at a hwy intersection, the steering wheel suddenly would not turn. I was able to get the car to a parking lot. Turned the vehicle off. Approximately 15 minutes later I started the car to move it to a safer location and the steering wheel moved freely. This same steering problem happened today when backing out of my driveway. I pulled back in and turned the vehicle off. I have not tried to drive it again. Haven’t taken it to the dealership yet. You have to make an appointment. One is not available within the next few days. It is Thursday, I’ll call them back on Monday. So the reason for the loss of steering is unknown at this time.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to steer in the intended direction, nearly causing a head-on collision. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed of an unknown recall related to the failure and was advised that the VIN was not included in the unknown recall. The contact stated that the dealer declined to inspect the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 151,000.

While driving my steering wheel locks up and it is hard to turn. If I turn my car off then back on it start working right then locks right back up.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the crankshaft position sensor signal experienced a loss of power, resulting in a loss of power steering assist. The contact was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 173,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving 10 mph and pulling into a parking lot, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact was able to continue driving. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed there were no open recalls on the VIN for the failure. The dealer informed the contact that the rack and pinion was replaced, and a software update was performed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the local dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

I was merging onto I-91 when the steering went out in my Escape. The ramp was at a right angle and this is when I felt the tightness. There was no alert activated on the dashboard and I was not sure what happened. I drove for about 2 miles toward work and exited the highway. It was scary because I was afraid I would not be able to make the turn off to avoid the left side barrier of the bridge on my exit turn. I was unable to park at work and simply drove to a nearby mechanic. I used my flashers to make wide turns. I left the vehicle at rick’s automotive. They called a few hours later and confirmed a bad torque sensor in the vehicle.

There was a recall (#14s05 from Ford) that covered electric power steering failure in Escapes and mariners from 2008 - September of 2011 made in the kansas city assembly plant. This vehicle mentioned is having the same issue, but is not included on the recall list? we diagnosed the problem with a snap-on computer here at m&d auto & trailer sales & service, llc. The customer complained that the steering wheel and column would shake and then feel like there was no power steering making it almost impossible to drive. No inspection other than at m&d auto. No lights came on but our snap-on scanner produced dtc b2278 and told us about the afore mentioned recall.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 20 mph, the steering wheel became stiff and difficult to turn to the left or the right. The contact was able to veer into a parking lot for an errand and upon restarting the vehicle the vehicle resumed normal function. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 14v284000 (steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

The contact's friend owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the power steering assist failed to operate as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. Despite the failure, the contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the steering column, including the rack and pinion, needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not under recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline to file a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 10 mph, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the vehicle regained power steering functionality. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA campaign number: 14v284000 (steering); however, the VIN was not included. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 144,454.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering assist function failed to operate as needed with the "power steering assist fault" message displayed on the instrument panel. The contact also stated that the steering wheel was shaking abnormally while in park(p). The contact stated that the vehicle had previously been repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 14v284000 (steering); however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact attempted to reach out the dealer that had performed the recall repair; however, all the calls went to voicemail. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact back to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the steering wheel intermittently seized. The contact removed the key from the ignition, then re-inserted and pushed the key into the ignition to correct the failure. The contact stated that the failure occurred daily. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.

We were sitting in a parking lot and the car was started, the steering wheel was very difficult to turn. Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection. No one’s safety was at risk. This is the first time this has happened, we have had the car since July 2024, we have not taken it to a mechanic yet. The vehicle has not been inspected yet. There was no warning light or other symptoms prior to this event.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while her husband was driving approximately 20-25 mph and making a right turn with the contact occupying the front passenger's seat, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, nearly causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The driver was able to drive to the nearby residence of the contact's brother. The contact stated upon restarting the vehicle approximately two hours later, the power steering functionality had returned. The vehicle was taken to the dealer the following day and was diagnosed with steering shaft torque sensor malfunction. The dealer replaced and calibrated the steering shaft torque sensor twice. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 14v284000 (steering). The contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 138,260.

While driving the vehicle, the power steering suddenly went out without warning.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 15-20 mph and taking the grandchildren to school, the driver heard an abnormal popping sound coming from under the steering wheel and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was turned off and restarted; however, the failure persisted. The contact met his wife and assisted in driving the vehicle to the residence. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle the following morning, the power steering was functional. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring intermittently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that he was a retired independent master mechanic, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the repair could not be covered because the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 210,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph and making a right turn, the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact stated that the failure was self-corrected, and proper functionality returned. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the electric power steering gears needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The independent mechanic made the contact aware of nthsa campaign number: 14v284000 (steering); and referred the contact to a dealer for assistance. The VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 10-15 mph the power steering function became inoperable. The contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle several times to regain power steering functionality. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA campaign number: 14v284000 (steering). The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the power steering assist sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed there was no recall coverage on the VIN for the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 195,000.

Intermittent loss of power steering.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 20mph around a roundabout the steering wheel became hard to maneuver . The contact also mention a warning signal appeared for the steering on the instrument panel . The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired . The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 14v284000 (steering). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 188,000.

I lose my power steering. First time it happened I had turned the steering wheel to its’ fullest extent, then lost the power steering. When I turn off the engine and restart it, the power returns. This has happened 4-5 times in the past 4-5 years… until today. Today it happened 4 times, just with normal turns (no hard banked turns) - again, I had to turn off the engine, then start it, with hopes that it reset itself. I’m 71, I can drive it without power steering, but I believe it’s dangerous and a safety hazard. Is my 2011 Ford Escape on a list for a replacement part? thank you.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 45-50 mph, the vehicle lost electrical power steering functionality and was nearly rear-ended. The contact stated that the steering wheel was significantly difficult to turn. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to veer into a parking lot. A mobile independent mechanic determined that the electric power steering had failed. The mechanic turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the electrical power steering became functional. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering torque sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 14v284000 (steering) because the VIN was not included. A case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 204,043.

The electric steering is not letting you turn the steering wheel while driving you have to turn the car off and let it sit before it will work again. I see there is a recall for the same year as my car but it is not included? I don’t understand why as I see that there are others with the same issues.

Power steering is inoperable and was verified by crossroads Ford wake forest. Same issue as other 2011 Escapes that are covered under TSB 14-0016. My VIN was not included in the TSB but is the same issue per Ford dealership. Vehicle is available for inspection if needed. May cause a crash since vehicle is difficult to control without power steering. Power steering has been intermittently not working for approximately 2 months.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the electronic power steering assist malfunctioned, and the steering wheel was very 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, but no assistance was provided. 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 unavailable.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, the electronic power steering stopped functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The power steering assist fault 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); the VIN was included, but the vehicle had already been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 102,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 mph, the steering wheel was very difficult to turn. The contact was not aware if there were any warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled over and called a friend for assistance. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence and then the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the electric power steering sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact that the failure was related to NHTSA campaign number: 14v284000 (steering). The mechanic referred the contact to a dealer to complete the repair. The vehicle was taken to a dealer; however, a diagnostic test was not performed and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact attempted to drive from the parking lot; however, the steering wheel became very stiff, making it difficult to maneuver the vehicle. The contact was not able to turn the steering wheel to the right nor the left. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or local dealer. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall; however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.