1,085 complaints reported

2008 Ford Escape Steering

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
1,085
Crashes
21
Fires
0
Injuries
10

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Sep 2024

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVE TO COLLEGE AND STOPPED FOR GAS. SHE CALLED ME SAYING THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE. BUT SHE HAD NOT LOST POWER STEERING. SHE CALLED ME A FEW HOURS LATER SAYING SHE COULD NOT TURN HER STEERING WHEEL TO GET TURNED AROUND TO LEAVE THE SCHOOL. I CAME TO ASSIST HER AND SURE ENOUGH THE STEERING WAS VERY HARD TO TURN, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST WAS BLINK ON THE DASH AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. I FINALLY GOT THE CAR TURNED AROUND AND STARTED BACK TO OUR MECHANIAC. SHE FOLLOWED BEHIND. I FOUND THE SLOWER I WOULD GO THE HARDER IT BECAME TO STEER. I DID A SOLID 50-55 MPH ALL THE WAY THERE BUT COULD FEEL THE TIGHTNESS IN THE STEERING WHEEL. WE MADE IT TO THE GARAGE. THE MECHANIC CALLED THE NEXT DAY AND SAID HE COULDN'T GET IT TO START AND WE NEEDED TO TAKE TO A FORD DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE CAR SCANNED. WE CALLED THE FORD DEALERSHIP, THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T GET TO IT FOR ANOTHER 2-3 WEEKS AND REFERRED US TO A COMPANY IN A 4-5 HOUR AWAY TO GET A USED PART AND COME TO US TO FIX. WE RESEARCHED IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS AND FOUND 14S05. SINCE WE ARE THE SECOND OWNER OF THE CAR AND NEVER WERE NOTIFIED OF A RECALL OR WERE TOLD ABOUT A CURRENT RECALL AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE, WE STARTED TO SEARCH IF THE RECALL HAD BEEN FIXED BY THE FIRST OWNER (OUT OF POCKET) OR THROUGH THE RECALL. PLEASE ANY INFORMATION AND/OR GUIDANCE WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Sep 2024
Sep 2024

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.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2024
Sep 2024

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.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Mar 2024
Jul 2024

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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2024
Jul 2024

The power steering while driving goes out and trys locking

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Dec 2024
Jun 2024

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.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2024
May 2024

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the "Steering Assist Fault Service Required" message was displayed on the instrument panel and the power steering assist failed to operate as needed. Due to the failure, the contact used excessive force to steer the vehicle to the residence. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) which was linked to the failure. The dealer was notified of the failure and provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 220,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2023
Mar 2024

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.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2024
Feb 2024

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.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Feb 2024
Feb 2024

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 50-55 MPH, the message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed. The contact stated while starting the vehicle later that day, the power steering was no longer functional, and the message was displayed. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 185,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Feb 2024
Nov 2023

Steering stops and starts working randomly making it hard to turn corners and into gas stations

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Aug 2023
Nov 2023

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering fault message displayed before the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction, making the vehicle undrivable. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the steering column bolts were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was 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 stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 128,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 2023
Sep 2023

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the power steering needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 191,625.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2023
Sep 2023

My girlfriend was driving around 40mph, when the power steering started going out. She continued to drive since she was already close to her place of employment. We had a family mechanic look at the vehicle and he stated that it was the electric power steering that had went out. There were no warning lights except for a yellow tool symbol which had already been on the dash for a while.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 2023
Jul 2023

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving out of a parking space, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of electric power steering assist. 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) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 100,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2023
Jun 2023

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while attempting to reverse out of a parking space at slow speeds, the contact became aware that the electric power steering was not functioning properly. The EPS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the power steering control module. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering), and the VIN was included but had already been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was unknown.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2023
May 2023

Warning light for “power steering assist fault” came on last night and this morning the steering is hard to control when turning.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2023
May 2023

On Tuesday a light came on that said “power steering assist fault” but it was still driving fine. Then the next morning when I was pull out of the parking spot I could barely turn the wheel. It was super hard to turn. I could hardly get back into the parking spot, it was super hard just to steer it back to the parking spot. If I would’ve been driving it would have definitely caused an accident. I had the car towed to a dealership, I was told that it was probably the power sterling pump but there is a recall on this car for that and my car (vin number) is not listed. But it’s the same problem. Maybe my vin number was miase? Please help.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2023
Apr 2023

The contact's mother-in-law owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being serviced by an independent mechanic, the power steering assists failed as the power assist fault warning light appeared on the instrument panel. The mechanic informed the contact of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The contact was given a case number by the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Apr 2023
Mar 2023

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the yellow wrench warning light illuminated, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact continued driving to her residence. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure and the contact was made aware that NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) recall repair was completed on the day she purchased the vehicle. The failure mileage was unknown.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Mar 2023
Mar 2023

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost power steering assist and the “Service Vehicle” warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact the torque sensor needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Mar 2023
Mar 2023

While driving my 2008 Escape the other day the power steering went out while driving down the the highway. The power steering assist fail light came on after I parked and shut my car off and turned it back on. After doing some research I found the recall 14S05, however when looking my VIN up, it shows no active recall. But the incident matches exactly what I have read from 100's of other owners. It would be available for inspection, I have not taken it into a Ford dealership yet. When I called the local one, they told me they couldn't help, as it didn't show up having active recall. The incident occurred 3/25/23 and I have since parked the vehicle until I can figure out what I am going to do with it.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Mar 2023
Mar 2023

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH and making a right turn, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and the steering wheel became very firm. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to her residence and turned the vehicle off and on. The power steering functionality did not return. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the electric power steering assist had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 143,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Mar 2023
Mar 2023

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist with the power steering assist fault message displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2022
Mar 2023

STEERING WHEEL TURNS AUTOMATICLLY TO THE RIGHT WHEN STARING VEHICLE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HORNE FORD OF NOGALES THEY FOLLOWED SERVICE PROCEDURE AS PER WORKSHOP MANUAL FOUND AND DETERMINED ELECTRIC STEERING COLUMN (FAILED) THEY RECOMMENDED REPAIRS: ELECTRIC STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY. I HAVE A REPAIR ESTIMATE A COST OF 2,827.00

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 FORD ESCAPE, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Feb 2023

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2008 Ford Escape has 1,085 Steering complaints on file. 21 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.