2015 Ford Escape Steering

The contact’s wife owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while idling or while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel felt loose and there was no resistance while turning the steering wheel. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

rack & pinion, and power steering assist fault. I am writing to bring to your attention a critical safety issue I recently encountered with my 2015 Ford Escape. I am deeply concerned about the lack of response and accountability from Ford regarding this matter, and I kindly request your assistance in addressing this potentially life-threatening problem. During a recent incident, my vehicle's power steering suddenly failed, rendering the car extremely difficult to maneuver. The lack of power steering made it nearly impossible for me to maintain a straight line, let alone perform any evasive maneuvers to avoid potential hazards on the road. Fortunately, this incident occurred in a drive-thru, and my children were not present in the vehicle at the time. I dread to think of the consequences if this failure had happened while driving at higher speeds or in a more critical situation. Upon taking my car to the Ford dealership for inspection and repair, I was shocked to learn that the power steering issue is not covered under my warranty. The dealership informed me that because my vehicle has exceeded 60,000 miles and is now over four years old, it falls outside the warranty coverage. I find it deeply troubling that Ford refuses to acknowledge the obvious flaw in the design of the car's power steering system, especially when comparable Ford models such as the 2011-2013 Fusion have been recalled for the exact same issue. As a loyal Ford customer, I implore you to thoroughly investigate and address this widespread problem, not only for my own sake but also for the safety and well-being of countless other Ford owners who may be facing similar risks. This dangerous design flaw poses a significant threat to drivers and their passengers, and it is utterly irresponsible for Ford to shirk responsibility and shift the financial burden onto the customers.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while attempting to reverse out of the garage, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated that the “Steering Service Required” message was displayed. The contact stated turned off and restarted the vehicle and the steering returned to normal operation. The contact stated that several days afterwards while exiting a parking space, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 33,841.

Similar to other complaints, my son got in his 2015 Ford Escape this morning and the power steering was not working. It was very difficult to turn the wheel. When I went to check it out, I noticed a warning that there was a "Steering Assist Fault, Service Required" message. He drove it yesterday without no issue. We have seen this happen in the past sporadically but it always seemed to somehow fix itself. Sounds like there is an issue here that needs to be addressed by Ford.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering assembly gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact did research and discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V250000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

The contact's wife owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and the steering wheel became firm. The contact observed a communication power assist failure message on the instrument panel. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 99,600.

Two separate events - In parking lot, started the vehicle, backed out of the spot, pulled forward and received an alert regarding a power steering assist failed. The ability to control the car at slow speeds with regards to steering was extremely impacted. I could barely turn out of the way of traffic and pull back over into a safe area. I turned the car off then stared it back up and the error went away. The second event approx. a month later was while I was driving down a winding hill and the error error popped up on my screen again regarding the power assist failure. The even though i was traveling at 45 mph, the loss of steering assist about caused me to go off the road and down the embankment. I could have just as easily gone into incoming traffic. I was able to slow the car down significantly and put a lot of effort to get off the side of the road safely. Again, I turned the car off then back on and the problem was no longer present. Research on the internet shows this isn't an isolated event and has been reported by other owners of the same vehicle type. I will be taking the vehicle to the dealership for inspection but I'm confident they will not be able to re-create the issue since this has been a random event.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was started, and attempting to turn the steering wheel, the steering wheel was stiff and failed to move as needed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic; however, the failure was not duplicated. The contact was advised to warm up the vehicle and after 15 mins the steering wheel should unlock. The vehicle was then taken to the residence and parked. The contact stated that the following day after the vehicle had warmed up for 25 minutes, the steering wheel unlocked; however, while accelerating, the steering wheel started shaking abnormally. Additionally, the contact stated that there was an abnormal sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 103,266.

Steering rack needs to be replaced. It’s growling when I turn, and now that it’s below freezing in Maine, it’s locking up. It tries to lock up while I’m driving. It’s very dangerous, but the job is a 2-3K job. I’ve researched the issue, and this has happened with MANY Ford vehicles. See other links below: [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] These are just a few of hundreds of articles reporting the same problem. This is clearly an issue with Ford’s steering racks and should be investigated as it’s extremely dangerous and shouldn’t be happening to so many people. I still owe 10K on this car and have already put thousands into it for repair. Something has got to give with this company making poorly made vehicles that are not built to last. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Steering randomly locks up and jerks to one side. I've had it checked twice and both places reported not finding any issues. Not showing any codes to repair it

Electric power steering intermittently loses communication with module. It's very dangerous. Just driving straight down the road or making a turn it cuts out and it's like a ghost grabs the wheels and jerks you off the road or into oncoming traffic. I've hit guardrails and many curbs, luckily no oncoming traffic. This should be a serious recall if I've ever seen one. One of the most dangerous malfunctions I've ever experienced and I'm a technician.

“steering assist fault". The steering wheel basically locks up and is more difficult than typical power steering loss. My pregnant wife was driving on the road around 55 mph and got the “steering assist fault” in the middle of a busy highway. She couldn’t pull over immediately due to steering being hard to use. Issue happened randomly about 6 months ago and happened again twice in 3 weeks. Car is schedule to get assessed by dealership. No warning signs before or after. Issue gets temporarily resolved by turning off the vehicle and turning it back on

Steering assist fault Service required [XXX] I am writing to bring to your attention a critical safety issue I recently encountered with my 2015 Ford Escape. I am deeply concerned about the lack of response and accountability from Ford regarding this matter, and I kindly request your assistance in addressing this potentially life-threatening problem. During a recent incident, my vehicle's power steering suddenly failed, rendering the car extremely difficult to maneuver. The lack of power steering made it nearly impossible for me to maintain a straight line, let alone perform any evasive maneuvers to avoid potential hazards on the road. Fortunately, this incident occurred in a drive-thru, and my children were not present in the vehicle at the time. I dread to think of the consequences if this failure had happened while driving at higher speeds or in a more critical situation. Upon taking my car to the Ford dealership for inspection and repair, I was shocked to learn that the power steering issue is not covered under my warranty. The dealership informed me that because my vehicle has exceeded 60,000 miles and is now over four years old, it falls outside the warranty coverage. I find it deeply troubling that Ford refuses to acknowledge the obvious flaw in the design of the car's power steering system, especially when comparable Ford models such as the 2011-2013 Fusion have been recalled for the exact same issue. As a loyal Ford customer, I implore you to thoroughly investigate and address this widespread problem, not only for my own sake but also for the safety and well-being of countless other Ford owners who may be facing similar risks. This dangerous design flaw poses a significant threat to drivers and their passengers, and it is utterly irresponsible for Ford to shirk responsibility and shift the financial burden onto the customers. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

The car has on multiple occasions suddenly reported a "steering assist fault". When this happens you lose power steering. The steering wheel basically locks up and is more difficult than typical power steering loss. This is not the same as a typical power steering loss where you need more strength to turn the wheel, in this case you lose all control. This has happened while driving, which could result in a serious accident and injury to me and my children. It is only resolved by turning the car off and back on. The problem has not yet been checked or inspected by dealer or service center, we are in process of having it checked out after finding no safety recall despite the 2011 Ford Escape having a recall for the same issue and numerous online complaints for 2015 (and other years) having the same issue with electrical steering assist. This has happened multiple times, both when starting the vehicle and while driving.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist with the Steering Assist Fault message displayed. The contact's daughter pulled over and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the power steering assist was faulty and advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer. 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 87,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing in the driveway, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle worked as designed. There was an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering gear needed to be replaced. The part was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 37,179.

My vehicle gave me a notice of “steering fault service now”. I then stopped at an advanced auto and that’s when steering failed completely with the notice on the dash of “steering failure stop safely”. What if this happened while going highway speed? Where I live highways have many curves. This is a dangerous and unacceptable situation. I can no longer steer and I drive for work. This is an enormous safety concern as this could’ve happened at any time, and I could have been injured or hit someone else due to this failure.

On several occasions i've lost the power steering when the car is in DRIVE making it almost impossible to steer. Thankfully i was going so slow i was able to get the car to a safe spot but this could be extremely dangerous if it happens at highway speeds. According to the Ford Escape forums this is a known issue but it has still failed to become a recall. There were no warnings prior to losing the power steering, only a warning that i was "at fault" once it failed. It is available for inspection. It has not been inspected by anyone yet.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 35 mph, the power steering had failed, and the steering wheel was stiff and difficult to turn. The power steering assist warning light was illuminated. The contact's wife parked the vehicle in a parking lot. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.

Steering assist failed with no Warning (message came on when it happened). There had been no warnings at all prior and the day before I had transported my granddaughter to her riding lesson via freeway and side roads with no problems. This day I backed out of my driveway for quick trip to the store and when I went to pull forward and straighten the car into my lane, steering became very, very stiff, requiring all my strength to pull into position. In researching this problem we found that this is an ongoing problem with Fords design. I had my car towed to my mechanic who scanned the codes, inspected the electronic steering gear, fuse. They had to remove and replace the complete steering gear. Total cost was $2,028.81 My main complaint is that even though Ford maintains we have the ability to continue to steer the car, it is very difficult and I feel should this happen under the right conditions a driver and the passengers could end up seriously injured or worse. Again NO WARNING prior to loosing the power assist. Had I lost my steering in freeway traffic I don't know that I would have been able to get to a safe spot to get off the road.

Our 2015 Ford Escape stearing has locked up on two occasions, around July 7, 2021. Milage is about 65,000 miles. We were just leaving the house and it was while we were in the driveway. The stearing released soon after it locked up, but we are unsure of the cars safety at this time.

Suddenly while driving and making a right turn the steering locked up, the car jerked to the left into oncoming traffic. The "steering assist needs service" indicator light on the dash came on and then went off. As I looked for a safe place to pull over the car continually jerked from right to left and I had to keep pulling on the wheel to keep it straight. I phoned Gary Yeoman Ford in Daytona Beach Fl to check for recalls and was told there were none. I called Ford Motor Company in Dearborn Michigan, customer complaints and spoke to a representative and was told there was nothing they could do. I then asked to speak to a supervisor and spoke to "Supervisor Angel" and was told the same. This car has less than 40,000 miles on it and this should not be happening. This is very dangerous and could have caused a very serious accident. There have been other recalls for this same problem, but not for the year 2015. I looked online and there are other complaints involving the same power steering problem on these Ford Escapes. It is now in the shop for repairs at my expense! Est $1400

The first time the steering wheel was hard to turn was in late-June, 2021, then it went away until 7/12/21. The steering wheel was locking and really hard to turn while driving in the highway and on streets. I was driving below the speed limit so I can make make slight turn of the wheel. My car was just inches from hitting the side wall on the highway and could have flown over the overpass putting myself and others in danger. I had the car towed to the dealership and inspected. There was definitely a mechanical failure of the car and there were no warnings, alerts, or messages in the inside panel. . This is a big safety concern, I could have lost my life and others due to this failure without warning.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25-35 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING ASSIST FAULT WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO BYERLY FORD INC (4041 DIXIE HWY, LOUISVILLE, KY 40216, (502) 448-1661) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING GEAR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,398. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY LOSES POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE CAR REPAIRS AMOUNTED TO $2150 AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO BYERLY 2 ADDITIONAL TIMES FOR THE SAME ISSUE.

STEERING ASSIST SERVICE REQUIRED LIGHT CAME UP ON THE WAY HOME FROM DOCTORS APPOINTMENT, STEERING WHEEL GOT HARD WENT OFF ROAD FOR A LITTLE BIT BUT GOT BACK ON THE ROAD. STEERING GETS HARD AFTER I HIT GAS ONLY WORKS FINE WHEN I'M NOT HITTING THE GAS OR IN NEUTRAL