2004 Ford Escape Steering Problems
- 23
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 23 stored complaint records:
- 1 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- steering wheel · 7 records
- right rear · 5 records
- power steering · 4 records
- rear wheel · 4 records
- wheel well · 4 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 100–150k mi | 5 |
| 60–100k mi | 4 |
| 150–400k mi | 4 |
| 1–30k mi | 3 |
| 30–60k mi | 2 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. While starting the vehicle, the steering wheel was difficult to turn. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact called bommarito ford ([redacted], hazelwood, mo 63042, [redacted]) and was informed that there were no recalls associated with the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was…
ODI 11172590
Body · Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. While driving approximately 10 mph, the steering wheel failed due to severe rust and corrosion of the subframe. The contact attempted to replace the control arms and noticed that a huge chunk on the subframe was rotted and corroded with a large hole near the front passenger side of the subframe. The contact stated that the steering wheel was approximately 40 degrees off…
ODI 11152851
Steering
I was driving down the highway and i lost control of my vehicle i had no steering truck was shimmying all over the road. Was able to get it slowed down and under control over to the shoulder of the road and was able to drive it slowly off of the highway was about 1 mile from my house. It has no steering was looking underneath of truck and the frame is rotted all around where the recall part was put in.
ODI 11121758
Power Train · Steering · Suspension
Nhtsa campaign number 14v16500. Lower control arm on the front passenger side lose, resulting in loss of steering control and increased risk of accident when driving. It may be due to rust and corrosion for the lose bolt that holds the underneath bracket.
ODI 11020115
Steering · Suspension · Wheels
My vehicle was serviced for recall that was issued. The recall was for the subframe rusting through where it meets the control arm resulting in steering failure. My vehicle had this problem under way and was rusted through to the point of separation. The dealership performed the recall and installed a "brace" on the subframe but advised that the vehicle was not safe to drive because of the separation, which is…
ODI 10906243
Electrical System · Steering · Vehicle Speed Control
Driving down the road about fourty five miles per hour i pushed the gas to go up a hill and lost all power to the engine. I removed my foot from the engine and it picked up enough speed to get to the side of the road. After being towed home it would crank but if you moved shifter knob or pressed gas it woukd die out.
ODI 11014790
Steering · Suspension
Had a recall from ford shortly after buyiny car in 2014 about subframe rust.ford said they fixed problem.about a year later the subframe broke complexly making frone wheel wobble and pull to right i went off the road into some brush before i got control of car!!i made it home and saw the (fix)a piece of flat steel holding left frame to right not a repair at need to replace complete sub frame.ford blamed it on…
ODI 10884854
Body · Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. While driving 30 mph, the contact lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the subframe for the steering was deteriorating. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired per nhtsa campaign number: 14v165000 (structure); however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure…
ODI 10876402
Body · Steering · Suspension
Engine cradle, part of the frame is under recall,is broke. Dealer applied "band-aid" manufacturer declines to replace broken cross-member, even though it is under recall. Recall #14v165000
ODI 10837054
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. While driving various speeds, the power steering failed and the manual steering would activate without warning. The contact stated that the vehicle would have to be turned off and restarted in order to activate the power steering. The failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the…
ODI 10892575
Body · Steering · Suspension
Ford's 14s02 recall was to deal with excessive rust on a subframe unit. If the recall inspection of the subframe did not result in characteristics warranting replacement, ford instructed dealers to install a cross brace. Approximately 13 months after our 2004 ford escape had the cross brace installed the subframe unit failed while we were driving. The car violently jerked to the side and if there had been another…
ODI 10765266
Steering · Wheels
I am shocked at how many people have experienced the same issue that i am having with my escape in regards to the right rear wheel well rusting out around the shock mount. I initially noticed the issue when i heard a loud clunking noise in the right rear of the car. I thought there was something wrong with the rear shocks so i took it to a neighborhood mechanic. The mechanic told me that it was a frame issue and i…
ODI 10731134
Body · Steering · Suspension
While driving on a rough road i noticed a rattling in the rear compartment that i had never heard before. When i investigated i found the right rear wheel well had disintegrated from rust damage and the shock is now floating basically freely which is causing the noise. I am concerned for the safety and handling of the vehicle at this point. This seems to be a very common issue with escapes and always the right rear…
ODI 10695287
Steering · Suspension · Wheels
On a trip to upper peninsula, michigan this past week we experienced a failure of the front subframe crossbrace, a near catastrophic event as the piece broke. We were in grayling, michigan and were stopped near an independent service provider who showed us the damage and attempted to find a used part. The one he found had the exact same rust and break as ours and thus he ordered a new one from ford. In the meantime…
ODI 10631901
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v165000 (steering) but the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
ODI 10627401
Electrical System · Steering · Structure · Suspension
2004 ford escape. Consumer writes in regards to lower control arm rust recall notice. *smd the consumer stated while driving on the interstate, he heard a loud noise from the rear wheel well on the passenger side. He pulled over, and discovered the shock was hanging down. He was unable to pull it of. So he drove back home, and upon further examination, he discovered there was no fender left on the shock. Also, the…
ODI 10604250
Body · Steering · Suspension
I was driving down the road and hit a pothole, after hitting the pothole there was a loud clunking noise coming from the rear. After inspection the entire shock mount had rusted away from the body and became separated. It was free to jolt around and cause further damage. Not safe to be driving this vehicle now. *tr
ODI 10586856
Steering
STEERING FAILURE.
ODI 10574566
Engine And Engine Cooling · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Steering · Vehicle Speed Control
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. The contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the steering wheel seized and the brake and accelerator pedals would not respond to pressure. The contact was able to move the steering wheel after much effort but shortly after, crashed into a utility box. The contact was not injured. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure and current mileage was…
Crash reported
ODI 10543887
Steering · Suspension · Underbody Shields
July 26,2014 in october 2013, i could not get my car inspected ( ford escape 2004 ) because the sub frame in the front was so badly rusted the steering rods was falling off and would not pass inspection. This was before the recall notice. 14502/nhtsa recall 14v-165, so i had a new subframe installed. Reference # 10547199. [xxx] at clarion ford would do nothing because there was no recall at the time. I have sent all…
ODI 10616486
Steering
On two separate occasions while driving no more than 30 mph on city streets, i have lost power steering on my 2004 ford escape xlt. The first time this happened was 8/11/05 while i was 207 miles away from home on vacation. I made a right hand turn after stopping at a traffic light and all of a sudden i lost power steering. It was very hard to steer, but i managed to ease to the right hand lane. Fortunately, no one…
ODI 10135498
Engine · Exterior Lighting · Interior Lighting · Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the rpms increased. In addition, the contact stated that the head lamps and interior lighting dimmed intermittently and there was a noise coming from the steering wheel. Upon further inspection, the contact noticed that the steering fluid was leaking. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was…
ODI 10705017
Steering · Wiring
I purchased a 2004 ford escape xlt on 12/8/03. On the way home from the dealership, the vehicle pulled strongly to the left, and an appointment was made to have the vehicle serviced. On 12/17/03, the left rear power window had an electrical short and would not close. It went into service and the electrical short was repaired. On 12/19/03 we brought the vehicle in to service for the pulling to the left. They tried an…
ODI 10051342