2008 Ford Escape Steering Problems
- 936
- 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 936 stored complaint records:
- 22 indicate a crash
- 14 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- Column · 3 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 100–150k mi | 373 |
| 60–100k mi | 254 |
| 150–400k mi | 142 |
| 30–60k mi | 55 |
| 1–30k mi | 18 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Steering
While driving my 2008 ford escape going about 40 miles an hour, the steering column completely lock up making is impossible to steer. I was able to navigate the vehicle to the side of the road. We brought it in to have it looked at and were told it is an electronic censor that is imbalanced vs. Having power steering fluid it runs electronically. The way it is built, you have to replace the entire drive shaft vs.…
ODI 10450525
Steering
Like many others the eps (electronic power steering) system gave out on my 2008 escape (106,000 mi.). It started with the steering wheel occasionally clunking and shaking both when driving and when the car was idle (as long as it was started). As soon as the wheel was turned to the left or right the power steering would engage and it would be fine. The problem quickly got worse to the point where the…
ODI 10449014
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the electronic power steering failed. The failure occurred when the vehicle was operated for more than ten minutes. The dealer was notified and stated that there were no recalls or warranties addressing the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and also stated that the failure was not covered by…
ODI 10458822
Steering
My power steering did not work when i backed out of a parking space. If i turned the car off, and then started it again, the power steering would work. This started happening daily, then many times a day and now, sometimes i have no power steering at all, and sometime it will work for a short time, but it goes out while i'm driving which is very dangerous. The repairs will be about $1200, we are waiting for the…
ODI 10449178
Steering
My steering wheel keeps shaking while driving for the last week. It freeze upon initial start-up and i have to turn the car off and turn it on again for the steering function to be restored. The freezing occurred sporadically over the past few months but now it happens every time i start my car. Haven't taken my car into the dealership yet but will do so soon before this problem progresses any further and causes an…
ODI 10447500
Electrical System · Steering
I was driving with two family members when power steering failed on a freeway off ramp. Steering failed whereas i narrowly avoided a major collision. Vehicle extremely difficult to turn with electric steering failure. *tr
ODI 10447457
Steering
I was driving at about 65mph on our freeway and i lost complete control of my power steering. I almost got hit by 3 other vehicles as i was unable to turn steering wheel. I then put my caution lights on and used all my force to get to the side of the road. I then power the car off and waited a few minutes and turned it back on my steering was then fine. I got back on the freeway and within 3 minutes i lost all of my…
ODI 10443405
Steering
My steering wheel locked i have to pull over, turn off the car once i turned it back on it was really hard to steer, very dangerous and now i have to pay 1100.00 to get this replaced which is too much for a 2008, they should recall this since so many people have the same problem. *tr
ODI 10443901
Steering
Power steering would go out without notice. At first it would resume after turning off the vehicle and restarting, however it then began jerking the steering wheel during operation of the vehicle. We live in an area with extreme winter road conditions so this was a very dangerous problem. Finally we had it repaired at an authorized ford dealer at a cost of $1500.00. This dealer seemed to think that the failure is…
ODI 10450792
Steering
Like many others the eps (electronic power steering) system gave out on my 2008 escape (75,000 mi.). It started with the steering wheel occasionally clunking and shaking both when driving and when the car was idle (as long as it was started). As soon as the wheel was turned to the left or right the power steering would engage and it would be fine. The problem quickly got worse to the point where the clunking/shaking…
ODI 10447165
Steering
The steering wheel started occasionally jittering while the vehicle was stopped. Then when i went to leave a parking lot the power steering was completely non functioning. It has since been spotty. *tr
ODI 10442140
Steering
I was merging onto a highway from an entrance. As i was getting onto the highway, i was about to pull on, when my steering locked up. I was able to pull over, shut the engine off, i started the car and the steering was fine. I researched this problem and found that there were many of the same complaints. I could not find any recalls for this problem. Will there have to be a death before something is done. I will…
ODI 10440531
Steering
As i was getting onto the highway from an entrance, my steering failed. I could not turn the steering wheel to control the car. Thank god i was going slow and was able to pull over. I shut the engine off, turned it back on, and was able to drive. I have researched this complaint and there are many ford escapes, with this same complaint. I hope that something will be done before a death occurs. I plan on pursuing…
ODI 10440530
Steering
On 12-13-2011, the power steering failed on this vehicle. Fortunately i was in a parking lot when this happened. I was able to drive home by exerting great force on the then manual steering. If this had happened while actually in motion i doubt that i could have controlled the vehicle to a safe stop. The next morning i started the car to take it to the ford dealer and the steering worked. The dealer was unable to…
ODI 10440257
Steering
I was about to leave work and when i started the car to pull out of my parking spot i was unable to turn the steering wheel. I know enough about cars to know that this was related to the power steering...not knowing at the time that my car had an electric power steering, i looked under the hood to check the fluid then i went to get my warehouse mgr to come take a look at it for me. When he started the car the…
ODI 10439721
Steering
Was making a turn after stopping at a light. In the middle of my turn i felt the power steering fail. I was able to drive home with great effort made to steer. I got home and turned my vehicle off. My husband started my 2008 ford escape and had no problems with steering. After popping the hood, he found nothing wrong. After researching the internet, there seem to be numerous complaints of this same exact thing…
ODI 10439311
Steering
Our escape has less than 44,000 miles on it and this past saturday the power steering just failed! And i had 3 children with me!! Thank god we weren't doing 70mph on the interstate...or in a curve...next to an 18-wheeler...or where i had to make a quick avoidance maneuver! I learned (from internet postings...'cause it sure isn't in the owner's manual...) that it usually works properly again after turning the engine…
ODI 10440179
Steering
My vehicle has been experiencing a jerking movement in the steering wheel (feels like force feedback from a driving simulator), most noticeable at a stop. It appeared to be a malfunction of the electronic power steering system. I had the vehicle inspected and was told the steering column needed to be replaced to correct the issue. This is because the electronic power steering is located in the column. I was told…
ODI 10439903
Steering
Was driving down the highway and the power steering failed. Looked on internet seems to be common. *tr
ODI 10438126
Steering
I was driving down the highway when my power steering failed - it didn't lock up but became extremely hard to maneuver. I have taken it to the ford dealership & the man i spoke with said he's never heard of this being a problem. *tr
ODI 10438125
Steering
I own a 2008 ford escape. I was driving down my street,started to turn into my driveway and had a hard time turning the steering wheel. The power steering totally shut down. I turned off the car and restarted it and everything was ok. It has happened 3 times in the last week. Checked online and this seems to be a common problem. Interested to see how ford handles this. *tr
ODI 10438451
Steering
The power steering in this vehicle failed twice. Both times were at low speed, and i was able to recover. A search on the internet reveals this to be a somewhat common problem with escapes, but has yet to be acknowledged by ford. I will take it to the dealer but am afraid that i'll have the same experience as others, in that the problem will not be present when the dealer looks at it. At this point i no longer…
ODI 10436460
Steering
Steering locks up periodically while driving at variable speeds, and situations, there is a grinding when you turn steering wheel both directions even while parked. I have seen many complaints online about this same problem with many owners of the same make & model. *tr
ODI 10448130
Steering
Noticed steering wheel vibrating while driving on highway at posted speed 70 mph. Continued to vibrate and move while stopped at stop lights. On 10-25-11 my wife drove across the university campus and lost power steering while in parking lot. Turning vehilce off and restarting appeared to solve loss of power assist steering. Steering wheel continued to move slightly side to side while driving to dealership.…
ODI 10432927
Steering
While my wife was driving our 2008 ford escape with 70k miles, the steering suddenly locked up. I was told by ford that this problem was rare, but i have found dozens of complaints with the exact same issue. The electronic power steering (eps) module has failed. Ford had modified this module 8 times since 2008 when it was first used. The repair estimate is $1300. Ford is unwilling to do anything about the problem.…
ODI 10432177