What 1,037 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Ford Escape Gas

WHEN STARTING THE CAR AN ALERT POPPED UP STATING "STEERING ASSIST FAILURE". THE STEERING WAS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO MOVE. TURNING OFF THE IGNITION AND RESTARTING THE MESSAGE CLEARED. THE CAR HAS ONLY 27100 MILES. FORD STATES THAT THE STEERING GEAR HAS FAILED. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WHILE MOVING IT COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUS

NHTSA ODI 11131762

VEHICLE HAD JUST BEEN DRIVING, I STOPPED, TURNED CAR OFF, AND AFTER 5 MINUTES TURNED CAR BACK ON. WHEN THE CAR WAS TURNED ON, CAR WAS STATIONARY AND A MEMO FLASHED ON DASHBOARD INDICATING 'AUTOMATIC STEERING FAILURE'. AFTER PUTTING THE CAR IN REVERSE I NOTED THE VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED AND WOULDN'T MOVE OUT OF ITS STATIONARY POSITION. CAR WAS TOWED TO FORD DEALERSHIP. MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE AUTOMATIC POWER STEERING RACK FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

NHTSA ODI 11112956

WHEN DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY AT NEARLY 70 MPH THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY TURNED TO THE RIGHT AND WAS VERY HARD TO TURNBACK TO THE LEFT. COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI 11090131

WHEN DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY AT NEARLY 70 MPH THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY TURNED TO THE RIGHT AND WAS VERY HARD TO TURNBACK TO THE LEFT. COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI 11090132

WHEN DRIVING ON EXPRESSWAY AT NEARLY 70 MPH THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY TURNED TO THE RIGHT AND WAS VERY HARD TO TURN TO THE LEFT. COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI 11089113

THE CAR HAS ONLY 36,400 MILES AND THE STEERING SENSOR IS COMING ON AND WHEN DOSE IT MAKES THE CAR HARDER TO STEER. YOU HAVE TO RESTART THE CAR TO RESET THE POWER STEERING SENSOR. IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN ABOUT EVERY DAY NOW.

NHTSA ODI 11079007

3 TIMES THIS LAST THREE DAYS I'VE GOTTEN A STEERING ASSIST FAULT AFTER STARTING VECHILE.FIRST TIME STEERING WAS DIFFICULT FOR ONLY A VERY SHORT PERIOD.2ND AND 3RD TIMES I HAD TO STOP AND RESTART VECHILE THEN IT WAS OK.ALL THREE TIMES WHERE FROM STARTUP.

NHTSA ODI 11057687

I HAD THE VEHICLE PARK AT WORK AND WHEN I START THE CAR THE INFORMATION CENTER FROM THE VEHICLE ANNOUNCED THAT THE POWER STEERING IT NEEDS REPAIR. THE VEHICLE IS ONLY 18 MONTHS OLD AND THE POWER STEERING IS GONE.

NHTSA ODI 11054709

2ND REFERENCE TO 11032043, ROBERTS FORD COULD NOT FIND ANY FAULTS IN THE ECU, ONLY SHOWED A SENSOR ERROR. WAS DRIVING THE SUV ON 10/15/17 AT 1215HRS WHEN I TURNED A 22 DEG TURN AT 15MPH AND STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, WENT THOUGH A DITCH, MISSED A TREE AND FINALLY STOPPED 7 FT FROM SOMEONE'S HOME. #FORDMOTORS NOT VERY HAPPY, 25 YEARS OF FORD PRODUCTS AND ALL I GET IS, WE WILL LOOK INTO IT. OH, WOKE UP THIS MORNING, TURNED THE CAR ON, GUESS WHAT, NO POWER STEERING.

NHTSA ODI 11033530

IN THE LAST MONTH I HAVE HAD A FAULT CODE, STEERING ASSIST FAILURE. 4 TIMES IN MY DRIVEWAY UPON START UP, ALMOST DROVE OFF DRIVEWAY DOWN 20 FOOT CREEK. ONE OF THEM WHILE TRAVELING FROM A 55MPH STATE ROUTE TRYING TO TURN RIGHT, SLOWED TO BELOW 20 MPH AND TRIED TO TURN WHEEL. THE STEERING WHEEL DID NOT TURN, I TRAVELED ACROSS TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC AND ONTO A GRAVEL ENTRANCE FOR TRACTORS INTO THE FIELD. I HAD TO LOCK THE BRAKES UP AND SLID INTO THE CORN FIELD. ONCE STOPPED, I TURNED THE ESCAPE OFF AND LET IT SIT FOR 10 MINUTES, RESTARTED THE ESCAPE AND BACKED OUT ONTO THE ROAD SAFELY. I AM AT ROBERTS FORD IN ALTON, IL. THE CODE IS NOT SHOWING, (SO SAYS THE SERVICE WRITER, SO FORD IS NOT WILLING TO REPAIR. THE DATE BELOW IS THE LAST TIME IN WHICH THIS HAS HAPPEN. SAFETY BEFORE PRODUCTION, MUST BE THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT MY FAMILY OR THE PUBLIC. TIME FOR SOCIAL MEDIA.

NHTSA ODI 11032043

CAR SUDDENLY STARTED SHUDDERING AT 45 MPH, LOST ALL POWER, SERVICE ENGINE NOW LIGHT ON, CAR WAS NO RESPONDING TO ANY ACTIONS .

NHTSA ODI 11020159

2016 FORD ESCAPE WITH 5770 MILES. STARTED CAR AND HAD STEERING ASSIST FAULT. NO POWER STEERING. HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER. THEY REPLACED THE STEERING UNIT DUE TO A STEERING CONTROL UNIT FAILURE. IF IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AS IT WAS NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. REPAIR COVERED BY WARRANTY. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AT THE TIME OF FAILURE.

NHTSA ODI 11002932

POWER STEERING GEAR FAILED CAUSING CAR TO LOOSE POWER STEERING. CAR WAS BEING BACKED OUT OF A PARKING SPACE WHEN THIS HAPPENED. PULLED THE CAR OVER. TURNED THE CAR OFF AND WAITED 2 MINUTES. TURNED CAR BACK ON AND POWER STEERING WAS BACK ON. DROVE TO DEALER WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ISSUE. THEY REPLACED STEERING GEAR.

NHTSA ODI 10970070

IN JULY,, 2016 THE "STEERING ASSIST FAULT" SENSOR LIGHT CAME ON AS I WAS BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY. I WAS UNABLE TO TURN WHEEL. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP WHERE PURCHASED WHERE THEY FOUND A "FAULTY STEERING RACK" THAT, I ASSUME WAS REPAIRED. TODAY, MARCH 8, 2017 I WAS PARKING THE VEHICLE IN TOWN AND THE "STEERING ASSIST FAULT" SENSOR LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL. IT WAS, AGAIN, TOWED TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP. LUCKILY, BOTH TIMES I WAS NOT IN TRAFFIC BUT ON A SIDE STREET. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WHILE ON A HIGHWAY OR A MAJOR ROAD THINGS MAY HAVE TURNED OUT DIFFERENTLY AND COULD HAVE BEEN LIFE-THREATENING.

NHTSA ODI 10959540

VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A FULL STOP ON PAVED HIGHWAY. VEHICLE ALSO PULLS TO RIGHT DURING LOWER GEAR SHIFTS UNDER MODERATE ACCELERATION ON PAVED HIGHWAY.

NHTSA ODI 10954210

THE 2016 FORD ESCAPE DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT IT, I CHECKED FOR IT. IT NOW HAS APPROXIMATELY 15,000 MILES HAS DEVELOPED WHAT I WOULD CALL TORQUE STEER. IT PULLS TO THE RIGHT UPON FAIRLY HARD OR SUDDEN ACCELERATION FROM A STOPPED POSITION. MY AUTHORIZED FORD DEALER SAYS IT IS NORMAL FOR THE VEHICLE TO DO THIS AND CLAIM THERE IS NO PROBLEM AND NO REPAIRS NEEDED.

NHTSA ODI 10934054

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH MY VEHICLE DIED. NO POWER STEERING. VERY DANGEROUS. THE SCREEN SAID 'ENGINE FAULT'. MANAGED TO GET TO THE SHOULDER AND IT RESTARTED RIGHT AWAY. DROVE A LITTLE FURTHER, SAME THING. MANAGED TO GET IT HOME BUT IT DID THIS 4 TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF THE WEEKEND. IT IS AT THE SHOP TODAY BUT THERE ARE NO LIGHTS ON NOW SO I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WILL BE ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 10907535

STEERING ASSIST FAILURE. NO WARNING SIGNS OR ANYTHING. COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING WITH ONLY 1186 MILES ON THE CAR. OWNED IT LESS THAN 2 MONTHS.

NHTSA ODI 10888128

IN FOLLOW UP TO MY ORIGINAL COMPLAINT NUMBER 10885168, STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTION WHILE OPERATING ON THE MASSACHUSETTS TURNPIKE, WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF POWER STEERING, THE DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED THE VEHICLE NEEDS A NEW STEERING RACK AT 2500 MILES.

NHTSA ODI 10885785

DRIVING MY FAMILY HOME FROM A VACATION, I LOST MY POWER STEERING ON THE MASSACHUSETTS TURNPIKE. THE VEHICLE HAS 2557 MILES ON IT. THE DASHBOARD INDICATED, "STEERING ASSIST OFF - SERVICE REQUIRED - I WAS TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED WHEN THIS OCCURRED AND FEARED FOR MY SAFETY, THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY AND THE SAFETY OF OTHERS ON THE TURNPIKE. I CALLED MY DEALER WHO REFERRED ME TO FORD ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS FLAT BEDDED IN TO MY FORD DEALERSHIP. I CHECKED THE NHTSA WEBSITE TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY KNOWN ISSUES RELATED TO STEERING WITH MY YEAR AND MODEL FORD. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NONE FOR THE 2016 AT THIS TIME, THERE WAS A HUGE RECALL WITH THE 2014 FORD ESCAPE FOR THIS SAME STEERING ASSIST ISSUE. HOPEFULLY, NOBODY WILL GO THROUGH WHAT I DID. THIS ISSUE COULD HAVE EASILY CALLED A MAJOR ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI 10885168