2009 FORD ESCAPE Recalls, Complaints & Safety

Steering sensor failed as documented in Ford fixing the steering torque from a recall on B2778:EF. The steering would not turn and happened while driving near Airport Dr and Garrison in Carthage, Mo. There was traffic and could barely get the SUV to turn at all. Almost hit another car in a 35 mph zone when it happened. There was no warning or lights on dashboard at all. Loss of power steering assist would require higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may result in an increased risk of a crash per Ford. A computer update was done in 2023 but obviously, it did not fix the safety issue for my vehicle and put me and others at risk of accidents.

The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated that there was severe rusting and rot on the frame rail. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 184,500

The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to steer in the intended direction. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred while making a left turn, and the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) in 2014. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,092.

This is a follow up complaint because I would like to attach more files that are pertinent

Crash 1 injured

Yesterday I went to the Ford dealership and asked if my 2009 Ford Escape could have the power steering repaired under recall as the code from the OBD2 data is B2278 and that falls under a RECALL for PSCM Power Steering Control Module - STEERING SHAFT TORQUE SENSOR MALFUNCTION CAMPAIGN ID: 14V284000 FORD RECALL #14S05 I was advised there is no open recall of my vehicle and that this recall had been performed in 2014 as a software update. The history also shows my vehicle did not have any stored codes at the time of programming the PSCM. The recall work shows a 0.3 hours time slot for the Ford covered repair. This is and was a band aid and not a genuine remedy. Ford took the cheapest way out of this and denying the repair now is shameful. There are thousands of complaints since then right here on this site. If my Escape had this B2278 code at the time it was brought in, the steering column and torque sensor would have been replaced free of charge. Yesterday while at the dealership I called the Ford customer service national line and spoke with a very courteous gentleman but he was unable to honor a goodwill claim for me. I just want my vehicle to be safe to drive. I believe Ford should repair anyones vehicle that only had a software update and not actual replacement of defective parts. Fords own site says there is no expiration date on this recall. Ironically, this morning I had my power steering again fail while driving this time at the 90 bend in my drive. The steering completely locked up while attempting the turn. The front of my SUV crashed into a frozen snowbank damaging the front. I also wacked my forehead pretty good because I was not wearing my seatbelt yet. I normally get out at the end of my driveway and check my mail before leaving so I don't buckle up until that point. I'm pretty upset by all of this to the point I will be late to work this morning in taking the time to write this back at home. I work for myself and am an Electrician PLEASE MAKE FORD FIX

Crash 1 injured

Power steering quit working. It would go in and out then just stopped all together. I see there is a recall however my vehicle isn't included but is experiencing the same problem. I have read where other vehicle no included in the previous recall also experienced the same problem.

The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was difficult to turn to the left or the right. The contact stated that the code “NO BUSS” flashed off and on, causing the instrument cluster to not function as needed. The contact stopped, turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the steering wheel returned to normal functionality. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the steering torque sensor and the steering wheel column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering); and the contact was informed that the part to do the recall repair was on a national back order. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

Me and my [XXX] old was driving on the highway in my 2009 Ford escape and suddenly my power steering completely went out with no warning. I was driving 60 mph because that's my safe speed. Steering got completely resistant to the point I could not turn my steering wheel almost crashing into another vehicle with a child in the vehicle. I found out that Ford has had power steering issues with almost all their vehicles due to their electrical power steering system. My vehicle was inspected by a independent service center that confirmed that Ford's electrical power steering is not safe because it can disable while driving, however I called to see if Ford could inspect the issue complimentary, they declined and said it would cost. Not knowing that as a consumer, that is extremely terrifying to know that while driving I'm at a high risk of an accident. I also called Ford to see about a recall because I was informed Ford had multiple recalls for their electrical power steering in most of their Ford Escapes, but there was none for mine. The Ford service worker i spoke to, infact, volunteered to inform me that all Ford Escapes from 2008-2012 should be recalled due to the electrical power steering issues. Once I got home turned my vehicle off and the next morning started my vehicle up to show my husband the power steering issue, 24 hrs later a Warning came on saying power steering assist fault. With that warning coming on after the fact, 24 hours later, without that warning could have ended fatal. This is not a situation that should be handled lightly because it can end fatal, and with no warning that these vehicles power steering can disable while driving there's no telling how many accidents have ended fatal already because of this very issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The car had a recall in 2014 was fixed then went out again same part same problem after being fixed ford dealer said they won't handle the recall again steering torque sensor went bad a second time car only had 110000 thousand mile and the same torque sensor that was recalled and replaced went bad again.

I was attempting to leave work I started my vehicle and when I backed up I had no power steering I researched the problem and there was a number of recalls for the same manufactured defect that causes steering failure. The steering column needs to be replaced. My 2009 ford escape power steering manufacturer defect should have been included with the other 2009 ford escape recalls. Unfortunately it's my only vehicle i have to drive

Safety recall on steering. Ford dealership says it is under the recall and the steering column has to be replaced. Part is on back order and he said it could be 3-6 months even a year before the part comes in. This is my main source of income being impacted. I am still paying on the car so a second car loan is not ideal. Is there anyway to get it repaired sooner.

The power steering, steering assist, has failed in my daughter's 2009 Ford Escape which has less than 90,000 miles on the odometer and very light use. There is zero steering assist. The dealership explained the whole column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was brought to the dealership, we were informed the repair is $3,400.

My fiancé my baby and I were leaving the house to go to the store and the steering wheel started jerking to the left when I went to turn right and then the power steering stopped working and sent a message to my dashboard that it failed. I called the ford dealership because I seen that there was a recall for the year make and model of my car but when I called they said there were no open recalls for my VIN number so there was nothing they could do. Which is my only vehicle and it is not safe to drive my 9 month old baby in.

The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the power steering assist failed to operate as needed without warning. Due to the failure, the contact used excessive force to drive the vehicle back to the residence. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering); and linked the failure to the recall. The contact notified the manufacturer of the failure and was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

I WENT TO TRADE IN MY CAR AND WAS INFORMED THAT FRAME BEHIND FRONT DRIVER SIDE IS ALMOST RUSTED THROUGH. MEANING THE BODY COULD DETACH FROM FRAME OR SOMETHING ELSE DANGEROUS COULD HAPPEN. THIS IS MY ONLY CAR AND NOW I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE IT.

The electric power steering assist has gone out, and now I have no power steering which makes turning difficult.

I was almost home and all the sudden i could barely control my steering wheel, it was so hard to turn and i almost hit another car. Thats when it dawned on me the power steering quit working.

The subframe is rusted. There is an actual hole in the subframe. Yes, as of today, it is available for inspection. It has been put on a lift and looked at by an independent service center, which deemed it unsafe to drive. Because of this costly issue, the vehicle has been parked and not driven, leaving me without transportation as I cannot afford to replace an entire subframe as patching doesn’t seem to be an option due to the amount of rust.

Brakes and power steering failed within 1 day. I’ve had brake system checked by 2 mechanics. I still have spongey brakes. Both systems seem to be a problem on these particular vehicles according to the two mechanics. Seems I’m not the only one with this problem. My vehicle came out of the Kansas City Assembly Plant. It’s a 2009 Ford Escape. I understand that some models out of that facility had recalls.

Unknown. Cranked vehicle and had no power steering.05/27/25

The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the failure was caused by the EGR valve. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed there was no recall coverage on the VIN for the repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The approximate failure mileage was 129,082.

The ford escape is experiencing the exact power steering assist fault, same year model in Safety Recall 14S05, but it’s not showing up for the recall.

I have had every part of my brake system replaced multi times and the brake pedal gos to the floor, no one can fix it. When trying to search online, it looks like this is a known issue. Multiple multiple forms with multiple websites people having the same issue. With this Specific vehicle but no one can find a answers.

Power steering torque sensor has gone out. Dealership has diagnosed the issue.

Vehicle was involved in recall 14S05 for electric power steering failure. Recall was completed in 2016 with no parts replaced because parts had not failed yet - only a reprogram of PSCM was done. Parts have now failed, and power steering has failed. I contacted my Ford dealer, who said they will not help, yet admitted that at the time the recall was completed parts had not failed but have now. I called Ford customer service and was told they will do nothing. I pushed back given the obvious safety concerns, but they were unmoved. They would not allow me to escalate. I'm firm in my belief that Ford should fix the issue here. Not sure where else to go, but starting with the NHTSA.

As many other Ford escapes have been recalled due to power steering issues. Mine has been going out while driving and causing a very dangerous safety issue. Ive contacted my local ford dealership and noticed my 2009 ford escape is not on the recall list. Im requesting a change to this as my vehicle is a real safety issue for not just myself but for others. No warning lights appear whenever it goes out either.

The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the steering wheel failed to turn to the right or the left. The contact stated that the power steering assist was inoperable. The contact called the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact called the manufacturer, who confirmed that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The approximate failure mileage was 137,000. The VIN was not available.

Steering torque sensor failed Can not be driven . Subframe rusted out. Unsafe to drive.

The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (STEERING) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available

The power steering has gone out we see recalls for this make, year and model. But when we called the dealer they informed us our VIN is not included in this recall problem. But it is in the year 2009 clearly included in the recall for power steering. Why can our Escape not be included in this recall?

The contact owns a 2009 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the steering wheel became stiff. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and inspected; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was then taken to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 175,000.

The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon his wife starting the vehicle, the "Power Steering Assist Fault" message was displayed on the instrument panel and the steering wheel failed to operate as needed. The contact was called to the scene of the failure and inspected the vehicle. The contact discovered that there was no mechanical failure with the vehicle. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed with a defective steering column. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The contact notified the manufacturer of the failure and was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 77,000.

The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the steering wheel seized with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel was stiff while attempting to start the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the vehicle had lost power steering functionality and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 223,000.

The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH, the steering wheel was seized, and the "Power Steering Assist Fault" message was displayed. The check engine and air bag warning lights were also illuminated. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was made aware of DTC code: B-1936 and NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 249,000.

The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for routine maintenance, who determined that the passenger-side front subframe was rotten. The front and rear underbody were rotten. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 137,000.

The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his son was operating the vehicle, the power steering malfunctioned, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (STEERING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 62,000.

The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 45-55 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal traveled down to the floorboard and the vehicle failed to respond. The contact depressed the brake pedal harder, and the vehicle came to a complete stop. The contact drove to the residence, where the ABS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the ABS module had failed and needed to be replaced; however, the part was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized with no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the power steering failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

Yesterday, [XXX], the power steering first temporarily went out on a curve and came back on and I was able to continue driving with power steering. After I stopped the vehicle for roughly 1.5 hours (planned stop), it no longer worked. I was a short distance from home and returned home and parked the vehicle. I was not going a high rate of speed when the temporary loss occurred; however, there is a great accident risk for this issue, especially in a heavy traffic and/or higher speed area. I started it twice today to see if it worked and it is not working. The system message says “power steering assist fault” on the dash. This was displaying yesterday and is also today. My vehicle was manufactured in Kansas City, MO and I am requesting the VIN be reviewed and included as part of the recall, 14S05A. Please assist as soon as possible so this can be resolved. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

no powersteering went out while driving they reprogramed steering module nowit went out totally its bs on fords part

Brake pedal very light, goes clear to floor then within last inch brakes activate. I replaced master brake cylinder in hopes that would fix, it did not. I scheduled an appointment with dealership to diagnose in which they were not able to and had me return it to the original mechanic after flushing fluid out checking for corrosion, they replaced the master cylinder again. That did not fix the brake issue. I’m returning it to Ford dealership to once more diagnose and potentially replace the ABS module. This model is known for having a test one placed on in which needed replaced. It’s the exact same part number as the ABS module recalled and replaced on a few other models. The recall number for other models is 19V904000, no corrosion in reservoir upon flush and dot 3 was placed back inside. The part number at hand for the multiple vehicles is 12-17242