2014 Ford Escape Steering
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
ON 22AUG2020 I WAS TRAVELING FROM FAYETTEVILLE, NC TO BLUFFTON, SC AND STOPPED IN SANTEE, SC FOR A BATHROOM BREAK. STARTED THE CAR UP TO LEAVE AND HAD NO POWER STEERING. TRIED TURNING OFF AND BACK ON BUT NO CHANGE. SO, I ENDED UP DRIVING 1.5 HOURS WITHOUT POWER STEERING. AFTER BEING AT MY DESTINATION FOR A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR I STARTED THE CAR TO GO SOMEWHERE AND THE STEERING WAS FINE AND HAS BEEN SINCE.
POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE SERVICE REQUIRED. HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING. VEHICLE HAD BEEN DRIVEN STEADY FOR HOURS. ISSUE SHOWED WHEN STARTING THE CAR AFTER VERY SHORT STOP FOR WATER.VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. WAS ABLE TO RESET BY TURNING OFF THE IGNITION AND RESTARTING. INTERNET SEARCH SHOWS MANY OWNERS WITH EXACT SAME ISSUE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDISCLOSED SPEED, THE VEHICLE LOSS POWER STEERING ASSIST AND BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO BILL CURRIE FORD (815 N DALE MABRY HWY, TAMPA, FL 33614) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE STEERING GEAR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,259.
71,000 POWER STEERING ASSIST IS FAILING. POWER STEERING WILL GO OUT WHILE DRIVING. FIRST HAPPENED WHILE PARKING, BUT IT GOES OFF AND ON WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS!
THE STEERING GOES OUT RANDOMLY. WHEEL STIFFENS UP AND WILL NOT MOVE. MOST TIMES I HAVE TO TURN THE ENGINE OFF 4 OR 5 TIMES AND THEN IT WILL WORK.. SO FAR. BUT I'M WORRIED IT MAY NOT WORK ONE DAY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING FUNCTIONALITY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A WARNING DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WHICH STATED, 'DO NOT DRIVE VEHICLE'. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE RESULT WAS AN INCONCLUSIVE REPORT FOR POWER STEERING LOSS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. NEITHER A DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000.
I STARTED TO DRIVE MY 2014 FORD ESCAPE AND THE VEHICLE HAD NO POWER STEERING. I NOTICED THE STEERING ASSIST FAULT LIGHT WAS ON. LUCKILY THIS HAPPENED WHILE PARKED AND NOT WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY ROAD. VERY UNSAFE. IF THIS HAPPENED ON THE ROAD SOMEONE COULD BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR EVEN DEATH. THIS HAS TO BE FIXED SOON. IT SEEMS TO BE ALL VIN NUMBERS OF THE 2014 ESCAPE. *TR
THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED AND THE POWER STEERING FAULT MESSAGE APPEARED WHEN BACKING OUT OF MY GARAGE. AFTER TURNING THE IGNITION OFF AND STARTING THE CAR AGAIN, THE PROBLEM RESOLVED. MY FORD DEALER FOUND CODE U3000:49 STORED. REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE STEERING GEAR AT A COST OF $2559.47, INCLUDING ALIGNMENT. I FEEL FORTUNATE THAT THIS HAPPENED IN MY DRIVEWAY. IF IT HAD BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE SERVICE ADVISOR SAID THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST ESCAPE HE HAS SEEN WITH THIS PROBLEM, BUT I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS ON THE INTERNET. *TR
I STARTED TO DRIVE MY 2014 FORD ESCAPE AND THE VEHICLE HAD NO POWER STEERING. I NOTICED THE STEERING ASSIST FAULT LIGHT WAS ON. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE FROM THE GAS STATION TO MY HOUSE, WHICH WAS ONLY A FEW BLOCKS. IT WAS VERY HARD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP. THE FORD SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME THAT THE RACK & PINION IS INTERNALLY DAMAGED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. HE ALSO STATED THE RACK & PINION IS A SEAL COMPONENT, SO THAT IS WHY THE ENTIRE THING HAS TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN, IF I WAS DRIVING AT A HIGHER SPEED DURING THE FAILURE, IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A ACCIDENT WITH NO POWER STEERING. MY FORD ESCAPE IS 2014, 42,000 MILES. *TR
STEERING ASSIST FAULT SERVICE REQUIRED MESSAGE ON DASHBOARD. IT WAS IN MOTION, STARTING A TURN INTO A PARKING SPOT
THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND AN ERROR CODE APPEARED ON DASH"STEERING ASSIST FAULT SERVICE REQUIRED".THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD ONLY MOVE USING EXTREME FORCE RENDERING THE VEHICLE NONE OPERATIONAL. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN THIS OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND THEN RESTARTED AND THE CODE DISAPPEARED AND THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN HOME. AN INTERNET SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED AND THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE WHICH COULD RENDER IT UNSTEERABLE WHILE DRIVING. THIS HAS ME CONCERNED FOR MY WIFE AND GRAND CHILDREN'S SAFETY AS THIS IS HER MAIN MODE OF TRANSPORTATION. PLEASE REFER TO COMPLAINT NO. 11292425
POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING. A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION!
HAVING STEERING ISSUES. VEHICLE SHAKES WHEN DRIVING AND MAKES A SOUND LIKE SOME THG THING IS RUBBING. HAVE BEEN TOLD BY TWO MECHANICS THAT IT IS AN ISSUE WITH THE POWER STEERING RACK. HAVE CONTACTED SEVERAL FORD DEALERS AND HAVE BEEN TOLD IT HAS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM IN THE PAST BUT FORD WILL NOT COVER IT. WIFE IS SCARED TO DRIVE IT.
DRIVER FAULT ASSIST ERROR. THE POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING AND VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. HAD TO HAVE THE ENTIRE POWER STEERING COLUMN REPLACED. THIS HAPPENED WHEN THE CAR WAS PARKED AFTER DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY FOR 3 HOURS. WE STOPPED FOR A BREAK AT A REST STOP AND WHEN THE CAR WAS STARTED TO CONTINUE THE TRIP IT GAVE THE ERROR AND THE POWER STEERING DIDN'T WORK.
POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAULT LIGHT CAME ON AND MADE IT REALLY HARD TO STEER WHILE DRIVING. I'M GLAD I WAS STOPPED WHEN IT CAME ON OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE HAD A WRECK, I'M SURE OF IT! ALSO WHEN I LOOKED ONLINE I NOTICED THERE WERE A TON OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME YEAR AND MODEL COMPLAINING OF THE ISSUE. PLEASE FIX THIS ISSUE!
POWER STEERING FAILS INTERMITTENTLY WHEN IN MOTION AND TURNING...SOMETIMES BEFORE PULLING OUT. THIS HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED BY FORD AS A RACK AND PINION ISSUE WITH A REPAIR QUOTE OF $2,164 TO REPLACE. THE CAR HAS UNDER 69,000 MILES.
MY CAR IS APPROACHING THE 60 MO. DEADLINE WARRANTY DATE. THE STEERING IS ELECTRONIC SO I CANNOT SERVICE BELT OR FLUID. THE STEERING "LOCKS UP" PERIODICALLY SO I HAVE NO POWER ASSIST AND LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR. WITH WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS, I WILL BE VERY LIKELY TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT INJURING ME OR SOMEONE ELSE. THIS HAPPENS IN STATIONARY AND MOVING MAKING IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER OR PARK THE CAR. THE DEALER TELLS ME THERE IS NO FACTORY HELP AND A NEW STEERING GEAR AND RACK WILL COST ABOUT $2000.00 !!!
ON AUGUST 23RD, 2019, I WAS DRIVING BACK FROM A 240 MILE ROUND TRIP AND WAS CAUGHT IN A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM. AS I WAS PULLING INOT A PARKING LOT TO WAIT OUT THE STORM, MY POWER STEERING FAILED. AFTER 10 MINUTES IT CAME BACK AND I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME. I TOOK IT TO A SERVICE STATION THE NEXT MORNING AND NO ERROR CODES SHOWED UP. ON AUGUST 30TH AFTER MAKING THE SAME ROUND TRIP, I AGAIN LOST MY POWER STEERING NEAR MY HOME. IT FAILED TO COME BACK. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A LOCAL SHOP. THEY DETERMINED IT WAS A FAILURE IDENTICAL TO THE ACTIVE RECALL IN THE MODEL YEAR PRIOR TO MINE AND IT NEEDED TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED AN INTERNAL FAULT IN THE POWER STEERING RACK WHICH WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. THANKFULLY THE STEERING FAILURES HAPPENED WHEN I WAS EITHER IN THE PROCESS OF PARKING OR ALREADY PARKED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. RANDALL FORD (5500 ROGERS AVE, FORT SMITH, AR 72903, (479) 452-1311) WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY STEERING RECALL CAMPAIGNS. THE CONTACT FELT THAT IF THE SAME OEM PART WAS REPLACED WITHOUT A REMEDY, THE FAILURE MAY RECUR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE NOT AVAILABLE.
ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 5, 2019 AT 11PM OUR 17 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS STRANDED WITH A POWER STEERING MODULE FAILED ERROR. WE TOOK IT TO THE CLOSEST MECHANIC WHICH WAS ON THE CORNER OF THE ROAD SHE WAS STRANDED AT. THE CAR COULD BE DRIVEN BUT SHE COULD HAVE NEVER STEERED IT. IT TOOK EVERYTHING FOR MY HUSBAND TO BE ABLE TO GET IT THERE. THE CAR ONLY HAD 106,690 MILES ON IT AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BUT WE DIDNT HAVE TIME TO TAKE IT THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY AREN'T WILLING TO REIMBURSE US. THE 2009-2013 HAD A RECALL FOR THIS SAME ISSUE BUT THE 2014 ISN'T COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. IT SEEMS LIKE IT STILL SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE.
POWER STEERING WENT OUT AND WAS COMPLETELY UNABLE TO STEER WITHOUT EXTREME EFFORT VERY DANGEROUS WHEN TURNING INTO TRAFFIC
I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY WITH MY FAMILY AND FELT A TIGHTNESS IN THE STEERING SO PULLED OVER FOR A REST STOP THEN WHEN I TRIED TO LEAVE BY TURNING BACK ONTO THE HIGHWAY THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND MADE IT DIFFICULT TO TURN SO HAD TO LEAVE VEHICLE BEHIND DEALERSHIP SAID IT WASN'T NOTHING WRONG WITH VEHICLE AND NO RECALLS BUT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH LATER YEARS OF ESCAPE AND OTHER SUV
THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR A FEW YEARS NOW-NORMALLY I CAN TURN VEHICLE OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN AND THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT ERROR WILL GO AWAY. NOW THIS ERROR DOESN'T GO AWAY AND THERE IS NO POWER STEERING. WHEN THIS FIRST STARTED TO HAPPEN IT WAS TAKEN TO THE FORD DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS NOT AN ISSUE, IF I GO ONLINE I SEE NUMEROUS PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME ISSUE WITH LITTLE RESULTS FROM FORD. I AM SO DISAPPOINTED IN FORD FOR NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY. NOT SURE WHAT I WILL DO THE GARAGE IS GOING TO TRY TO RESET THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, THEY SAID 50/50 CHANCE IT WILL WORK.
LEFT DRIVEWAY AND A MINUTE DOWN THE ROAD (ON A CITY STREET) AS THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE THE GEARS JOLTED AND STEERING SEIZED UP MAKING ME UNABLE TO AVOID A CAR PARKED AROUND A BEND THAT WAS A FOOT IN THE ROAD. NO LIGHTS CAME ON AND NO WARNING APPEARED. I HAD AN APPOINTMENT TO TAKE IT TO THE SHOP IN A FEW DAYS BECAUSE WHEN SWITCHING GEARS OR ACCELERATING AFTER VEHICLE IS STOPPED IT JOLTS/FEELS LIKE IT'S TRYING HARDER THAN IT SHOULD HAVE TO FOR BEING SUCH A NEW VEHICLE, AND HAVEN'T EVEN OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR A MONTH. IT'S VERY UPSETTING TO JUST GET A NEW TO ME CAR AND HAVE AN UNAVOIDABLE ACCIDENT. IT'S CURRENTLY AT THE SERVICE SHOP. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED BUT BOTH VEHICLES ARE BADLY DAMAGED. THIS ISN'T THE FIRST COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE AND THERE'S MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS JUST THIS YEAR. I HAVE A FEELING AS TIME GOES ON AND VEHICLES HIT BETWEEN 50-80 THOUSAND MILES THE ISSUE WILL BECOME MORE APPARENT. FORD SHOULD DEFINITELY HAVE A RECALL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM SO NO ONE BECOMES SERIOUSLY INJURED.
I GOT IN MY CAR TO GO TO WORK AFTER IT HAD BEEN PARKED ALL NIGHT. I TURNED IT ON AND I INSTANTLY GOT THE MESSAGE "STEERING ASSIST FAULT SERVICE REQUIRED" I COULDN'T TURN THE WHEEL. I SHUT IT OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON AND THE MESSAGE WAS GONE. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO WORK HOWEVER I AM SCARED SOMETHING IS GOING TO GO OUT WHILE IM DRIVING!
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Quick Summary
The 2014 Ford Escape has 122 Steering complaints on file. 2 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.