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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 5
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
96,323 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2008 Ford Escape electrical problems

electrical problem

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2008 Ford Escape Owner Comments (Page 1 of 6)

problem #119

Dec 012022

Escape

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Electric power steering system not working causing the vehicle to default to manual steering which makes the vehicle extremely hard to drive. My safety is at risk because I do not have sufficient control of the steering of the vehicle. The car has been inspected by the dealership. There were no signs or lamps prior to the problem starting.

- Fairfield, CA, USA

problem #118

Jun 152022

Escape

  • miles
I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH FOR A FEW MONTHS. AT TIMES MY CAR WONT START. EVERYTHING COMES ON. iT FEELS VERY LOOSE AND HAVING TO PUSH IN THE KEY AND TURN IS VERY DIFFICULT AND HURTS MY HAND. PLUS THE ALARM BUTTON GETS PRESSED WHEN I TURN THE KEY.. i HAVE TO TURN KEY ON AND OFF WHILE PUSHING KEY INTO IGNITION SEVERAL TIMES AND PRAY THAT IT WILL CRANK. i HAVE HAD NO OTHER ISSUES OR REPAIRS THAT ARE NEEDED. i NOW HAVE MY CAR IN THE SHOP TO REPLACE THE IGNITION LOCK ASSEMBLY i HAVE AN ESTIMATE OF $400 FOR THIS REPAIR. i HAVE HEARD THIS IS A COMMON REPAIR FOR THIS PART ON THE VEHICLE I OWN.

- Taylor, MI, USA

problem #117

Jan 122022

Escape

  • miles
My 2008 Ford Escape XLT electrical power steering will stop working while driving the vehicle. It is available for an inspection at anytime. The safety issue is the car is next to impossible to steer once it stops working. My wife just missed running into a power pole while driving in a roundabout when it stopped working while she was driving it. It has happened more then this one time. If it happens at low speed it-€™s even harder to steer. I called a recall number to see if it was in a recall but was told it was not in a recall due to where it was manufactured. I have not taken the Escape to a Ford dealer yet because of what I was told about the recall. However since that time I found out my Escape was manufactured at the plant where the recall is for. There has not ever been a warning light that comes up on the dash before it stops working, it just stops working. It has the same symptoms that are given in the recall.

- Conway , AR, USA

problem #116

Apr 082021

Escape

  • 132,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I started my vehicle and I got a warning beep saw the display saying power steering assist fault. My steering wheel was vibrating and a loud motor type noise was sounding. I would drive and I could feel the steering wheel shimmy while driving. The next day I started my car and display showed right away the power steering assist default. And I had no power steering from then on. Other 2008S had recalls for power steering but my VIN was not on the list for recalls

- Melvern, KS, USA

problem #115

Mar 072021

Escape

  • 88,611 miles
Red battery light came on. All accessories went off and the car wouldn't start again. I just replaced my 12V battery the night before. The car had been driven 2 miles, at most. The brand new battery had been in the car less than 24 hours. I had no steering capability as my steering wheel locked up. I couldn't shift. The brake pedal pushed my foot back like it was "pumping" my foot. Put another fully charged battery into my car and started right up. Drove home and as I was pulling into driveway exact same thing happened. Both batteries were drained completely dry of any voltage. ABS light on all the time. Check brake system/regen brake disabled on drive info.

- Riverside, CA, USA

problem #114

Jul 092020

Escape

  • 120,000 miles
Vehicle fire. Fire started in area of driver's side taillight while vehicle was idling in a parking lot. Suspected electrical short.

- Tampa, FL, USA

problem #113

Jun 092020

Escape

  • 5 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I'm scared to drive my car. Sometimes the wheel locks when I'm driving, also the wheel shakes like I'm on a rollercoaster. I can't drive over 20 mph because the wheel starts to shake even more

- Poughkeepsie, NY, USA

problem #112

Jun 022020

Escape

  • 215,561 miles
Suddenly the brake system fails causing the brake pedal to go all the way to floor making it difficult to stop properly.

- Johnstown, CO, USA

problem #111

Jul 302020

Escape

  • 80,000 miles
"stop safely now". it did a couple times while driving and now it won't turn on at all.

- Tempe, AZ, USA

problem #110

Jul 202018

Escape 6-cyl

  • 142,000 miles
About 4 months after purchasing my Ford 2008 the steering column locked up and has become difficult to drive. It was diagnosed with having an electrical power steering failure, which is similar to having no power steering fluid. As a result, I can't drive on highways and it's increasingly dangerous to drive the car period. I brought it to my local Ford dealership and it's a $1500 fix to replace the steering column; which is what's needed, which I don't believe I should have to pay for. When researching this on youtube, I found it to be a serious problem that comes up often. Ford is aware of it and it seems will only include VIN's they want to. I think mine and all 2008 should be covered under a recall, this is a dangerous problem that they new about and refuse to fix it because it cause to much? I could have been killed, not knowing this problem. My reactions as a safe drive is what prevented me from being in a serious accident at that time. I'm including the invoice which shows the evaluation of the car, Ford should not have a choice as to whether or not they should cover a vehicle. Ford produced a vehicle that has a problem, that shouldn't be on the consumer. Please view youtube on this topic, there are numerous videos on the 2008 topic and the problem people are having. Anything you can do to help this situation is greatly appreciated. Thank you, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Providence, RI, USA

problem #109

Feb 052015

Escape

  • 80,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My electric power steering assist has been out for some time now and been using without power steering. My vehicle fits the exact description as the recall for this issur deacribes and was manufactured at the kc plant as well and is a 2008 Escape XLT but yet I'm left responsible and would rather blow the thing up than fix and never druve another Ford again for them not claiming responsibility.

- Linn Valley, KS, USA

problem #108

Jan 252020

Escape

  • 99,700 miles
Recalled other models identical to mine for the exact issue I am having with the airbag clock spring; however, did not recall mine for some reason. Car has 99.7K miles I am absolutely furious nothing has been done about this issue for select cars while others have been corrected. The dealership my car was taken to was too incompetent to repair the issue.(cactus jacks)

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #107

Aug 012018

Escape

  • 85,000 miles
Ignition switch not allowing cranking during engaging. Switch feels unsecured. Also difficult to insert key. This is a constant ongoing problem. Mileage is 85, xxx.

- Bolton, MA, USA

problem #106

Oct 012019

Escape

  • 125,000 miles
Today is 10/1/2019. I dropped my kids off at school came home and my neighbor son had missed the bus. I was on my way to take him to school when after I started my car my steering wheel wouldn't turn. First I thought I had done something wrong so I parked it and tried to reverse and turn the wheel again same thing happened. My electric steering wheel has gone out or is no longer working there was a recall before I got the vehicle 14S05 but with previous owner. I went to 3 different places saying the same thing how can a recall that claims to be fixed not be fixed thank god my truck was parked already so now they are saying it could cost 800-1800 and I have to take it to a Ford place so disappointed. I purchase the truck in 2017 so approximately 2 years later and this happens.

- Longview, TX, USA

problem #105

Sep 012019

Escape

  • 367,865 miles
Power steering quit working lost it on the highway while driving, passenger's front window has lost power. Lost it while driving

- Plainville, KS, USA

problem #104

Aug 092019

Escape

  • miles
While driving from midland Texas to el paso Texas on the way back my car started to slow down, on the instrument cluster it stated safely stop this will be the 2nd time this has happened to me I was informed that it can be the mec pump but when calling Ford and putting it in my VIN number it doesn't show that my vehicle is one of the ones that particular has a recall on, it is also having steering issues parts have been replaced, yet still the steering wheel seems loose

- Waco, TX, USA

problem #103

Aug 012018

Escape

  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The contact had to jiggle the key in the ignition a couple of times to start the vehicle. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. The VIN was unknown.

- Volcano, HI, USA

problem #102

May 172019

Escape

  • 138,000 miles
We have been having electrical surges in our 2008 Ford Escape XLS. The surges are becoming more frequent. They will happen when we are at a stop light, getting ready to go; after having my foot on the gas for a second (or less) a power surge will happen in the car (ABS light pops on and 2 others). It also happens when we are driving on the highway going 60 or 70 mph and all of a sudden a power surge happens. I do not have a current video of this happening, but I will be sure to get one within the next day or so to be sure I have this proof on file for you, if needed. Please help us with this issue. This has been ongoing since winter. We originally thought the engine just needed to warm up because of how cold winter got but it is now warmer and the problem persists. The date below is the most recent incident, the first time we had a power surge was in late January.

- Harrisburg, PA, USA

problem #101

May 012019

Escape

  • 151,444 miles
The SUV intermittently goes into a no crank/no start condition. You turn the key and it doesn't crank. This happens while I'm traveling and left me stranded at a rest stop and panicking thinking it wasn't gonna start. Since it doesn't happen all the time mechanics can only rely on what they think could be the problem which include the ignition switch ignition lock module and starter relay. I've also found a variety of reviews explaining even after parts are replaced the problem still existing for this specific make and model. And concerning recall number 14V284000. Ford dealerships are only clearing the recall codes if they consider the part not needing to be changed so that aftetwards when the steering torque sensor does go bad they no longer have to check it or fix it for free. Please help because too many people have the same problem for this to have not been recalled yet.

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #100

Apr 252019

Escape

  • 108,000 miles
The key and ignition switch will not start the car. It is not the battery, alternator et al. It is the ignition switch. When the key is turned, everything comes on but the car will not start.

- Athens, OH, USA

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