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2011 Ford Escape: sudden loss of power

185 of the 1,320 complaints about the 2011 Ford Escape describe sudden loss of power.

owner complaints
185
of this car's complaints
14%
typical repair cost reported
$500
typical mileage
55,000
recalls
0
Is there a fix? 11 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below

Sudden loss of power by model year

What owners say

Filed Aug 17, 2026 · Steering · 150,000 miles · OH

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, who diagnosed that the steering torque sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V284000 (STEERING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 150,000.

Filed Apr 15, 2026 · Steering · CT · crash

For months my vehicle has had intermittent loss of power steering making it nearly impossible to control direction. On Jan. 29, 2026, I ran into the back of a vehicle that stopped suddenly and due to sudden power steering loss, I wasn't able to swerve and avoid collision. I was issued an infraction for this incident and had to file an insurance claim to repair the front end damage to my vehicle. I brought my vehicle to an independent repair shop who confirmed the issue and said the entire steering column would need to be replaced and would cost approximately $3,000.00. I was also notified that Ford issued Safety Recall Campaign/the federal safety agency #14S05/14V284 for this exact issue. I contacted the Ford dealership where I purchased my vehicle and they said my VIN is not included in that recall. It seems too coincidental that my 2011 Ford Escape is experiencing the very same issue that prompted a safety recall for thousands of 2008-2010 Ford Escapes but not mine. I contacted Ford customer service and was issued escalation Case #CXH-07666011-H9L5H3.

Filed Apr 7, 2026 · Steering · 161,420 miles · IL

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and occupied, while starting the vehicle the contact became aware that the vehicle had lost power steering functionality. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle operated as intended. Neither an independent mechanic nor a dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer nor an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 161,420.

Filed Mar 13, 2026 · Steering · 199,003 miles · TX

The contact had performed service on the 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the owner had experienced unintended loss of power steering functionality, making the steering wheel difficult to turn in either direction. The failure was intermittent. During the failure, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, while the vehicle was idling, the steering wheel was turning from right to left independently. While servicing the vehicle, the DTC: B2278 was displayed. The contact was informed that the steering torque sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failures. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V284000 (STEERING). The failure mileage was 199,003.

Filed Jun 7, 2025 · Steering · CO

My car is experiencing the issue in this recall for powerstearing but my vin is not associated, my ford year make mosel and issue is called out in the recall but my 2011 escape vin does not pull up the recall. I lose power steering and its not safe to drive. 14v284000 14so5 I called ford customer service and my vehicle is in the ford dealership, they are refusing to support me.

Filed Apr 10, 2025 · Steering · 210,000 miles · NC

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 15-20 MPH and taking the grandchildren to school, the driver heard an abnormal popping sound coming from under the steering wheel and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was turned off and restarted; however, the failure persisted. The contact met his wife and assisted in driving the vehicle to the residence. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle the following morning, the power steering was functional. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring intermittently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that he was a retired independent master mechanic, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the repair could not be covered because the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 210,000.

Filed Mar 19, 2025 · Steering · 250,000 miles · OH

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the steering wheel seized intermittently. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that on another occasion, while the vehicle was parked, the sensor failure caused the steering wheel to move back and forth with a loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with torque sensor failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 250,000.

Filed Feb 11, 2025 · Steering · 93,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving 10 MPH and pulling into a parking lot, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact was able to continue driving. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed there were no open recalls on the VIN for the failure. The dealer informed the contact that the rack and pinion were replaced, and a software update was performed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the local dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

Filed Feb 10, 2025 · Steering · 173,000 miles · IL

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the crankshaft position sensor signal experienced a loss of power, resulting in a loss of power steering assist. The contact was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 173,000.

Filed Jan 22, 2025 · Steering · 144,454 miles · PA

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 10 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the vehicle regained power steering functionality. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 144,454.

Filed Jan 6, 2025 · Steering · 138,260 miles · NC

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while her husband was driving approximately 20-25 MPH and making a right turn with the contact occupying the front passenger's seat, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, nearly causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The driver was able to drive to the nearby residence of the contact's brother. The contact stated upon restarting the vehicle approximately two hours later, the power steering functionality had returned. The vehicle was taken to the dealer the following day and was diagnosed with steering shaft torque sensor malfunction. The dealer replaced and calibrated the steering shaft torque sensor twice. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 138,260.

Filed Dec 3, 2024 · Steering · VA

Intermittent loss of power steering.

Questions about the 2011 Ford Escape loss of power

Is sudden loss of power a common problem on the 2011 Ford Escape?

185 of 1,320 owner complaints about the 2011 Ford Escape (14%) mention sudden loss of power. The model year with the most reports is 2010.

How much does it cost to fix sudden loss of power on the 2011 Ford Escape?

Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $500 (median of 25 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2011 Ford Escape?

There are 0 recalls and 11 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2011 Ford Escape

Power steering loss 178Stalling 140Check engine light 121Jerking 66Steering lock-up 45Engine failure 39Won't shift 23Fuel smell 22Hesitation 22Sudden acceleration 21No deployment 16Won't start 16Fuel leak 15Grinding brakes 13Ball joint 11Slipping 11ABS 10Adaptive cruise 10Door locks 9Fire or smoke 9Fuel pump 9Misfire 9Warning lights 9Knocking 8Wipers 8Brake failure 6Harsh shifting 6Shudder 6Transmission failure 6Airbag light 5Seat belt 5

All model years of the Ford Escape

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