Steering wheel locked up hard to turn wheel Consuming(burning) way more gas than normally would
2013 Ford Escape: steering wheel locks up
33 of the 2,753 complaints about the 2013 Ford Escape describe steering wheel locks up.
- owner complaints
- 33
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- typical mileage
- 92,034
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 1 service bulletin covers this area of the car. See below
Steering wheel locks up by model year
What owners say
On Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024 I started my 2013 Ford Escape, put it in reverse and the steering froze and I could not turn the steering wheel. On Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024 I took it to the mechanic and he had the same thing happen and diagnostic indicated thatthe power steering needed replacement. I contacted Ford Motor Company and they stated that my VIN was not included in their recall of the 2013 Ford Escapes. They declined to share with me other similar complaints. I have since learned from a Ford escape owners page that the are many complaints by owners and can't get any help from Ford. I would liked the federal safety agency to investigate and report on how may owners are being denied inclusion in the 2013 Ford Escape steering recall.
In reverse, Steering locks up without warning, then the steering assist fault message comes up.
Steering wheel locks up intermittently. Never know when the steering wheel may lock up. When able to use steering wheel there is no power assist to help with turning the steering wheel. Hesitant to use car out on the road because I don't know when the power steering may go out and make it very difficult to turn the steering wheel to get off the road to somewhere safe.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Several times over the past month upon starting my 2013 Ford Escape the following warning message appears: " power steering assist " fault, and my steering wheel locks. I believe there was a recall on this same issue with other Ford's but I searched the recall list with my VIN number and a recall does not exist for my 2013. This is a severe safety issue and will cost me thousands of dollars to replace.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the message "Steering Assist Unavailable" displayed and the steering wheel seized. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the message disappeared and the steering wheel regained functionality. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed that the power steering module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired but was in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a complaint was filed. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 60,000. The VIN was not available.
Since we bought the car we have always had problems with the steering locking up. Was told the whole rack and pinion which is electric needed to be changed. I have read that this is a huge problem with FORDS. My wife was driving on the highway and it locks up and she can’t steer. Please check into how many ford vehicles have this problem. Someone is going to get killed
Steering wheel locks up at highway speeds. Read a lot of complaints on ford escape problem. It is in the millions. Losing steering assistance while driving making the wheel impossible to turn
After making a turn on multiple occasions, an error code appeared that said ‘power steering assist’ had failed, and immediately my steering wheel locked and I was unable to steer to get to the side of the road. It caused danger to myself and other drivers on the road, having many near misses when these incidents occurred.
When turning right my steering locked up randomly. It felt like resistance when turning but then would suddenly break free and turn. It didn’t do it again so far. If there was a car there I would have hit them.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the EPS warning light illuminated, and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed as a steering rack failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 107,000.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2013 Ford Escape steering lock-up
Is steering wheel locks up a common problem on the 2013 Ford Escape?
33 of 2,753 owner complaints about the 2013 Ford Escape (1%) mention steering wheel locks up. The model year with the most reports is 2008.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2013 Ford Escape?
There are 0 recalls and 1 service bulletin for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2013 Ford Escape
Stalling 594Overheating 517Check engine light 358Engine failure 126Power steering loss 126Loss of power 125Fire or smoke 116Hesitation 91Jerking 67Door locks 66Won't shift 64Transmission failure 60Won't start 51Fuel smell 47Misfire 44Wipers 31Shudder 24ABS 22Fuel leak 21Slipping 19Fuel pump 17Seat belt 15Sudden acceleration 15Warning lights 15Airbag light 14Harsh shifting 14Backup camera 12Oil consumption 12Adaptive cruise 10No deployment 10Ball joint 9Brake failure 9Key fob 8Battery drain 7Grinding brakes 7Tire blowout 7Knocking 6Headlights 6Screen failure 5Sunroof shattered 5Water leak 5
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