When attempting to turn, the steering wheel locked up, loosened, locked up, loosened, locked up, loosened
Ford Escape steering lock-up problems
404 of the 27,594 owner complaints about the Ford Escape describe steering wheel locks up, most of them for the 2008 model year.
- owner complaints
- 404
- worst model year
- 2008
- typical repair cost reported
- $2,000
- typical mileage
- 107,323
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Engine failure 207Power steering loss 65Stalling 13Loss of power 13Check engine light 11Won't start 4Steering noise 4Overheating 3
Trouble codes mentioned
B2278 7U3000 1U0131 1P0354 1P0351 1B227B 1
What owners say
Loss of Electric Power Steering Assist Power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds. Steering locks up while driving. This has happened 3 times within the last 6 months. Before this, the last few years it has been difficult starting the car with the key. It would take multiple tries before starting. But now that the steering has locked up more than twice while driving is concerning. I see there were previous problems with the steering and corrected in 2014. After reading the recall description, it sounds to be the same problem. And recently i parked the vehicle, put in park, pulled the key and when opening the door beeping occurred like the key was in the ignition. Once the key was put in the ignition, it stopped. Please Help, [XXX] [XXX]/[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I am filing this safety complaint on behalf of myself and my wife, [XXX] , the primary driver of our 2021 Ford Escape PHEV, with active under Recall 25SC4 (no remedy available). The vehicle has experienced 8+ sudden complete shutdowns during normal driving since February 2026, always during EV-to-hybrid mode transition, always without prior warning. The only warning is a brief sound like air escaping immediately before shutdown. At shutdown: engine cuts completely, steering wheel locks rigid and cannot be turned, brake pedal locks hard and cannot be depressed, gear selector locks in Drive and cannot be changed. The driver has zero ability to steer, brake, or move the vehicle. Must activate hazards and wait 1-5 minutes for restart while immobilized in an active traffic lane. Incidents occurred: (1) February 2026: multiple times, dealer retained vehicle 5 days, found nothing. (2) Early April 2026: multiple times, including one witnessed by a police officer who directed traffic around immobilized vehicle. Dealer kept 3 days, blamed the original Ford-supplied charger. Replacement did not fix defect. (3) May 1, 2026: 4 times in one day with my wife only in the car, including on the Dolphin [XXX] near Miami Int [XXX] 3:30PM Friday rush hour, with our [XXX] child in the vehicle on thr [XXX] r occasions. Ford's own recall documentation states steering and braking remain functional during shutdown. This is directly contradicted by our firsthand experience. Both are completely inoperable. Dealer on second attempt blamed original Ford-supplied charger — replacement did not resolve defect. This vehicle is subject to active class action [XXX] et al. v. Ford Motor Company (Case XXX). Formal warranty demand letter sent to Ford Motor Company via certified mail under Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act simultaneously with this complaint. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH on the highway, the steering wheel seized. The failure was intermittent. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure recurred while reversing out of the driveway. The dealer was notified of the failure, but the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 175,548
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the steering wheel seized and failed to respond as designed. The vehicle was restarted several times before the steering wheel unlocked. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and the failure was associated with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V284000 (STEERING); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 166,320.
The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while stopped at a light and attempting to make a turn, the steering wheel became inoperable. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized and became difficult to turn, and a crescent wrench warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was provided error code B2278 and informed that the steering column motor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the steering wheel locked. The contact used force to turn the steering wheel while driving to the residence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who inspected the vehicle and retrieved DTC: B2278. The independent mechanic determined that the power steering control module and sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The sensor was replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 121,000.
Every time I tried to put gas in the car it will not start and the steering wheel locks
Steering wheel locked up hard to turn wheel Consuming(burning) way more gas than normally would
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, and the vehicle became difficult to turn to the left or right. The contact stated that as a temporary repair, the vehicle was restarted. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the steering column assembly needed to be replaced due to the steering wheel seizing. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to an unknown Ford Recall; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was scheduled to be repaired at the owner's expense. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.
Related recalls
Steering: electric power assist system
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured August 18, 2006, through September 11, 2010. The affected vehicles have a steering torque sensor that may not be able to properly detect driver steering input. As a result, the system could remove the Electric Power Steering (EPS) assist.
- Risk
- If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power steering control module (PSCM) and the instrument cluster module, free of charge. If a vehicle shows a history of a loss of the torque sensor signal or fault codes relating to the PSCM when the vehicle is brought in for the recall remedy, the affected components will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on July 18, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑800‑392‑3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S05.
Recall number 14V284000 · Recall details
Steering: steering wheel/handle bar
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. These vehicles may have a mis-assembled or incorrectly manufactured nut that attaches the steering wheel assembly to the steering column. The nut could be upside down in the steering wheel assembly, which could overstress the steering column shaft when the nut is tightened. In addition, some of the nuts may have been cracked during manufacture resulting in the nut fracturing when it is tightened during vehicle assembly.
- Risk
- Either of these conditions can lead to the steering wheel becoming loose or separating from the steering column, resulting in loss of steering control.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the steering wheel retention armature and, if necessary, the steering column to correct this condition.
Recall number 00V223001 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford Escape steering lock-up
Which Ford Escape years have steering wheel locks up problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2008 (111 complaints), 2009 (79 complaints) and 2010 (46 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix steering wheel locks up on the Ford Escape?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,000 (median of 25 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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