YearToAvoid

2008 Ford Escape Steering Problems

NHTSA has 1,127 owner complaints about steering problems in the 2008 Ford Escape, 57% of all 1,974 complaints for this model year. That is the highest steering complaint count among 21 Escape model years. These complaints report 28 crashes and 19 injuries. Median mileage at failure: 116,000 miles.

Steering complaints
1,127
57% of 1,974
Crashes reported
28
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
19
Median mileage
116,000 mi
Related recalls
1

When 2008 Ford Escape steering complaints were filed

First complaint Jun 10, 2007, latest Sep 2, 2026.

2008 Ford Escape steering complaints: complaints filed per quarter1162007 Q22011 Q42014 Q12016 Q22018 Q32020 Q42023 Q12025 Q2
1127 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2007 Q2 to 2026 Q3; peak 2014 Q1 (116).

Steering recalls for the 2008 Ford Escape

  1. NHTSA 14V284000May 29, 2014Steering740,878 vehicles

    Steering:electric power assist system

    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.

Steering complaints by Escape model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 200549 (4%)
  2. 200620 (4%)
  3. 200715 (6%)
  4. 20081,127 (57%)
  5. 2009828 (49%)
  6. 2010422 (20%)
  7. 2011409 (31%)
  8. 2012137 (23%)
  9. 2013302 (11%)
  10. 2014151 (7%)
  11. 201581 (7%)
  12. 201673 (7%)
  13. 201749 (2%)
  14. 201832 (2%)
  15. 201916 (3%)
  16. 202018 (1%)
  17. 20214 (1%)
  18. 20225 (2%)
  19. 20230 (0%)
  20. 20240 (0%)
  21. 20251 (4%)

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2008 Ford Escape have steering problems?
NHTSA has 1,127 owner complaints about the steering in the 2008 Ford Escape, 57% of all complaints for this model year, including 28 that report a crash. Median mileage at failure is 116,000 miles.
Which Ford Escape year has the most steering complaints?
The 2008 Ford Escape has the most steering complaints (1,127), compared with 1,127 for the 2008.
Is there a steering recall for the 2008 Ford Escape?
Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for the 2008 Ford Escape concerns the steering: 14V284000.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.