2010 Ford Escape Steering Problems
NHTSA lists 422 steering complaints for the 2010 Ford Escape, 20% of all complaints filed for that year, tied to 8 crashes and 3 injuries. A related recall (14V284000) covers a steering torque sensor issue on 2008-2011 Escape and Mercury Mariner models.
- Steering complaints
- 422
- 20% of 2,068
- Crashes reported
- 8
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 3
- Median mileage
- 114,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 1
Typical steering symptoms owners report
- Owners report sudden loss of power steering assist at low and moderate speeds, sometimes causing the steering wheel to spin out of control.
- Several drivers describe the steering wheel seizing or locking up while reversing or turning, leading to collisions with fences, poles, or trees.
- Some complaints describe the vehicle veering or being yanked to one side without warning, especially on curves or in snow and ice.
- A few owners report a metal-to-metal clicking or grinding sound from the steering column during slow-speed maneuvers.
- One owner reported the power steering warning light staying on with the wheel becoming extremely hard to turn shortly after purchase.
- Multiple complainants reference recall 14V284000 when describing steering failures, though some say dealers denied a recall applied to their vehicle.
When 2010 Ford Escape steering complaints were filed
First complaint Jan 6, 2010, latest Jun 4, 2026.
Steering recalls for the 2010 Ford Escape
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
- How many steering complaints does NHTSA have for the 2010 Ford Escape?
- NHTSA lists 422 steering complaints for the 2010 Ford Escape, making up 20% of all 2,068 complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a steering recall for the 2010 Ford Escape?
- Yes. Recall 14V284000, reported 2014-05-29, covers a steering torque sensor issue on 2008-2011 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles built between August 18, 2006 and September 11, 2010. Ford's remedy involves updating the power steering control module software.
- At what mileage do steering problems typically show up on the 2010 Escape?
- NHTSA's data shows a median mileage at failure of 114,000 miles for steering complaints on the 2010 Escape, though some owners reported issues at much lower mileage.
- Have steering failures caused crashes in the 2010 Ford Escape?
- NHTSA records 8 crashes and 3 injuries linked to steering complaints on the 2010 Ford Escape.
- Does the steering complaint rate improve in later Escape model years?
- Yes. Steering complaint share drops from 31% in 2011 to 23% in 2012, then falls further to 2% by 2018 and 1% by 2021, based on NHTSA data across model years.