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SteeringPart report

2006 Ford Escape Steering Problems

Complaints
20about this part
Share
4%of 464 total for the year
Median mileage
78,816miles
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 20 complaints about the steering of the 2006 Ford Escape, 4% of the 464 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 78,816 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“On my 2006 Ford Escape I almost died on highway because the subframe on passenger side of the Ford broke. Upon looking up information I noticed that their was a recall for Ford escapes 00 _04 but that Escape is the same frame and structure. I never owned a car that the frame was suppose to brake like that. I hope nobody ever gets hurt but this.problem should be addresses because that car is very popular.”

NHTSA complaint #11110376, filed 2018-07, 13 miles

“On july 24, 2015 my wife and 2 kids, 6 and 2 years old were almost killed when the powered steering system failed, the car was impossible to control and hit the curve going over the sidewalk. My 6 year old got a bruise on his head from hitting the window and a walking pedestrian almost got killed. If my wife was going a little faster, we would be dealing with a murder by negligence case. The power steering in this model is electrical, not hydraulic; I have attached pictures of these parts. …”

NHTSA complaint #10764148, filed 2015-09, 126,466 miles

“On 12/23/14, vehicle cut out after backing out of parking to enter moving traffic on highway. The second time it cut out,12/24/14, the vehicle was being driven down the roadway. That time, the vehicle sputtered, sounded like a winded horse, running on three legs. My car was always well maintained, including oil changes every 3,000 miles, transmission flushes every year, fuel injection cleaning every other year. With the double timing chain, I was assured at purchase, that they rarely break. I could not understand what had caused this. …”

NHTSA complaint #10669472, filed 2015-01, 111,000 miles

“This has happened 3 times now, 2 in southern california on the freeway at night. Hybrid vehicle has recall problems which makes vehicle stop running. Had it fixed, paid out of my own pocket in southern california and thought problem was fixed. Something to do with battery. Then on friday, dec. 12, it happened again as I was driving home from college, the vehicle stopped suddenly. I couldn't pull over, it won't restart even after many attempts. I waited 5 to 25 minutes, vehicle would not start. Finally had to call a tow truck to closest Ford dealer. …”

NHTSA complaint #10668123, filed 2014-12, 55,000 miles

“The steering in my Escape started to become tighter and tighter as I would turn and so, I scheduled a maintenance check through my local Ford service dept. Much to my surprise, they found that the rack and pinion had gone bad. I have 40,000 miles on my vehicle and as you know this exceeds the typical 3yr/36,000 mile warranty. My truck is 13 months old. This is a major component of the vehicle and could have caused me to have an accident.”

NHTSA complaint #10195944, filed 2007-07, 40,000 miles

Related service bulletins

Steering: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
202528%
202263%
202141%
2020181%
2019163%
2018322%
2017492%
2016736%
2015817%
20141517%
201330311%
201214023%
201141131%
201042320%
200982849%
20081,12757%
2007156%
2006204%
2005494%
2004265%
2003448%
2002707%
2001586%
2000120%

Other parts of the 2006 Ford Escape

Vehicle speed control
99 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
80 complaints
Brakes
68 complaints
Suspension
65 complaints
Body and structure
63 complaints
Engine
47 complaints
Fuel system
36 complaints
Electrical system
34 complaints
Engine cooling
21 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
21 complaints
Air bags
17 complaints
Wheels
15 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2006 Ford Escape

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology