Ford dealer says full steering column replacement is only option. Scan shows a fault in the power steering control module. Common fault with these is the torque sensor. Nor sure how I diagnose except by trial and error. I will say for awhile it was intermittent. I’d turn the key, no steering, switch it off and in again, steering worked. That says electronic to me, not mechanical.

 

The Ford Dealer is following their company instructions, which at this point are mentioned to encourage you to junk the car in my opinion. They want you to buy a new one and give you $1,000 for the trade-in.

However, It is not only possible to replace the torque sensor but it's not that difficult if you take your time, are methodical, and just a little **CAREFUL**.

BTW get yourself a laptop and a copy of FORScan so that you can see the error codes yourself, etc.

The video is here:


The sensor is here and according to Amazon it is AVAILABLE and costs about $200. Even if it costs three hours of labor at $80 an hour, $200+$240 is a lot less than the loss of the vehicle or something much, much more expensive.


You have to decide whether your skills are good enough to follow the video and install the sensor. If not, you should send the video to a trusted mechanic, bring the sensor, tow the car over, and pay them to install it according to the video. It's really not that hard, but you have to use care, like you would if you were working with anything else important and somewhat delicate.

FTM shows the entire procedure. You do not have to "replace the steering column" and FTM tells you that Ford dealers are trained to tell you that. Wrong. Buy the sensor and replace it yourself or have someone else do it.

I already bought one of these sensors as a spare just in case, a year ago. The one on my 2010 is still working perfectly, because it had the recall done. Previously owned by a doctor, I lucked out.

By the way, this is not just on the Hybrids - the sensor is on ALL Escapes from these years with electronically-assisted steering. I have no experience sourcing one from a junk yard, but given the abundance of these cars, I'm sure there are lots of fully functional sensors sitting out there and rotting in the sun. The problem is that getting them out and aligning a "used" one properly would seem to be difficult - but maybe not impossible?

 

Thanks! I watched the video… I think I can do this. Two things:

my steering never had the juddering problem shown at the start of the video. Does that matter?
how do I know it’s the torque sensor and not something else, like the motor? Is it pretty much always the sensor in these cases?

thanks again!

 

In order to diagnose that, you have to pull the codes from the car. FORScan + laptop. You have to see what the vehicle is reporting. It will tell you if you ask politely I am betting it's the sensor. because it is the most common failure point associated with the EPAS steering on Escapes. 5:1 odds.

 

It’s still at the dealer but I’ll scan it when I get it home and report back. Last time I ran FORScan it threw a PSCM code but I forget the number.

 

> who is great and VERY resourceful

Also, if your great and very resourceful mechanic has identified the part that failed but cannot find it, what did he come up with? What was his answer regarding the broken part?

You're being very vague. You say your mechanic identified the failure point but can't source the part - but don't say what it is that the Great Mechanic identified as being broken.

Then you say the Ford dealership wants to replace the entire steering column - which as the video shows, won't fix the sensor in question, because it's not part of the steering column, per se.

So which is it? Do you know the part that failed? Why did you take it to a Ford dealer when you know what it is according to your mechanic?

 

Yeah, OK. It sounds like you are stringing people along, sorry to say. The Ford dealership should at least give you a full report of the reported codes. I assume you're paying them. How did you get the car there if the steering doesn't work?

 

2nd vote for the junkyard. Fill up on parts and even learn how to take it off before messing with your car. You can probably grab everything for the cost of that new sensor alone. Column and all.

And I saw in your post you say the part isn't available but there were columns all day at least into this year at every place I went to. The year before I replaced my steering wheel. Right now there are at least 4 escapes at both my local pick n pulls but surprisingly no hybrids.

 

Car is drivable without power steering. It's just difficult.
Codes below... I have FORScan. Dealer gave me no report.
Not STRINGING ANYONE ALONG. What possible motive would I have to do that?

I'm grateful for your previous help, but that comment was just rude. Done with this conversation. Adios.Code: B1342 - ECU internal fault

Status:
- Previously Set DTC - Not Present at Time of Request
- Malfunction Indicator Lamp is Off for this DTC

Module: Power Steering Control Module

Diagnostic Trouble Code details

ECU internal fault

Refer to the workshop manual for further diagnosis and repair.

 

Says that code is a fault in ECU, like an electrical overload. Check power to the power steering module and the fuse under the hood.