I have a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid, front-wheel drive. Recently, the steering wheel started shaking randomly (like a stutter) when I was fully braking, but it worked fine when accelerating or driving normally. If I took my hands off the wheel while stopped at a light, it would shake on its own. After turning the car off and on again, the steering wheel became completely stiff, almost locked, and it took all my strength to turn it. My partner thinks it could be the power steering torque rotation sensor. Is that the issue? Is this a common repair?
Check out some videos to see what you’re getting into. Then you can decide if you’re up for fixing it yourself or if you’d prefer to go to a shop for a repair. I had a 2014 Escape with power assist steering, and it hated extreme cold weather. One winter, when the temperature hit 0°F, it was so hard to turn the wheel, I had to use all my strength. I took it to the dealer, and they said I needed a new system. That was 5 years ago, and it hasn’t happened since, so I never got it replaced.
Skylar said: @Zen
Mine also hates the cold. I totally get that. What is power assist steering? Is it the same system I have? Sorry if it’s a dumb question.
With the holidays coming up, I’ll be doing a lot of driving, and with where I’m located, I don’t think a part will come quickly. I’ll probably go with a mechanic, but I’m not sure how hard it will be to find someone to fix it.
It sounds like it might be related to a recall issue where the power steering fails when stopping or turning. The fix for that is usually just an update to the firmware. As for the shaking when braking, that could be an issue with the brakes or wheel alignment.