The contact’s friend owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the power steering assist failed to operate as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. Despite the failure, the contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the steering column, including the rack and pinion, needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not under recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.