The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving downhill at 40 MPH, the steering wheel became stiff, and the ‘Steering Assist Fault’ message was displayed. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and restarted; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was connected to a handheld diagnostic machine by a friend who stated that there was a failure with a sensor within the steering column. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 121,000.