B2278: owner reports and bulletins

Body. We haven't written the explanation for this code yet. Below is what owners and manufacturers have filed with NHTSA.

Got B2278 on your scanner? Tell the mechanic your year, make, model and any symptoms and you'll get the likely cause and what to check first. Ask about this code.

What owners report to NHTSA

71 complaints filed with NHTSA mention B2278, 68 of them since 2015, across 4 different models. The component owners most often filed it under: steering.

Most-reported models

VehicleComplaintsModel years reported
FORD ESCAPE582008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
MERCURY MARINER72008, 2011
FORD ESCAPE HYBRID42008, 2009, 2010

Manufacturer service bulletins that name B2278

5 technical service bulletins and manufacturer communications filed with NHTSA mention B2278, from 2 makes. A bulletin means the manufacturer has documented a known cause or a fix procedure for that model. Examples:

  • FORD ESCAPE (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011), bulletin 10058196: 2008-2012 FORD ESCAPE/MARINER: SERVICE INFORMATION INVOLVING THE POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE WITH DTC B2278- STEERING COLUMN REPLACEMENT IS NOT REQUIRED. *LJ
  • MAZDA TRIBUTE HYBRID (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011), bulletin 10098045: SOME VEHICLES MAY HAVE DTC B2278 (STEERING SHAFT TORQUE SENSOR MALFUNCTION) STORED IN THE POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE (PSCM). A TORQUE SENSOR SERVICE KIT IS AVAILABLE TO CORRECT THE CONDITION. STEERING COLUMN REPLACEME…
  • MAZDA TRIBUTE (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011), bulletin 10098047: SOME VEHICLES MAY HAVE DTC B2278 (STEERING SHAFT TORQUE SENSOR MALFUNCTION) STORED IN THE POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE (PSCM). A TORQUE SENSOR SERVICE KIT IS AVAILABLE TO CORRECT THE CONDITION. STEERING COLUMN REPLACEME…

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database and manufacturer communications file, snapshots September 2026. A complaint or bulletin that mentions a code is a report about that vehicle, not a statement that the code has one cause.