I've been watching your videos for years and I love your no nonsense, common sense repairs and honesty rather than hot air BS!! I have a 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid, automatic, 4 cyl, 1.3L. It's got close to 200K miles on it and has always been my one dependable vehicle that I could always count on. In the last month, intermittently when I would turn a corner I would hear almost a metal "pop" in the steering column, just a single pop. I switched driving vehicles for a couple weeks, and the next time I went to start it, there was nothing. All the lights came on, but there was no crank, no noise, no nothing from turning the key. The lights didn't dim when I tried to crank, so I'm guessing not the battery or the starter. Are these symptoms related and what should I look for? Also a side question, I always try to do repairs myself by educating myself on YouTube videos, is a Ford Escape exactly like a Mercury Mariner? When I search on specific repairs, it seems like it always brings up Escape videos, so I want to make sure I can use those videos to help!

Thanks! Sheila