Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2004 Ford F-150 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 75 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 75, in the owner's own words
THERE ARE LARGE HOLES IN THE FRAME, AND THE SHACKLES ARE READY TO FALL OFF. SUSPENSION IS FALLING APART. BRAKES ARE NOT SAFE FOR STOPPING POWER FOR THE VEHICLE. MASTERTECH AT ZIEGLER TIRE.
MY VEHICLE HAS DEVELOPED WHAT I WOULD REFER TO AS A DEATH WOBBLE. AT SPEEDS FROM 40 TO 55 MPG THE FRONT OF THE TRICK SHAKES AS THOUGH IT'S GOING TO RATTLE APART. THIS IS CLEARLY A FORD ISSUE AND IS NOW GETTING A GOOD SHARE OF ATTENTION ON YOU TUBE. THERE ARE A LOT OF US OUT THERE WHO HAVE INHERITATED THIS FROM FORD WHO IS IN CONSTANT DENIAL OF IT'S REFUSAL TO ADDRESS AND TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION TO REPAIR THE BUCKLEING OF THE FRONT END. HOW MANY MORE ACCIDENTS NEED TO HAPPEN OR FORD'S DILIGENCE ON PREVENTITIVE MEASURES MAY JUST SAVE LIVES AND CUSTOMERS. PLEASE HELP IN RESOLVING THIS MANUFACTURING ISSUE.
TRUCK WAS SOLD WITH DEFECTIVE PARTS ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF VEHICLE. STEERING KNUCKLE, ABS SENSORS, ETC. HAVING TO BE REPLACED 2 WEEKS AFTER BUYING. REPAIR SHOP SAID VEHICLE WAS NOT MAINTAINED, SOLD IN THIS CONDITION WHEN IT COULD'VE BEEN NOTICED AND FIXED. WHILE DRIVING A WEEK AFTER PURCHASE TRUCK LOST STEERING AND BRAKING FUNCTIONALITY ON THE HIGHWAY AND HAD TO BE PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.. TOWED TO MECHANIC, OILS NOT BE DRIVEN
EXCESSIVE SHAKING AT 40 MPH+ , TRANS FAULT LIGHT CAME ON & OFF . TROUBLE USING REVERSE WOULD JERK & SLIP. HAVE REPLACED MANY PARTS RECENTLY
WHILE DRIVING MY STEERING LOCKED UP BECAUSE THE STEERING SHAFTS LOCKED UP. CAUSING ME TO WRECK MY TRUCK.
WHILE DRIVING HOME I MADE A RIGHT TURN ON TO MY STREET AND THEN THE WHEEL SPUN ALL TGE WAY TO THE LEFT. I HAD NO CONTROL OF STEERING AND THE TRUCK HIT A GUARD RAIL. STEERING WHEEL DOESN'T TURN THE TIRES AT ALL NOW. THE STEERING WAS STIFF BEFORE ACCIDENT. I BELIEVE THAT THE RACK AND PINION SNAPPED. TRUCK IS A TOTAL LOSE. NO RECALLS FROM FORD FOR MY VIN.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING SHAFT LOCKED UP SEVERAL TIMES. IN ADDITION, THE OEM PART FOR THE SHIFTER CABLE WAS BLACK AND NOW IT WAS PLASTIC WITH A COATED METAL. THE CONTACT WAS UNCERTAIN IF THE CHANGE OF THE OEM PART WAS STRUCTURALLY SOUND BECAUSE THE SHIFT CABLE HAD TO BE REPLACED MORE THAN ONCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED NO SOLUTION. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 211,240.
THE STEERING SHAFT HAD TP BE REPLACED. IT WAS LIKE I DID NOT HAVE ANY POWER STEERING.
MOST RECENTLY,(NOT INCLUDING REAR END REPLACED, REVERSE BAND ON TRANS REPLACED, BLOWN SPARK PLUG OUT OF ENGINE BLOCK) MY TRUCK HAS STARTED TO STALL OUT FOR NO REASON THAT I CAN FATHOM,1ST TIME WAS AT 65 MPH ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY, NOW MORE RECENTLY AT LOWER SPEEDS, COMING TO A STOP AT STOP SIGNS LIGHTS ECT , TURNING STREET CORNERS AT LOWER SPEEDS, OR COMING TO A STOP IN MY DRIVEWAY. I SEE MANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME PROBLEM IN FORUMS WITH NO CAUSE OR REPAIR THAT SEEMS TO BE A ROOT CAUSE. PLEASE HELP !
POWER STEERING PRESSURE LINE RUSTED OUT, ALL FLUID RELEASED COULD NOT STEER VEHICLE.
STEERING HAS A POPPING SOUND!! U-JOINTS ARE WORE OUT IN STEERING COLUMN DUE TO LACK OF GREASE FITTINGS.
I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE USED WITH 139000 MILES ON SATURDAY 05/16/15. NOW I WAS NOT EXPECTING A NEW VEHICLE BUT NOT ONE WITH SO MANY PROBLEMS EITHER. FIRST OF ALL IT HAS A VERY ROUGH IDLE, I FOUND THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE AND REMOVAL OF THE SPARK PLUGS. THE REPAIR SHOP WILL NOT EVEN GIVE AN ESTIMATE FOR CHANGING THE SPARK PLUGS AS THERE ARE VERY WELL KNOWN PROBLEMS WITH THEM BREAKING OFF IN THE ENGINE. FORD KNOWS ABOUT THIS AND HAS PUT OUT A NOTICE ABOUT THIS KNOWN PROBLEM. I HAD TO TAKE IT FOR A LOWER STEERING ARM REPLACEMENT ON MONDAY 05/18/15 AS THE WHEEL WAS NOT RETURNING TO THE STRAIGHT POSITION WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. NOW THERE IS A HUMMING NOISE FROM THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL THAT THE REPAIR GUY SAID IS THE PINION BARRING AND THAT IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED. THE DEALER WINDOW STICKER HAD EVERYTHING CHECKED AS GOOD AND NO NOTES TO SAY THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. NO SURPRISE THERE. AFTER CHECKING THIS WEB SITE I FOUND AN OPEN RECALL FOR THE AIRBAG WHICH WAS REPAIRED. I ALSO FOUND ALL THE REPORTS OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. MY QUESTION IS WHY THE NHTSA IS NOT REQUIRING FORD TO RECALL THESE VEHICLES FOR THE NUMEROUS PROBLEMS THAT WERE REPORTED FROM DAY ONE AND ALLOWED TO CONTINUE THROUGH 2008. FORD WAS ALLOWED TO KEEP BUILDING THESE VEHICLES ALONG WITH OTHERS WITH THE SAME DEFECTIVE PARTS FOR OVER 4 YEARS. THAT IS JUST WRONG. I CAN NOT BELIEVE THEY ARE ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH THIS KIND OF CRAP.
FOUND TRYING TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS GETTING VERY STIFF UNTIL I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE CAR WAS THEN THE STIFFNESS WENT AWAY UNTIL IT DRIED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AS I GOOGLED THIS ISSUE I FOUND THAT THIS ISSUE IS QUITE COMMON WITH THESE VEHICLES THE STEERING MID SHAFT U-JOINTS LUBRICATION DRIES UP AND THERE IS NO WAY TO RE-LUBRICATE THEM CAUSING STEERING TO GET STIFF POSSIBLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *TR
STEERING BECOMES STIFF, WILL NOT TURN WITHOUT EXCESSIVE FORCE AND IF IN TURN REQUIRES EXCESSIVE FORCE TO RETURN TO NEUTRAL POSITION. WHEN TURN IT WILL HANG AND FORCING CAUSES OVER STEER. ACCORDING TO INTER CHAT THE FIX WAS TO LUBRICATE THE STEERING COLUMN UNIVERSAL JOINT ABOVE STEERING PUMP IN ENGINE ROOM. DID THIS, WAS GOOD UNTIL MAY 2014 AND SUDDENLY RETURN, LUBRICATION NOT WORKING SO WELL THIS TIME. THIS WOULD CAUSE MY WIFE TO WRECK, IT COULD CAUSE AND MAY HAVE CAUSED ACCIDENTS. APPEARS TO BE COMMON ISSUE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE BECAUSE MANY COMPLAINTS ON LOGGED ON WEB SITES. *TR
MY REAR END DIFFERENTIAL - AXLE WENT OUT AND IT'S MAKING A NOISE AND FEELS LIKE MY REAR END IS LOSE WHEN I DRIVE DOWN THE HIGHWAY ALMOST FEELS UNSAFE BUT IT IS TOO PRICEY TO FIX I FEEL I SHOULD BE SOMETHING FORD SHOULD FIX OR RECALL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE INTERMITTENT STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 159,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
I WAS GETTING INTO MY TRUCK AND WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO START MY TRUCK AND LEAVE MY AIRBAG DEPLOYED IN MY FACE MY ARM ALSO HIT MY FACE AN D I BRUISED UP RIGHT AWAY AND SWOLLEN, I CALLED A TOW TRUCK MY INSURANCE HAD MY TRUCK TOWED TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP, THEY TOLD ME THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF DAMAGES UNLESS I PAY THEM OUT OF MY POCKET THEY DID TELL ME THERE WAS A RECALL ON MY TRUCK FOR THE AIR BAG DEPLOYING ON THERE OWN, NEXT DAY FORD MOTOR COMPANY TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT HELP ME AS WELL BECAUSE THEY CLAIM THEY SENT ME A RECALL LETTER, I NEVER DID. I THINK THEY SHOULD COVER THEIR REPAIR THERE IS A ACTIVE RECALL!!! *TR
VEHICLE'S BACK WINDOW LEAK NOTED WITHIN 60 DAYS AFTER PURCHASE, RESEALED BY DEALER X2-STILL LEAKS. WITHIN A PERIOD OF ONE YEAR AFTER PURCHASE, THREE OF THE FOUR WINDOW GEAR BOXES WERE REPLACED DUE TO FAILURE. I'VE NOTED SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THESE ISSUES, MET OTHER OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THESE ISSUES FIXED UNDER WARRANTY, YET WE WERE REQUIRED TO PAY FOR REPAIR. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, 65MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO SHIMMY, VIBRATE AND BECOMES DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF STEERING. VIBRATION MAKES RIDE UNPLEASANT AND NOISY. *TR
IN LOW SPEED AND HIGH SPEED TURNS, POWER RACK AND PINION, THE STEERING BECOMES VERY STIFF CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO TURN HARD, FEELS LIKE THE TRUCK HAS MANUAL STEERING. THIS ISSUE IS MOST COMMON ON SLOW SPEED HOWEVER I HAVE ENCOUNTERED THE ISSUE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. RESEARCH I HAVE DONE INDICATES THIS IS AN ISSUE, BACKED BY A MEMBER OF A LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT, OF A FAILURE OF THE UNIVERSAL ON THE LOWER STEERING SHAFT. THE PART # FOR THE REPLACEMENT PART IS AS FOLLOWS... #8L32-3B676-B. FORD DEALERSHIP DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL ON THIS YET, I'M A DEPUTY SHERIFF WHO HAS KNOWLEDGE OF FORD RECALLING THE SAME TYPE PART ON THE FORD POLICE INTERCEPTORS WHICH WE CURRENTLY USE IN OUR FLEET. THIS LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL IS VERY SEVERE. *TR
STEERING BECAME QUITE STIFF AND WHEEL DID NOT RETURN AFTER CORNERING. FORD SERVICE MANAGE DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS UNIVERSAL JOINT ON STEERING SHAFT SEIZING DUE TO CORROSION.THERE ARE NO GREASE FITTINGS TO LUBRICATE THE JOINTS AND THEY ARE HAD TO REACH. FORD DEALERS DO NOT ALWAYS HAVE PARTS ON HAND FOR THIS REPAIR. I HAVE MANAGED TO LOOSEN THE JOINT WITH PENETRATING OIL IN A PUMP OILER. FOR HAS OFFERED NO SOLUTION AND THE JOINTS HAD NO PROTECTIVE RUBBER BOOT OVER THEM TO PROTECT THEM FROM CORROSION. IN ADDITION, THE COOLING LINES TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP RUSTED THROUGH POSING A DANGER OF SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSISTANT. THE COOLING LINE WAS MADE OF BARE METAL THAT WAS NOT RUST OR CORROSION RESISTANT SUCH AS GALVANIZING AND DESIGNED AS TO BE IN A VULNERABLE LOCATION UNDER THE RADIATOR BEHIND THE FRONT BUMPER. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING ON A GRAVEL ROAD APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, A RATTLING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. IN ADDITION, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SLIGHTLY VIBRATE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE @ 55MPH THE TRUCK HAS A VIBRATION -BEGINS TO SHAKE- RETURNED TO DEALER NO PROBLEM FOUND, THIS STORY GOES ON AND ON I HAVE REPLACED OUT OF MY POCKET ROTORS, CALIBERS TWO WHOLE SET OF TIRES AND STILL TO THIS DAY IS STILL WILL SHAKE @ AND AROUND 52 MPH TO 57 MPH NOBODY WILL HELP ME FIND THE PROBLEM NOW IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY FORD DOESN'T CARE. *TR
TURNING OUT OF A PARKING LOT DURING ACCELERATION THE TRUCK BEGAN TO "JUMP" AND RIDE ROUGH LIKE DRIVING OVER A "WASHBOARD". AFTER STOPPING AND CHECKING IT OUT NOTHING WAS SEEN. HAPPENED AGAIN ON THE WAY HOME. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP IN TOWN AND THEY SAID THE REAR DIFF NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *TR
SHAFT ASSEMBLY PART #8L32-3B676-B ON 2004 FORD F-150 NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. MECHANIC TOLD ME THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) . STEERING WHEEL WOULD STICK BADLY ESPECIALLY AT LOW SPEED TURNS AND INTERMITTENTLY AT HIGH SPEED TURNS, AS WELL, CAUSING TWO NEAR ACCIDENTS. STILL HAVING PROBLEMS...ONE MECHANIC TELLS ME IT THE TIE RODS THAT REQUIRE REPLACING AND ANOTHER TELLS ME LOWER STEERING SHAFT NEEDS REPLACEMENT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD F150. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 55 MPH WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE CONTACT MERGED THE VEHICLE OFF THE HIGHWAY, TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND WAITED THIRTY MINUTES BEFORE RESTARTING. THE VEHICLE RESUMED AS NORMAL. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE UPPER AND LOWER STEERING SHAFT HAD RUSTED TOGETHER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,188. THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 02/28/12
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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