I have a 2008 f-150. As I was taking an exit off the highway, the steering wheel looked up & I couldn't turn the wheel & ended up on the grassy area of the exit.. The problem is the lower steering shaft u-joint binds up & locks. There is a design flaw in the u-joint, there is no way to grease or lube the u-joint. I have notified ford many times with no answers or response. On the ford forum site, there are thousands of f-150 owners who have or had the same problem with trucks who's warranty's just ended & had to pay $500 plus to fix it, there are some who crashed because they couldn't turn the wheel. I was lucky but it's a major problem ford wouldn't correct til somebody dies. I pd.$30,000 for this truck & owe $16,000 and shouldn't have to pay $500+ to be safe. How can you make ford correct this problem? I can send you thousands of owners e-mails sent to me from the forum. Bad enough we have to pay alot of money to fix this & still owe a ton of money for the loan for the truck, it's a major safety defect from ford. Please e-mail me back with your advice on what to do. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
2008 Ford F-150 steering complaints
Page 3 of 3: complaints 41 to 53 of 53, newest first, as owners wrote them.
This is the second time the high pressure power steering hose needs to be replaced in 13 months.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f-150. The contact stated that power steering fluid spilled throughout the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnose that the cooling tube needed to be replaced. The manufacturer stated that the delay was a supply issue and that they were trying out a new part. The failure was 54,120 and the current mileage was 55,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f-150. The contact stated that while traveling 40 MPH the steering wheel seized while making a turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The mechanic confirmed that the steering shaft and universal joint needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 42,100 and the current mileage was 42,220... Updated11/01/12 *bf the consumer stated the steering wheel would not self correct after making a turn. 11/02/12
Bought a 2008 ford f150 from a so called reputible dealer. Had issues after the first couple of months with a vibration took vehicle back to dealer ran a diagnostics check on it, they said nothing is wrong. Two years later problem has escalated where truck vibrates so bad that it spills a can of soda. Ford now says no warranty left on vehicle and we have to pay for fixing. It was under warranty two years ago when problem arised. I am very unhappy with the dealership and ford itself. I am thinking about filing a law suit against ford if the problem is not rectified.
It felt as if steering was binding when making a turn. It would suddenly break free and oversteer was a problem. When coming out of a turn the wheel would not center on its own, but had to be turned back to the straight ahead position. Spoke with a ford dealer and they wanted an exorbitant charge to just look at the vehicle and professed they had not heard of the problem before. I went on the internet and found at least two hundred (200) references to the exact issue. It was the lower steering shaft universal joints that had severely corroded. I lubed the joints and things went back to normal for a few days and the binding returned. I installed a new lower shaft - ford part8l3zb767b- and the truck steers like new. The original part ended in a and the b represents an updated version. Obviously ford is aware of the problem and has engineered a fix - and never notifying the consumer. A true concern is the following. Over the past few months when driving straight the wheel showed about 15 degrees of right input while tracking straight, hands off. I had the alignment checked and all ok. It was not pulling, just a displaced from center wheel position. This has all disappeared with the new shaft. On the same roads, same conditions the wheel is perfectly centered. This tells me the old shaft has suffered some type of deformation, most likely associated with the universal joints on said shaft. This is a definite safety issue and should be addressed by ford.
While driving on interstate, truck self engaged in 4x4, but only driver side wheel locked causing severe pull towards left side. Almost lost control. Dealership has replaced all components twice now and the problem is intermittent.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f150 super cab. The contact stated that the vinyl steering cover was defective and separated from the steering. The manufacturer was contacted but would not assist with the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 33,612 and the current mileage was 37,171.
I was changing the oil in my 2008 f150 60th anniversary edition truck and noticed that my steering stops were worn. I turned on my truck to see if my wheels, when turned all the way to either side if they were touching the steering stops. And they were! The problem with this is the aluminum steering bracket is eventually going to crack if the racking pinion isn't adjusted properly on the truck. This is a new truck with only 31,000 miles 2wd, and has never been off road.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f 150. While driving at 65 MPH, the contact was holding onto the steering wheel when his hand began to slip. The contact lost control of the vehicle momentarily. The steering wheel was deteriorating, which caused the contact to lose grip of the steering wheel. The contact was able to stop the vehicle by grabbing the wheel in a different spot. The dealer was not contacted and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileages were 33,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 ford f-150. While driving between 55-60 MPH on normal road conditions, the vehicle vibrated excessively. The failure occurred whenever the vehicle was in operation and without warning. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection, but they could not duplicate the failure. However, the dealer replaced the driveshaft and universal joints. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer on two separate occasions for identical failures. In addition, the transmission was replaced and four new tires were mounted on the vehicle. The vehicle was at the dealer for nine weeks, but the failures persist. The contact is in the process of taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic for repair. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 2,000 and current mileage was 6,500.
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 ford f-150. The contact stated that when the tires are cold, the steering shakes. The steering operates properly when the tires are warm. The dealer stated that the failure is normal due to the soft compound of the tire and would not make any repairs. The VIN was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 19,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 ford f-150. The contact stated that the steering column would not raise up or down. The steering column was replaced, but the tilt feature on the steering wheel still would not work. The dealer was unable to receive the parts for the remedy and stated that there were no recalls. The failure and current mileages were 4,000. Updated 02-19-08 *bf updated 02/19/08
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