2006 Ford F-150 Steering

When is some one going to do something about the faulty steering column in 2006 Ford F150 pick ups and similar model years? It is all over the internet about the grinding and catching of the steering column. In some cases can't steer at all. There is tons of information on this problem. I have a 2006 Ford F150. It is starting with the problem and it only has 82,000 miles. This should not be happening some one is going to get hurt or killed !

THE STEERING LOWER SHAFT GETS FAULTY IN THIS YEARS TRUCK DO TO BEING CHEAP MADE AND GETS CORRODED WIN SALT FROM THE ROADS BARELY TOUCHES IT WHEN DRIVING YOU HAVE TO TURN EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE IT STEER AND IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH FOR IT TO BRAKE WHEN GOING DOWN A HIGHWAY ONE OF THE MOST IN SAFE DESIGNS I HAVE EVER SEEN IN A NEWER TRUCK THAN 2000 THERE WAS A RECALL ON THEM THE EXACT SAME DESIGN IN THE CROWN VICS FROM 2004 TO 2008 MINE BROKE WHEN GOING DOWN THE CITY ROAD GOING ABOUT 45MPH

THE U JOINT ARE FREEZING UP AND IT IS HARD TO TURN AND IT GETS WORSE

HARD STEERING ON INITIAL START UP AND DRIVING . STEERING WOULD NOT GO BACK TO CENTER BY ITSELF HAD TO MANUALLY CORRECT..STEERING GETS BETTER THE LONGER YOU DRIVE IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD F-150. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE FAILURE PREVENTED THE VEHICLE FROM TURNING AND ALMOST DROVE OFF A BRIDGE INTO A RIVER. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE VEERED TO SAFETY. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

STEERING BECAME INTERMITTENTLY STIFF WHILE DRIVING. TRUCK HAD ABOUT 80000 MILES ON IT AND 9 YEARS OLD WHEN SYMPTOMS STARTED. STIFFNESS WOULD OCCUR SOMETIMES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHEN I STARTED A LANE CHANGE, AND AT SLOW SPEEDS WHEN I WAS TURNING (FOR INSTANCE ON COMMUNITY STREETS). AS I WAS TURNING IT WOULD CYCLE FROM HARD TO REGULAR EFFORT, AS WOULD BE IF A UNIVERSAL JOINT WAS GOING BAD. MY NON-FORD MECHANIC DIAGNOSED IT AS A BAD LOWER STEERING SHAFT. I INSPECTED THE BAD SHAFT AND AGREED THAT ONE UNIVERSAL SHAFT WAS TIGHT AND THE OTHER WAS EXTREMELY TIGHT. $557 REPAIR.

THE STEERING WHEEL FREEZES UP IN COLD WEATHER. MY MECHANIC DIAGNOSED A FAILED LOWER STEERING COLUMN THAT IS EXPOSED TO ROADWAY SPLASH AND CORROSION. THIS IS ALSO A TELESCOPING SECTION OF THE STEERING COLUMN DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE DRIVER IN CASE OF FRONTAL CRASH. SO OVERNITE IT FREEZES UP AND SLOWLY LOOSENS. WHILE DRIVING BECOMES STIF AND RESULTS IN DIFFICULT STEERING. 45,000 MILES ON ODOMETER.

DROVE F-150 NORMALLY DURING WEEK. ON WEEKEND MORNING WHILE PULLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY AND SPORADICALLY BEGAN RESISTING EFFORT TO TURN CAUSING TRUCK TO SWAY UNPREDICTABLY DURING TURNS. RESISTING DRIVER INPUT. WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. AFTER REVIEWING BLOGS ONLINE I REALIZED A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO DRIVE THIS ERA F-150 HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. IT TURNS OUT THE LOWER STEERING COLUMN SHAFT CONTAINING THE U-JOINTS USES DEFECTIVE MATERIALS OR HAS BAD DESIGN. THE U-JOINTS ARE BINDING UP DURING DRIVING CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE PARTIAL CONTROL OVER DIRECTION OF VEHICLE. TEMPORARY FIX MAY BE TO SPRAY WITH ANTI-CORROSIVE SPRAY, THEN LUBRICATING SPRAY, WHICH I DID. THIS LASTS ONLY A SHORT TIME SO THE LOWER SHAFT WITH U-JOINTS MUST BE REPLACED. FORD KNOWS OF THE DEFECT FOR THIS ERA F-150 AND HAS REDESIGNED THIS LOWER SHAFT TO ELIMINATE THE BINDING. THIS NEW DESIGN IS WHAT THEY SELL YOU AS A REPLACEMENT, NOT THE ORIGINAL DESIGN. IF YOU TRY TO BUY ONE ONLINE IT COSTS AT LEAST $245 FOR THE O.E.M. PART. IF YOU BUY ONE OF THE 2 AFTERMARKET KNOCKOFFS IT'LL SET YOU BACK APPROX $125. THE AFTERMARKET SHAFT ADVERTISING TOUTS THE FACT THAT IT HAS A DESIGN THAT WILL NOT BIND LIKE THE ORIGINAL FORD SHAFT DOES. THIS TRUCK HAD APPROX 69,700 MILES ON IT WHEN THE SHAFT BEGAN BINDING UP.

LAST WEEK I STARTED NOTICING MY STEERING STARTING TO GET STIFF AND THE WHEEL DOES NOT RECENTER AFTER A STEER TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT. IVE HAD TO DO SOME QUICK MUSCLING TO RECENTER THE WHEEL. I'VE JUST FINISHED RESEARCHING SOME OTHER FORD FORUMS FOR THIS VEHICLE AND MANY OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE U JOINTS ON THE STEERING COLUMN RUSTING OR SEIZING. I WILL TRY SPRAYING SOME ANTI SEIZE ON THE U JOINTS TOMMOROW UNTIL I CAN GET IT TO A GARAGE.MY TRUCK HAS APPROXIMATELY 103,000 MILES ON IT . THIS IS DANGEROUS AND WITH THE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS IT SHOULD BE RECALLED BY FORD TO CORRECT.

MY STEERING STARTED TO BIND WHILE DRIVING . COULD NOT MAKE FULL RIGHT OR LEFT TURNS. VERY UNSAFE. THE TRUCK HAS LEFT THAN 30,000 MILES. RARELY DRIVEN.

NOTICED STEERING WHEEL VERY HARD TO TURN. CHECKED POWER STEERING FLUID WHICH WAS OK. RESEARCHED PROBLEM ONLINE AND FOUND DOZENS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS REPORTED ON FORD CUSTOMER FORUMS AND ELSEWHERE ONLINE MENTIONING THAT THE U-JOINT(S) ON THE LOWER STEERING SHAFT POSSIBLY RUST AND CORRODE AND BECOME VERY STIFF. WHEN TURNING CORNERS WHEEL DOES NOT READILY RECENTER ITSELF. FEARFUL THAT STEERING JOINTS COULD FAIL, SEIZE OR BREAK RESULTING IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING AND SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. SAW THAT FORD REDESIGNED THE STEERING SHAFT AFTER 2006 AND THE NEW FORD PART LOOKS MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THE ORIGINAL SHAFT IN MY 2006 TRUCK. SPRAYED SOME PENETRATING OIL ON BOTH U-JOINTS YESTERDAY AND STEERING WAS NOTICEABLY MUCH EASIER WITHIN 5 MINUTES. THEN SPRAYED SOME LIQUID WRENCH LUBRICATING OIL (LIGHTWEIGHT AEROSOL OIL) ON BOTH JOINTS AND DROVE THE TRUCK. STEERING WAS LIKE NEW AND STEERING WHEEL EASY TO TURN. DO NOT KNOW HOWEVER IF THIS "OILING FIX" WILL LAST. FORD IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AS THEY REDESIGNED THE STEERING SHAFT/U-JOINTS AND HAD HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS. DEFECT IN DESIGN OF CRITICAL STEERING COMPONENT, FORD IS AWARE AND REDESIGNED STEERING SHAFT AND U-JOINTS. NOTE: OTHER CUSTOMERS WITH NON-FORD VEHICLES AND FORD VEHICLES OTHER THAN THE F-150 HAVE REPORTED NUMEROUS SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. *TR

WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS IN THE SHOP FOR A FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT THE MECHANIC NOTED THAT THE U-JOINT IN INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT IS GOING BAD AND THEREFORE THE REASON THERE IS SOME PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. COST TO REPAIR IS GOING TO BE APPROXIMATELY $700

AT VERY LOW MILEAGE I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY I WAS HEARING A WHINING NOISE THAT APPEARED FROM COMING THE REAR OF MY TRUCK. I WAS ADVISED THAT THE GEARS WERE BREAKING DOWN AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. THE GEAR AND PINION WERE REPLACED. SEEMS TO BE FIXED. AGAIN AT 57814 MILES? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED MAKING THE STEERING WHEEL DIFFICULT TO TURN AND CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE CONTROL AND DRIVE INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC NEARLY CAUSING A CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND DIAGNOSED THAT A LOWER JOINT IN THE STEERING COLUMN SHAFT SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD F150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME UNSTABLE WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS TO REPLACE THE STEERING SHAFT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000.

MY STEERING WHEEL IS STIFF. AND HARD TO TURN THE MECHANIC SAID IT IS A RECALLED RACK AND PINION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO HER RESIDENCE. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATELY FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 154,618.

DRIVING WITH MY 2 KIDS ON US 23 I FELT THE STEERING GET TIGHT. STOPPED CHECK EVERYTHING LOOKED GOOD. STARTED BACK DRIVING AND ROAD CURVED TO LEFT AS I WAS DRIVING IT DID NOT WANT TO TURN BACK TO THE RIGHT. ALL MOST CAUSING TO HIT A VEHICLE HEAD ON. FINALLY GOT BACK TO THE HOUSE AND DONE SOME RESEARCH AND FIGURED OUT IT WAS LOWER STEERING SHAFT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING SHAFT EXHIBITED EXCESSIVE RUST, MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO STEER AT ALL SPEEDS. THE CONTACT CLEANED AND LUBRICATED THE STEERING SHAFT BUT THE SERVICE ONLY REMEDIED THE ISSUE TEMPORARILY. THE CONTACT DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND OFFERED THE CONTACT A NEW PART TO PURCHASE. THE CONTACT DID NOT PURCHASE THE PART. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000.

STEERING BECAME VERY HARD TO TURN. WOULD NOT CENTER AFTER TURNING, WOULD LOCK ON WET ROADS. I HAD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL BY HAND TO GET IT BACK TO CENTER. I CHECKED TO FIND THE U JOINTS ON STEERING SHAFT WHERE RUSTED SO I LUBED WITH OIL. STEERING BECAME MUCH BETTER. I WENT TO A LOCAL FORD DEALER THEY SAID THERE WAS NO RECALLS AND KNEW OF NO PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING ON THE F150'S. THE FORD DEALER WANTED ME TO LET THEM TAKE EVERYTHING APART BUT SAID IT COULD RUN INTO A LOT OF MONEY DEPENDING ON WHAT THEY FIND. SO FOR OVER THREE YEARS I'VE BEEN OILING THE JOINTS ON THE SHAFT AND LIVING WITH THE PROBLEM. WAITING FOR TOTAL FAILURE TO SUE FORD FOR POOR DESIGN OF THE STEERING COLUMN SHAFT JOINTS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2006 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND SEIZED. THE CONTACT THEN DROVE TO HIS RESIDENCE AND ADDED POWER STEERING FLUID BUT THE FLUID LEAKED OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS REPAIRED. AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COMPLETELY REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 87,000. UPDATED 07/06/12 *BF THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR A SHOP AND A DIAGNOSIS REVEALED THE RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, THE POWER STEERING HOSE WAS REPLACED TWICE, THE O-RING, POWER STEERING PUMP AND POWER STEERING LINE WERE REPLACED. UPDATED 08/08/12

THE STEERING SHAFT IS SIEZIHG CAUSING THE WHEEL NOT TO CENTER IT SELF AND STEERS HARD . IT DOES NOT SELF CENTER AFTER CORNERING. YOU CAN'T TELL IF YOUR WHEEL IS TURNED ON SLIPPERY ROADS . I CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND THEY TOLD ME IT'S NOT A SAFETY ISSUE . I'M A LICENSED MECHANIC AND THIS HARD STEERING WOULD NOT PASS A MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY INSPECTION IN OUR SHOP.I THINK FOMOCO SHOULD FIX THIS . AS FAR AS I'M AWARE IT IS ONLY THE 2004-2008 MODEL TRUCKS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE EXCESSIVELY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS SAFELY DRIVEN HOME, WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE STEERING SHAFT, CENTER CAPS AND THE CALIPERS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC ALSO STATED THAT THE CENTER HUB CAP BURNT DUE TO THE CALIPERS FRACTURING AND DETACHING FROM THE VEHICLE .THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000.

STEERING SHAFT ASSEMBLY BINDING CAUSING SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. VEHICLE HAS 37,000 MILES CURRENTLY. I PAID FORD DEALER TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE AND THEY STATE THE STEERING SHAFT ASSEMBLY WAS "BINDING". IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE PART WAS ON A "NATIONAL BACKORDER". WHEN I CONTACTED FORD THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR, ONLY MAKE A NOTE IN "MY FILE". SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND THE NEED FOR A RECALL NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. *TR

POWER STEERING BECOMES 'HARD'. STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY BECOMES STIFF AND DIFFICULT TO HANDLE. HARD TO TURN. CHOPPY WHILE TURNING AND SNAPS BACK IN INCREMENTS INSTEAD OF A SMOOTH, EASY RETURN TO CENTER. FEELS LIKE MANUAL STEERING THEN RETURNS TO POWER STEERING. OCCURS AT ANY SPEED, VERY DANGEROUS AT HIGHER SPEEDS. MAKES THE VEHICLE STEER 'CHOPPY' AND UNPREDICTABLE. HAVE STOPPED USING THE VEHICLE, CAUSES A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHILE DRIVING AND TRYING TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE TRUCK. *TR