This problem started at 1,200 km and got worse. It sounds like my steering is falling apart. I put up with it for exactly 2 years until I went postal and dumped it at the dealer to get this crap fixed. They took a week (just like the rear end) to diagnose it (most of which were probably field trips to the nearest pub to relieve some stress) and replaced the steering rack. The rattle was gone for about 48 hours until it came back.
My truck was perfect before this nightmare.. I can feel something in the steering wheel tap/pop and knock when going over bumps and you can feel this transmit through the steering column into the steering wheel and ultimately your hands and also it is there very just as bad in the gas and brake pedal while driving over bumps.. It feels as if my beautiful 2011 truck with only 12,000 miles has 150,000 miles and it feels as if my ball joints and front end parts are worn out flopping around (they are not I had my local mechanic put it on a lift and check it out) it is inside the sealed steering rack/gear.. There are countless complaints of this exact issue on the F150 forum.com and most of those folks have had the dealer/Ford replace their steering racks only to have the problem return a short time later, after only a few thousand miles in some cases.. There are around 650 posts about this horrible issue on that one forum alone and many very unhappy owners with no fix from Ford.. This newly designed electric steering assist/rack seems to be the issue but Ford either does not care or cannot come up with a fix.. The bigger issue is this is the steering system on a 5500 pound truck and could very well be a safety concern being that there is obviously excessive play in the steering rack developing in these new Ford F150s. If Ford says this is not a concern for safety then how can they say that if they do not have a fix yet.. Why can't they fix this problem instead of replacing steering racks one after the other, they obviously know there is a problem.. One thing for certain is that no one would buy any vehicle if this was there when on a first test drive.. It is not "normal" if it is not there when the truck is new...My truck was perfect up to about 6000 miles or so and then it started and also to note it is much worse when the temperature is above 65 degrees F and absolutely horrible at 80 degrees on up, It feels as though the steering rack/linkage is coming apart and feels very loose and knocks and taps like crazy at those higher temperatures.. I'm sure if anyone in engineering at Ford had to drive a $44,000.00 truck with this issue they would be very upset and very concerned and would find a fix asap. Something has to be done soon as it could be only a matter of time before something bad happens in one of these trucks or before owners start warning others on social media sites and possible future buyers about this issue. People have a right to know what they are going to have after a short time of owning one of these new Ford F150s. These trucks are a very expensive investment and this steering problem should be fixed by Ford once and for all.. It's been over a year since the 1st complaints started showing up and ford has no fix for this steering issue, not good on the number one selling truck for many years in a row!!
I also have the popping in the steering column while driving my 2011 F150. On some forums owners are saying that a new rack solved the problem. This is definitely an issue even though there is NO current TSB addressing this problem.
Many people are having this problem. Ford has no fix yet. Truck has 3600 miles and it has been in the shop 6 times for this. Steering wheel pops when hitting bumps. Seems to get worse the hotter out it is. Replaced lower steering shaft but it wasn't the problem.
- zeke88,
Niskayuna, NY, US
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
This problem started at 1,200 km and got worse. It sounds like my steering is falling apart. I put up with it for exactly 2 years until I went postal and dumped it at the dealer to get this crap fixed. They took a week (just like the rear end) to diagnose it (most of which were probably field trips to the nearest pub to relieve some stress) and replaced the steering rack. The rattle was gone for about 48 hours until it came back.
Disappointed to say the least.
- Eric T., Calgary, AB, Canada