CarComplaints.com Notes: We aren't rating the 2015 F-150 as "bad" yet, but there is an early trend of complaints about the transmission shifting roughly.
I let my 83-year-old mother use my truck due to expected extreme weather and high water. While making a right turn, the steering seized, she was able to apply the brakes just in time to avoid hitting a mailbox. Dash paged through several error messages from traction control to steering failure. Truck was 65 miles away from me so I had to arrange transportation for my mother and a friend and drive down to meet a tow truck driver. First tow truck was a flatbed, wheel locked to the right so he could not pull it up on to truck, had to call for a standard tow truck. to tow almost sideways to a local repair shop. Neither tow truck driver nor I could budge the wheel. Raining this entire time!! Diagnosis, failed EPAS Electric Power Assist Steering rack. Estimated cost to replace $1,500, I could give a rats ass how much it costs, my Mother could have been killed. NO STEERING ASSIST DESIGN SHOULD EVER BE ABLE TO FAIL CATASTROPHICALLY! If steering assist fails, you should still be able to steer unassisted to a safe location. Ford or any other manufacturer that allows for the steering assist to catastrophically fail should be held accountable. It doesn't matter how many miles it has. I'm a diehard Ford fan but this makes me rather angry with them.
Ford should recognize this as a problem and issue recall. The steering binds when turning left and won't return to center.
Update from Jan 13, 2022: I changed the Driver's Side IWE (Integrated Wheel End) and lower ball joint. The IWE had a gear that was sheared off the IWE Unit. It is normally a one-piece complete unit. However, when the old one was removed, it came out in two pieces. The gear having been sheared off.
Once the IWE was replaced the left turn binding I was experienced has never recurred.
Dealer said it was rack & pinion. $1900 to replace it. Just lucky my wife had just pulled off the highway when the steering "locked". The power assist went out & steering wheel took both my hands to turn. If it had happened a few minutes before the wife would have wrecked on the highway. Now she does not trust the 2015 f-150. Not sure if it was the steering electronics or the rack & pinion? It went out all at once.
started truck just like I do any other time with the fob to warm up. went outside put the key in and turned it on so the timer wouldn't run out and shut off. loaded the truck for a short trip to pick up material. got in pushed the brake put it in gear and backed up, tried to turn and nothing happened. pulled forward still unable to turn. the steering wheel would move around a quarter turn but that was it. tried shutting it off and restarting nothing. pulled batter cable let it sit for thirty minutes still no luck. finally got mad stood outside the truck grabbed the steering wheel and yanked back and forth on it as hard as I could. to the point the truck was rocking violently. at this time I heard a slight click and then the steering wheel would move and the steering would work. now this is not a locked steering wheel like the key was out because I did get it to lock and it wouldn't move but maybe a quarter inch this is something to do with the eaps. took it to ford they had it from Tuesday till black Friday said it had a voltage spike and caused a sensor to need reprogrammed and the steering perimeters needed reset. picked it up Friday drove to Lowes bought a fridge hauled it home unloaded ran fine. Sunday morning started truck to warm up to haul off fridge package guess what, the steering wheel would move quarter turn again. shut off went about my business and decorated the house for Christmas decided while I was outside that evening id try again. now it works. what the hell? anybody had this happen to them? going back to the ford shop tonight unless it wont let me steer then they'll have to tow it. it doesn't look good because nobody at ford has heard of this
feels like power steering failure loss of turning radius
After taking vehicle for transfer case, which did not get repaired according to database at separate Ford dealership service department, the steering feels like it is binding and turning radius has diminished significantly.
- Marlin W.,
San Diego, CA, US
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
I let my 83-year-old mother use my truck due to expected extreme weather and high water. While making a right turn, the steering seized, she was able to apply the brakes just in time to avoid hitting a mailbox. Dash paged through several error messages from traction control to steering failure. Truck was 65 miles away from me so I had to arrange transportation for my mother and a friend and drive down to meet a tow truck driver. First tow truck was a flatbed, wheel locked to the right so he could not pull it up on to truck, had to call for a standard tow truck. to tow almost sideways to a local repair shop. Neither tow truck driver nor I could budge the wheel. Raining this entire time!! Diagnosis, failed EPAS Electric Power Assist Steering rack. Estimated cost to replace $1,500, I could give a rats ass how much it costs, my Mother could have been killed. NO STEERING ASSIST DESIGN SHOULD EVER BE ABLE TO FAIL CATASTROPHICALLY! If steering assist fails, you should still be able to steer unassisted to a safe location. Ford or any other manufacturer that allows for the steering assist to catastrophically fail should be held accountable. It doesn't matter how many miles it has. I'm a diehard Ford fan but this makes me rather angry with them.
- David L., Tomball, US