NHTSA Complaint #10449980 — 2009 FORD F-150

DURING AN INSPECTION THE POWER STEERING HOSE WAS FOUND TO BE LEAKING. ADVISED BY SERVICE AGENT TO TAKE TO DEALER AS A WARRANTY ISSUE. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THEY SAID NEW POWER STEERING HOSE IS REQUIRED AND SENT ON MY WAY AFTER BEING TOLD HOSE IS ORDERED. MORE THAN A WEEK LATER I FIND OUT, AFTER SEARCHING ONLINE THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WAITING 10 WEEKS FOR THE SAME REPLACEMENT PART FROM FORD, THE ONLY SUPPLIER OF THIS PARTICULAR HOSE! I CONTACTED FORD BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP DOES NOT RESPOND TO PHONE CALLS AND WAS TOLD THAT THE DEALER SAYS THAT IT IS SAFE TO DRIVE. WELL I FEEL THAT ANY LEAKING POWER STEERING HOSE IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE RESPONSE FROM FORD WAS TO PURCHASE A LARGE CONTAINER OF POWER STEERING FLUID AND CONTINUALLY TOP UP THE FLUID. THEY SAID THIS ADVICE WAS FROM THE DEALER. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE REPORTED SIMPLY BECAUSE THE MORE YOU DRIVE THE HIGHER THE RISK OF A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE STEERING AND THE RISK OF DEATH OR INJURY TO THE DRIVER AND OCCUPANTS. IT ALSO NEEDS TO BE HIGHLIGHTED THE BLASE ATTITUDE OF FORD AND THEIR DEALERS TO THIS MATTER. IT WAS CERTAINLY OF BIG ENOUGH CONCERN INITIALLY FOR THE DEALERSHIP TO TRY AND FIND A RENTAL VEHICLE THAT THEY WOULD PAY FOR IN LIEU OF LOSS OF TRANSPORT AS WAS CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE FOR LONG DISTANCES. *TR