NHTSA Complaint #10460501 — 2006 FORD F-350 SD

THE INITIAL OCCURRENCE IN DECEMBER 2011 WAS A STEERING STICK IN THE DIRECTION OF THE TURN AND REQUIRED FORCE TO TURN OPPOSITE THE DIRECTION OF THE TURN. THE PROBLEM CEASED AND DID NOT REOCCUR UNTIL MID-MAY OF 2012. THE PROBLEM MANIFESTED ITSELF AS A SEVERE OSCILLATION OF THE VEHICLE STEERING ACCOMPANIED BY DIRECTIONAL STICKING AND "INDEXING" IN THE STEERING. THE FIRST ATTEMPT AT REPAIR WAS TO FLUSH THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM. THIS ACTUALLY RESULTED IN A WORSE OSCILLATION. THE PROBLEM WAS STILL INTERMITTENT BUT OCCURRING MORE FREQUENTLY. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND I ASKED FOR THE STEERING GEAR TO BE REPLACED. THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE NEXT STEP WAS TO REPLACE THE STEERING DAMPER. THIS ALSO DID NOT RESULT IN ELIMINATION OF THE PROBLEM. DURING THE DAMPER REPLACEMENT IT WAS NOTED THAT THERE EXISTED A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF PLAY IN THE DRAGLING BALL JOINT. WHILE NOT PARTICULAR OUT OF THE ACCEPTABLE RANGE WE AGREED TO REPLACE THE DRAG LINK. THE DRAG LINK HAS BEEN REPLACED AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO DEMONSTRATE A "WALKING" MOTION REQUIRING THE OPERATOR TO ACTIVELY STEER THE VEHICLE TO REMAIN IN A LANE. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WILL DEMONSTRATE RELATIVELY GOOD STABILITY IN A SWEEPING TURN UNTIL THE WHEEL IS DISPLACED BEYOND ROUGHLY 5 DEGREES AT WHICH POINT THE STEERING DISPLAYS AN ACTIVE PULL IN THE DIRECTION OF THE TURN. THE VEHICLE IS BEING RETURNED TO THE DEALER FOR CONTINUED EVALUATION. THE FORD TECHNICIANS HAVE EXAMINED AND PASSED THE POWER STEERING PUMP, THE HYDROSLAVE SYSTEM, FRONT TIRES, FRONT TIRE PRESSURE, FRONT BALL JOINTS AS WELL AS THE FRONT AXLE U-JOINTS. AT THIS POINT, THEY HAVE NO FURTHER SUGGESTIONS AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *TR