NHTSA Complaint #10460672 — 2008 FORD F-150

IT FELT AS IF STEERING WAS BINDING WHEN MAKING A TURN. IT WOULD SUDDENLY BREAK FREE AND OVERSTEER WAS A PROBLEM. WHEN COMING OUT OF A TURN THE WHEEL WOULD NOT CENTER ON ITS OWN, BUT HAD TO BE TURNED BACK TO THE STRAIGHT AHEAD POSITION. SPOKE WITH A FORD DEALER AND THEY WANTED AN EXORBITANT CHARGE TO JUST LOOK AT THE VEHICLE AND PROFESSED THEY HAD NOT HEARD OF THE PROBLEM BEFORE. I WENT ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND AT LEAST TWO HUNDRED (200) REFERENCES TO THE EXACT ISSUE. IT WAS THE LOWER STEERING SHAFT UNIVERSAL JOINTS THAT HAD SEVERELY CORRODED. I LUBED THE JOINTS AND THINGS WENT BACK TO NORMAL FOR A FEW DAYS AND THE BINDING RETURNED. I INSTALLED A NEW LOWER SHAFT - FORD PART8L3ZB767B- AND THE TRUCK STEERS LIKE NEW. THE ORIGINAL PART ENDED IN A AND THE B REPRESENTS AN UPDATED VERSION. OBVIOUSLY FORD IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS ENGINEERED A FIX - AND NEVER NOTIFYING THE CONSUMER. A TRUE CONCERN IS THE FOLLOWING. OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS WHEN DRIVING STRAIGHT THE WHEEL SHOWED ABOUT 15 DEGREES OF RIGHT INPUT WHILE TRACKING STRAIGHT, HANDS OFF. I HAD THE ALIGNMENT CHECKED AND ALL OK. IT WAS NOT PULLING, JUST A DISPLACED FROM CENTER WHEEL POSITION. THIS HAS ALL DISAPPEARED WITH THE NEW SHAFT. ON THE SAME ROADS, SAME CONDITIONS THE WHEEL IS PERFECTLY CENTERED. THIS TELLS ME THE OLD SHAFT HAS SUFFERED SOME TYPE OF DEFORMATION, MOST LIKELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE UNIVERSAL JOINTS ON SAID SHAFT. THIS IS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY FORD. *TR