NHTSA Complaint #10483908 — 2012 FORD F-150

THE PROBLEM STARTED WITH ABOUT 400 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I BEGAN NOTICING A LOOSE/NIBBLE FEELING IN THE STEERING WHEEL ESPECIALLY OVER ROUGH TERRAIN, WHICH IS 90 PERCENT OF MICHIGAN ROADS. WHEN TEMPERATURES GET HOTTER THE PROBLEM IS MORE SEVERE. I HAVE HAD 4 POWER STEERING RACK AND PINIONS (EPAS) REPLACED AND EACH TIME IT FIXES THE PROBLEM BUT FOR ONLY A FEW DAYS AND THEN IT REAPPEARS. I HAVE ALSO HAD THE ENTIRE STEERING SHAFTS REPLACED AND THIS DID NOTHING. THE PROBLEM HAS BECOME MUCH MORE SEVERE AS TIME HAS GONE BY. I AM NOW EXPERIENCING THE VEHICLE PULLING AND JUMPING WHILE GOING OVER UNEVEN SURFACES IN THE ROAD. THERE ARE OVER 1000 PEOPLE WITH THIS EXACT PROBLEM ON OTHER PUBLIC WEBSITES. I CAN NOW SLIGHTLY MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL BACK AND FORTH WHILE THE VEHICLE IS OFF AND YOU CAN FEEL LOOSENESS/NIBBLE IN STEERING AND ALSO A VERY LOUD KNOCKING OF PARTS COMING FROM THE RACK AND PINION (EPAS). PARTS BANGING AGAINST EACH OTHER IS NOT NORMAL! EVERYTIME I PUT MY 6 AND 10 YEAR OLD KIDS IN MY TRUCK I FEAR FOR THEIR SAFETY ALONG WITH MY OWN. FORD MOTOR COMPANY DOESN'T WANT TO ADMIT THAT THEY HAVE AN ISSUE. I HAVE HEARD FROM TWO REPRESENTATIVES FROM FORD THAT DURING PRODUCTION OF THESE VEHICLES IT WAS KNOWN THAT A NUMBER OF DEFECTIVE RACK AND PINIONS (EPAS) WERE INSTALLED DURING THE ASSEMBLY. I HAVE ALSO RAN INTO A PERSON THAT OVERSEES THE QUALITY DEPARTMENT (WON'T MENTION WHERE) BUT TOLD ME THAT FORD IS HAVING ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS WITH THEIR STEERING AND TOLD ME TO HAVE THEM REPLACE THE EPAS SYSTEM WHICH I HAVE ALREADY HAD DONE 4 TIMES. I GUESS ITS GOING TO TAKE SOMEONE DYING BEFORE FORD WILL TAKE ACTION AND FIX THEIR PROBLEMS. ITS VERY UNFORTUNATE BUT IS THE REASON WHY I AM REPORTING THIS. MY NEXT STOP IS THE LOCAL NEWS TO SHARE MY STORY! *TR