NHTSA Complaint #10526221 — 2011 FORD F-150

ELECTRONIC POWER ASSISTED STEERING (EPAS) ON 2011 FORD F150 ECOBOOST SHIMS/KNOCKS/VIBRATES AT SPEEDS UP TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS (55 MPH). NOT SURE IF IT IS SAFE OR NOT? BUT STEERING IS A MAJOR COMPONENT OF A VEHICLE. I DID NOT FEEL TOTALLY SAFE AS FORD HAS HAD SOME ISSUES WITH PAST VEHICLES THAT POSSIBLE PRONE TO ACCIDENTS THAT INVOLVED STEERING. IT ONLY OCCURS AT TEMPS ABOVE 75 F. TOOK VEHICLE IN COUPLE TIMES, BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE ISSUE. ONLY WHEN TEMPS ROSE ABOVE 75F AND TECHNICIAN WAS ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THE ISSUE. LOCAL DEALER STATED IT WAS STRUTS, BUT AFTER SEVERAL VISITS TO THE F-150 BLOG SITE, THE ISSUE WAS DESCRIBED AS THE EPAS RACK THAT CANNOT KEEP UP WITH THE COMPUTER CHANGES WHILE TEMPS ABOVE APPROX 75F. THE REPLACEMENT PART #DL3Z3504BE GEAR ASSEMBLY EPAS (THIS IS THE 4TH VERSION OF THIS COMPONENT FORD HAS USED IN THEIR F150S) WAS REPLACED 17 JUNE 13. FORD COVERED ONLY $400 OF THE $1500 TOTAL REPAIR. FROM MY RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, THERE SEEMS TO BE A ISSUE WITH 2011 FORD F-150 ECOBOOST EPAS. I DID NOT FIND AND TSB OR SAFETY BULLETINS AS OF TODAY. *TR