NHTSA Complaint #10560223 — 2011 FORD F-150

WHILE DRIVING WITH A 5,500 POUND CAMP TRAILER IN TOW THE VEHICLE DEVELOPED SIGNIFICANT VIBRATION AND FEED BACK FROM THE ROAD. THE PROBLEM CAME ABOUT AFTER APPROXIMATELY 20K MILES ON THE TRUCK. I WOULD NOTICE IT PRIMARILY OVER JOINTS IN THE ROAD AND ANY ROAD IMPERFECTIONS ALSO NOTICE IT AND HEAR A CLUNKING WHEN OFF ROAD ON DIRT ROADS. THE CLUNKING IS INTERMITTANT BUT IS THERE. IT FEELS AS IF THERE IS A LOOSE COMPONENT IN THE STEERING ASSEMBLY WHICH THEN CAN BE FELT IN THE STEERING WHEEL. I CAN NOTICE BOTH WITH TRAILER AND WITHOUT MORE WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE HIGHER SUCH AS 80 DEGREES OR MORE. NOT SO MUCH WHEN COLD BUT I AM STILL ABLE TO GET ROAD FEEDBACK IN THE STEERING WHEEL AT LOWER TEMPS JUST NOT AS BAD. YOU CAN ESPECIALLY NOTICE THE VIBRATION/FEEDBACK IN COLDER TEMPS IF HOLDING THE STEERING WHEEL AT ITS LOWEST POINT (BOTTOM OF WHEEL) WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY ALLEGE THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE BACK NOW 4 SEPARATE TIMES AND ON THE LAST TIME I SHOWED THE SERVICE ADVISER HOW I CAN GRASP THE STEERING SHAFT IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND MANUALLY BY HAND TURN THE SHAFT BACK AND FORTH AS IF IN A STEERING MOTION AND YOU CAN HEAR A LOUD CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM SOMEWHERE EITHER IN THE RACK UNIT ITSELF OR THE STEERING SHAFTS. I AM NOT SURE WHERE THE NOISE IS ACTUALLY COMING FROM BUT CLEARLY IN THE STEERING ASSEMBLY SOMEWHERE. I HAVE GREAT CONCERN OVER SAFETY AND HAVE NOW READ MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS INCLUDING COMPLETE STEERING FAILURE. SOUNDS LIKE FORD DOES NOT EXACTLY KNOW HOW TO GO ABOUT REPAIRS AND SO RELUCTANT TO REPLACE ANY PARTS IN CASE THAT DOES NOT FIX ISSUE. I UNDERSTAND THAT THEORY BUT WISH THEY WOULD AT LEAST TRY SOMETHING FOR SAFETY. IF THERE IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE IT IS STILL AN EERIE FEELING DRIVING A TRUCK AT HIGHWAY SPEED WITH LOOSENESS AND VIBRATION IN THE STEERING ASSEMBLY. *TR