NHTSA Complaint #10578962 — 2008 FORD TAURUS X

WHILE BACKING AND TURNING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AT SPEEDS AT OR NEAR 1 MPH I NOTICED THE STEERING WAS TIGHT - AS IF THE POWER STEERING NO LONGER WORKED. AFTER PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND PROCEEDING APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE (SPEED LIMIT LESS THAN 25 MPH) TO A STOP SIGN, I WAS UNABLE TO MAKE THE LEFT TURN FROM A STOPPED POSITION (HAD TO BACK UP AND TRY AGAIN - FORTUNATELY NO OTHER CARS IN INTERSECTION). MOMENTS LATER, STILL AT SPEEDS OF 25 MPH OR LESS, THE STEERING BECAME HYPERSENSITIVE WHILE GOING AROUND A BEND IN THE ROAD, CAUSING ME TO NOT ONLY ENTER THE OPPOSITE LANE, BUT TO ALMOST DO A 360 DEGREE TURN (AND OFF THE PAVEMENT). I WENT HOME AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO FORD DEALERSHIP. FIRST, A FAILED STEERING RACK WAS DIAGNOSED, THEN A LOWER STEERING ROD JOINT FAILURE (NOT SURE IF ONLY THE LATTER OR BOTH SINCE THE CAR IS STILL IN THE SHOP). FORTUNATELY, NEITHER I NOR ANYONE ELSE WAS INJURED - BUT THE CAR WAS NOT CONTROLLABLE. ALSO FORTUNATELY I HAD PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY (4TH TIME I NEEDED IT, BUT FIRST SAFETY ISSUE). I READ OTHERS HAVE SIMILAR ISSUES SO I AM REPORTING IT. *TR