NHTSA Complaint #10744507 — 2011 FORD F-150

AT ROUGHLY 32000 MILES, IN OCTOBER OF 2014 I EXPERIENCED A FAILURE OF THE ELECTRIC BRAKE VACUUM ASSIST. THE SYMPTOMS WERE THAT THE PUMP CONSTANTLY RAN AND COULD AUDIBLY BE HEARD WHERE IT WAS NOT PREVIOUSLY CONSTANTLY RUNNING. AS SOON AS I NOTICED A CHANGE I REPORTED THE ISSUE TO JOHNSON FORD IN PITTSFIELD MA.. THE PUMP WAS REPLACED IN OCTOBER OF 2014 UNDER WARRANTY. NO RECALL OR CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED FOR THIS CONDITION BUT NUMEROUS REPORTS BY FORD OWNERS HAVE BEEN MADE REGARDING THE SAME CONDITION. I BELIEVED THE AUDIBLE NOISE I WAS HEARING WAS A STEERING COMPONENT BECAUSE I WAS SIMULTANEOUSLY HAVING AN ISSUE WITH "NOTCHY" STEERING. WHILE NEGOTIATING A LONG, GRADUAL TURN MY STEERING WOULD LOCK WHILE TURNING LEFT. THE WHEEL WOULD LOCK WHEN THE TOP OF THE STEERING WHEEL WAS IN THE AREA OF THE 10 O'CLOCK POSITION. NO CRASH OCCURRED BUT THE CONDITION WAS VERY UNSAFE. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE DRIVEN ERRATICALLY TO REMEDY THE CONDITION. A HARD YANK ON THE WHEEL WAS NECESSARY TO FORCIBLY INCREASE STEERING INPUT. THE STEERING COMPONENTS WERE ALSO REPLACED IN OCTOBER OF 2014 BY JOHNSON FORD UNDER WARRANTY. NO RECALL OR CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED FOR THIS CONDITION BUT NUMEROUS REPORTS HAVE BEEN MADE REGARDING THE SAME CONDITION. THE ELECTRIC VACUUM ASSIST REPLACED IN OCTOBER OF 2014, NINE MONTHS AGO WAS THE SAME PART WITH NO UPDATES AS THE ONE THAT FAILED. I AGAIN HEAR THE VACUUM ASSIST MOTOR RUNNING ALMOST CONSTANT AS IT WAS WHEN REPLACED. THE TRUCK IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. I HAVE ONLY HAD THIS VACUUM ASSIST FOR NINE MONTHS. I SPOKE WITH FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE. NO WARRANTY IS AVAILABLE AS I HAVE DRIVEN THE TRUCK IN EXCESS OF 12,000 MILES (12,200 MILES AT THE TIME I REPORTED THE PROBLEM). THE CUSTOMER SERVICE EMPLOYEE OFFERED NO SERVICE OTHER THAN TO BRING IT TO FORD AT MY EXPENSE FOR REPAIRS, $130.00 DIAGNOSIS, $580 PUMP, $200.00 LABOR.