NHTSA Complaint #10818599 — 2007 FORD F-150

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN LEFT (ACROSS ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANES) THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AFTER ROTATING ONLY A FEW DEGREES. THIS WAS SUDDEN AND ABRUPT WITH NO PRIOR SYMPTOMS. SUBSTANTIAL FORCE WAS APPLIED IN AN ATTEMPT TO CONTINUE THE TURN. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME FREE AND ROTATED A FEW MORE DEGREES BEFORE SEIZING AGAIN. AS BEFORE, SUBSTANTIAL PRESSURE WAS APPLIED AND I BELIEVE SOME BACK ROTATION (WIGGLING) WAS INPUT. THE STEERING FINALLY BECAME FREE AND FELT NORMAL. THIS DID NOT REPEAT AGAIN DURING THE USE OF THE VEHICLE THAT DAY. THE SEIZURE DID NOT FEEL LIKE A FAILURE OF THE STEERING ASSIST (PUMP) SYSTEM AS THE STEERING WHEEL COULD NOT BE ROTATED AS IT CAN BE IF THE STEERING PUMP ISN'T RUNNING. SOME RESEARCH FOUND REFERENCE TO BINDING OF THE U-JOINTS ON THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT LOCATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. EXAMINATION OF THESE JOINTS FOUND THAT THEY ARE NOT PROTECTED BY RUBBER BOOTS AND SHOWED EVIDENCE OF CORROSION. A SPRAY LUBRICANT WAS USED IN AN ATTEMPT TO PREVENT THE ISSUE FROM RECURRING. THE INABILITY TO STEER THE VEHICLE IS, IN MY OPINION, A SUBSTANTIAL SAFETY ISSUE. ANY NUMBER OF SCENARIOS COULD BE IMAGINED, BUT IN MY PARTICULAR CASE, HAD THE SEIZURE NOT RELEASED, I WOULD HAVE FOUND MYSELF STOPPED IN THE PATH OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC WITH THE VEHICLE ONLY PARTIALLY TURNED.