NHTSA Complaint #11141293 — 2016 FORD F-150

I HAVE A 2016 FORD F-150 WITH ROUGHLY 40,000 MILES ON IT. MY TRUCK HAS BEEN OUT OF SERVICE SINCE SEPTEMBER 16TH, WITH A STEERING ISSUE. THE ELECTRONIC POWER ASSIST STEERING (EPAS) WENT OUT ON THE TRUCK DRIVING HOME FROM COSTCO THAT EVENING WITH MY 3 YEAR OLD SON AND GIRLFRIEND IN THE CAR, I ATTEMPTED TO TAKE A RIGHT TURN AND THE STEERING LOCKED UP ON ME, NEARLY CAUSING US TO CRASH. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK IT TO BILL BRANDT FORD IN BRENTWOOD CA, BUT THEY WANTED $170.00 JUST TO DIAGNOSE IT, SO I DECLINED THE SERVICE BECAUSE I HAVE A FRIEND THAT IS A MECHANIC FOR TRI DELTA TRANSIT AND HE WAS ABLE TO DIAGNOSE IT FOR FREE. HE FOUND OUT IT WAS THE EPAS, AND THAT I HAD TO REPLACE THE WHOLE RACK AND PINION, WHICH IS ABOUT A $1,300.00 PART. THIS ISSUE SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING ON SUCH A NEW VEHICLE, BUT SINCE I AM 4,000 MILES OVER THE BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO PAY FOR THE NEW PART FOR MY TRUCK. THE ISSUE WITH FORD IS, SINCE THE TRUCK IS SO NEW THERE ARE NO OTHER COMPANIES CARRYING THAT PART BESIDES FORD AT THE MOMENT. I CALLED THEIR PARTS SERVICE AROUND SEPTEMBER 20TH TO ORDER THE PART BUT THEY STATED IT WAS ON BACK ORDER UNTIL OCTOBER 9TH AND WERE NOT TAKING ANY ORDERS. I PATIENTLY WAITED UNTIL OCTOBER 9TH AND CALLED BACK TO ORDER IT AND THEY SAID IT HAS BEEN PUSHED BACK TO LATE OCTOBER AND TO CALL BACK AT THE END OF THE MONTH. THIS IS A REAL BIG INCONVIENCE FOR ME ESPECIALLY BEING EMPLOYED AND HAVING A YOUNG CHILD, I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT A VEHICLE FOR ALMOST A FULL MONTH NOW. I'VE REACHED OUT TO FORD AND TALKED TO THEIR REGIONAL MANAGER TRYING TO EXPLAIN THE ISSUE AND IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THEY COULD DO FOR ME, LIKE A RENTAL CAR OR GET THE PART ASAP FOR ME, BUT SHE STATED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. AFTER DOING EXTENSIVE RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THIS STEERING DEFECT IS A PRETTY COMMON ISSUE FORD F-150 OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING.