NHTSA Complaint #11367050 — 2011 FORD F-150

PROBLEM STARTED BEFORE 100,000 MILES. 2011 FORD F-150 CURRENTLY HAS 230,000 MILES AND THE ISSUE IS GETTING MORE SEVERE. THE STEERING IS "STICKY", THERE IS RESISTANCE WHEN YOU ATTEMPT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. LETTING GO OF THE WHEEL THE VEHICLE REMAINS IN THE STUCK POSITION AND DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY RETURN TO A NEUTRAL STEER POSITION. WITH MINOR RESISTANCE YOU NEED TO GIVE THE WHEEL A LITTLE JERK OR TWO TO GET THE VEHICLE'S WHEELS TO UNLOCK AND RESPOND. LATELY THERE ARE INCREASED INCIDENCES WHERE THE STEERING WHEEL SEVERELY STICKS AND NEEDS A STRONG TUG TO UNLOCK. THE STRONG TUG CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO OVERCOMPENSATE WHEN THE STEERING BREAKS FREE REQUIRING A SECOND JERK OF THE WHEEL TO KEEP CONTROL. EARLY IN THE HISTORY OF THIS PROBLEM THE STICKING WAS WORSE WHEN TURNING TO THE LEFT, BUT NOW THE ISSUE IS MOST SEVERE WHEN TURNING RIGHT. I'M NOT SURE, BUT THE SITUATION MAY BE EXACERBATED IF BREAKING WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. AT WORST IT'S DANGEROUS, AT THE LEAST IT MAKES FOR TENSE DRIVING. THE PROBLEM COMES AND GOES AND SEEMS RANDOM. A FEW DAYS AGO, FOR THE FIRST TIME A "SERVICE POWER STEERING" WARNING DISPLAYED. AT A FORD DEALER THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A "WEAK" BATTERY. THE CCA (COLD CRANKING AMPS) 850 BATTERY WAS ONLY OUTPUTTING A CCA OF 575, VOLTS OF 12.41. THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY, CLEARED ALL DIAGNOSTIC FAULT CODES, AND PRONOUNCED THE PROBLEM FIXED. SOON AFTER LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP AND STICKING RESUMED, NOTHING SEVER, BUT CLEARLY STILL STICKING. LATER I EXPERIENCED A SEVER STICKING INCIDENT. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT I'VE GONE TO A DEALERSHIP FOR HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM. A WHILE AGO A FORD SERVICE REP SUGGESTED BATTERY TERMINAL CORROSION COULD CAUSE THE PROBLEM. THE TERMINALS WERE CORRODED, I CLEANED THE NEGATIVE TERMINAL, REPLACED THE POSITIVE AND THE STEERING ISSUE NOTICEABLY IMPROVED BUT DID NOT TERMINATE.