2008 FORD F SUPER DUTY Steering Problems

MY F250 WHEN I WAS EXITING FOOT ON BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND ALMOST WENT OFF THE ROAD THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME IT HAS HAPPENED EVERYTIME I HIT THE BRAKE AND TRY TO TURN THE WHEEL LOCKS

I PURCHASED USED IN 2012 AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER WITH A VERY WIDE TURNING RADIUS. I'VE DRIVEN OTHER FORDS AT A LOCAL AUCTION HOUSE SAME YEAR/MODEL THAT STEER FINE AND TURN TIGHTER. I BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFECT IN MINE THAT'S DIMINISHING ITS SAFETY AND USABILITY.

WHILE TRAVELLING ON A STRAIGHT, SLIGHTLY DOWNHILL, DRY SECTION OF HIGHWAY AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES PER HOUR, AN EXAGGERATED SHAKING BEGAN ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS QUICKLY BECAME AN ALMOST UNCONTROLLABLE BOUNCING OF THE TRUCK. IT BECAME INCREASINGLY VIOLENT IN JUMPING TO THE POINT IT MADE IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. I BRAKED AND SLOWED TO UNDER 20 MPH WHEN IT STOPPED. PULLED OVER, CHECKED ALL, NOTHING OUT OF SORTS. NO SIGN OF MECHANICAL FAILURE OR TIRE TROUBLE. FELT LIKE FLAT TIRE AT FIRST.

WHILE, DRIVING THE TRUCK THE STEERING ERRATICALLY JERKS IN AN OVER STEERING FASHION. IT IS A REPEATING PROBLEM AND IS VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

THE FIRST TIME, I WAS MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN FROM AN OFF RAMP AND COMPLETELY LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 SECONDS, THE WHEELS WERE GOING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO SEE IF SOMETHING WAS BROKE. I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING. I LIMPED TO MY MECHANIC SHOP AND TOLD HIM WHAT HAPPENED. I LEFT THE VEHICLE WITH HIM FOR 2 DAYS HE WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE STEERING PROBLEM. HE DID DO MUCH RESEARCH ONLINE AND WITH ONE OF HIS FRIENDS THAT IS A MECHANIC AT FORD AND HE SAID IT IS A MAJOR FLAW BUT, FORD IS NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I THEN CALLED FORD TO SEE IF THEY WOULD DO ANYTHING AND THEY SAID THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF A PROBLEM AND IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, SO I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR...

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 60 AND 70 MPH ON HIGHWAYS WITH POTHOLES, I HIT THE POTHOLES AND IMMEDIATELY FELT A VIOLENT SHAKING OR SHIMMY IN THE FRONT WHEELS. THE SHIMMY OCCURS IN WHICH EVER TIRE HITS THE HOLE AND WILL STOP AS SOON AS I REDUCE SPEED TO ABOUT 40 MPH. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF TIE ROD WEAR OR ANY OTHER REPAIRABLE PROBLEMS. *TR

I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALERSHIP FOR A STEERING PROBLEM THAT WAS GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE, AND I BELIEVE IT TO BE DANGEROUS. THEY INFORMED ME THERE WAS AN "INTERNAL FAILURE" IN THE POWER STEERING GEARBOX. THEY CANNOT GET A REPLACEMENT PART FOR AN UNDETERMINED LENGTH OF TIME DUE TO IT BEING ON BACKORDER. THEY WARNED AGAINST PURCHASING AN "AFTERMARKET" REMANUFACTURED PART DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH THEM. I NEED MY TRUCK, AND AM AT A LOSS AS TO HOW TO GET IT FIXED, AND FEEL THERE IS A SAFETY CONCERN. I DON'T BELIEVE FORD SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE VAST NUMBER OF THESE "FAILURES," AND NOT HAVE A SOLUTION FOR OWNERS OF THESE FAULTY PARTS. *TR

WHILE MAKING A TURN IN MY 08 F250 I HEARD A CLICK AND MY TRUCK NO LONGER WILL COME BACK STRAIGHT AFTER A TURN. IT WILL EITHER PULL HARD RIGHT OR LEFT. I HAVE TO STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURN THE WHEEL BOTH DIRECTIONS TO GET THE TRUCK TO DRIVE STRAIGHT AGAIN. NEARLY DROVE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND THEN OFF THE ROAD THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED. IT NOW HAPPENS EVERY TIME I DRIVE. FORD TOLD ME IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER. I FOLLOWED UP THE FOLLOWING WEEK WITH NO RESPONSE. IT TOOK ME GOING TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP FOR THEM TO TELL ME THE BACKORDER IS 120 DAYS! I EXPLAINED ITS UNACCEPTABLE AND THE TRUCK ISN'T SAFE TO DRIVE. THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD TRY AND AFTERMARKET STEERING BOX. AFTER TWO WEEKS THEY SCHEDULED MY APPT. ONLY...

NO ACCIDENT HAS OCCURRED YET BUT I AM CONCERNED. I HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH "MEMORY STEER" ON MY 2008 FORD F-250 SUPER DUTY SINCE THERE WAS LESS THAN 40,000 MILES. IT NOW HAS 49,000 MILES AND I HAVE TO MUSCLE THE STEERING INTO A TURN THEN I HAVE TO MUSCLE IT BACK OUT AGAIN. EVERY OTHER VEHICLE I DRIVE WANTS TO RETURN TO CENTER OR A NEUTRAL POSITION ONCE I'M THROUGH THE TURN. I TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALER A COUPLE YEARS AGO TO ASK WHAT WAS CAUSING THIS ISSUE AND THEY SAID IT COULD BE THE STEERING BOX OR POWER STEERING PUMP. NOW I SEE THAT THE NHTSA IS INVESTIGATING THE FORD F-250 FOR STEERING FAILURES AND WANT TO CONFIRM IF THE VEHICLE IS SAFE OR UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I DRIVE INFREQUENTLY BUT WHEN I DO, IT IS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS...NOT A TIME WHEN THE STEERING SHOULD...

I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR REGULAR SERVICE TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER AND ASKED ABOUT A FRONT END ALIGNMENT BECAUSE I HAD NOTICED THAT WHEN DRIVING STRAIGHT MY STEERING WHEEL HAD TO BE TURNED ABOUT 30 DEGREES COUNTER CLOCKWISE. CUSTOMER SERVICE REP TOLD ME THAT MY VEHICLE WAS INDEED OUT OF ALIGNMENT BUT BARLEY AND GAVE ME THE OPTION TO LEAVE AS IS OR REPAIR...PERMISSION TO REPAIR AND COMPLETED, ON MY WAY HOME I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS AGAIN NOT CORRECT AND HANDLING HAD NOT IMPROVED AND DECIDED I NEEDED TO RETURN WHEN I HAD TIME OFF FROM WORK TO GET REALIGNED AND RECHECKED. A FEW DAYS LATER WHILE ON MY STREET, PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY I HAD LOST ALL STEERING AND WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REGAIN CONTROL I HEARD A LOUD POP IN OR ABOUT MY STEERING WHEEL AREA AND MY HORN WENT OFF TILL I UNHOOKED...