2009 Ford F-150

TOOK MY VEHICLE FOR IN FOR ANNUAL SAFETY INSPECTION. FAILED DUE TO LEAKING LOWER POWER STEERING HOSE. UNABLE TO OBTAIN REPLACEMENT FROM FORD DUE TO BACKORDER - APPARENTLY THIS IS A VERY COMMON FAILURE FOR THIS PART IN THESE VEHICLES. FORD STATED THAT THEY WON'T HAVE ANY AVAILABLE UNTIL 22 OCT SO I'M DRIVING AROUND WITH A FAILED VEHICLE SAFETY STICKER UNTIL THEN. AMAZED THAT THIS OCCURRED ON A VEHICLE THAT'S ONLY 3 YEARS OLD, AND SUBJECTED TO LIGHT DUTY THE ENTIRE TIME. VEHICLE NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY SO WILL COST ME $600 TO REPLACE (NEW HOSE IS $200 ALONE!). THIS IS MY 5TH AND LAST FORD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS CHANGING THE OIL AND NOTICED THAT THE POWER STEERING LINE WAS LEAKING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC FOR AN INSPECTION AND THEY INFORMED HIM THAT THEY COULD NOT OBTAIN THE NECESSARY PART BECAUSE IT WAS ON BACK ORDER. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS AGAIN INFORMED THAT THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE KNOWN ISSUES FOR THIS FAILURE, BUT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD F150. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY SLUGGISH AND DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO REACH HIS DESTINATION AND NOTICED THAT THE LOWER POWER STEERING HOSE WAS LEAKING FLUID. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOTIFIED, THEY BOTH INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE PART WAS ON A NATIONAL BACK ORDER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNCERTAIN WHEN THE PART WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD BEEN WAITING ON THE PART SINCE MARCH OF 2012. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000.

POWER STEERING HYDRAULIC HOSE LEAKING, CAUSING POWER STEERING PUMP TO WHINE & CAVITATE,& WILL EVENTUALLY RUIN THE POWER STEERING PUMP, DEALER SAYS THE HOSE IS ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER, 3700 CUSTOMERS ARE WAITING FOR THIS PART. DRIVE AT YOUR OWN RISK, WHEN THE PUMP FAILS YOU GO TO MANUAL STEERING INSTANTLY AND COULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HIGH PRESSURE HOSE FOR THE POWER STEERING HAD A BAD FITTING ON HIS VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT YET EXPERIENCED A FAILURE, BUT THE CONTACT WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 85,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

DURING AN INSPECTION THE POWER STEERING HOSE WAS FOUND TO BE LEAKING. ADVISED BY SERVICE AGENT TO TAKE TO DEALER AS A WARRANTY ISSUE. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THEY SAID NEW POWER STEERING HOSE IS REQUIRED AND SENT ON MY WAY AFTER BEING TOLD HOSE IS ORDERED. MORE THAN A WEEK LATER I FIND OUT, AFTER SEARCHING ONLINE THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WAITING 10 WEEKS FOR THE SAME REPLACEMENT PART FROM FORD, THE ONLY SUPPLIER OF THIS PARTICULAR HOSE! I CONTACTED FORD BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP DOES NOT RESPOND TO PHONE CALLS AND WAS TOLD THAT THE DEALER SAYS THAT IT IS SAFE TO DRIVE. WELL I FEEL THAT ANY LEAKING POWER STEERING HOSE IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE RESPONSE FROM FORD WAS TO PURCHASE A LARGE CONTAINER OF POWER STEERING FLUID AND CONTINUALLY TOP UP THE FLUID. THEY SAID THIS ADVICE WAS FROM THE DEALER. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE REPORTED SIMPLY BECAUSE THE MORE YOU DRIVE THE HIGHER THE RISK OF A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE STEERING AND THE RISK OF DEATH OR INJURY TO THE DRIVER AND OCCUPANTS. IT ALSO NEEDS TO BE HIGHLIGHTED THE BLASE ATTITUDE OF FORD AND THEIR DEALERS TO THIS MATTER. IT WAS CERTAINLY OF BIG ENOUGH CONCERN INITIALLY FOR THE DEALERSHIP TO TRY AND FIND A RENTAL VEHICLE THAT THEY WOULD PAY FOR IN LIEU OF LOSS OF TRANSPORT AS WAS CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE FOR LONG DISTANCES. *TR

WHILE NEGOTIATING A RIGHT TURN ON A BUSY INTERSECTION, I HEARD A COUPLE OF POPPING SOUND FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. AFTER THAT, I LOST POWER STEERING ON RIGHT TURN AND ALMOST RAN HEAD ON IN AN ONCOMING VEHICLE FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. I HAVE TO SLOW DOWN TO A CRAWL BECAUSE I HAVE TO HANG ON TO THE STEERING WHEEL TO NEGOTIATE THE TURN. THE OTHER DRIVER HAS TO STOP TO LET ME GET BACK TO MY LANE. EVERYTIME I NEGOTIATE A CURVE ON HWY 160 FROM PAGOSA SPRINGS TO COLORADO SPRINGS, I HAVE TO SLOW DOWN TO ABOUT 45 MPH TO NEGOTIATE THE CURVE. IT FELT LIKE I'M WORKING AGAINST HYDRAULIC PRESSURE EVERYTIME I STEER TO THE RIGHT. LEFT STEER IS A BIT HARD BUT NOT AS HARD AND ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER TO THE RIGHT. THE WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE POWER STEERING GEAR BOX WAS DEFECTIVE. THIS INCIDENT OF LOOSING STEERING ON A BUSY CITY STREET COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR