There are 30 owner-reported steering complaints for the 2002 Ford F-150in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
SEED CONTRAL.
WHILE BACKING INTO MY TRUCK STARTED MAKING A LOAD NOISE, IT WAS OBVIOUS IT WAS IN THE FRONT END. TRYING TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, IT WAS STUCK. STOPPED THE TRUCK, LOOKED UNDER THE FRONT OF TRUCK AT STEERING, I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE FRAME, IT WAS THEN THAT I SAW THE STEERING LINK, AGAINST THE RIGHT CV AXLE. THE IDLER ARM HAD SOME HOW RIPPED OFF THE FRAME, LEAVING NA HOLE WHERE THE IDLER ARM WAS, THE FRAME OF THE TRUCK HAD WEAKENED, CAUSING THE METAL TO WEAKEN AND SEPARATE, THANK AGAIN FORD. *TR
ENGINE QUITS RUNNING AND WONT RESTART, SO YOU HAVE NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES. PROBLEM INDICATORS ARE 1. ENGINE WONT RESTART/ OR QUIT RUNNING 2. ODOMETER READS ALL DASHES, NO NUMBERS,3. ANTI THEFT ACTIVATED. THIS IS CAUSED BY THE POWER WIRE IN THE FUSE BOX UNDER THE HOOD CORRODING OFF FOR THE PCM RELAY AND LEAVING THE PCM DEAD. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOOSE. THE STEERING BOX THEN ABNORMALLY MOVED BACK AND FORTH. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THREE BOLTS THAT HELD THE STEERING GEAR TO THE FRAME WERE FRACTURED. THE HEAD OF THE BOLTS SNAPPED AND ONE SIDE OF THE BOLTS APPEARED TO BE CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 127,312. ..UPDATED 10/03/12 *BF
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING BOX FAILED. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SPIN WITHOUT RESISTANCE AND WOULD NOT CATCH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO ADVISED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 214,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD F150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE TIE ROD FRACTURED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, CAUSING HIM TO LOSE CONTROL OF HIS VEHICLE. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO REPAIRED THE INNER PASSENGER TIE ROD. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 127,000. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
ONE GAS TANK STRAP WAS FOUND TO BE RUSTED AND THE TANK AT AN ANGLE. IT WAS INSPECTED BY A LOCAL FORD DEALER, WHO FOUND THAT THE GAS TANK WAS ALSO RUSTED AND LEAKING. THE GAS TANK AND STRAPS WERE REPLACED. BECAUSE THE MODEL YEAR WAS NOT IN THE DATE RANGE OF THE RECENT RECALL, WE HAD TO PAY $793. A POWER STEERING PUMP WAS ALSO LEAKING AND REPLACED. THE GAS TANK WAS THE MAJOR ITEM OF CONCERN.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE GASOLINE TANK STRAP WAS COVERED WITH RUST. THE CONTACT DID NOT INFORM THE DEALER OR MANUFACTURER OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THEY REPLACED THE FUEL TANK STRAPS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 97,000. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000. UPDATED 07/08/11 *BF THE DRIVER SIDE TIE ROD WAS ALSO REPLACED. UPDATED 12/28/11
WHILE DRIVING IN A STRAIGHT LINE AT 36 MPH ON A PAVED STREET THE LEFT OTTER TIE ROD END BROKE . CAR WAS CLOSE TO BEING OUT OF CONTROL BUT WAS SAFELY BROUGHT TO A STOP. REPLACED ALL TIE ROD ENDS, PITMAN ARM AND CENTER LINK. (SHOP THAT DID THE ALIGNMENT SAID I WAS THE SECOND CAR THAT HAD BROKEN A TIE ROD. THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS A 2001 F150). *TR
TOTAL FAILURE TIE ROD AND BALL JOINT ON FRONT DRIVER SIDE SUDDENLY CAME APART WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING CAUSING LOST OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. I WAS ABLE TO "DIRECT" TRUCK OFF THE ROAD. *TR
I PUT MY KEY IN, TURNED IT ON AND WENT TO SHIFT IN TO DRIVE AND THE SHIFTER CAME RIGHT OUT OF THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS IN BETWEEN GEARS.*CN
I WAS TOLD DURING A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE THAT MY TRUCK NEEDED TIE ROD ENDS AND BALL JOINTS (NOT JUST SOME OF THEM BUT ALL OF THEM) I CHECKED THE INTERNET AND IT SEEMS THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THESE. IS THERE ANY INVESTIGATION GOING ON OR A POSSIBLE RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR
I TOOK THE KIDS TO THE BABYSITTER AND WENT TO PUT THE TRUCK IN PARK AND THE GEAR SHIFTER BROKE OFF INSIDE THE STEERING COLUMN. IT HAS ALWAYS HAD A PLACE WHERE THE SHIFTER LEVER WOULD KIND OF CATCH BETWEEN REVERSE AND PARK AND YOU HAD TO WIGGLE IT WHEN PUTTING IT INTO PARK . I WAS TOLD IT HAD TO HAVE A NEW STEERING COLUMN THAT IS $500+ NOT INCLUDING LABOR. I THINK THIS COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS. WHAT IF IT HAPPENED GOING DOWN THE ROAD OR WHEN MY 15 YEAR OLD [BEGINNER DRIVER] WAS DRIVING. *TR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK IN A PARKING LOT, ALL STEERING WAS LOST. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE TIE ROD.
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET, AT A SLOW RATE OF SPEED, AND MAKING A SLIGHT TURN TO THE LEFT, THE TIE-ROD END ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BROKE OFF AND JAMMED INTO THE WHEEL. THE TIE-ROD GOUGED THE INSIDE OF THE ALUMINUM AND PUNCTURED THROUGH THE WHEEL. I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE TRUCK TO A STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. BOTH THE INNER AND OUTER TIE-RODS ON THE DRIVES SIDE WHERE REPLACED. THE ALUMINUM WHEEL ALSO NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AS IT IS SCORED AND WILL NOT HOLD AIR. *NM
WITHOUT NOTICE THE POWER STEERING LET GO ON MY TRUCK RESULTING IN THE UNIT LEAKING OUT 6 BOTTLES WERE REPLACED IN THE RESERVOIR AND CONTINUED TO LEAK ONTO THE GROUND. *NM
WHILE PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY I WAS TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN I HEARD SOMETHING SNAP IN THE STEERING COLUMN AND THEN I HAD NO CONTROL OF THE STEERING. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD TURN COMPLETELY AROUND AND THERE WAS NO CONTROL OF THE FRONT WHEELS. AFTER TAKING THE TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THEY REPLACED THE UPPER STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY, THE STEERING SHAFT, AND REPLACED THE CLOCK SPRING UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS COST A TOTAL OF $810.16. I WAS ON MY WAY OUT OF TOWN THAT DAY AND WAS HEADING FOR THE INTERSTATE. I AM SO THANKFUL THAT I WAS NOT GOING 70 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE. THEY COULD NOT TELL ME WHY THIS HAPPENED. THE VEHICLE IS ONLY 3 YRS OLD AND HAS 63,878 MILES ON IT. *NM
THIS PROBLEM BEGAN WHEN THE TRUCK WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM THE DEALERSHIP. WE DIDN'T FIND OUT THE REAL PROBLEM UNTIL ABOUT A FEW MONTHS AGO. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS NO FIX HAVE TO LEAVE WITH THE PROBLEM. WHEN YOU ARE GOING AT SLOW SPEEDS WITH THE VEHICLE YOU ARE UNABLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE. THEY SAID ITS THE BOOSTER IN THE VEHICLE WHEN IT WAS DESIGNED THEY ONLY BUT ONE FOR THE BRAKES AND THE STEERING. SO WHEN YOU BRAKE AT ANYTIME YOU NO LONGER HAVE STEERING. THIS MEANS YOUR ANTILOCK BRAKES WILL NOT WORK. WE HAVE HAD A MINOR ACCIDENT NO ONE HURT AND NOT ENOUGH DAMAGE TO CLAIM. BUT THERE HAS BEEN MANY CLOSE CALLS BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE WENT TO FORD AND THEY SAY LIVE WITH IT. LAWYERS SAY THERE IS A SUIT BUT THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HANDLE UNLESS A WRECK AND SOMEONE GETS HURT OR DIES THEN THEY WOULD CONSIDER THE CAUSE. EVEN THE WORKERS AT THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THIS A SAFETY PROBLEM BUT FORD TOLD THEM NOT TO EVEN TRY TO FIX THE PROBLEM WHEN THEY COME IN BECAUSE THERE IS NO FIX. SINCE THIS MISDESINGED THEY HAVE RE-DESIGNED THE NEW 2003 TO HAVE 2 BOOSTER TO CONTROL ONE FOR THE BRAKES AND ONE FOR THE STEERING. PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS PROBLEM BEFORE THERE IS AN ACCIDENT WHERE SOMEONE GETS HURT. THANKS DENISE. *NM
VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT 15 MPH AND LOST CONTROL DUE TO A CODDER PIN SNAPPING IN HALF CAUSING THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL TO COME ENTIRELY OFF OF THE VEHICLE. THE DISK BRAKE STAYED CONNECTED TO THE RIM AND WAS ALSO REMOVED ENTIRELY FROM THE VEHICLE CAUSING THE BRAKE LINES TO BE SEVERED WHICH CAUSED NO PRESSURE. WITH NO PRESSURE IN THE BRAKE LINES I WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP THE OTHER WHEELS BUT WAS FORCED TO LET THE VEHICLE COME TO A SKIDDING STOP, WHICH HAPPENED BY HITTING A TREE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE A YEAR PRIOR THEY HAD WORKED ON THE SAME WHEEL TO PACK THE BEARINGS AND DO OTHER SMALL MAINTENANCE. BOTH THE DEALERSHIP AND FORD CLAIMED NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCIDENT, WHICH SEEMS STRANGE SINCE A VEHICLES WHEEL SHOULD REMAIN ON WHEN GOING 15 MPH.
NO WARNING-UPON ATTEMPT TO ENGAGE SHIFT SELECTOR INTO "R", THE ENTIRE SHIFT SELECTOR BROKE IN HALF AT THE SHAFT CONNECTION INSIDE THE COLUMN . THE STRUCTURE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED FROM A MATERIAL OFTEN REFERRED TO AS "POT-LEAD". HAD TO HAVE VEHICLE TOWED HOME AT MY PERSONAL EXPENSE. COULD NOT DISENGAGE TRANSMISSION FROM THE "PARK" POSITION AND COULD NOT REMOVE THE IGNITION KEY. *JB
Showing 1–20 of 30 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026