2001 Ford F-250 Steering Problems

SPARK PLUGS KEEP BLOWING OUT OF THE ENGINE, WHILE ACCELERATING, HAS DONE FIVE TIMES,, WHEN IT DOES VEHICLE STALLED POSSIBLY CARE CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, ALMOST GOT HIT BY A TRUCK TRYING TO TURN,

TWICE IN THE LAST 5 YEARS I HAVE EXPERIENCED TOTAL STEERING LOSS WHILE DRIVING FORD F-250 V10 TRITON PICKUP TRUCK, I AM FORTUNATE TO BE ALIVE, BOTH TIMES THE CONNECTION TO THE STEERING BOX BROKE. THERE HAVE BEEN NO AFTERMARKET MODIFICATIONS DONE TO THIS TRUCK. VERY SERIOUS ISSUE! TRUCK IS IN THE SHOP NOW FOLLOWING MOST RECENT FAILURE. I FEAR THINKING ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES HAD EITHER OF THESE TWO FAILURES OCCURRED AT HIGH SPEED

WHILE DRIVING BACK HOME FROM SHOPPING MY BRAKES (ANTI-LOCK STYLE) LOCKED UP AND VIOLENTLY SHOOK MY VEHICLE ALL OVER THE ROAD I WAS DRIVING ON. I HAD LIMITED OR NO CONTROL AT ALL OF THIS INCIDENT. WAS DOING ABOUT 40 MPH. TRUCK ACTED AS IF BRAKES WERE APPLIED ON AND OFF 50/60 TIMES SO FAST THAT THERE WAS NOTHING TO DO BUT HANG ON TO THE STEERING WHEEL. AT ONE POINT I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO FLIP OVER AS THE TRUCK WENT SIDEWAYS. STEERING WENT FROM SIDE TO SIDE AT FIRST, THEN A CONSTANT PULL TO THE RIGHT. I THOUGHT ONE OF MY FRONT TIRES WAS BLOWN OUT. SLOWED DOWN ENOUGH TO GAIN SOME CONTROL BUT IT TOOK MY TRUCK OVER A CURB AND STOPPED ON A SIDEWALK AND SOME GRASS. WHEN I DID APPLY THE BRAKES NOTHING HAPPENED UNTIL I WAS ON THE SIDEWALK AND GOING VERY SLOW BY THIS TIME. GOT OUT AND INSPECTED MY TRUCK FOR DAMAGE BUT SAW NOTHING. WAS ONLY ABOUT .3 MILES FROM HOME SO I STARTED MY VEHICLE AND LIMED IT HOME AT WALKING SPEED. WHEN I TRIED TO GO A LITTLE FASTER IT WOULD START JUMPING AND SHAKING AGAIN. GOT IT HOME AND THAT IS WHEN I NOTICED THE ABS LIGHT WAS ON. IT WAS NOT ON WHEN I STARTED HOME FROM THE STORE. THIS HAPPENED SO FAST THAT I AM GLAD NO ONE WAS IN ANOTHER LANE. THIS HAPPENED ON A 3 LANE EACH DIRECTION ROAD. ALL THIS OCCURRED ON JULY 4TH AT ABOUT 10:47 A.M.

WHILE I WAS DRIVING ALONG A HILLY, WINDING ROAD THE ENGINE OF MY 2001 F-250 DIESEL 4X4 TRUCK UNEXPECTEDLY SHUT OFF. I LOST STEERING AND BRAKING. THERE WERE NO LIGHTS ON THE DASH. THERE WAS NO PRIOR INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE OR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. I'VE HAD THE TRUCK FOR 12 YEARS AT THE TIME AND NEVER EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEM LIKE THIS. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET THE TRUCK TO THE ROAD'S SHOULDER. AFTER THE TRUCK STOPPED I PUT THE SHIFT INTO PARK. THE KEY WAS STILL IN THE RUN POSITION. I SIMPLY TURNED IT TO THE START POSITION AND THE ENGINE STARTED RIGHT UP. I TOOK IT IMMEDIATELY TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER WHO RAN DIAGNOSTICS ON THE TRUCK. THEY FOUND NO INDICATION OF A PROBLEM OTHER THAN ONE BATTERY'S VOLTAGE WAS SLIGHTLY LOW, BUT NOT OUT OF ACCEPTABLE RANGE. I REPLACED BOTH BATTERIES AS THEY WERE ALMOST 3 YEARS OLD. SO FAR, I'VE NOT EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM AGAIN. *JS

AFTER TRAVELING OVER SMALL BUMPS, LIKE RAILROAD TRACKS MOST RECENTLY, AT AROUND 30MPH, ONE FRONT WHEEL STARTED BOUNCING VIOLENTLY, MAKING VEHICLE LOOSE CONTROL UNTIL TRUCK COULD BE BROUGHT TO A STOP. HAD EXPERIENCED THIS NUMEROUS TIME IN THE PAST BUT THOUGHT PROBLEM WAS SOLVED BY ADDING A STEERING STABILIZER A FEW YEARS AGO. PROBLEM HAS RETURNED. EACH TIME, THIS HAS NEARLY RESULTED IN A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT. *TR

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE POWER STEERING PULLEY FELL OFF THE ENGINE WHILE DRIVING. THIS CAUSED THE CONTACT TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND RESULTED IN LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. UPON INSPECTION, THE PULLEY APPEARED TO BE GLUED ON INSTEAD OF BOLTED. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THERE WAS A DEFECT IN THE WAY THE PULLEY WAS ATTACHED TO THE SHAFT. THERE WERE NO PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. HE REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO THE MANUFACTURER. *AK UPDATED 01/11/06. *JB

WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY THE FRONT PASSENGER TIE ROD BROKE WITHOUT WARNING. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

VEHICLE LOSES POWER STEERING ASSIST WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEED OR AT AT STOP POSTION. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER, WHO WAS UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBEM.*AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HE CAN NOT TRUN THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN HE HAS THE BRAKE ON. *TC

WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE STEERING WHEEL FAILED TO TURN. *JB

ON A SLIPPERY ROAD WITH POWER STEERING CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO CHANGE DIRECTIONS AND CAUSED A CRASH.*AKI

VEHICLE IS HARD TO STEER WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO DEALER AND PROBLEM WAS REOCCURRING. *AK STEERING IS BECOMING DIFFICULT TO HANDLE AT HIGHER SPEEDS. CONSUMER HAS TO CONTINUALLY BE AWARE BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THE STEERING WILL FAIL. ALSO THE FRONT ROTORS NEEDED RESURFACING AT 25335 MILES. THE RIGHT FRONT WAS BADLY WARPED AND WAS CAUSING A VIBRATION WHILE IN MOTION. IT WAS GRABBING AT STOPS OR WHEN SLOWING DOWN. *JG

CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A SQUEAK IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN MAKING TURNS, ALSO THE STEERING WAS HARD TO ADJUST ON TILT WHEEL.*JB

WHEN SITTING AT A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN WITH BRAKES APPLIED IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO TURN WHEEL. DEALER SAID THIS WAS NORMAL FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK *JB

THE TRUCK WILL NOT TURN AT LOW SPEED. NOT ENOUGH POWER ASSIST. *AK

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. CONSUMER STATES DEALER HAS NOT CORRECTED PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

LACK OF POWER ASSIST, ESPECIALLY AT LOW SPEEDS AND WHILE BRAKING. *AK

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE POWER STEERING IS WEAK OR NON-EXISTING WHEN PUTTING FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND DRIVING IN SLOW CONDITIONS. DEALER STATES THIS IS NORMAL, CONSUMER ALSO STATES THAT TAIL GATE DOES NOT OPEN, STABILIZER LINK REPLACED. *AK *TT

THIS PROBLEM HAS TO DO WITH THE INABILITY TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN TRUCK IS BEEING OPERATED FROM 0-5 MPH AND WHEN BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. THE POWER ASSIST IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO TURN THE WHEEL DUE TO BRAKES AND STEERING USING THE SAME ASSIST RESULTING IN SEVERE HARDSHIP ATTEMPTING TO DO THINGS LIKE BACK A TRAILER OR PARRALLEL .*AK

WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AT LOW SPEEDE THE POWER STEERING LOCKED UP WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT TO STEER VEHICLE. *AK

CONSUMER WAS PULLING OUT OF AN INTERSECTION ONTO A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY. THE CONSUMER FLOOR THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IN ORDER TO GET UP TO SPEED WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY IDLED DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE THROTTLE STOPPING DEVICE ON THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY BENT WHEN THE PEDAL WAS FLOOR AND CAUSED THE TRUCK TO IDLE DOWN INSTEAD OF UP. THE STEERING WHEEL DID NOT RESPOND WHEN THE CONSUMER SLAMMED ON THE BRAKE. *JG *NLM