2006 FORD F-150 Complaints

STEERING BECAME INTERMITTENTLY STIFF WHILE DRIVING. TRUCK HAD ABOUT 80000 MILES ON IT AND 9 YEARS OLD WHEN SYMPTOMS STARTED. STIFFNESS WOULD OCCUR SOMETIMES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHEN I STARTED A LANE CHANGE, AND AT SLOW SPEEDS WHEN I WAS TURNING (FOR INSTANCE ON COMMUNITY STREETS). AS I WAS TURNING IT WOULD CYCLE FROM HARD TO REGULAR EFFORT, AS WOULD BE IF A UNIVERSAL JOINT WAS GOING BAD. MY NON-FORD MECHANIC DIAGNOSED IT AS A BAD LOWER STEERING SHAFT. I INSPECTED THE BAD SHAFT AND AGREED THAT ONE UNIVERSAL SHAFT WAS TIGHT AND THE OTHER WAS EXTREMELY TIGHT. $557 REPAIR.

TRUCK HAS ~116000 MILES. ENGINE RANDOMLY DIES WHILE IN MOTION (15 - 50 MPH) AND WHILE IDLING AT A STOP. NO POWER BRAKES OR STEERING UNTIL ENGINE IS RESTARTED. HAS OCCURRED DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND IN THE CITY. MAINLY OCCURRED GOING STRAIGHT (NOT TURNING). IMMEDIATELY RESTARTS. NO ENGINE CODES OR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. THROTTLE BODY REPLACED WITHOUT FIXING CONDITION. "WRENCH" SYMBOL ON DRIVER DISPLAY HAS BEEN ON FOR A WHILE BUT CONDITION JUST STARTED.

ON 3 OCCASIONS MY VEHICLE ,OVER 4 MONTHS, HAS HAD A COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. THIS OCCURRED MOST RECENTLY WHILE I WAS EXITING THE INTERSTATE .WHEN THE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN SO DOES THE DASH AND BRAKE LIGHTS, IT ALSO STOPS POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. THIS TIME BY REACTING QUICKLY I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND RESTART ,AFTER TURNING KEY TO OFF POSITION FIRST.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO LATCH THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT BELT. WHEN DRIVING ALONE, THE CONTACT WOULD LATCH HIS SEAT BELT INTO THE PASSENGER SIDE BUCKLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 135,000.

THE STEERING WHEEL FREEZES UP IN COLD WEATHER. MY MECHANIC DIAGNOSED A FAILED LOWER STEERING COLUMN THAT IS EXPOSED TO ROADWAY SPLASH AND CORROSION. THIS IS ALSO A TELESCOPING SECTION OF THE STEERING COLUMN DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE DRIVER IN CASE OF FRONTAL CRASH. SO OVERNITE IT FREEZES UP AND SLOWLY LOOSENS. WHILE DRIVING BECOMES STIF AND RESULTS IN DIFFICULT STEERING. 45,000 MILES ON ODOMETER.

DROVE F-150 NORMALLY DURING WEEK. ON WEEKEND MORNING WHILE PULLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY AND SPORADICALLY BEGAN RESISTING EFFORT TO TURN CAUSING TRUCK TO SWAY UNPREDICTABLY DURING TURNS. RESISTING DRIVER INPUT. WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. AFTER REVIEWING BLOGS ONLINE I REALIZED A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO DRIVE THIS ERA F-150 HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. IT TURNS OUT THE LOWER STEERING COLUMN SHAFT CONTAINING THE U-JOINTS USES DEFECTIVE MATERIALS OR HAS BAD DESIGN. THE U-JOINTS ARE BINDING UP DURING DRIVING CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE PARTIAL CONTROL OVER DIRECTION OF VEHICLE. TEMPORARY FIX MAY BE TO SPRAY WITH ANTI-CORROSIVE SPRAY, THEN LUBRICATING SPRAY, WHICH I DID. THIS LASTS ONLY A SHORT TIME SO THE LOWER SHAFT WITH U-JOINTS MUST BE REPLACED. FORD KNOWS OF THE DEFECT FOR THIS ERA F-150 AND HAS REDESIGNED THIS LOWER SHAFT TO ELIMINATE THE BINDING. THIS NEW DESIGN IS WHAT THEY SELL YOU AS A REPLACEMENT, NOT THE ORIGINAL DESIGN. IF YOU TRY TO BUY ONE ONLINE IT COSTS AT LEAST $245 FOR THE O.E.M. PART. IF YOU BUY ONE OF THE 2 AFTERMARKET KNOCKOFFS IT'LL SET YOU BACK APPROX $125. THE AFTERMARKET SHAFT ADVERTISING TOUTS THE FACT THAT IT HAS A DESIGN THAT WILL NOT BIND LIKE THE ORIGINAL FORD SHAFT DOES. THIS TRUCK HAD APPROX 69,700 MILES ON IT WHEN THE SHAFT BEGAN BINDING UP.

I HAVE A 2006 F-150 V8 4.6 THE HEATER COIL IN THE TRUCK HAS FAILED. AND THE WATER PUMP ALSO

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER AND DRIVER WINDOWS WERE LEAKING DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 110,000.

LAST WEEK I STARTED NOTICING MY STEERING STARTING TO GET STIFF AND THE WHEEL DOES NOT RECENTER AFTER A STEER TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT. IVE HAD TO DO SOME QUICK MUSCLING TO RECENTER THE WHEEL. I'VE JUST FINISHED RESEARCHING SOME OTHER FORD FORUMS FOR THIS VEHICLE AND MANY OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE U JOINTS ON THE STEERING COLUMN RUSTING OR SEIZING. I WILL TRY SPRAYING SOME ANTI SEIZE ON THE U JOINTS TOMMOROW UNTIL I CAN GET IT TO A GARAGE.MY TRUCK HAS APPROXIMATELY 103,000 MILES ON IT . THIS IS DANGEROUS AND WITH THE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS IT SHOULD BE RECALLED BY FORD TO CORRECT.

LAST WEEK TRUCK SUDDENLY BECAME VERY HARD TO TURN GOING AROUND CORNERS. STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND I ALMOST WENT OVER AN EMBANKMENT. HIT OR MISS SO I NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL GO OUT. THANKFULLY DID NOT HAVE MY 2 YOUNG CHILDREN! A WEEK LATER (11/29/15), TRUCK SUDDENLY STARTS TO VIOLENTLY SHAKE IF I GO OVER 50 MPH! SCARED THE DICKENS OUT OF ME! HOPING TO LIMP IT TO A DEALERSHIP AND TRADE IT IN. NOT SAFE FOR ME TO DRIVE. I HAVE PUT 20K MILES ON IT IN 2 YEARS AND HAS BEEN REGULARLY SERVICED. WHAT GIVES?!?