1997 Ford F-350 Steering Problems

“The collapsable upper steering column is very worn and sloppy and needs to be replaced. I feel this is an extreme safety hazard that could lead to possible loss of steering. There is no recall for this part and I will have to pay for it out of my own pocket. Since there is no new part no. For this part, I feel it will only go out again in another 60,000 mi. This part should be adressed and a new recall part should be assigned.”

“While driving down a dirt road, the steering column on my F-350 bound up making it nearly impossible for me to turn the steering wheel to make a upcoming corner. By reefing on the steering wheel I was able to turn the vehicle to make the corner. When I reefed on the steering wheel, the steering column made a loud pop then started turning. The steering started working again after that but now the steering wheel/column is very wobbly. I've contacted the local Ford dealer and informned him of the problem.”

“Power steering was lost when my hydraulic pressure hose was blown out of the fitting that threads into the power steering pump. The local Ford dealer parts department had seen so many of these hoses replaced that the employee at the counter knew what type of vehicle it went on without asking any questions. He was also able to retrieve the new hose from the warehouse without consulting a computer for a part number or storage location. This tells me (and he eventually confirmed) that these hose fittings have been failing regularly. …”

“The contact stated the steering wheel became very difficult to turn while backing up. The vehicle was towed to the dealership who determined the power steering hose came loose, which caused the vehicle to leak power steering fluid and lose all power steering. The dealership informed the contact the diesel engine vibration caused the rubber seal that held the power steering hose on to come loose. Updated 9/18/2006 -”

“Previous complaint #odi747045. I wanted to send you some more information concerning this problem as I am aware that Ford has had this problem with their vehicles since 96 when Ford bought back my vehicle and replaced it with another vehicle with the same problem. Recently I ran off the road with this vehicle just missing going over a sheer drop off of over 1,000 feet into the ocean. In my panic stop with no power steering and brakes the steering wheel was indented with my hand print and dented front section of wheel along with the shift lever breaking off during this panic stop. …”