Problems with 2004 Ford F-150 STEERING

Truck was sold with defective parts on the driver side of vehicle. steering knuckle, abs sensors, etc. having to be replaced 2 weeks after buying. repair shop said vehicle was not maintained, sold in this condition when it could've been noticed and fixed. while driving a week after purchase truck lost steering and braking functionality on the highway and had to be pulled to the side of the road.. towed to mechanic, oils not be driven

Excessive shaking at 40 mph+ , trans fault light came on & off . trouble using reverse would jerk & slip. have replaced many parts recently

While driving my steering locked up because the steering shafts locked up. causing me to wreck my truck.

My vehicle has developed what i would refer to as a death wobble. at speeds from 40 to 55 mpg the front of the trick shakes as though it's going to rattle apart. this is clearly a ford issue and is now getting a good share of attention on you tube. there are a lot of us out there who have inheritated this from ford who is in constant denial of it's refusal to address and take corrective action to repair the buckleing of the front end. how many more accidents need to happen or ford's diligence on preventitive measures may just save lives and customers. please help in resolving this manufacturing issue.

The steering shaft had tp be replaced. it was like i did not have any power steering.

While driving home i made a right turn on to my street and then the wheel spun all tge way to the left. i had no control of steering and the truck hit a guard rail. steering wheel doesn't turn the tires at all now. the steering was stiff before accident. i believe that the rack and pinion snapped. truck is a total lose. no recalls from ford for my vin.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. the contact stated that the steering shaft locked up several times. in addition, the oem part for the shifter cable was black and now it was plastic with a coated metal. the contact was uncertain if the change of the oem part was structurally sound because the shift cable had to be replaced more than once. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided no solution. the vin was unknown. the approximate failure mileage was 211,240.

Most recently,(not including rear end replaced, reverse band on trans replaced, blown spark plug out of engine block) my truck has started to stall out for no reason that i can fathom,1st time was at 65 mph on a major highway, now more recently at lower speeds, coming to a stop at stop signs lights ect , turning street corners at lower speeds, or coming to a stop in my driveway. i see many complaints of this same problem in forums with no cause or repair that seems to be a root cause. please help !

Power steering pressure line rusted out, all fluid released could not steer vehicle.

Steering has a popping sound!! u-joints are wore out in steering column due to lack of grease fittings.

I bought this vehicle used with 139000 miles on saturday 05/16/15. now i was not expecting a new vehicle but not one with so many problems either. first of all it has a very rough idle, i found that there is a serious problem with this engine and removal of the spark plugs. the repair shop will not even give an estimate for changing the spark plugs as there are very well known problems with them breaking off in the engine. ford knows about this and has put out a notice about this known problem. i had to take it for a lower steering arm replacement on monday 05/18/15 as the wheel was not returning to the straight position without assistance. now there is a humming noise from the rear differential that the repair guy said is the pinion barring and that it needs to be fixed. the dealer window sticker had everything checked as good and no notes to say there was anything wrong with the vehicle. no surprise there. after checking this web site i found an open recall for the airbag which was repaired. i also found all the reports of problems with this vehicle. my question is why the nhtsa is not requiring ford to recall these vehicles for the numerous problems that were reported from day one and allowed to continue through 2008. ford was allowed to keep building these vehicles along with others with the same defective parts for over 4 years. that is just wrong. i can not believe they are allowed to get away with this kind of crap.

Found trying to turn the steering wheel was getting very stiff until i brought the vehicle through the car was then the stiffness went away until it dried in the engine compartment as i googled this issue i found that this issue is quite common with these vehicles the steering mid shaft u-joints lubrication dries up and there is no way to re-lubricate them causing steering to get stiff possibly causing an accident. *tr

My rear end differential - axle went out and it's making a noise and feels like my rear end is lose when i drive down the highway almost feels unsafe but it is too pricey to fix i feel i should be something ford should fix or recall. *tr

I was getting into my truck and when i was about to start my truck and leave my airbag deployed in my face my arm also hit my face an d i bruised up right away and swollen, i called a tow truck my insurance had my truck towed to the ford dealership, they told me they will not be able to take care of damages unless i pay them out of my pocket they did tell me there was a recall on my truck for the air bag deploying on there own, next day ford motor company told me they could not help me as well because they claim they sent me a recall letter, i never did. i think they should cover their repair there is a active recall!!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the intermittent steering shaft needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 159,000. the vin was not available.

In low speed and high speed turns, power rack and pinion, the steering becomes very stiff causing the vehicle to turn hard, feels like the truck has manual steering. this issue is most common on slow speed however i have encountered the issue at highway speeds. research i have done indicates this is an issue, backed by a member of a local ford dealership service dept, of a failure of the universal on the lower steering shaft. the part # for the replacement part is as follows... #8l32-3b676-b. ford dealership does not have a recall on this yet, i'm a deputy sheriff who has knowledge of ford recalling the same type part on the ford police interceptors which we currently use in our fleet. this loss of steering control is very severe. *tr

Steering becomes stiff, will not turn without excessive force and if in turn requires excessive force to return to neutral position. when turn it will hang and forcing causes over steer. according to inter chat the fix was to lubricate the steering column universal joint above steering pump in engine room. did this, was good until may 2014 and suddenly return, lubrication not working so well this time. this would cause my wife to wreck, it could cause and may have caused accidents. appears to be common issue. please investigate because many complaints on logged on web sites. *tr

Turning out of a parking lot during acceleration the truck began to "jump" and ride rough like driving over a "washboard". after stopping and checking it out nothing was seen. happened again on the way home. i took it to the dealership in town and they said the rear diff needed to be replaced. *tr

Steering became quite stiff and wheel did not return after cornering. ford service manage diagnosed problem as universal joint on steering shaft seizing due to corrosion.there are no grease fittings to lubricate the joints and they are had to reach. ford dealers do not always have parts on hand for this repair. i have managed to loosen the joint with penetrating oil in a pump oiler. for has offered no solution and the joints had no protective rubber boot over them to protect them from corrosion. in addition, the cooling lines to the power steering pump rusted through posing a danger of sudden loss of power steering assistant. the cooling line was made of bare metal that was not rust or corrosion resistant such as galvanizing and designed as to be in a vulnerable location under the radiator behind the front bumper. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f150. the contact was driving 55 mph when the steering wheel seized. the contact merged the vehicle off the highway, turned the vehicle off and waited thirty minutes before restarting. the vehicle resumed as normal. the dealer inspected the vehicle and advised the contact that the upper and lower steering shaft had rusted together. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 103,188. the alternator was replaced. updated 02/28/12

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. the contact stated the bolt in the steering box was broken and caused the steering wheel to become very tight. the contact was able to drive the vehicle back to his home then to the dealer who confirmed one of the bolts in the steering box were broken. the vin was unknown. the failure and current mileage was 66,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. the contact stated while driving, the vehicle made a noise in the front end; the steering wheel was also difficult to turn. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and who diagnosed that the rack and pinion steering needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 64,000 and the current mileage was 65,000. updated 09/08/11*lj updated 2/9/12 *cn

Shaft assembly part #8l32-3b676-b on 2004 ford f-150 needed to be replaced. mechanic told me there was a technical service bulletin (tsb) . steering wheel would stick badly especially at low speed turns and intermittently at high speed turns, as well, causing two near accidents. still having problems...one mechanic tells me it the tie rods that require replacing and another tells me lower steering shaft needs replacement. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. the contact stated that while driving on a gravel road approximately 15 mph, a rattling noise emitted from the front end of the vehicle. the failure recurred whenever the vehicle was in motion. in addition, the steering wheel would slightly vibrate. the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

2004 ford f-150 vin#[xxx]. i was having a problem steering the vehicle and thought it was the steering fluid/pump. pump and fluid were find but, they problem continued and i was having considerable issues trying to steer. vehicle was taken to my local repair shop. all tire on staten island new york. phone# 718 447-3400. the problem was diagnosed and repaired. the lower steering assmebly was broken. this shaft is part #8l3z3b676b. i was informed by one of the shop managers that this is a common problem and that he was repairing a second ford a ford excursion with the same shaft. he further stated that he has repaired several in the last few months. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Shaft assembly part #8l32-3b676-b on ford f-150 needed to be replaced. mechanic told me there was a technical service bulletin (tsb) . steering wheel would stick badly when making turns causing two near accidents. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. the contact stated that the steering wheel would vibrate excessively when driving 40 mph and over. the vehicle would not remain in third gear when shifted and the interior of all four tires were worn prematurely. the tires were replaced at a local tire specialty facility and the contact was advised to rotate the tires every 2000-3000 miles. in addition, the contact stated that the vehicle would exhibit an unusual knocking from the top portion of the engine. the rear brake light above the crew cab would become filled with water that was leaking into the vehicle. also when accelerating to highway speeds, the vehicle would become resistant to acceleration. the contact would have to depress the accelerator pedal abruptly. when doing so, the check engine warning light would illuminate and the vehicle would vibrate violently. the contact believed there was an issue with the fuel gauge and tank. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 70,000 and the current mileage was 98,000.

Steering became very hard intermittently. i thought that i had a power steering problem. steering would not return to center when completing turns and froze up on turns at low speed. took to dealer and advised that universals in steering shaft were rusted frozen. truck had 98,000 miles. a friend with a 2007 f-150 with 50,000 miles had same problem. this is a very dangerous situation, since it was difficult to control the vehicle in turns. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a loud rattling noise coming from the steering column. the contact continued to drive and later discovered that the failure was contributed to the tie rod ends, which were extremely loose. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that there were no recalls associated with the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

I have a 2004 f150 pu i purchased the truck used,supposedly a demo. driving home the steering locked up i thought maybe a belt after nursing the truck home i looked and the belt was intact i got some info from a mechanic friend he suggested the power steering pump i changed that (the truck is no longer under warranty it only has 52000 miles on it) after checking it out further i noticed it has two different style tierods on it and noticed that both upper ball joints ar bad the truck was a just inspected in nov. nothing was said that the was any trouble with anything any way i tried to e mail ford customer relations center i was told to contact dealer( i had problems with another ford truck and when i complained about that truck the manger told me i was nuts his service than test drove the truck and stated that there was a problem with the shimmy in the front end of the truck but could not find cause)so i did not talk to this person my point is with only 52,000 miles on it the ball joints should not be bad and should not have to be replaced and with paying 500. a month for a payment i cannot afford to repair the truck on my own(or should not have to) can you help in any way? *tr

2004 f150 triton needed to have steering shaft assembly replaced. strong burning smell. difficulty steering. leaking steering fluid. part #8l3z*3b676*a was removed and replaced @ c wimerley..49047. *tr

2004 f-150 with 41,000 miles has a bad shimmy around 55 mph and wears tires every 8,000 to 10,000 miles. recently truck became very hard to steer so i took it to a local mechanic where it was discovered that the steering intermediate shaft was falling apart. *tr

I have owned the truck for approx. 7 weeks. during the test drive i noticed a vibration starting around 55 mph. the truck had 41000 miles on it. the dealer agreed to balance the tires. after balancing the problem still occurred. it gets severe around 70-74 mph with steering wheel vibrations. i will be taking the truck into the shop for the 45000 mile service within two weeks and will be talking to the service dept. *jb

Driving on the interstate @ 55mph the truck has a vibration -begins to shake- returned to dealer no problem found, this story goes on and on i have replaced out of my pocket rotors, calibers two whole set of tires and still to this day is still will shake @ and around 52 mph to 57 mph nobody will help me find the problem now it is out of warranty ford doesn't care. *tr

I have just left my dealer with some disappointing news. the vibration i am encountering with my 04 f150 is due to the wheel hubs being engineered out of acceptable tolerance. that is to say the issue has been fixed for the 05 and 06 models. it has been explained to me that the wheels and hubs must be "indexed" for the bottom basemant price of $396.00. this process will have to be done everytime you move or replace a tire. ford has indicated to me that this is the only fix for the steering wheel vibration and that the consumers are financially responsible for this process although it is their engineering foul up. it was also indicated that they would do the indexing for a reduced amount as long as i purchase my tires and my rotations from them! luckily my dealer has enough good sense to do this process (one that should by the way never have to be done) for free. of the 26 vehichles i ahve owned, i have never and i mean never had to or heard of indexing the wheels and hubs in order to get my car to quit shaking!!! you can reference this information from the ford motor company technical service bulletin #06-12-02

I have a ford regency f-150 with a factory 6 inch lift done by regency. when the lift was done the steering linkage is in contact with the brake line so when the steering wheel is turned a hole was worn in the brake line causing a loss of brake pressure. i talked to regency and rick said it was the second he had heard of. mine is being fixed now but anyone else who owns one of these vehicles is at risk of an accident. i am reporting this in the hopes no one is hurt unnecessarily. *nm

1) my truck will still out when coasting to red lights or when idling. 2) when the truck stalls, i loose power steering and power breaks, yesterday it died out right on top of some railroad tracks and was giving me trouble trying to restart. it would say "low oil pressure" on start up, however that's because the rpm's weren't high enough to create enough oil pressure. it will then go into engine failsafe mode. 3) the ford dealership says i need a new throttle body and to reflash the pcm. however i have not been able to make the repairs yet because i can not afford them. *jb

Regarding 2004 ford f150 4x4 pickup: several months ago i experienced steering problems. our local dealer fixed a problem with the front brakes. he stated that they have had a number of 2004 4x4 pickups with the same problem, though there has been no recall. last week the vehicle crashed, which resulted in serious injuries (multiple head fractures) to my wife, and the vehicle being totaled. i was driving on a straight two-lane country road, up a slight graded. suddenly the vehicle turned sharply to the left. it made a 180 degree turn, and skidded sideways (over the center crown) across the road and broadsided a power pole. the pole struck the passenger-side door, effectively caving it in and causing the injuries. days later i inspected the vehicle. i noticed (and photographed) that the left front wheel was resting against the brake caliper housing. there was no damage evident to explain this. i did observe that the right front wheel had a clearance between it and the right brake housing. note that there is no collision damage to the left side or front portion of the truck. the fact that the vehicle seemed to pivot on the left front wheel would be consistent with the brake suddenly grabbing. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the shaft from the steering gear box fractured at the connection to the pitman arm while driving at 25 mph. the contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a house. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop for inspection and repair. a police report was taken at the scene. *nm *ak

Dt: the consumer lost control of the truck when driving at 20 mph and hit a lamp post. the steering bolt joint came off and the wheel turned to the right, hitting first the curb then the post . the wheel reached the right one pointing to the right, and the left one pointing to the left. the post was not damaged, but the truck was lightly damage due to the low speed. *ak updated 12/07/05. *jb

Terrific vibrations/shimmies at speeds from 55-70 mph. steering wheel shakes and vibrations felt through out the vehicle. have had vehicle in to ford for warranty repair 6 times. the vehicle is at the dealer right now and has been there 3 days. (10/17-10/18-10/19 and who know how much longer.) when it vibrates and shakes we have to slow down and pull off the freeway. this has been ongoing since the vehicle had only 8,000 miles on it and it only has 20,500 on it now. the incidence of vibrating/shaking is getting more and more frequent.--this vehicle is not safe in this condition.

2004 f150 super crew 4x4 with vibration and tension changes in steering wheel. have taken to two different dealerships multiple times each without resolution. tires have been rotated and balanced numerous times, road force tested, damper kit installed, drive shart re-indexed, tried new tires but made problem worse. also told by dealership to drive it for awhile and see if it goes away. *jb

Dt: the vehicle has been to the dealer 3 times. they didn't know what wrong with it. there was bad vibration , felt like a tie rod end or wheel was going to come off. they replaced all the tires, put a new rim on it, and put in a new drive shaft . this started around june 15, 2005. the vehicle was taken back to the dealers today for the fourth time. haven't contacted the manufacturer but have checked the information for the lemon law. *ak

Dt: the vehicle has been to the dealer 3 times. they didn't know what was wrong with it. there was bad vibration ,like a tie rod end going bad or the wheel coming off. they replaced all the tires , and put a new rim on the passenger's side, and put in a new driveshaft. this started around june 15, 2005. the vehicle was going back to the dealers for the fourth time. haven't contacted the manufacturer but got information on the lemon law. *ak *nm

2004 f150 xlt severe driveline vibration between 40-60 mph. this vibration is more pronounced when towing or hauling a heavy load. this vehicle has been to back to the dealer 9 times in the last eight months for this condition. three sets of tires and two sets of wheels have been on this truck, road force tire balancing has been tried several times with no apparent correction for this condition in sight.

While driving in heavy traffic the steering wheel locked up and the vehicle veered to the right. *nm the engine light had come on another occasion. *sc *jb

Steering wheel "nibble"/ vibration/wheels vibrating. *ak

Purchased 2004 ford f-150 supercab 4x2 at hub city ford inc in crestview, florida on november 15, 2004. after heavy rains the pickup cab flooded, covering the rear seat back, bench, and carpeting in large puddles. upon further inspection, noticed the brake pedal rod, steering column, and all bare metal was severely rusted. *ak took vehicle to the dealership and was told that it was "normal" and would be painted, and detailed to clean the carpets. was also informed immediately that the cause of the leak was a faulty seal around the top cab rear brake light. appointment was made for tuesday november 30th, 2004. inspected the cab further on sunday (today) november 28th, 2004. rust is covering all exposed metal, including the seat brackets (which hold the seats to the frame) all bolts, and most of the rear cab metal behind the rear seats. water is still covering the rear floor pans and side pans under plastic side steps (under which is bound wiring relating to forward to rear electrical functions). the damage from rust is not surficial, but deep, cracked and pitted. will attempt to have dealer replace vehicle entirely.

This will be the third time advising nhtsa and ford concerning the same problems stated before.those are the the rear end shuddering upon acceleration,the whining noise from the rear end, the automatic transmission slippage, the whining noise from the power steering unit and last but not least the brakes constant squealing.i have gone to three different ford service centers in three differeent states.ny,nj,nc.of all the dealerships svc centers mahwah ford in nj spent the most time investigating these problems.shultz ford ny and cella ford nc forget them (no help what so ever just a bunch of lame people with lame excuses)total visits 6 and nothing has been replaced even upon my insistance. i owned a 1998 f-150(best truck to date) i'm sorry that i traded it in for this 2004 bucket of bolts. *ak

Vehicle's back window leak noted within 60 days after purchase, resealed by dealer x2-still leaks. within a period of one year after purchase, three of the four window gear boxes were replaced due to failure. i've noted several complaints about these issues, met other owners who have had these issues fixed under warranty, yet we were required to pay for repair. at highway speeds, 65mph, the vehicle begins to shimmy, vibrate and becomes difficult to maintain control of steering. vibration makes ride unpleasant and noisy. *tr