1999 Ford F-250 steering problems

“My fiancé & I were driving down a 35mph road & I told her my steering wheel was a little crooked & I don't remember hitting anything to knock out of alignment. We got to my friends house to move a car trailer for him up his steep driveway. I hooked up to the trailer pulled it out, moved it around to line up to back up driveway & making the last adjustment all of a sudden I was turning my steering wheel but the tires were not turning, jumped out to find the output shaft of the steering box was cracked in half diagonally & the steering arm was laying on the street. When I got under the truck & looked at the part that broke you could see it was fractured for a long time. There was only about an 1/8" on one side that was raw metal from just finally breaking. Thank God we are alive if it would have happened going fast probably would have killed someone.”

“I WAS GOING DOWN THE FREEWAY @ 65MPH AND I NOTICED MY STEERING WAS NOT RESPONDING IN THE NORMAL WAY. I HAD MADE IT TO A EXIT AND STOPPED AT LIGHT TRIED TO MAKE RIGHT TURN TRUCK CONTINUED STRAIGHT, AND I WAS STOPPED IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC IN CA. GOT OUT AND SAW MY SECTOR SHAFT HAD BROKEN OFF MY STEERING GEAR BOX.”

“BRAKE LINES, POWER STEERING LINES, FUEL LINES, OIL PAN, VALVE COVERS, REAR AXLE COVER-ALL ROTTED AND FAILED- LOSS OF BRAKING, STEERING, SEVERE OIL LEAKING. *TR”

“1999 FORD F-250 SD (SUPER DUTY DIESEL) PICKUP TRUCK. ON 11/07/06, THE PICKUP TRUCK WAS BEING OPERATED ON A PAVED HIGHWAY IN MISSOURI. WHEN THE DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO NEGOTIATE A CURVE, THE STEERING FAILED, THE TRUCK CONTINUED STRAIGHT (OFF-COURSE), BUT DRIVER WAS ABLE TO GENTLY BRING VEHICLE TO A ROLLING STOP. THERE WAS NO IMPACT OR HARSH DRIVING INVOLVED. INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE HARDENED ("NEVER SUPPOSED TO BREAK") STEEL BOLT THAT CONNECTS THE LONG TIE ROD TO THE PITMAN ARM WAS COMPLETELY BROKEN IN TWO. THE FAILURE OF THIS BOLT CAUSED THE COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING TO THE ENTIRE VEHICLE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CONTINUE ON ITS STRAIGHT COURSE, UNTIL BEING BROUGHT TO A HALT BY THE DRIVER. INSPECTING MECHANIC WAS SURPRISED BY THE COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE VEHICLE'S STEERING SYSTEM. *JB”

“VEHICLE WAS BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY AND THE STEERING WHEEL SNAPPED. THE PITMAN ARM DISENGAGED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE STEERING POWER. OWNER CALLED THE DEALER FOR THE PART, BUT THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT HAVE THE PART. *AK PITMAN ARM WAS REPLACED. CONSUMER ADDS ALL 4 BALL JOINTS NEED TO BE REPLACED. *TT”

“THE SECOND GEAR HAS GONE OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. *JB *SC THE LIGHTS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR WERE INOPERATIVE. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT.”