Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
When is some one going to do something about the faulty steering column in 2006 Ford F150 pick ups and similar model years? It is all over the internet about the grinding and catching of the steering column. In some cases can't steer at all. There is tons of information on this problem. I have a 2006 Ford F150. It is starting with the problem and it only has 82,000 miles. This should not be happening some one is going to get hurt or killed !
My truck was sounding like it was going to fall apart, I brought it to my sons attention and u can see the truck sagging between front and bed of truck. We looked under vehicle and the frame is split in two all the way across. [redacted].
Noticed steering wheel very hard to turn. Checked power steering fluid which was OK. Researched problem online and found dozens of similar complaints reported on Ford customer forums and elsewhere online mentioning that the u-joint(s) on the lower steering shaft possibly rust and corrode and become very stiff. When turning corners wheel does not readily recenter itself. Fearful that steering joints could fail, seize or break resulting in a complete loss of steering and serious injury or death. Saw that Ford redesigned the steering shaft after 2006 and the new Ford part looks much different than the original shaft in my 2006 truck. Sprayed some penetrating oil on both u-joints yesterday and steering was noticeably much easier within 5 minutes. Then sprayed some liquid wrench lubricating oil (lightweight aerosol oil) on both joints and drove the truck. …
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. …
Ford's iwe solenoid has a tendency to malfunction due to a poor design. TSB 06-8-15 was issued to replace these solenoids, but only if there was a problem and only if it was giving a problem. My vehicle was in storage for 5 years and after it was brought out and to ny, the water leaked on the solenoid due to the inadequate design, causing the iwe's to malfunction. I still don't know what exactly it did but driving the car down the road, it caused me to feel like I was driving over small speed bumps with the front drivers side tire. I'm afraid that if this failed at a high rate of speed it could cause the iwe to engage and possibly lock up one of the front tires.
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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Ford f-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the steering wheel began to shake excessively. The contact also stated that there was smoke coming from under the hood. The vehicle was safely driven home, where it was inspected by an independent mechanic. The mechanic stated that the steering shaft, center caps and the calipers needed to be replaced. The mechanic also stated that the center hub cap burnt due to the calipers fracturing and detaching from the vehicle .the vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.
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.
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?!?
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Ford f-150. While driving 35 MPH and coming to a complete stop, the rear driver side tire separated and rolled into traffic. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear rotor and studs failed and needed to be tightened. The contact also stated that he had to also replace the steering rack and pinion due to the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.
Steering complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2006 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 55 complaints about the steering of the 2006 Ford F-150, 9% of the model year's 585 complaints. The component named most often is rack and pinion (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Ford F-150 steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2006 Ford F-150, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 Ford F-150 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 16% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 1 injury to steering problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.