Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2015 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I am the original owner and from the start of ownership in 2015 I noticed after 30 plus minutes of driving when making a sweeping left turn, like around an S turn in a road, the steering wheel would have resistance. At the point of resistance if I go back to the right it is smooth. Try to turn left and again it near hangs up. Just a notable amount of resistance. I had the extended warranty and have my truck regularly serviced by the local Ford shop. They could never duplicate my concerns over the years. I suspect they are not driving it long enough and/or not making a seeping turn. I do have concerns that the steering box will lock up and thus result in a serious accident. I had the intermediate shaft replaced, no difference. Ball joints inspected, all good. I always have fresh tires on and the brakes are in top condition with new rotors. Still hangs up. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while at red light and attempting to turn the steering wheel to the left when the steering wheel suddenly seized and continues to drive the vehicle forward. The contact stated that they had to apply an excessive amount of force to brake the locking of the steering wheel, however, this caused them to turn to the left an excessive amount. The contact stated shortly after when attempting to turn to the right the failure reoccurred. The contact stated the failure occurred intermittently. There were no warning lights. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who were not able to diagnose the failure, however, they did state the failure seemed to relate to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V279000 (Steering). The vehicle had not been repaired as of yet. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed the vin was not included. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the steering wheel seized, with an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the steering gear was replaced. The contact stated that Part Number: GL3Z3504C was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 139,318.
As I was driving my 2015 Ford F150 ( 53453 miles)today the electronic power steering quit working and locked the steering wheel as I was rounding a long left turn. As I was coming out of the corner the steering wheel locked and continued to turn left causing me to cross the center line and enter into oncoming traffic.Luckily for me and everyone else the driver of the oncoming car saw me coming over and responded accordingly. I had to force the steering wheel to the right to get the vehicle to respond. Once I had the truck back in my lane the steering started binding and three different faults appeared on the dash. 1. Electronic Power Assist 2. Advance Trac 3. Hill Start Assist. The locking (binding) steering wheel continued for the next 8 miles until I was able to get it safely off the highway. …
Subject: Safety Defect Report - 2015 Ford F-150 Clock Spring Failure To Whom It May Concern at NHTSA, I am writing to report a safety defect in my 2015 Ford F-150 (VIN: [redacted] ). The steering wheel clock spring has failed, which prevents the use of steering wheel controls to cycle through and monitor critical vehicle information. This creates a safety risk because the driver cannot access important vehicle data while driving. I contacted Ford Motor Company to request assistance, as the repair was quoted at $700. Ford acknowledged my request but refused to provide assistance, stating the vehicle is outside of warranty. However, the clock spring is a safety-critical component that should not fail under normal use. Ford has issued recalls for clock spring failures on other vehicles, which indicates this can be a systemic safety issue. …
The 2015 F150 shifted itself from drive at 60mph to 1st gear. I as leading traffic when this occurred. The rest of traffic went around me as, I went to shoulder of rd. The F150 shuttered and was unable to be steered safely off the road. Warning lights flashed but as a driver I was unable to watch as traffic behind me was more important then watching F150. As a Simi was also close to me. This was a very scary event! As my husband was with me and is [redacted] he doesn't drive. Smoke came from under the vehicle. I see this is a common accurate with the F series of 2014. I would suggest checking the 2015. We have since had it fixed and it now drives better. I noticed a marked difference, from when I purchased it a few mos. Earlier. Seriously it could have been a wreck. Strong driving instinct is what saved us this time.
The steering assist (i.e. power steering) on this vehicle had a "sudden" and "complete" failure as I was making a 90 degree right hand turn. There was no prior warning. The failure caused me to almost drive into the ditch on the side of the road. Fortunately, I was driving slow on a rural road with no other traffic at the time. Had this happened on a heavy traffic road, this failure could have caused a bad accident. This failure is available for inspection. However, I plan to take this vehicle in to an independent service center on Moday, August 15, 2022 for repair. Currently, the steering wheel is "extremely" hard to turn. I now get the following warning messages when I start the vehicle, which started only after the failure occurred - "Steering Assist Fault Service Required."
I let my 83 year old mother use my truck due to expected extreme weather in Houston. While making a right hand turn the steering seized and she had to brake hard to avoid hitting a mailbox. Neither the tow truck drivers nor I could budge the wheel, even to allow it to be put on a flatbed or towed backwards without being sideways. Several error codes paged through the dash upon failure but the only other symptoms was that she said it felt like the steering wheel wanted to fight her right before it happened. Diagnosis - Failed EPAS Electric Power Assisted Steering rack. I take issue with a steering assist system being allowed to catastrophically fail with no warning or ability to manually maneuver safely to the side of the road. My mother could have been killed!
This is the 2nd time this has happened in 2 years. I have my truck turned off completely and locked and go to get back in it a few hours later and I open my door and the gas from the airbag has completely filled up the cab of my 2015 f150. I turn the truck on and it's like it's been in a wreck, all the lights on the dash are on, and it's saying my airbags are deployed which the gas that fills the airbag did deploy, and it keeps telling me to contact 911. How does this keep happening without ford making a recall or not taking responsibility. It could seriously hurt or I hurt me or my family.
driving on highway lost power steering on vehicle, steering assist fault-advancetrac warning and hill start assist not available warnings came on on dashboard. There were no prior warning lights leading up to the incident. Car was very difficult to handle and was not easy to get off the road - luckily it was 5 am and no other cars were on the road. car was taken to dealership where the said new steering gear rack and pinion is needed the car has only 52,000 miles on it
Related recalls
Steering
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford F-150 trucks manufactured March 19, 2015, to March 30, 2015. The affected vehicles may have been built with a steering upper intermediate shaft that was improperly riveted.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the intermediate shaft and replace it, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 22, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
NHTSA investigations
Champion Ford Edinboro / Steering Shaft
NHTSA opened AQ17-001 to determine whether Champion Ford Edinboro, Inc. (Champion Ford), of Edinboro, Pennsylvania, complied with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301 (Safety Act) and its implementing regulations.
Steering complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2015 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 84 complaints about the steering of the 2015 Ford F-150, 5% of the model year's 1,737 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2015 Ford F-150 steering problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 15V-279 (steering, May 12, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2015 Ford F-150 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 38,000 miles, and 34% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries 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.