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 2017 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, there was an abnormal whistling and dinging sound coming from the vehicle, and the powertrain malfunction warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle independently downshifted, and the rear driver's side of the vehicle slid to the left, and the front passenger's side of the vehicle crashed into another parked vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle and discovered that due to the impact, there was windshield fluid leaking out of the windshield washer fluid reservoir onto the ground, and the vehicle caught on fire. The contact entered a local AutoZone, retrieved a fire extinguisher, and extinguished the fire. The local fire department was contacted. The contact stated that no air bag was deployed. A police report was filed. A Fire Department report was not filed. …
This is a MAJOR issue with Ford F150s. I am not sure how this was never a recall. Ford issues a TSB for this but NOTHING is the TSB fixes the issue. There is a major fault in the IWE system that causes the 4x4 to engage randomly causing the truck to have major steering issues. It causes grinding, like metal on metal grinding, the steering wheel locks in place at times and I personally almost dies several times from this.The locking steering wheel caused me to crash into a ditch because I could not bring the steering wheel back to center. This has randomly happened to me several times while driving, The TSB claims the issue to be intermittent, which it is due to the fault in this IWE system. FOrd needs to literally cover and replace the entire IWE system before someone gets hurt. Please look this up, this is a very known issue that deserves to be a recall and not a TSB. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the steering wheel was stiff and failed to turn as needed. The message "Steering Assist Failure" was displayed with an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to a third independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the electronic power steering and rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and was then taken to the residence. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, and the vehicle was difficult to maneuver. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the power steering electronic module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring increasingly. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The contact related to the failure of the Customer Satisfaction Program: 24S45. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 50-55 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The Hill Assist warning light and the power steering assist warning lights were illuminated. The contact's wife was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with rack and pinion failure; however, the part to do the repair was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became abnormally stiff, making it difficult to maneuver the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with electronic power steering failure. The vehicle was being repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was 97,215.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering became difficult to turn. The contact stated the track assist and the hill descent warning lights were illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the gear assembly to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending the repairs. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 93,926.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 15 MPH, the power steering became inoperable. No warning light was illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the electric power steering assist needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 128,000.
After driving at highway speed, 75-80 MPH for about 6 hours, the steering felt heavy, minor steering input resulted in major directional changes. The steering direction felt locked in that minor turn position and required significant effort over what was normal to return the direction to straight and that action caused a dramatic directional change. Upon my return home, I had the vehicle inspected by the dealer, Kelly Ford in Melbourne Florida and they could not identify or duplicate the problem. I have significant experience in vehicle operation, including being a Certified Emergency Vehicle Operations driving instructor and this condition was extremely dangerous. Controlling the vehicle, keeping it in a lane and recovering from navigating curves in the road was a significant challenge. …
This first began when we went to Oregon from dry Central Valley in California and hit rain. Multiple error messages appeared: Service Advance Trac, Check 4x4, Hill Assist Not Available, ABS, Steering Assist Fault, etc. Power steering assist was lost and is now intermittent which creates a dangerous situation. The ABS brakes made load groaning noises. I went to O'Reilley's and used their OBD2 scanner. It showed codes: U1012-00, U0212-00, U0121-00, P062C-00, all being communication errors. I got a new battery and had a shop scan it. The clockspring was bad so it was replaced with an OEM from Sunrise Ford. He can't get any communication with any of the other modules. I researched the issues and disconnected the battery while I cleaned the ABS controller connection with electrical contact cleaner. I checked some of the grounding points that weren't checked by the shop. …
Steering complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2017 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 59 complaints about the steering of the 2017 Ford F-150, 4% of the model year's 1,455 complaints. The component named most often is electric power assist system (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 Ford F-150 steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2017 Ford F-150, though it has 17 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 2017 Ford F-150 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 31,000 miles, and 40% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 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.