2012 F150 steering noise

2012 F150 steering noise, 2012 Ford F150 5.0L Supercrew 4x4 short bed. At 1,200 miles the truck developed what can best be described as a popping or clunk that can be felt in the steering wheel when driving on less than smooth surfaces on warm days (80 degrees). Another way to describe it is it feels like an old truck with a worn out ball joint and loose steering shaft. The truck now has 2,800 miles, and this video demonstrates that when in a cold condition (parked overnight) one can grab the lower steering shaft at the lower u-joint and move the lower shaft laterally. The noise that you can hear is coming from inside the steering gear/rack assembly (if you look closely you can actually see the lower shaft moving). This Electronic Power Assist Steering (EPAS) seems to be heat sensitive, and therefore re-creating the clunk on the road will depend on weather conditions. Ford does not have a fix for this problem YET. Many owners with the same problem have had their rack assemblies replaced only to have the problem re-occur within a few hundred to a few thousand miles after the repair. If you go to www.f150forum.com you will find a thread with hundreds of new F150 owners complaining of this problem. I am not driving the truck as a daily driver as I feel that this is a SAFETY problem that puts myself, my family, and others at risk.
UPDATE: March 12, 2013. Current mileage: 3,300. Ford replaced my EPAS steering assembly and the steering is now solid and tight. No clunk, popping or nibble being transmitted to the steering wheel. I would like to say thank you to the individuals at the Ford Dearborn Truck Plant that made this happen, and my great dealer - Drew Ford..

2012 F150 steering noise

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