Ford’s Factory Made A Mistake And Now Thousands Of Trucks Could Have Steering Issues

Ford used to proudly declare “Quality is Job 1,” but these days, it seems that quality might be someone else’s responsibility. The result? A growing list of recalls that’s starting to chip away at their once-sturdy reputation.

One of the latest impacts the second best-selling vehicle in America. In particular, the automaker is recalling 9,181 examples of the F-150 from the 2025 model year due to loose fasteners that can result in a loss of steering.

More: Feds Investigating 1.3 Million F-150s Over Random Downshifts

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the “fastener used to attach the lower intermediate shaft to the steering gear may not have been torqued to the required specification.” This could eventually lead to the separation of steering components and a loss of control.

The oversight is being blamed on an “error proofing process control” that was not properly aligned with an assembly station tool. This misalignment meant the system could determine there was a secure connection even when there wasn’t.

Ford became aware of the issue in March after a dealership employee was doing a road test of a 2025 F-150 as part of a pre-delivery inspection. They experienced “excessive steering play,” which led to an examination that revealed a missing lower I-shaft fastener.

With this information in hand, Ford looked into the issue and found the aforementioned problem. The automaker is only aware of one warranty claim related to the issue, but not any accidents or injuries.

Owner notifications are slated to go out later this month and customers will be instructed to take their truck to the dealership. There, technicians will inspect the I-shaft fastener and tighten or replace it, if necessary.