Two problems related to steering gear box have been reported for the 1996 Ford F-150. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
After experiencing increasing sloppiness in steering, mechanic friend checked out the problem. One of the three bolts holding the steering box had backed out approximately 1 inch allowing the gear box to move away from the vehicle frame. Contact with local dealer in virginia (truck originally bought in PA. ) stated that the vehicle is beyond the three year/ 36,000 mile warranty. The stripped area on the steering gear box would require replacement of entire mechanism costing approximately $500. I identifed that there is no evidence of this part ever having been removed from the vehicle and that it appears to have been stripped when assembled. (assembly done in canada. ) contact on Monday (2/26) to the local Ford customer inquiry line in chantilly, va did not reveal much - no service bulletin could be identified. I volunteered and gave them my vehicle number after providing them my address and a description of the problem - stating that it was an assembly problem and that the bolt was over tightened. I also went on to describe that there was always a looseness in the steering and that recently it had gotten worse resulting in me drifting off of the road several times. It was only after my wife indicated that she too was experiencing a noticeable increased sloppiness in the steering and another recent drifting off the road, that I had a mechanic friend take a look at the steering and identify the problem.
Took back to the dealer several times, and they ignored it. They said that this type of truck does this . No defect mentioned in summary.