Owners describe three main steering problems in 2022 Ford Broncos. First, the steering wheel locks up suddenly with no warning—sometimes at highway speed, sometimes while turning at stop lights, sometimes while parking. The lockup ranges from complete seizure to extreme stiffness that requires hard pulling or excessive force to turn. One owner at 7,000 miles had a violent pull to the left at 10 MPH that crashed the vehicle into a guard rail; another at 27,000 miles says his wife can no longer drive the truck because of steering stiffness.
Second, the power steering assist fails intermittently, either stopping function entirely or triggering warning messages on the display. One owner reported a U3000:49-8A diagnostic code pointing to steering gear failure; another got a "Steering Assist Fault Service Required" message.
Third, when repairs are attempted, dealers diagnose failed steering gears and rack-and-pinion units requiring replacement. However, owners report that parts sit on back order, that some dealerships cannot recreate the problem, and most frustratingly—that many VINs are excluded from existing Ford recalls despite matching the recall-eligible model and year. One owner noted that Ford had shaft issues on F-150s as well.
Failure modes owners describe
Steering wheel lockup / complete loss of function
Steering wheel suddenly locks up or becomes immobile while driving, ranging from complete seizure at highway speeds to intermittent locking during turns or low-speed maneuvers. In one case, owner had to use physical force to break the steering loose; in others, the wheel became so stiff that hard pulling was required.
When: 7,000 to 68,000 miles reported; one complaint at 27,000 miles on a 3-year-old vehicle; one at 40,000 miles; 29,500 miles; April 2026 mentioned in one report
Symptoms owners cite: Steering wheel seized or locked; Steering became extremely stiff or hard to turn; Steering ratio cut short briefly; Steering tightened up before locking; Loss of power steering assist
Codes mentioned: U3000:49-8A (steering gear failure)
Repairs/costs cited: Steering shaft replaced (complaint #1); rack and pinion replacement needed (complaint #2); steering gear replacement required (complaint #5); parts on back order at Ford (complaints #2, #8); dealership unable to recreate issue in some cases (complaints #7, #9)
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Ford Campaign 23V155000 (Steering Recall) referenced in complaint #5, but owner's VIN not included in recall; Ford Safety Recall 23S09 mentioned in complaint #6; complaint #1 reported shaft not covered by warranty; manufacturer made aware in multiple cases but advised owners to contact NHTSA; some VINs excluded from recall despite same model/year having recall
Violent pulling to one side during low-speed driving
Vehicle suddenly pulled hard to the left with no driver input during low-speed driving (10 MPH), resulting in collision with guard rail. No warning lights indicated the failure, though the mobile app later notified of power steering assist failure.
When: 7,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Violent pull to left at 10 MPH; Abnormal sounds from steering; Power steering assist failure notification on mobile app
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle not diagnosed; towed to body shop; police report filed
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer made aware and referred contact to file NHTSA complaint
Intermittent power steering assist failure with warning message
Power steering assistance intermittently stops functioning. Warning message 'Steering Assist Fault Service Required' appears on instrument cluster when failure occurs. Issue may be related to steering gear malfunction.
When: Mileage not specified in complaint #11; complaint #3 at 7,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Power steering assist stops working intermittently; Steering Assist Fault warning on display; No warning prior to failure; Steering becomes very stiff
Synthesized from 13 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer
allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.