Power Steering Issues - Parts Not Available?

[northtim]

We have a 2006 2.0 TDCI which has had intermittent steering issues for several months.  Power assistance appearing to fail when turning right at times, particular problems just after starting (reverse slowly out of drive OK, then when straightening up going forwards feels like no power steering). It is getting worse and worse.

 

I took the car to an indy garage in June who had a look.  They said power steering fluid seemed dirty and was backing up/bubbling?  They couldn't do anything as pump is Ford's territory as it needs coding to the car which only they can do.

 

Took car to Ford who did a test drive and charged me "diagnostics" but found nothing wrong, steering must have behaved at that point although it was playing up on my drive to and from garage...

 

Problem got worse so took back to Ford start of Sept who did another check for free and advised pump needs replacing.  No pump available so had a wait of 3 weeks until pump arrived.  This was fitted and then could not be programmed to the car, after 4 days they decided the new pump was faulty and put the old one back on (which seemed to work better for a couple of weeks).

 

New pump is still on order and no sign of it arriving, old pump is now really playing up and car is difficult to drive.

 

Anyone else had problems like this?  Local Ford garage appear to be chasing things up and doing what they can but I shall be going higher up in Ford if I don't get progress this week.  

 

Also I am concerned that this seems a common fault, and others seem to have had pump AND rack replaced?  At the moment I am waiting on just the pump, quoted

[Sher]

" Power assistance appearing to fail when turning right at times, particular problems just after starting (reverse slowly out of drive OK, then when straightening up going forwards feels like no power steering)"

 

Mine first started on full left lock and would seem to correct itself. (2008 Ghia 2.0TDI Auto) It was as though the lips on a seal had flipped. The fluid was however clean. I suspected the steering rack as a known problem on the early Mark III. It happened 5 or 6 times before I was back in the UK. In a rush in order to visit Belgium I was forced to visit the main agent.

New Rack only  NO EXCHANGE AVAILABLE at about

[northtim]

Pump did eventually arrive about a week ago, has been replaced and steering seems to be fine now.  They had the car in for a couple of days to do it, as apparently Ford HQ were reviewing progress and running diagnostics.

 

I did contact Ford Customer Service to try and get things moving.  There was a suspicion from local dealer that a faulty batch of pumps were the reason for the delay.

 

For now I am very relieved that it has all been fixed and they stuck to the quoted cost of