Ford Fairlane: Power steering high-pressure hose perishing and leaking

The high-pressure power steering hose between the pump and the rack perishes with heat and age on AU/BA/BF Fairlanes, typically after 15 years or 150,000 km. The rubber hose develops cracks at the crimped fittings or along the outer sheath, leaking power steering fluid onto the subframe and surrounding components. Unchecked fluid loss leads to pump whine and progressive steering heaviness. This is a widespread age-related failure common across the Fairlane and Falcon platform.

• Power steering fluid puddle forming under the engine bay
• Whining noise from the power steering pump, worsening on full lock
• Low fluid level in the power steering reservoir
• Progressively heavy or stiff steering

1. 1

   Trace the high-pressure power steering hose from the pump to the rack along its full length.

2. 2

   Check for wet or oily areas at the crimped ends and along the hose body.

3. 3

   Inspect the fluid reservoir level and look for staining or residue around the cap and reservoir body.

Parts involved: Steering rack.

$300 to $700 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

• “Has the power steering hose been replaced?”
• “Any whining from the steering, especially at full lock?”
• “When was the power steering fluid last checked or topped up?”

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.