I wrote a thread earlier this month regarding a "rubbing" sound coming from the steering wheel, I took the car to the dealer service dept and found the power steering fluid was half full. They did a diagnose on it and found problems with the steering. The parts came in and the the problem was fixed. Ford also wants to know if this might be a fleet wide problem.

Now I have a driver's side door handle not springing back after I open the door.

I am also hearing a "whinning" sound under the rear of the car. Does anyone have any thoughts on this problem?

 

Well, I can tell that you're an optimist, because your power steering reservoir was not "half empty". My old 88 GT lost the rack & pinion seal, because it was an aluminum bearing supporting a steel shaft, which is bad. The aluminum will deposit itself upon the steel, then you have an aluminum to aluminum rubbing situation, which wore so badly that it finally took out the driver's side seal.
I have heard that the driver's handle is common and is a design fault. Get an upgraded part from Ford as a warrantee item. Make sure the passenger side is replaced too.
The whining sound could be your fuel pump. To test this out, turn the key to the on position, but don't start it. If the whine starts for a second or two then stops, it is your fuel pump. I could also be caused by a fuel pressure regulator being a little too high, causing your pump to work too hard. Have Ford check your Fuel pressure, and if the whine still bother's you, have Ford pull the tank and put in a new pump.
Do you have any idea as to how I can stop my wife from whining? She keeps asking me "when are you going to take me to Hawaii"? It is just an occasional whine, however, so I guess I can live with it.

 

The whine may be the rear end, and there is a TSB out for it, mine does it too. Hatch fixed the problem in his by chaning out the fluid and adding synthetic instead, no problems since.

He also has a door handle doing the same thing, Ford dealers keep those in stock, easy fix.

No problems with the steering other than mine is a LOT harder than his, we thought maybe because mine is an automatic?