846 of the
5,731 complaints filed about the Ford F-250
are about the steering —
15% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2012.
Over 1 year (2025) steering front end shaking began. Our dealership on oil changes did not tell us to watch for anything and we should have been warned. When the shaking occurred we changed Ford shock asborbers from Ford dealership. Problem still occured. We lost faith in Ford and our regular dealership. We then at Moore's tires purchased 4 Michelin premium tires for F250 heavy duty truck and told them about the severe shaking in front end that we will crash because we can't maintain control only to pull off the road with a prayer. Very difficult when this happens on the route 80 highway going 70 mph speed limit. So, Moore's tires store replaced with new tires and replaced some suspension parts thinking they fixed it but not sure. No recall to alert any Ford owners or repair shops... no warnings to anyone. We spent over $7,000. in trying to solve the front end shaking issue. We are lucky we did not die in an accident caused by the front end shaking and no steering control. We want re-imbursement and full repair as the problem is still happening. our family and all of us have Been a Ford customer for over 60 plus years. But not feeling confident or safe with purchasing a new ford vehicle going forward. This can NOT happen that Ford is allowing this risk to potentially kill people due to their neglegence in quality and recall for safety.
NHTSA complaint #11732808 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I bought this truck used from a dealership in 2022-23 haven't really had any problems till about 2 months ago. Front end started a wobble. A friend of mine just sent me information NHTSA put out about the Death Wobble. I believe it expired in 2024. I never received any kind of recall on this. I was wondering if it would still be something I could get looked into. Thank you.
NHTSA complaint #11703811 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH and attempting to change lanes, the contact felt a small bump. Shortly afterwards, the vehicle started to wobble violently, almost causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle due to the increased steering effort. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway to inspect the vehicle, but found no cause for the issue. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 116,668.
NHTSA complaint #11695247 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving over a bump at a high rate of speed, the contact experienced the death wobble and the contact temporarily lost control of the vehicle. The contact slowed down and the violent shaking ceased. The contact stated that the tie rods, ball joints, and other front-end parts were replaced to reduce the risk of the failure recurring. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH and towing a trailer, the contact experienced the death wobble. The vehicle drifted from the far-left lane over to the far-right lane and the contact lost control of the vehicle. The contact called a local dealer and was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The contact was then referred to the manufacturer and was provided a case number. The manufacturer advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 263,000.
NHTSA complaint #11675333 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2004 F250 has developed the "Death Wobble" that is normally associated with newer models, but the shudder at or around 40-45mph is identical to the described problems of the newer models in the class action lawsuit and tech bulletins published by Ford. Older models need to be considered in the tech bulletins, customer satisfaction programs, and fixed by ford despite being 1 year older than the current guidelines.
NHTSA complaint #11673871 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2010 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was play in the steering wheel. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20E090000 (Steering, Suspension, Equipment). The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
NHTSA complaint #11657748 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2010 F250 repeatably experienced violent shaking of the front wheels and steering at highway speeds (commonly referred to as "death wobble"). This shaking has been so violent that I had no control of the vehicle steering and had to abruptly brake and slow to a near stop in 75 mph traffic! Vehicle has 71K miles and has been very well maintained and garage kept (single owner). Substantial repairs have been made to replace steering dampener, track bar, drag link, and steering gear. Technician explained that all of these parts were severely damaged from the death wobble.
NHTSA complaint #11657752 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Driving on Pa turnpike twice this year and at 70 mph my 2012 ford f 250 with 79000 miles on it started shaking uncontrollably , had my wife and granddaughter with me and they cried and screamed till it stopped. Going to the dealer to see what Ford is going to fix for me before someone is killed ! Hopefully a recall or free fix! I have been educated that this has been an on going issue in many F250 Fords.
NHTSA complaint #11656986 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The tie rod broke while the vehicle was in motion. This caused the vehicle to lose control and crash into another vehicle, causing damage to both vehicles. There was no warning and no sign of any issues. Vehicle has been very well maintained, in fact, it has been in the shop at least once per month for the past year due to a number of mechanical issues unrelated to the tie rod.
NHTSA complaint #11638173 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When driving over 55mph and hitting a bump, pothole, etc....the death wobble starts taking excessive force to keep the truck on the road with the steering wheel nowhere aligned to where the tires are aimed. Dealership stated they wouldn't take the vehicle on trade due to the steering box needing to be addressed first. no warning lamps illuminate. Happens every time while driving from mileage 170K - 189K.
NHTSA complaint #11637880 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving at 65 Mph, towing a fifth wheel camper, encountered a mildly rough section of highway when entire front end began to wobble and shake violently. Slowed the vehicle, maintaining control. When going back up to speed, the same shaking occured again. Also noted a less violent shaking at 45 mph. Took vehicle to have new tires rebalanced but did not change condition much. Inspected front end components. Currently replacing steering damper and shocks in hopes of correcting issue. All other components new or nearly new (3 years) with no issues. Vehicle and components can be inspected, and all replaced parts will be kept for inspection if required. Safety of my vehicle and others on busy highway could have been compromised had I not slowed and maintained control. The problem is being dealt with by me, as I do most maintenance on vehicle. The vehicle has not been seen or inspected by others except by tire mechanic who noted no obvious issues but did re-balance all tires. There was NO advance warning of a failure or compromise.
NHTSA complaint #11636147 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
vehicle shakes uncontrollable on the front passenger side when driving over 50 mph. took to the repair shop and was diagnosed with the death wobble. told it's unsafe to drive until repaired and repair will be over 1,600.00
NHTSA complaint #11631860 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On November 26, 2024 we experienced our third incident of the death wobble. During this third incident it threw the truck into oncoming traffic. After the second incident of the death wobble, we had the steering stabilizer fixed that was November 11, 2022. There was also damage to one tire due to truck leaving road. There was no warning lights or anything else prior to the uncontrollable shaking.
NHTSA complaint #11628317 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Today 11/21/24, I notified my husband as I am driving up the ramp going 50 my ford started to shake hard. I had to hold on to the steering wheel and pull over with out pressing the break. I came to a stop and kept him on the phone in case I were to flip over. The vehicle stopped wobbling and I started up again. I was not able to drive but less than 40 and again the wobble coming back. The commute for me was over 1 hour. I would not make it alive home. This vehicle had to go to the shop as if I were to drive home I would not be alive at this moment
NHTSA complaint #11626732 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
We have experienced the well-reported Death Wobble multiple times - beginning approx in 2020 - going approx 55 mph on a one-lane highway and hit a slight bump in the road. Could not control the vehicle, the steering wheel started shaking violently as we headed for a concrete bridge. Had to stop the vehicle completely. Then we experienced the same Incident on different roads. We had the vehicle front end fixed by a reputable mechanic, and we’ve ended up having the front end suspension rebuilt, so far 3 times. The latest incident was in 2024, we experienced it again driving about 60 mph. This truck is standard stock - has not been lifted or modified in any way. We do not drive it very often as it is used as a farm vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11618620 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Death wobble at speeds greater than 46 mph. I have to come to a complete stop to make it stop. I almost got rear ended by a semi before I could get off the interstate on the shoulder. My vehicle is a 2014 but I have experienced this several times since I bought it new. Took it to my local ford dealer to see if they can do anything to fix it. It’s really dangerous when it happens on a busy interstate. The front end sounds like it’s coming apart and steering is impossible when it happens.
NHTSA complaint #11617586 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The front suspension randomly shakes when doing speeds above 60 on the freeway. It’s very dangerous especially because we almost experienced running into a semi while driving on I-50 between a cement construction wall and the semi. I find it hard to believe that Ford will NOT own up to this. There is clearly a history of this. I simply want my front suspension fixed to meet safety standards.
NHTSA complaint #11617375 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have had this truck for 7 years and bought it with 35k. It now has 150k.This week ([XXX])I finally experienced the notorious “Death Wobble” at 60 mph in Atlanta, GA with my wife & daughter in the truck. This is a very scary situation when you’re going down the road with traffic behind you at 70 plus mph and the steering wheel starts shaking violently after going over a bump on the highway. I feared that we were going to be in an accident at that time. I was defenseless at that moment and in the middle lane of a major highway. I don’t understand how long this has to continue until a recall is considered or FORD is held liable for a problem they have been aware of going back as far as the 2011 model year. I would love for you to see the dash cam footage I have , so you could see what my family and I experienced. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11617023 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Clock spring frayed and uncoiled. Unknown steering issue till clockspring checked. Airbag inflator is unoperational. Current clockspring recall for Ford does not cover this vehicle. Widen your recall. Most owners would believe it to be a power steering issue with pump and fluid, like we did.
NHTSA complaint #11611228 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.