1,100 of the
5,142 complaints filed about the Ford F-350 SD
are about the steering —
21% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2017.
The driveshaft separated resulting in a loss of motive power while we were driving on the highway at around 65-70mph. We heard/felt vibrations, and a harsh noise then a loud popping noise right before/ during the failure. Then heard dragging as we came toward the guard rail. It caused a loss of control of the vehicle almost causing us to crash. We were able to pull to the side of the road while traffic went around us. One vehicle pulled over in front of us checking their car stating they saw something fly out from under ours but then they left. We looked under and the rear driveshaft was hanging down and the vehicle was unable to drive forward or back. When trying to pull it on a tow vehicle the bearings came out. It is available for inspection. We are waiting for paperwork from a dealer to see all the damages that occurred but they told us the cost was $20,500 to repair. A day before we heard a vibration sound when letting off the accelerator but all the systems checked out and we didn't see anything, that was Saturday. This failure happened on Sunday with no warning systems alerting until after everything happened and the vehicle was no longer able to drive. We just saw there is an active recall and that our vehicle matches date, factory and part damage but our VIN is not included.
NHTSA complaint #11756773 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am hearing and feeling snaps coming from my vehicle steering. It feels like the steering column is not functioning correctly. I can feel the truck getting more sloppy turning and traveling differently than it did at 35,000 miles. Ford wants to charge me $185 to investigate and then they may take action. There is a recall on this problem, but my truck’s vin isn’t listed. I’m worried that it may come apart or cause an accident.
NHTSA complaint #11754345 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH and driving around a curve, the steering wheel was turned; however, the vehicle failed to respond and crashed into a guardrail. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V626000 (Steering). There was extreme damage to the underbody of the vehicle, and several parts were separated from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and was deemed a total loss by the Insurance Company. The contact sustained a concussion and neck injury and was taken to the hospital for medical assistance. The dealer was not contacted. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11746176 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
A steering control module in my steering wheel failed which makes the lane keeping warning not operate correctly and the steering wheel not straight it's set at an angle to the right so when you're driving down the road you have to have it constantly turn to the right a little bit in order to go straight down the road in order to fix it you have to replace the entire steering wheel which is about 3,400 or so.
NHTSA complaint #11732454 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2022 F350 SRW, King Ranch, Tremor Steering column began making clunking sound when hitting rough patches on highway. I then noticed that I was able to lift the steering wheel an inch or two up and also pull it towards me two to three inches and freely push it back in. I could wobble the steering wheel side to side as well. Felt very unsafe as I was on a 7 hour trip home. No warning lights or incident that contributed to problem
NHTSA complaint #11730326 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-350. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V957000 (Fuel System, Diesel), 25V626000 (Steering), and 25V686000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts for two of the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the recalls and confirmed that parts for two of the recalls were not yet available; however, parts for the steering column recall were available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it remained for two months. The contact was then informed that parts to repair the vehicle were unavailable, and the contact was informed to retrieve the vehicle. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and provided the same information as the dealer. The contact had not experienced a failure.
NHTSA complaint #11729685 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The truck has a clunk in the steering when pulling trailers and does not do this when not laden. The vehicle has only 2,480 miles on it. I was told at the dealership that this will not be fixed because they are not able to replicate the issue. There is a TSB on the issue: SSM 53169 2023-2024 F-Super Duty - Popping/Thumping/Clunking/Knocking Noise From The Steering Column - Built On Or Before 12-Jul-2024 The vehicle was built prior to 12-Jul-2024.
NHTSA complaint #11726272 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V957000 (FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL), 25V626000 (STEERING), and 25V686000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was wobbly. The steering wheel detached from the housing four inches and independently moved up and down. The contact had not lost control of the vehicle. The contact was unsure if any warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the dealer at slow speeds. The dealer determined that the steering column upper shaft had separated. The dealer informed the contact that the recall repair stated that the upper shaft would be repaired or replaced. The contact was informed that replacing the steering column was not part of the recall repair and the contact would be responsible for additional repairs. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied assistance in covering the cost of the additional repairs. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
NHTSA complaint #11721549 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Ford sent this recall letter in October, 2025. It’s unbelievable, and unacceptable that Ford would describe a “potential loss of steering control resulting in a crash or injury (or death). However we don’t instruct you to stop driving your vehicle. Parts to fix your defective steering column which could come apart in your hands while driving down the interstate with loved ones, or towing (full ton trucks are meant for heavy towing) won’t be available until 1st quarter 2026”. Are you serious? It’s now halfway through 1st quarter 2026, & still no follow up from Ford. How many people have to die, before the actuaries at NHTSA decide it’s time to put pressure on Ford to expedite this fix? I had no choice but to risk driving my truck 1,200 miles to Florida last week. Thankfully, we made it. However, I refuse to drive it any further as it’s parked in my driveway. I will not hook up my boat or horse trailer until Ford manufactures a new, safe part, and installs it in my truck’s steering to correct this deadly condition. What is NHTSA doing to pressure Ford to get this done? If you send me a standard, boiler plate answer like others have received “be patient, don’t call us, call Ford (and talk to their AI robot)” I will get together with others affected by this recall, and we will go to the media, and possibly higher, if that’s what it takes. Shame on you, claiming to be on the side of living people who just want to stay alive.
NHTSA complaint #11716226 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
What component or system failed? The Steering and Suspension system failed. Specifically, the front axle hubs, track bar, and U-joints failed, causing a violent loss of steering control known as "Death Wobble." These components are currently available for inspection; however, they were diagnosed as "FAILED" and requiring immediate replacement to make the vehicle safe to drive. How was safety put at risk? The failure caused violent, uncontrollable shaking of the steering wheel and front end at highway speeds. This resulted in a near-total loss of directional control, putting the driver and surrounding traffic at immediate risk of a collision. The defect made the vehicle impossible to steer safely above 45 MPH. Has the problem been confirmed? Yes. The failure was reproduced and confirmed by an independent certified service center, AutoNation Ford Gulf Freeway. Their inspection explicitly diagnosed the front axle hubs, track bar, and U-joints as "FAILED" and unsafe. The repair estimate to correct these safety defects totaled $6,128.09. Has the vehicle been inspected? Yes. It was inspected by AutoNation Ford Gulf Freeway (a certified Ford dealership) immediately following the incident. Were there warning symptoms? The symptoms (violent wobble) appeared immediately after purchasing the vehicle. During the pre-purchase test drive, the selling dealer's agent physically manipulated the steering wheel ("pulled the wheel") to prevent the wobble from occurring, concealing the pre-existing safety defect. The failure manifested fully as soon as the vehicle was driven at highway speeds without the agent's interference. Summary: The vehicle was sold with critical safety components (hubs, track bar) in a "FAILED" state. The selling dealer (AutoNation Ford Corpus Christi) concealed this known safety hazard. The vehicle is currently a roadway hazard until the $6,100+ repairs are completed.
NHTSA complaint #11715853 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
This recall has been going on for over three months. I have canceled vacations and other trips due to the severity of this recall. I haul a truck camper and I do disaster relief/recovery with several groups. I use my truck to get there and sleep in my camper due a lack of resources during a disaster. This recall has prevented me from responding. Ford has given no indication of when this is to be repaired.
NHTSA complaint #11711251 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Steering Effort Control Module failed. This is a known concern with these vehicles. Many Super Duty's have this happen. It is a very expensive repair. The steering effort changes, the vehicle becomes out of alignment and other things like cruise control, wipers, etc may fail as part of this issue.
NHTSA complaint #11710914 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
This has occured multiple times. While driving on freeway at speeds between 65 and 75 MPH and hitting rough asphalt, the vehicle begins shaking violently, almost to the point of losing control. It will only stop if I slow down to under 40 mph or stopping altogether. This has been very frightening when it occurs in traffic on freeways. It seems to occur mainly when on a curve.
NHTSA complaint #11704106 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-350. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V957000 (FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL), 25V626000 (STEERING), and 25V686000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
NHTSA complaint #11697899 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The steering column upper shaft may have been manufactured wrong and can result in losing the steering. I can not drive the vehicle. I live far from Boise and I'm missing family events and hunting for which I paid tags/license. The parts for this will not be in till next year sometime, per the recall letter. The vehicle has not been inspected and the recall letter doesn't ask for it to be. There has not been any problems up until now.
NHTSA complaint #11697188 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving when the steering column upper sharft sperated from the steering wheel. i was driving without any control of the steering. They still have not inspected this. I had it towed to Capital Ford of Sept 3rd. This is directly related to recall 25V626. This can happen while driving and is terrifying especally because there is zero warrning and you do not expect this to happen.
NHTSA complaint #11690649 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the steering became inoperable. The contact stated that the steering wheel had separated, but the driver was able to reattach the steering wheel and regain control of the vehicle. The contact was able to depress the brake pedal and pull over to the side of the road. There were no warning lights illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V626000 (Steering). A Ford technician inspected the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 63,019.
NHTSA complaint #11689836 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I WAS DRIVING FORWARD APPROX 5 MPH AND LOST ALL CONTROL OF THE STEERING. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS NOT MOVING THE FRONT TIRES AT ALL. THERE WAS NO WARNING, AND INDICATION THAT THE STEERING WAS GOING BAD. THE TRUCK IS 2020 WITH APPROX 80,0000 MILES. NOT LIFTED, NO OFF ROADING. THE STEERING WHEEL WILL JUST SPIN NO STOP TO IT IN EITHER DIRECTION. MY UNDERSTANING WITH THIS TRUCK IS THERE IS NO INTERMIDATED SHAFT SO IT DIDNT SLOWLY GO OUT. THE NIGHT BEFORE MY FAMILY AND I WERE COMING DOWN FROM LAKE TAHOE WITH A BOAT ATTACHED. HAD THIS HAPPENED AT THAT SPPED WITH A TRAILER IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY DIFFERENT OUTCOME.
NHTSA complaint #11685751 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring the steering wheel to be manually returned to center after completing a turn. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. 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 120,000.
NHTSA complaint #11684506 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.