This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
I was pulling a 12,000 lbs 5th wheel trailer on a highway mountain pass when I went over an expansion joint at about 55 mph and the vehicle started a death wobble. The vehicle violently started shaking and I struggled to maintain control of the truck and trailer barely being able to stop the vehicle on the shoulder before going over a cliff with my family in the vehicle. There were vehicles behind me that had to slam on their brakes to keep from hitting us.
I've experienced 5 "death wobble" incidents on my F350 with less than 10K mileage. This problem always happens at highway speeds crossing over uneven bridge expansion strips on a diagonal. The last time this happened, I was in the number two lane driving at freeway speed in busy traffic. I had to slow down below 30 miles an hour to regain control of the truck. This is a very dangerous issue that seems to be a common problem with Ford superduty 4X4 trucks. It's the second time I've taken it to the dealership for repair. First time, Ford replaced the steering dampener. Now they are changing tie-rod ends. Ntsb really needs to look at this dangerous situation and force Ford to stop nickel diming repairs and fix this problem once and for all.
When driving over 50mph and hit a bump or road transition on a bridge the truck shakes violently and you have to slow down to about 30mph to get it to stop
I was driving my Ford F-350 pickup on the highway and hit a pothole. The whole front of the truck started wobbling and shaking to the point that I could barely control it. At first I thought I might have blown a tire or tow but that wasn't the case. I had to reduce speed since I wasn't in a position to pull over safely. I called Ford and all they said was to make sure the tires were at the right tire pressure. Luck for me I was able to make it home in one piece.
I had several incidents with the infamous "death wobble" when the front suspension vibrates excessively resulting in loss of steering control and overall vehicle control. After the first three incidents I researched and found the death wobble thread on the internet. I took vehicle to dealer and they replaced a drag link and ball joint. The vehicle drove mostly normal for the next several months with only occasional front steering vibration after driving over a bump in the road. Then on June 10, 2019 I ran over an expansion joint in a bridge on a corner going 45-50 mph and the steering wheel and entire truck vibrated to the point of losing control and going off road nearly into the ditch before I got the vehicle under control at approximately 15 mph. The vibration and oscillation was extremely severe with everyone in vehicle being tossed about violently. I immediately made an appointment to have vehicle inspected and dealership stated they knew of problem and referenced tsb 18-2268. They shimmed the suspension, adjusted the castor, and replaced the steering dampener to the tune of $624. I talked to three different Ford customer service representatives and got nothing but a run-around. After truck was repaired, I was notified that Ford would pay $335 for repairs since vehicle was out of warranty. Ford customer service is horrible and I am very disappointed since this is a known problem and was not repaired correctly the first time. We could have been seriously injured or killed due to the violent nature of the vibration and loss of control. Kendall Ford in kenai was very accommodating and helpful in getting my problem solved but Ford needs to take care of their customers and get these vehicles repaired before someone dies. There are many reports of this happening now with this vehicle. Vehicle has 45,332 miles.
- Sterling, AK, USA
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Multiple instances ~15 of 'death wobble' where the truck and steering wheel shake violently. Normally at speeds above 55 mph when hitting a bump or rough road. Started occurring only when turning and hitting a bump, but now happening when driving straight. Requires slowing quickly to below 30 mph to stop shaking, making it very dangerous for myself and other drivers on the highway. Stock F350 drw with 32K miles
Truck has death wobble. After hitting a bump on the freeway steering wheel and front end starts to shake violently. Requires slowing down to under 40 mph to stop shaking. Very dangerous situation. This has happened numerous times. Ford has inspected the front end and said everything looks fine. Another Ford dealer replace the steering stabilizer shock at my cost. Problem still exists.
As I was driving on the interstate at approximately 80 mph, I crossed and expansion joint and the truck started to shake violently as if I had two flat tires. The steering wheel shook so hard that I had to grasp it with both hands and a very tight grip simply to keep the truck in my lane. I was able to pull off onto the shoulder and made a visual inspection of all four tires. Nothing seemed wrong. I pulled back onto the interstate and continued at 60 mph until the next exit. Once I got home I was able to search for similar problems and found that the problem had a name, the "death wobble" given to it by other owners that had experienced the same. I called my dealer to make an appointment and found that there was an active service bulletin on the problem.
The steering on my 2017 F-350 occasionally becomes uncontrollable and shakes violently from side to side when hitting bumps at highway speeds. The dealer referred to this as " death wobble" Ford has already attempted to fix it once by replacing the steering damper but the problem persists. The truck is completely stock with all original components and tires. Ford is unwilling to make any more repairs to the vehicle at their expense. I have done quite a bit of research on line and this seems to be a very common problem with the 2017 and newer F 250 / 350 series trucks. The last time it happened to me was on Tuesday, April 16, 2019 and I immediately took the vehicle to the nearest Ford dealer- northside Ford in san antonio, tx.
While traveling at approximately 65mph truck developed a high speed wobble. Wife was driving at the time and was barely able to get the truck stopped without losing control. The truck that has 26000 miles on it had no payload shook so hard that my wife was unable to hold on to the steering wheel and had to apply the brakes to get it stopped while trying to stay in her lane and on the road.
While driving on the highway about 50mph I passed over a small bump (roadway to overpass) in the road. The front end of my truck began to shake violently. I had to pull over to the side of the road and stop to get it to stop shaking. This has happened a few times in the past but the shaking has not been as violent and has stopped when letting off the throttle (not this time). This seems to be getting worse. My truck has 11,450 miles.
Hauling horse trailer with 4 horses, hit a bump in road and vehicle began shaking and almost lost control on a 5 lane highway thru slc ut. Also learned after the fact Ford death wobble.
Ford death wobble - at random times while driving at highway speeds (45-75mph) severe steering and front suspension shakes causing loss of control of vehicle. To gain control driver must brake heavily and reduce speed.
While driving at normal highway speeds (65) an 'extreme' wobble developed in front steering and suspension. Steering wheel deflection was around 30 degrees side to side from top center. A fifth wheel travel trailer was being towed and the wobble resulted in departure from travel lane; however, no accident occurred. Speed was reduced to 20 mph before wobble ceased and trailer brakes we the only effective thing to straighten truck. Application of truck brakes seemed to worsen the wobble. Volumes of information exist on this issue labeled as 'death wobble.' Https://M.youtube.com/watch"V=4jv7L8bbo1Q https://M.youtube.com/watch"V=8euq6F8rgt4 vehicle is at purchasing dealer for repair. I am happy to speak with NHTSA if deemed appropriate.
At 60mph on the highway, after hitting a minor bump in the road, the truck shook and vibrated violently and the steering wheel was very difficult to hold onto to. The shaking stopped around 25mph as I was pulling on to the shoulder. The truck has 21,000 miles on it and all tires, wheels, parts, suspension do not appear damaged. Research into the issue revealed what is being called, "death wobble." Those descriptions fit my experience perfectly. There seems to be no clear solution.
Death wobble! my truck has 31K. While on the expressway doing 50+ mph if I hit and bump or take a turn fast, the entire front end shakes violently. Extremely scaring and dangerous, caused me to stop in the middle of the expressway before it went back to driving normal.
While driving 45 - 60 mph on a county road, after hitting a small bump in the road, the steering wheel and front end began to oscillate violently. The truck was difficult to control and the shaking only stopped after reducing speed under 30 mph. On a road with a speed limit of 55 mph doing rush hour traffic.
When hitting a bump on the highway at 70 mph, the steering wheel developed a violent shimmy. I had to slow down and pull over to get the truck back under control. It happens a speeds over 45 mph for no apparent reason. It happens when you hit the right bump the wrong way.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Mount Vernon, WA, USA