Death Wobble (Warranty)
Asked by GuruXF294 Nov 19, 2018 at 04:56 PM about the 2017 Ford F-250 Super Duty King Ranch Crew Cab LB 4WD
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
I have a 2017 F-250 with 21,000 miles on it. I took it to the dealership, they
tell me it "death wobble", they are replacing the Track Bar and the Steering
Dampner, but i will have to pay for the Caster Shims and an alignment.
I only need the Caster Shims and the alignment because of the defaulted
parts, why isn't that covered under the warranty also.. mind you its going to
cost $350.00 out of pocket for this.
186 Answers
Can you tell me if it help
So far so good. I filled a claim with Ford Motor so they ended up covering everything, I didn’t have to pay for the shims or the alignment. My opinion this should be a recall... it’s a safety issue!
Well my truck is 2012 and I was going to try a duel steering stabilizer.... but I dont want to put a lift kit on it then it won't fit into my garage
NorCalEvan answered 5 years ago
I have. 2017 f-250 and at 13000 it developed this death wobble and has occurred 3x out of nowhere. Very scary Ford acts like it’s no big deal. Truck tried to kill me on the freeway.
Well I I bought a lower tire rod on the passenger side and it stopped it 70% but it happened last night.... bought the part off rockauto
NorCalEvan answered 5 years ago
Mine did it 3 times yesterday just started at 13,800 miles. I almost crashed on the freeway. It was very scary in the rain. I feel like we should have been warned if this is happening. Ford said they can't get me an appointment for a week. 2017 F-250 XLT -
2017F350wSHAKES answered 5 years ago
Track Bar and steering damper is most common answer. I had the problem but after alignment it is a lot worse. Truck in shop now...
Alleykatt74 answered 5 years ago
2017 f250 with 20,000 miles on her. On the interstate going around 78 and the death wobble started - scared the you know what out of us. Kept it at 69 the entire trip and didn't happen again. Taking it to the dealer tonight. Keep in mine I have not even owned this truck for a month. I owned several fords and this is a first for us.
SadF250Owner answered 5 years ago
My 2018 F250 started the death wobble at 16,000 miles. Usually only happens at higher speeds (70 or better) and after hitting a "rough patch" in the road or bridge joints. Ford has a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) #18- 2268 with a list of parts to correct the problem. It appears that the parts will increase the caster up to 1 degree. Only one problem - Ford isn't shipping the parts!!! After some communication with Ford Motor Company, they basically just told me the dealership is my "best option" for getting the parts (the parts that aren't being shipped by Ford).
My 2018 F-250 started the death wobble recently at 15,500 miles around 70mph. Dropped it by Ford and told them to keep it till they can figure out what to fix so the damn truck doesn’t kill someone. The service guy said unfortunately the part to fix is back ordered or some crap. Very disappointing on Ford’s part and reputation!! These trucks are going to kill someone soon if Ford doesn’t get a handle on it.
We had a dealer upgrade our F250 to correct the death wobble. A month after stiffening the steering linkage and some other upgrades the death wobble is back, worse than before. Very frustrating that Ford doesn’t treat this problem seriously.
17350cclbjunk answered 5 years ago
I too experienced death wobble multiple times on my 17 f350 beginning at 20k approx 2 months ago. Brought to dealer where i was told parts were a week out. 3 weeks later parts still not in,had to call ford customer service. Parts showed up 2 days later. Had truck back for 2 weeks now. Truck now is balding outside edge of tires,darting and is dam near impossible to drive in snow even with 4wd. Returned to dealer and told must be out of alignment will need to leave for couple days and get this, service manger says i should trade in for a GMC . Absolutely embarrassed by FORD!
I have right at 20,000 miles on my 2018 F250 diesel. Yesterday at 60 MPH it started shaking so violently I almost lost control of the truck. I'm a new Ford owner after 20 years of Dodge. After reading all these comments, I'm seriously considering going back to Ram.
NorCalEvan answered 5 years ago
I took my F-250 into the dealer for the FIX and they down-played the problem. Said they have heard of it etc... Then I was told they had several parts to fix the problem. When I got the truck back the only thing they replaced was the Steering Damper and did an alignment. I suspect it will be back as soon as I get a little more wear or a tire rotation. This is going to kill someone if it hasn't already.
Millertwin answered 5 years ago
Experienced death wobble twice yesterday very scary and we were beside eighteen wheeler in the passing lane . the truck is now in the garage and they of course have back ordered parts blah blah blah, anyway Is what they are suggesting to fix these trucks working? i am so scared of mine now i don't know i will ever trust it .if fords solution aint working I'm not keeping this truck.
I experienced death wobble at 70 mph going over a bridge expansion joint. Had to hold the wheel with both hands and get down to 25 mph before I could regain control. My 2017 has 50,500 miles. Just ordered new tires and got exact replacements as I don’t want to give ford an excuse. This is my 12th ford and now have a vehicle my family is not allowed in for $45k. I have had many steering and suspension parts wear out and get loose in other Fords, but never has any wear forced my off the road and not allow my family in the vehicle. If Ford doesn’t fix this problem I will have a new GMC in a couple weeks. I have calls out to the Owner of my local dealer, but no response yet
Rickrock78 answered 5 years ago
I too am having this problem I have 25000 miles took it to the dealership they said my wheels were out of balance. Problem still there. Dealer is also saying new tires will fix it. This is not a tire issue what do I do!!!
I filed a complaint with Ford Customer relations. Also filed a report with the NHTSA. I installed new tires and have scheduled the TSB 18-2268 to be completed. Unfortunately I don’t believe any of this will help. Ford has a design problem and they are just ignoring it. Not good
I took my 2017 with 20k miles in to the dealership the Monday before Thanksgiving and just got it back on Thursday Feb 7th. They had the tract bar discontinued and was on back order for a 2 yr old truck. Guess what they put the new one on and I experienced a death wobble again today on my way home. So it's going back asap and hopefully it doesnt take 3 months to get back again.
This is a massive safety issue. Ford is hiding behind a TSB but does not look like it fixes anything. They seem to say it’s because some of us aren’t always carrying +/- 1000 lbs of cargo. I wonder if the problem has to do with the 800 lbs they took off the tare weight of the truck when they went to the aluminum body in 2017? EVERYONE BE SURE TO LOG ON TO THE NHTSB WEB SITE AND EXPLAIN YOUR PROBLEM. You need your vin number. Ford will only fix this problem if they are forced to correct it by the NHTSB. Otherwise Ford will deny it and stuff this problem down our throats
NorCalEvan answered 5 years ago
I complained to Ford via Facebook and received the following message "I will escalate your case to the Service Manager at your dealership. The Service Manager will review your case to ensure the resources available to assist with repairs are being fully utilized. You should contact your Service Manager for updates regarding your case. The case number that I have established for you today is CAS-17095451-J3V4S3. Lauren Ford Service Team" - I also made a formal complaint on the NHTSB website. There are currently 155 total complaints for this vehicle on their website. Everyone that has experienced this issue needs to File a complaint with their VIN or this will never get fixed. https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/?
NorCalEvan answered 5 years ago
https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2017/FORD/F- 250%252520CREW%252520CAB/PU%25252FCC/4x4#manufacturerCommunications
Rickrock78 answered 5 years ago
So first time in I was told they followed the TSB # 18-2268. This time they said they’re replacing the drag link. I pick it up today I’ll keep you posted
Just took my 2017 with 15,000 miles and all the same. They just replaced the Track Bar and steering damper and they told me about 1 out of 10 of the 17 and 18 model years are coming back for death wobble. You would think Ford would come up with a better solution. I fear that it will happen again. When it happened the first time, it darn near killed me and almost caused a major accident by sending my truck into the medial of a busy highway. What really scares me is if my 17 year old would have been driving my truck, the outcome could have been worse. Something really needs to be done.
Bill. Be sure to go to NHTSA website and formally file your complaint
Everyone that is reporting an issue please respond with the following: 1. Stock Wheels (Yes or No) 2. Stock Tires (Yes or No) 3. Stock Tire Size I HAD the same issue and took it to the dealer three times. They haven’t taken the issue seriously. Last trip they told me to go to an off-road shop. Keep in mind my 2017 F-250 Platinum 4x4 is all factory stock. This recommendation is just crazy. But for grins I did. The guys at the off-road shop looked everything over and said everything is tight but I was not the first person they have seen with the same issue. I keep my wheels rotated and balanced. I did so even more regularly when this issue started but it didn’t help and Ford even said that isn’t the issue. I am driving from Dallas to New Mexico this weekend. This is mostly open hiway 75-85 miles an hour so I was concerned about death wobble. I found a brand new set of takeoff tires just like mine. Took them to the tire shop and had the new factory tires mounted and balanced on my factory wheels. 400 miles so far at speeds averaging 80 mph and not a hint of death wobble. To recap the only thing I changed was to switch out my old factory tires with new factory tires. But my old factory tires were balancing fine and no other issues. I am wondering if the problem is somehow caused my the factory Michelin LTX A/T 2 getting some wear on them and causing problems.
SadF250Owner answered 5 years ago
My 2018 F-250 is factory STOCK (unless you count the after market window tint & upgraded stereo). It’s an XL, with the FX4, and STX packages, with no changes to wheels, tires, or suspension. I too have filed a complaint w/NHTSB, and with Ford via Facebook (they gave me a case #) with the EXACT same response that NorCalEvan received, so I’m going to assume that’s their patented response. Dealership keeps telling me that one part (of the list in TSB 18-2368) is still on back order, and move the expected arrival date out every time we reach the last one. Not feeling a lot of confidence in the dealership even if they do get the parts. I’ve had the truck in 3 times for an issue with the one-touch feature in the window control not working and it’s still not fixed.
Just experienced it for the second time in my 2017 F350 diesel crew cab 17.5K. Calling Ford tomorrow and not settling for anything less than having it completely taken care of. Ridiculous for the amount I paid for this truck.
I picked up my truck from the dealer on 2/19/19. I have followed all of the dealer recommendations. I replaced my tires with the exact size and type which came on the vehicle (don’t want to give Ford an excuse). Even though they still had some life in them. I had the dealer execute TSB 18-2268. They replaced the steering stabilizer. After a battle with Ford customer relations I got them to pay for the stabilizer. I don’t think this will fix the design problem. Just waiting for the “death Wobble” again. If your having the problem be sure to file a complaint on the NHTSA website. Ford will not fix the problem on their own. They have to be forced. I’ll keep you updated
My 2017 F-250 is in the shop for the third time with the death wobble issue. Mine started at just under 20000 miles. It has stock wheels and tires. The first time in the shop the steering damper was replaced, the second time they said that they couldn't find anything wrong, but recommended I let them install an aftermarket dual damper set up for $350.00 that "might fix it" I did notice that my tires had about 10psi less air when i picked it up. The third time is a different dealer. They are replacing the drag bar, ball joints, inner and outer tie rods, and steering damper. The service manager stated that all these parts are "worn out". The truck currently has 22400 miles. I have been dealing with this problem for 2 months now. I have noticed the steering has been getting progressively more sloppy since this problem started. Hopefully this will correct the issue. My concern is that in 20000 more miles (after the warranty has expired) I will experience this issue again. If the factory front end components are worn out ofter 20000 miles are the replacements going to be any better?
DrIntensity answered 5 years ago
I have 84,000 miles on my 2016 King Ranch F350. 20 inch wheels and Michellin LTX tires - this is my 3rd such F350 and I had my first experience with death wobble while accelerating onto the highway and hit a rough patch on a corner at about 50 mph - finally regained control when I got it slowed down to about 30 mph. Second episode 400 miles later when going in a straight line at 75 mph - got control again at about 45 mph and then finished another 800 miles on the trip with no issues - hits the shop tomorrow. We were lucky to regain control and not have a severe accident.
I have a 2011 F 250 SD and in 2017 while on a cross country trip we experienced the death wobble the first time. We took the truck to our dealer in rural northern California they knew what it was as soon as I told them what happened and recommended replacing the trackbar and bushings with after market upgrades. We spent the extra bucks and didn't have the problem again until the beginning of 2019. It's back Now What ?
Make sure you post your complaint on the NHTSA WEBSITE. FORD DOES NOT CARE! They have to be forced
I fixed my 2017 F250 death wobble, part number 2019 Silverado 2500.
I have a 2011 F250 crew cab 4wd lb with about 100k miles on it. My wife and I are retired and we use our truck to tow a travel trailer and visit parks across the US. Two years ago driving down I 40 we had our first experience with the death wobble. We were doing about 70 mph when the front end started shaking so violently we both thought a serious accident was emenint. I took my foot off the gas and held the steering wheel straight and in a few moments the shaking subsided and we continued on our way (at a much slower speed). I wasn't able to get an answer or explanation from the dealer in Flagstaff, but when I got home I talked with my local Ford dealer they do a lot of work for the US forestry service and they knew what the "death wobble" was and recommended upgraded after market tyebars and parts. I spent the additional dollars for the piece of mind. It did not work I don' t know what to do now.
I have a 2018 F250 crew cab 4wd LB also, last weekend at about 4450 miles had this death wobble happen on the freeway. Had no load and was doing about 80mph, just passed another vehicle as I was pulling in front of it I hit a pot hole and the death wobble started. I had to slow to about 30mph to regain control, nearly caused a accident with the vehicles behind me. I notified the dealership in Mesa of the event and will drop the truck off next week. In the meantime will file a complaint at that NHTSA website, as this is a huge safety issue as I have to drive it very cautiously and there's no way my wife or kids will drive it.
There is at least one complaint per day coming in on the 2017’s. Starting to see 2018 complaints coming in at NHTSA website. Keep complaining
I have 2017 f250 just had the brakes replaced at 49000 miles , DEATH wobble took us off the road last night, shook so bad it broke windshield
Be sure to write your complaint to the NHTSA website. Ford sucks
We have a 2011 F250, about 120k miles, that developed the death wobble a couple months ago. Since then have replaced: Front stabilizer Drag link Tie rod end Ball joints Tie rods Track bar bushing Alignment has been checked. Just got it back from the shop (4th time in shop) and husband was able to get the “death wobble” again. We are incredibly frustrated, and out of options. Yes, we are filing a report on the NHTSA website. Husband considered getting a newer F250, but after reading this thread, seems the 17 & 18 models are even more problematic. Can’t/won’t ethically sell to another. Would consider trade in (YOU deal with it, Ford dealer) but not wanting to continue with Ford. So much for buying a diesel for their longevity :(. Really disappointed with Ford. Even talked to our attorney about a class action law suit, but not enough deaths yet. That’s terrible. Alignment has been checked, tires rotated
SaltyMark55 answered 5 years ago
I have a 2014 F250 King Ranch that experienced bump steer from 45K on. Finally, in an effort to correct the issue I installed a new steering damper, and now I have death wobble. This is rediculous and it should inspire a safety recall. I plan to install new tires and have the front end aligned as my next step, but I’m not optimistic, as I believe this is an engineering flaw.
rbailey1968 answered 5 years ago
2017 F250 and first death wobble at 42k miles. Now at 53k miles i have this almost daily. Have file my complaint at NHTSA.
2010 F350 with 130,000. Continuously dealing with the death wobble even after replacing many parts. Will file a complaint with NFTSA.
2017 f250 started death wobble at 20k miles. Scared the ba jesus out of me and my wife. Dealer replaced steering dampener. Helped for 2 months, then happened 5 times on 250 mile trip. Dealer has it again. Said they are adding a shim kit to increase Castor and re-alligning. Supposed to pick up in 3 days??? We'll see what happens. Will file complaint with NFTSAas well.
I have a 2017 Ford Super Duty XLT package 4-wheel drive. Started having death wobble issues appx. at 17,000 miles dealer replaced the Steering stabilizer to no avail, death wobble was back at 23,000 miles, dealer replaced the castor shims, death wobble returned 30,500 miles going back to dealer again.
Have a 2017 F350 Lariat. Less thank 20k miles. Currently in the shop for the 3rd time. I'm seeing lots of issues here but haven't seen anyone update saying that the issue is fixed. Has anyone seen this issue correcteld?
SaltyMark55 answered 5 years ago
I called my local dealer today and spoke with a service technician who said there are three possible factors related to the wobble; steering damper, track arm, and tire condition, (alignment, wear, balance, etc.). I was pleased he acknowledged the problem, but I'm not eager to spend a fortune trying to solve the problem a few hundred dollars at a time. The steering damper was a simple replacement, (did that myself) and the tires and alignment are due anyway. Since my front tires are worn and I will need an alignment when they are replaced, I will start there and work my way through the other potential factors. I'll report back on the results, and until then I will keep it below 65 mph. My limit is about $2000 and then it's back to a F150 or into a Ram.
Sully64 I traded mine off due to this issue. The last time it was in the shop they replaced pretty much everything under the front end except shocks and wheel bearings and did an alignment. We left on a trip 2 days after i picked it up from the shop, 500 miles later the steering wheel was starting to shimmy again, hadn't gone into full on wobble yet, but felt like it wanted to. I traded it off 4 days and about 600 miles after i picked it up from the shop. Glad to report that I haven't had any kind of wobble since. I think that there needs to be a class action suit against ford to get them to do something about this issue before someone dies
SaltyMark55 answered 5 years ago
I believe I’ve corrected the death wobble. Started with steering damper to correct bump steer and ended with death wobble. Replaced aging tires which helped. Had tie rods replaced and had wheels aligned. Truck is much tighter up front and after taking it over my test bump, no wobble.
DynoMite_Dave answered 5 years ago
I also have a 2017 F-350 that started the death wobble at 17000. Completely stock from factory - tires, wheels, and suspension. I have reported it to NHSTA website and see the compliant. My questions is why is the TSB 18-2268 reported to apply only to trucks built prior to July 31, 2018 and is their some other/changed components on the newer trucks that solves the death wobble problem?
Well got truck back after 6 days! Was told 3, No loaner vehicle from dealer either. Poor customer service their. Pay 60K for a truck and they cant even provide a loaner on defective equipment....anyways, installed shim kit and realigned. so far so good. feels tighter in front end too. Factory warranty covered all work and parts. At least thats a positive.
An aftermarket HD track bar is often times the cure.
DAN19541956 answered 5 years ago
I JUST WANT TO ADD MY NAME TO LIST . MY 2017 SHAKES SO BAD I THINK IT WILL EVENTUALLY CAUSE US TO BE IN AN ACCIDENT . BEEN TO SHOP 3 TIMES AND STILL WOBBLES AND IS ALMOST UNCONTROLABLE
2017 Super cab short bed Lariat Powerstroke 20,000 miles going in this weekend for shims and we will see what else. No loaner from KOONS BALTIMORE luckily going out of town and have a rental from work. 60K truck and about killed me outside Philly on 476 when it went into death wobble. You could usually expect it when hitting a raised bump on the driver side but this one came out of no where. Pretty scarey stuff so probably going Duramax shopping soon. Ford should be all over this before some people die this is no joke.
Most of the death wobble in SFR trucks is due to the caster angle... Ford sets it at 1 degree on later models... Change to 3 degrees and problem should vanish... (assuming tires balanced and steering components are not worn excessively) ... Most likely will need to install aftermarket caster kit since many fords do not have an adjustment for caster .. I own a few SFR vehicles(Jeeps, Ram and 2015 Superduty)... Hope that helps...
First off model year 2017 is an all new truck, suspension included. I had this issue w/ my 2012 F350 dually diesel and it was a year long nightmare. Everything in the front end was replaced, the end result was reshimming and aligning, been fine for 30k+ miles. Now....My 2019 F350 dually diesel @ 15k miles today shook so bad twice that basically stopping was the only way to end it. Good thing I kept a spare, truck that is :(
Scottneardeathexp answered 5 years ago
Husband had single car accident today. His 2017 F350 has been in shop 3 times, only has 17000 miles. He bought it new 1 year ago (should have been our first clue). It started death wobble on way to work and got off side of road in wet, muddy grass and was unable to get out. Truck launched 60 feet in the air because of ramping on side driveway and then eventually came to stop at 200 feet. Fortunately no serious accident but OHP said he was very luck.
Just had my 2019 in shop. Fords standard protocol was followed. Found steering stabilizer to be junk, 15300 miles. I actually questioned the slight oscillation I was getting very early on with the service department but waited to see if it became serious, which it did. Truck drives better now than it did the day I drove it home new.
Bought Lariat 2018 brand new, at 25,000 miles it started shaking bad on icy roads. Took it to shop manager lied repeatedly about it being fixed. He was so hung over, I showed him my battery issue as well all he could do is just scraps the acid everywhere telling me it was normal lol. Tried to drive the truck home aftwr being lied to that it was fixed it wouldnt even start. Drove it home had major death wobble on the way home less than 5 miles away. This is serious very serious and they treated me like it was a repossession. They deemed it a lemon and full warranty and extra warranty. They treat it like a reposession. They told me I devalued a deemed lemon $13000 by work miles I put on the truck? i thought these diesels were meant to be high mileage working trucks.... so they deemed it a lemon and tell me cough up $13000 to get a replacement. Insane. I had severe death wobble at 70 mph in heavy traffic with semis driving 75-80 mph around me with my whole family in the car including 2 young children. If I dont have a new truck this week I will never let down for how I was treated. I will take the $75000 of bad credit before ever setting foot in another fors ever again. All this has caused major heart problems for my mom and put my kids in grave danger. Ill move to the woods and spend every waking minute making sure people know what shade this is. Thanks have a great day and reat of your life if you survive this death wobble - the King
I've had 2 trucks do this. 2011 F250 6.7 Lariat - started to death wobble at 30k, I replaced steering stabilizer with Bilstein, replaced all 4 Shocks with Bilstein, replaced tires, aligned. Didnt wobble until about 100k miles. Right now I have a 2017 F350 Dually, at about 15k miles, same thing - who has a kit to fix caster on these trucks?
2014 F250, started the death wobble in 2016 75,000 mi. Brought it to Ford Dealer (they are a joke) they let the front tires down to 40 without telling me and gave it back, (supposed to have 75psi per factory) Then said they couldn't find anything wrong but suggested I do new shims in the front end for 500.00. Did the shims, death wobble still as bad as ever. Replaced the trac bar, trac bar ball joint, steering damper, new tires, multiple alignments. Still having the same problem.
Coolinthesaddle answered 5 years ago
I have a 2017 F250 LARIAT and sad to say this will be my last Ford!! I have been dealing with this Death Wobble for almost a year!! First they told me it was my TracBar!! Replaced and no fix! Put a steering stabilizer on it, done out of my pocket! Worked for about 3 months and now the DW is back!! I’m so close to talking to a lawyer and starting a class action suit! I’m sure there are plenty of Ford owners that would join in!!! My Off Road shop told me there is no fix!
I urge all of you to go to install a Pmf suspension twin steering stablizer. My truck started death wobble at 14k miles and I'm at 27k now with perfect tight steering after doing the PMF kit with twin bilsteen dampers.
2017 F250 Lariat 4x4, 4 door short bed. When I get on or off the freeway and hit the double reflectors, the front end of the truck dances so much, that I cant even turn the wheel. I thought I was going to hit the wall and or car next to me. I had to nail the brakes down to 30ish before it came out of it. Ford IS going to have a major law suit, because someone is going to die. No question. Buy the Duramax, its a way better truck. My f250 only has 8k miles on it. More people need to know about this issue. I cant even let my wife drive this truck, what an inconvenience. I'm a mechanic of over 10 years, I own my own shop and I have never come across anything this bad. Only the straight axle trucks do it, but not this bad.
This is now a well documented problem with Ford. Any Ford garage that sells any amount of Super Duties should be well aware of the protocol to repair the issue. It may take a second visit as the TSB has them doing a couple of things the first trip then sending you on your way. If it's not repaired bring it right back. If you're under warranty don't try to repair it yourself, even with a steering stabilizer. You may fix it, but now you've taken the problem off of Fords Shoulders and placed it on yours by using a none OEM component. Believe me, I went down this road 4 years ago. I'm no Ford advocate as I've had more than my share of problems, it took 4 months to fix my 2012 death wobble back before Ford was acknowledging there was a problem.
Sandinkelly answered 5 years ago
ADD PRO COMP DUAL STEERING DAMPER KIT AND REPLACE ANY LOOSE STEERING OR SUSPENSION PARTS WORKED GREAT ON THIS 2012 F250 4X4 156k WITH NO WORN PARTS FOUND
I have a 2011 F350 4x4 and this my 20th new Ford truck and by far the worst piece of shit I have ever had, I have replaced every part on the front end and changed the tires twice and it still shakes so bad every time I hit a bump, I don’t know what to do next.
After 4 trips to the dealer, adjusting the chamber, addind 2 different size of shims and having both dampers replaced with no improvement they installed a 1.5" leveling kit on the front. I have put on less that 1,000 miles but it seems to have fixed the issue. The steering is very stiff when hitting a bump but as the dealer put it the front end does a " ring down" and stops the wobble. I hope this issue is finally behind me. If not, I'll give an update. Currently at 19,000 miles.
Sell it and buy a Chevy or a GMC. That will definitely fix your problem.
My 2017 F250 had it right out of the gate. I replaced the factory shocks with Fox at considerable expense hoping that would calm it down and improve the ride. Nope. Ford dealer said the steering dampener "failed miserably" when they tested it and they replaced it. Still was an issue but not as violent. Dealer then said that it was due to the leveling kit I had put on it. B.S .! They said they would have to remove it and do an alignment at my expense before they could go any further. I traded it a week later on a 2018 Ram 2500. I encountered fords lack of response on warranty issues on a 1999 F250, and quit driving them then, I only wish I had stayed away instead of blowing money on their new POS..
Go to Amazon, get a procomp radius arm drop bracket, adds caster to the front end. make sure you get the one for your year. https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Comp-62698-2-5-Bracket/dp/B005OABYC4/ref=au_as_r? _encoding=UTF8&Make=Ford%7C54&Model=F- 250%20Super%20Duty%7C668&Year=2011%7C2011&ie=UTF8&n=15684181&newVehicle =1&s=automotive&vehicleId=1&vehicleType=automotive
Have a 2017 250 super cab long box STX 4x4off road 20000 miles. It started the death wobble now, a little different scenario. I experienced it twice just driving and hit a bump. Then I had my 5th wheel goose neck trailer on with a very moderate load. Had the tow haul on and exhaust brake.came down a long grade and had to brake moderately and it went into the death wobble. It got so bad I had to slow to about 20 mph. In heavy traffic in a construction zone with one lane through concrete barriers on each side. braked to slow down , it was on flat ground, went into the death wobble so bad I thought I was going to hit a barrier I finally got on the open road and only used the trailer brakes to get home. I unloaded the trailer and went for a drive to-see if it would go into a death wobble. It did not so that shows that by changing the angle of the front axle has an effect on it . Much like the person who said the 1.5 “ leveling kit had an effect on it. So in theory, by raising the mount on the axle bar to change the camber may be a possible solution?
Had this on my 2013 F-250. Started at about 140,000 miles. It is the check bushing or track bushing (heard it called both), a $30 part and about $100 for labor at Firestone. The Firestone was an aftermarket part, all that was available on a Saturday. That part lasted about 10,000 miles. Replaced with Motorcraft, no problems in 25,000 miles.
Update: Put around 5K on the truck since Ford installed the shim kit. No issues yet, and have hit some pretty good bumps at interstate speed that would have sent it shaking out my fillings before. I needed tires, but waited to replace them to see if shims helped issue. Just put on new tires, and no issues with them either.
Sandinkelly answered 5 years ago
WE REPLACE STEERING SHOCK AND ADDED DUAL STEERING STABILZER KIT FIXED LIKE A CHARM NEW TISES DID NOTTING NEW SHOCKS DID NOTHING TO STOP ISSUE I REMOCMEND MAKING FORD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE PRODUCTS THEY MAKE.... NOT SURE THAT WILL EVER HAPPEN USLESS THEY ARE FORCED!!!!! GOD WILLING AND I KNOW HE IS OLD HENREY WOULD HAVE CRACKED SOME HEADS
I think the answer is we all get together and go after Ford. It seems Ford has know about this issue for years. I guess I was lucky mine started at 40000 miles but new track bar and bushing in. Helped until 49000 miles now it is back. It seems Ford is becoming a not reliable company in my opinion.
Nicholas W. answered 5 years ago
I special ordered my 2018 F350 4x4 crew cab, at about 45 mph while driving over an hwy overpass the steering wheel began to shake violently t where I had to almost stop completely. I didn't order the FX package with better shocks, but I am installing FOX shocks next week. I like my truck, just not the death wobble that happened only once since new. I do notice some steering wheel vibration when hitting some rough places in the roadway at times, think I will also upgrade the steering stabilizer since I just put new Hankook Dynapro tires on. My truck is stock, not lifted and don't have over sized tires on. I have heard that big over sized tires will increase the probability of the death wobble.
FORD REPLACED CASTER SHIMS AND SET CAMBER AND ITS LIKE A NEW TRUCK . VERY HAPPY NOW . TO BAD HAD TO THREATEN LEGAL ACTION BEFORE THEY WOULD FIX IT . STOCKFISH FORD NORTH BAY ONTARIO FINALLY GOT IT RIGHT .STARTED COMPLAINING AT 14000 KM REPAIRED AT 40000
All this info is so helpful! The same thing has happened to my son's truck. It did take him off the road and of course Ford dealership will do nothing. He has had truck in their shop several times and once they even put "maintainance" instead of the truth about this wobble! They are a bunch of crooks! This is a dealership in Poteau Ok. Don't ever buy one of their trucks! Its truly by the grace of God that my son was not killed in this truck! Also he can't get out from under it. No one will take it as a trade! Also Ford would put him in another truck, rolling over what is owed on this one! He would owe over $100,000. on a truck!
Also we will most certainly post on the website you all mentioned. He is at work now but as soon as I get a vin#, we will add to the list! You all are right. Ford needs to be held accountable!
Damn.... Everything about this truck has been perfect until this wobble crap. I took it to an Indy shop.. "oh you tack bar was shot , and the ball joint had this much play.. etc'.." left for an out of town trip. 40 miles later..... helloooo... WTF. Truck has 109k, never done it before. ??? already done the basics...
MY XLT 2017 F250 STARTED THIS AT 15000 MILES. NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE. STARTED WHEN I RUN OVER RIPPLES IN HIGHWAY DOES SOMETIMES WHEN HIT ROUGH PATCH IN HIGHWAY. NOT AS BAD AS I HAVE SEEN VIDEOS OF WOBBLES, BUT MINE NOT AS BAD AS SEEN BUT STILL WOBBLES. WILL CALL MY DEALERSHIP MONDAY 8/12/20119 I HAVE OWNED 2 2002 F250, 1 2006 250 1 2008 250 AND A 2011 BE FORE I BOUGHT THIS ONE.ALL THESE WERE 2 WHEEL DRIVE. MY 2017 IS 4 WHEEL DRIVE. ANY TWO WHEEL DRIVES DOING IT
My son finally had to take his truck to someone other than ford dealership to be repaired! So far he has spent $3000. out of pocket for parts to make this truck safe to drive! I saw on tv recently about Ford rebuilding an old mustang car for a person (as a good will, I guess) and I thought about the free publicity Ford was getting from this but nothing on something that can kill someone! It was truly God's grace my son was not killed in this truck! He can't even trade it off. No one wants it! Its a 2017 - only 2 years old!
Throw my hat in the rink....same here in KC. Already spent $1000's and no fix.
I am also one of the victims. I have a 2017 Ford F250 with 26,000 miles. At 7000 miles I had my first death wobble, thought I had blown out a tire. It scared the s--- out of us. Took it to our local dealership they could not get parts from Ford. Ford had them do an alignment and put bushings in the tire rods. This lasted till now and we have experienced seven death wobble's in the last two weeks. We are pulling a fifth wheel camper and are experiencing the death wobble with it on the truck and off the truck. We are so scared driving this truck we are cutting our vacation short heading home and hope we can get Fort to do something. This is not acceptable. Why can't we all get together and start a lawsuit against Ford Motor Co before they kill someone.
I just got my 2017 F350 back from the 5th time in the shop. 21,000 miles on it. The dealer is now trying to tell me that it's the tires (Goodyear Wranglers) that came on the truck. They claim it is not covered under warranty. Of course they had it for over a week before they told me this. They didn't bother to rotate the tires to see if that corrected the problem. The front tires are showing pieces of rubber missing due to the death wobble. Very frustrated about no one taking ownership for this issue. When I called Ford HQ their solution was to take it to a different dealership. All that did was make us start over even though I provided them with all the paperwork from our previous shop visits.
I have a 2019 F350 with 1800 miles on it. This morning it had a “Death Rattle” going about 45. It was not as pronounced as some have described. I kept driving for about 30 miles and it went away. I will have my dealer look at it. I will report the results.
I have a 2019 F350 with 1800 miles on it. This morning it had a “Death Wobble” going about 45. It was not as pronounced as some have described. I kept driving for about 30 miles and it went away. I will have my dealer look at it. I will report the results.
2017 350 started at 17000. Same stuff, dealer says it was the tires and when I asked that they replace the tires they said there is nothing wrong with the tires. Changed the damper and caster, it did diminish the problem but it is still there. Strangely I have had six different previous years of Super Duty's and have never had the death wobble. Very disappointing but will have to change brands. I will also register NTSB.
Had a non Ford mechanic tell me today that Ford HQ knows about the problem but doesn't have a fix. He claims that I need to replace the trac bar and bushings about every 10,000 miles to keep it drivable and from tearing up my tires. It's a croc of crap! I have driven Fords all my life and it looks like I'm going to be forced to take a blood bath financially to get rid of this one and buy something that I can feel comfortable driving.
Add degree to caster adjustment. Known fix. It took care of mine. I had 3 OEM. added 2 more. 2012f350.
The heavy duty after market trac bars are much more durable than the stock ones.
I am looking at new trucks. Is this problem found on both 2x4 and 4xr trucks?
This happened to me three days ago when I was joining an interstate. Barely escaped with my life as a 18 wheeler narrowly missed me as I attempted to brake and get to the side of the road. Went to local dealer who appeared to be well aware of "death wobble" and told me they could fix it with shims for $600. They told me I would have to raise a case with Ford Customer Care if I wanted it done for free. Call Ford on 800 392-3673.
The problem is with the 4x4's that have straight front axles. Trucks with independent front suspension do not have this issue.
Read a bunch of your reports, I have a 2017 250 diesel its haoppened like 10 times 20k miles had it repaired 30k mile had it repaired now, 38k ready to go again I can tell, my tires are completely worn, and I am sure other parts, I was gonna order a 2020 but gonna put new tires on it balance it and see what happens. This ignorance by Ford really erks me. This is my 5th Lariat only one I had an issue with last 2 150s though.
2017 Platinum with FX4. First time was truck only coming downhill from mountains and it happened several times when braking, truck had approx 14k miles on at the time and was/is completely stock. Dealer installed shims. Second time was yesterday, coming downhill out of mountains but was towing a 28 foot 5th wheel. Applied brakes going downhill into a left turn and shook like mad. Braked again once on straight/flatter road and did it again....but only when braking. Stopped briefly to change my pants and driving a combination of hills and flat, it didn't do it again the rest of the trip home. Took to dealer today and they say they see nothing wrong in the front end and everything is tight, but that there is a TINY amount of warping on the rotors that may have been amplified by the weight of the 5th wheel coming downhill. I honestly don't know enough to determine whether that's valid or not, but I have my doubts. The truck only has 22k on it, so I feel it should still drive like new.
Yea it should. You may need a couple more degrees of caster. If it’s at 2-3, I would add another 1.5-2. I ended up with 4.3 to 4.5 and it worlked it out. I was still a little paranoid, so I put Fox 2.0 up front and the fox ATS stabilizer.. riding sweet. 118k miles.
You may want to try turning up the trailer brakes and make sure the tongue weight is correct.
I was in the market to possibly buy a Ford truck for the first time for my personal use until I received one as a company truck. At 12,000 miles my 2019 F-250 company truck started the death wobble. It now has 30,000 miles on it and it’s been in the shop 3 times already! This cannot be fixed! The dealership will let you take it back to your heart’s content or until you just get sick and tired of moving in and out of your truck. This will continue until your warranty runs out then it’s YOUR problem! My advice, get rid of it and NEVER buy another Ford truck again. This has been going on for over 14 years!!!! Do you think they care?
If you do not have sway control you probably need it or need to upgrade what you have now.
rynophiliac answered 5 years ago
This is now a CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT, do a google search for f250 death wobble class action lawsuit. It happened to me starting at 16,000 miles, it has been to the dealer twice already with bandaid fixes that last a few thousand miles then it returns. Happened again last Saturday on a freeway overpass with my wife and kid in the truck, very scary. I added our truck to the NHTSA. Have another appt with Ford dealer for service tomorrow.
rynophiliac answered 5 years ago
McCune Wright Arevalo LLP is handling the class action lawsuit
rynophiliac answered 5 years ago
I contacted the attorney office and they emailed this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Ford_Death_Wobble Right now they are in the data collection phase trying to get a list of all the people that have been affected by this issue. They are particularly interested in anyone who has lost control of the vehicle or wrecked because of the issue. Please share the link on all threads that discuss the ford death wobble so we can get Ford to take action.
Millertwin answered 5 years ago
Had all recommended parts replaced by Ford and after 9k miles death wobble is back.. Ford knows about the problem and this issue isn’t like a faulty window or over heating problem , this problem can and will cause the driver to lose control of vehicle and slowing down to make it stop on interstate like I have had to is dangerous also. I’ve been lucky but I’m tired of playing Russian roulette and tired of being scared every time I get behind the wheel or in passenger seat of this truck. Truck only has 46k miles .
Absolutely unacceptable! I have a 2018 F250 4WD under 25K miles. Twice last week the truck shook so hard at (70 mph) in the middle of the freeway. I thought it was going to split in half. The truck came to an abrupt halt in the freeway land and nearly caused two major accidents. My 6 and 8-year-old were in the vehicle at the time and it took 2 police escorts to get off the freeway. The Webster, TX police who helped me off the freeway warned me not to believe the Ford dealership if FORD blames this on my tires or steering. The officer was correct wehn he explained the death wobble. The office said this has become a very serious matter that Ford refuses to take responsibility for. My truck was towed to the Ford dealership where I was told they would not examine the vehicle until I purchased new tires! I called Bullshit! New tires? My tires were fine I even had Discount Tire check all 4 tires later that day (Tires were all good). The dealership basically said there wasn't a permanent fix but now are claiming otherwise yet can't back up the repairs with concrete evidence it won't happen again. Ford claims due to Lemon Laws in TX they can't buy it back. Two days later the exact same thing happened again on the Toll Rd going 70 mph. By the grace of God I didn't hurt myself or other innocent drivers. Ford now claims I am on the fast track they are skipping the new tire protocol and alignment protocol and going straight to replacing the steering damper. (Imagine how much money I would have waisted buying new tires and having the truck re-aligned). I have researched this at length and can honestly say not one thing I have seen guarantees a new steering damper will solve the problem. In fact the words out of the service manager's mouth was it's not a matter of if it's a matter of when it happens again even after the new damper is installed. As I explained to Ford this is unacceptable in my book. My own children will not step foot in my truck nor do I blame them. Someone is going to get killed! I posed the question to Ford today: Since Ford has knowledge of the defect (although they won't refer to it as a defect) and I kill myself or an innocent driver who is liable or responsible? Ford referred me to their legal department for an answer. I did talk to the law firm who filed the class-action lawsuit. I have not signed with them in hopes Ford would grow a pair and step up to their defect. So far no luck! I plan to go to the media with my story, I will also file on the website listed above. These are not cheap vehicles and there is absolutely NO excuse for Ford to flat ignore this major defect! Shameful!!
rynophiliac answered 5 years ago
Also, If you don't want to wait for Ford to own the problem your best bet is to buy a good aftermarket dual steering stabilizer set up. I purchased one from PMF and have been happy with it. Everything I've read on the dealer fixes (caster shims, tires, alignment, factory steering stabilizers, ball joints, etc) only fixes the issue temporarily. The aftermarket dual steering stabilizer is your best bet to prevent future death wobble events.
I just had a 2014 f250 in the shop for this problem, first replaced both tie rod ends they had 224,000 miles on them, replaced steering damper, then i noticed a slight crack in the trac bar bushing, replaced that, seams to have fixed the problem.
Steering stabilizers are a bandaid. You need to fix the actual problem and then add the stabilizer which by itself can mask the real issue. They are needed and will reduce certain problems and will probably reduce suspension and steering wear.
Changed track bar with Mogo aftermarket. Changed stock shocks wand stabilizer with autozone... did it again. Added 3 degree caster. Took it out.. wasn’t comfortable, so I added fox 2.0 to the front and fox ATS STABILIZER. Rock solid. 120k on the bitch
Thanks for the information. On my trip in Canada, this happen to me in my 2017 F250. I filed a complaint: here is what I said... While towing a 7000 lb trailer/rv, the truck started shaking badly after driving over a bridge expansion joint. This occurred three times in one day while driving on Canada hwy 104 between Antigonish NS and Moncton NB. After staying in a walmart parking lot in Moncton NB, the shaking happen one more time the next day on hwy 1 while driving to Saint John. Each time, the brakes were applied and the shaking stop at about 35 mph. Each time, the shaking started while driving between 60 and 70 mph, and crossing a bridge expansion joint. The truck had about 26,000 miles when this was happening. The same trailer setup has be used form thousands of mile since the truck was new. The shaking was very bad and I am very thankful no other cars were close by when it happen.
2017 f250 Platinum - stock. At approx 10k miles, Worked on by dealership 3 times resulting in partial fix/some improvement.
I'm reading all of these posts and becoming disheartened. My truck is older. 2007 F350 198000 miles. 80ish miles an hour coming off the summit on I-80 in Wyoming. Just passed a semi and moving to right lane. Not sure if I hit any kind of bump but the truck wobbled so bad my seat belt locked. Semis and cars slamming on breaks while I tried to keep control. Hit a delineator post trying to get it off the highway and not kill anybody. Got the truck stopped in the ditch. My grandson got out and refused to get back in. 1. As I read this I'm sure they are going to tell me my parts are worn. 2. I was thinking about newer Ford, but after reading these posts I will pass. 3. The truck was just in the shop 4 months ago for new tires and alignment. Everything looked good then. 5. Dodge or Chevy?
NorCalEvan answered 5 years ago
UPDATE: After several WARRANTY repairs at my dealer, and continued Death Wobble events from mild to severe, FORD did issue a repurchase for my F-250. They did ding me for millage up to the first time the incident was reported which was about 13000 miles. FORD did a fair job of buying this back and I am sure that I could have hired a lawyer etc... but I really didn't want to wait and possible get badly injured or injure anyone else. If you have a Death Wobble issue I recommend going to your dealership as soon as possible and getting it checked. FORD is not denying that there is an issue but they do seem to minimize the magnitude of the problem. NOW: What to buy to replace the truck? I have heard that the 2017-2019's F-250 and F-350's are having this issue. Also FORD has made changes to the chassis in the 2020's the details are not clear, but they have lowered the suspension by about an inch and made other adjustments which I am thinking are in an effort to address this. I hope it's something more systemic that changing the Camphor settings. Any information? What 3/4 or 1 ton would you buy today? I like the FORD product, just really don't want to see this happen again.
2019 F350 dual rear wheel pick up just under 25,000 miles. driving into Seattle north on I five at approximately 71 miles an hour. Extreme wobble. Very frightening. Assumed one of the wheels was literally coming off the front of the truck. manage to get to the side of the freeway in a very scary location given oncoming traffic. Could not see anything at all. Pulled off the freeway approximately 1/2 mile later checked all my Lugnuts checked all of anything underneath the truck that I could actually jacked it up and took a good look at everything. Could not see anything. Truck is completely OEM wheels tires lugs etc. Steered it in big circles weaved it back-and-forth everything seem to be fine so I got back on the freeway right around the time I hit 70 miles an hour and a small bridge transition it did it again. currently limping the truck home from Seattle to Billings Montana where I live. This is my work truck and my complete livelihood. Maintaining speeds under 65 only. very very frightening experience and I’m certainly glad it wasn’t slick or wet or snowy it could’ve been fatal. I have all of this on video from my dash cam which I have saved. just had a really bad issue with the recent Chevy pick up and the DEF system so I switch to the Ford. Love the truck but this is certainly disconcerting and just very upsetting all the way around.
Update on my 2018 F250 crew cab 4wd LB, in Feb had this occur at 4450 miles. Ford tried to tell me my tire air pressure was low, I didn't accept that and then they replaced my steering damper claiming it was worn which helped at the time. In Sept I started to have a lot of steering wheel movement just on the side roads and was concerned about taking the truck on the freeway, I asked the Ford dealership to check it and they came back no problem found. Well last week (Oct) I was doing 65 mph on the loop 101 in Phx and hit a expansion joint or bump and the truck went into full Death Wobble again, had to immediately slow down to about 35 to regain control nearly causing a pile up. After that anything over 50 mph was scary, any bump was causing the truck to wobble. Truck is back at the dealership with 9100 miles on it, they said the steering damper had blown out completely. This last experience has me very concerned if I should continue driving this truck, having any passengers and the risk to the general public. I've already filed a complaint with at the NHTSA website, submitted that survey for the possible law suit and even requested a local news team to investigate this. At a point where a buy back is worth researching, if no luck then getting a lemon law lawyer.
Had the Death Wobble 4 times on Friday while pulling my trailer on a 30 mile trip. Going to schedule my 6th attempt to repair with the dealership. 23,000 miles and have also replaced my tires.
Hey there, my 2017 F-250 had no problems until it hit the 50,000 mark, in and around town/city no problems, long trips at highway speeds 75-80 mph no problems, I backed the truck in a parking spot at work and noticed a slight noise that sounded like something was loose under the left front side when I rocked the steering wheel to the left and now it will wobble at 35-45 and highway speeds if I dont put pressure steering slight left or slight right. This is disheartening, I love everything else about that truck and have no plans on getting rid of it, so whats the consensus on fixing it without getting on a "money merry-go-round" with a dealership that probably has no clue but to guess, at my expense. I the caster adjustment adding more positive or negative caster ? I've seen advertisements for the heavy duty track bars, gas shocks and dual steering stabilizers. Where should I start, this is where "we-the people who bought and drive them" can help each other while Ford kicks the can down the road, any realistic suggestions ?
I'd start with your Caster. That nailed it for me. I took mine to 4.5+. I had already replaced the shocked with an O'reilly brand, and put in a HD track bar. The caster adjust nailed it. Afterwords I put in Fox 2.0 to tighten up the front end... just because.
I would look for a good independent shop that has experience dealing with the DW once your warranty has run out. At least you will save money on repairs and you won't get any dealer BS either.
I have 2019 F-350 diesel and have experienced death wobble at 27,000 miles. The vehicle is currently at the dealership and they will replacing steering damper. Also having issues with entertainment screen glowing blue at night time even when the vehicle is completely shut off and locked. Ford already replaced some parts for the screen but it didn't resolve the problem.
Mine is currently in the shop for the 3rd time this year for wobble/bump-steer issues. No idea what they plan to do as of yet. They've had it for a week and I haven't heard a peep, but I'm ok with that for the time being.
bushwacker226 answered 4 years ago
A friend warned me of this problem. He had it occur twice on F250 4x4 super crew while pulling a 5th wheel. Truck has less than 25,000 miles and is under warranty. I just read this discussion thread top to bottom and it has me scared. I have a 2018 F250 XLT Super Crew SRW 4x4 6.7L diesel which I use to tow a 5th wheel. Problem has not occurred yet with 14,000 miles. Truck is equipped with 18" highway tires on aluminum rims. Truck is fully stock with no mods. For those with vehicles they have taken to dealer while still under warranty, if dealer is unable to fix a specific problem after repeated attempts you may be eligible for BBB Auto Line arbitration program. Simply stated this program presents a non-legal option to get Ford to pay you the price you paid for the vehicle less a deduct for accumulated mileage OR get a new Ford vehicle for the difference in the vehicle MSRP sticker price. I just went through this process a year ago on my 2013 F350 for an advancetrac electronics problem Ford could not fix after repeated attempts. If you go this route you must document all service visits for the issue. In my case I made a spreadsheet of the problem, when it occurred, dates, mileage, etc., dealer service tickets, letters to Ford and the dealer, etc. When Ford saw documentation I presented we never went to arbitration. They just asked if I wanted money or new vehicle. BBB Auto Line program info is in your warranty guide. I understand this does not solve a serious potential life threatening issue but it does prevent a method for avoiding a financial hit.
NorCalEvan answered 4 years ago
Looking for insights on the 2020 F-250 - does anyone know if Ford has made changes to the 2020 that address the Death Wobble? I've heard that they lowered the 4x4 about an 1" in the rear and changed several things but I have no way to know what they are doing to address the Death Wobble. FORD bought my 2017 F-250 back on a Lemon Law RAV deal after several failed attempts to fix the issue.
Since the 2020's are not out yet who can say? Looking forward to finding out!
bushwacker. Thanks for the excellent post.
2017 F-350 SRW long bed crew cab diesel, 31K miles. Wobble happened for the first time about 2K miles ago. I was on a stretch of highway that had a very weird ripple which triggered the first incident, thought it was an anomaly and didn't think anything more. Since then I have noticed a slight vibration in the steering wheel particularly pronounced when I was in a slight left (unloading the steering damper I assume), true to this thread I went over a bridge transition and went into a steer/bump resonance. As many have said it can be disturbing on an empty road and downright dangerous on a busy one. As you all know we have expensive trucks and this is unacceptable. Searching my options now as to how to resolve this. Going to the NHTSA website linked above to file my complaint.
BigTexasMike answered 4 years ago
This thread scares the heck out of me. Im near Bastrop tx about the head back to Houston in my 2018 F350 crew cab. DW has happened 2x this morning going 70 mph down hwy 71 when I went to fill up diesel. Afraid to drive the 2 hrs home to Houston with the 3 kids and spouse in the car. This thing is going to the stealership first thin in the morning. Just past 30k miles
My 2017 F350 Lariat is at the dealership for the 2nd time for the death wobble problem. First “fix” involved replacing the steering damper in Sept 2018. Last week of Oct 2019 the problem was back. Dropped it at the dealer Nov 5. Got a call later that day that a new steering damper was backordered and would arrive Nov 15. They asked if I wanted to pick the truck up or leave it. Told them since it wasn’t safe to drive I’d have to leave it. Called dealer on Nov 15, was told part wouldn’t arrive until Nov 25! On Nov 25 I called and was told the damper was now projected to arrive Nov. 29. I’m being told that no dealer is able to get this part due to backorder. Dealer said they had no Super Duty on the lot that they could pull a damper off of to put on my truck. Told them that the truck is needed for business, and that I was tired of borrowing a truck to tow a trailer to job sites, and that I’ve had to put jobs on hold due to having no truck. Obviously the response was sorry to hear that, we understand you’re frustration! No offer to provide a loaner. This whole thing with this problem Ian out of control. Issue a recall and fix it!! And WHY can no dealer get parts that are needed to try to remedy the issue.
DEATH WOBBLE STARTED17000 MILES. TOOK TO MY DEALERSHIP. SAID THE DAMPER WAS BAD. REPLACED IT. STILL HAD A VERY VERY SMALL TREMBLE. DID NOT DO WOBBLE FOR A WHILE.. ON I 40 IN ARKANSAS CLOSE TO FORT SMITH DOING 78 MPH. DID IT AGAIN, WORSE THAN EVER.1990 MILES. WOULD NOT STOP WOBBLING UNTIL I FINALLY CAME TO A STOP ON SIDE OF INTERSTATE. TALK TO DEALERSHIP AGAIN. SAID BRING BACK AND SUGGESTED NOT DRIVING OVER 70MPH TILL GET BACK TO THEIR SHOP. SO THANKFUL THAT WIFE OR GRANDDAUGTER WAS NOT DRIVING
I bought my F-250 Diesel XLT ,2019... paid a lot for it , liked it very much... until the "death wobble" happened , twice so far. Truck is at the dealer now for almost two weeks. Part to fix the problem , no where in site....My question is why is everyone posting this problem and yet not taking legal action. The vehicle is too expensive to just "keep taking Ford's BS excuses " , and time and money consuming , aside from the obvious risk to our safety. There is a class action suit filed in California now , but for the most part F-250 owners seem to have little appetite for seriously seeking compensation or resolution from Ford. We must bring this problem to the public , only then will Ford take our risks and losses seriously. Like any large company , they will continue to minimize this problem until , God forbid it , someone dies. Please file your complaints to the NTHSB an d also file your complaints directly to Ford.
Bought a '19 Ford F250 STX SWB FX4. At ~20K miles, started the death wobble. Ford has issued a Technical Service Bulletin on this issue, but, like others, filled out a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration hoping they force Ford's hand into a recall. Last night, crossed a bridge at 75 mph on I 25 and right front wheel felt like it was coming off until I backed off to around 50 mph. This is a safety concern that Ford chooses to ignore. Like one poster commented, the dealership told me the steering linkage damper needed to "correct" the problem is in high demand and on back order. Very convenient considering it takes three attempts to repair a problem with resulting failures before lemon law can kick in. A ford owner my whole life and this will be my last.
Millertwin answered 4 years ago
I had a 2017 F250, death wobble started at around 36k , Ford did the suggested fixes ( that did work for 9k miles) death wobble came back, I went to my Ford dealership that I have bought a lot of new Fords , and I honestly believe they thought I was full of shit because I told them when i traded the 2017 death trap that if they had any conscience at all they wouldn't sell this truck to anybody , cause someone is goin to get killed over this issue. Well I passed the 2017 death trap with new tags the other day. I have had a lot of issues with Ford , I had -- 2 F 250 diesels with the 6.0 (POS). I had a-- 2005 Excursion with the 6.0 another (POS) I should have took stock in Turbos .My wife had a - - 2010 f150 platnium that had the shifting issue ( the one where the transmission would down shift at high rate of speed or transmission would not shift past third gear) i traded the Platnium for a *2012 F250 King Ranch , transmission went out on it at 24k. The 2017 F250 had death wobble ,I bought a --2016 F150 echo boost a and at 16K it was in garage for some type of transmission issue i can't even remember at this point. Now i have a 2019 F250 and am disappointed to see that someone with a 2019 had death wobble.
Mine has 15500 on it and ive had the same Death Wobble. i will report this to Ntsb and inquire tot my dealer for the correct repair. I thought i was the only one before reading this today. After reading nearly every post almost, noone mentioned toggling between lane departure assist and LDA off. that made a huge difference.. could it be with electronic steering assist. it seemed to magnify with it on. this is most likely caused by the steering linkages, bad dmaper, control arms etc. but they seem to be all fighting each other. This is BS, however it it can be repaired they are great trucks. Ford may suck big balls in this case.
I own a 2017 platinum f-250 with 75k miles. I have a 4” fabtech suspension lift, with 35’s on 22’s and a ICON 6500 dual steering stabilizer bracket kit with dual KING 2.0 Steering stabilizer shocks and has always ridden beautifully. Now on the other hand when I only had the truck for less than 6 months and 12k miles my fucking motor locked up on me because of a faulty oil sensor which detected the truck had no oil and immediately seized the motor. Long story short I demanded Ford replace the truck considering I spent almost 90k purchasing everything after market through dealership to keep my warranties and they refused. They covered replacing the engine at no cost but I still felt entitled to a brand new truck after they had to completely rip mine to pieces to repair it. I hired a lemon law attorney anyways and they went to battle for me and reached a settlement with Ford for 16k. Have never had any issues with anything sense other than Ford’s customer service will always be absolute shit.
2017 F250 STX FX4. Death wobble started at 26k. I was away on business up north in Wisconsin/Chicago areas. Happened 1st coming out of a job site in WI, left side wheel shaking horrible. Slowed down to 30mph and went away. Unfortunately we live in FL, so after the northern jobs were done we headed home. Death wobble at least 30x at sharp bumps or bridge sections, had to slow down to 30mph every time. Needless to say it’s in the shop now with the same steering dampener went bad scenario. Luckily I wasn’t pulling a trailer this time. Probably would of never made it home. Will bring up the answers in this thread to my SA. Will file my complaint to the NHTSA once I hit send. Great thread and stay safe death wobblers. SMDH.
Mathub, are you saying yours stopped when disabling the Lane Departure Warning? Isn't that just an audible warning? I'm not aware it reacts and touches the steering at all. Mine is a 2017, however, so perhaps that changed? Anyway, mine has done it several times very badly and that's never been turned on. Currently it's sitting at a dealer awaiting the elusive steering dampener, although there has been talk between Ford and the dealer/service department about putting on a Fox component, but they also seem to be getting scarce as I understand it.
NorCalEvan answered 4 years ago
https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2019/ford-death-wobble-class-action-lawsuit.shtml
I had a 2014 f250 lifted 6 inches on 37s and never had a single issue after owning for 4 years. Bought a 2017 and bought 22x12 wheels had them on 5k miles and took them off for winter (didn’t want the salt to destroy them) and ever since I put the stock wheels and tires on I’m having issues with the “death wobble” wondering if the difference in weight could help or make things worse?
bushwacker226 answered 4 years ago
Based on the descriptions above and a video that can be found on line in YouTube it appears there is a resonant frequency in the Super Duty front end that once excited (hitting a bump or bridge expansion joint) can only be stopped by dropping to a speed (frequency) that is less than the resonant frequency. All mechanical systems have resonant frequencies. But usually those frequencies are either well damped (like with shock absorbers) and cannot be excited or are outside the operating range and therefore will not be excited during operation. The Super Duty death wobble appears to be a resonant frequency being excited. Resonant frequency is dependent upon the mass (weight of the components in the system), springiness or stiffness of the components in the system, and the damping in the system (shock absorbers and natural damping of the metal bars (tie rods, etc.). Change any of the above characteristics will change the resonant frequency. Tire size, tire pressure, type of shock absorber, weight of the components in the system, adding weight to or removing weight from the system, spring size/capacity, spring travel, and alignment will all influence the resonant frequency. Looseness in the system, such as worn tie rod ends or loose ball joints will also influence how the system responds to an excitation input like when hitting road bumps or bridge expansion joints. Until Ford figures out how to modify the front end suspension and steering system to move the frequency to where it cannot be excited or add enough damping into the system to control the forces generated at resonance, the problem will continue to occur. The fact that it has occurred on vehicles with no significant mileage is an indication that it is a design issue and not a wear issue. Keep tire pressure right, alignment on spec, tires balanced, and hang on tight. If problem has occurred and you are still in warranty keep going back to dealership. If they cannot fix the problem or if the problem recurs after warranty has ended but you reported it before warranty expired Ford may be required to buy the vehicle back from you.
I recently bought a 2019 F350 new and today going about 55 to 60 mph I went over a bridge and it began to shake almost uncontrollably. The truck only has 6000 miles on it and is driven with care. I immediately contacted ford and took it in. I was told that this is a problem with them but the parts to fix are on back order and dont know how long it will be. I left the truck with them I pull a 4 horse trailer regularly and am very concerned now that this may never be resolved. I will not stop till I get the right answer to this problem as I now know this is a known problem that ford knows of. Someone is going to get killed it needs to be fixed I loved my truck but I would probably let them buy it back if offered after reading all of this.
I recommend all to call Ford directly: 1-800- 392-3673. Ask for customer service. Be sure to have your VIN ready. I asked for the agents name and employee ID no. I opted to have correspondence via email and had to request my case number affixed to all correspondence. Start your documentation and be diligent. Planning on affixing my go pro to the under carriage to film the death wobble and will post a link for all to see when available. In the meantime, stay safe driving and hope this info helps.
I have a 2017 F250 with 40k miles death wobble started two weeks ago. Dealer is saying they are aware of the issue and they need to replace the stabilization shock but they are back ordered. Waiting to here back when in stock.
Guru8ND2K, replacing the stabilizer shock didn't fix mine any of the 3 times it was done, nor did replacing the tie rod ends, drag links, ball joints, caster shims and alignment. What finally fixed mine was a 2019 ram
2017 73000kms on it. Had steering dampner replaced 3 times so far in mater of 12 months. Finally replaced with upgraded 2020 dampner hoping this fixes the problem. Parts still on back order but they took one from one of their 2020's sitting on their lot in hopes to get me safely back on the road. Fingers crossed!
I just bought the truck about 10 days ago. 2019 F250 Super Duty 4x4 with 16,000 miles. Severe Death Wobble on the freeway jerked me into the left lane and vibrated violently for about a half mile while I continually slowed down to try to relieve it. It did not stop until I stopped. It has happened several times since also violently, it feels like a paint color shaker. You can also feel it at much lower speeds, even at take offs, just not as violent. Feels like it is going to fall off of its tires. We have calls into the dealer we purchased from, not our home town, and an appointment at the local dealer in a week to have it looked at. All of your notes give us ammunition, thank you. The parts you all are waiting for I understand has been discontinued because it is not fixing the issue.
Fixed my death wobble by swapping out my old damper with the Fox thru shaft stabilizer part # 983- 02-143. I have a 2018 F250 that could no longer be safely driven over 50mph. Set adjustment to #19. No more bump steer and handles better than new. Ford told me they ordered a new damper for my truck but would take over a month for it to arrive. I was not going to wait and have other steering components wear. $400. Well worth it.
I bought a 2019 F250 STX with the "off road package" new off the lot with 30 miles of test driven miles. I live in Alaska and when you get some snow or ice in the rims, your car will wobble or shake some. So we went for a test drive and the truck had snow on it and we never got over 45 but there was some random wobbles at different speeds and not thinking about it because of the ice or snow, I bought it. So I jumped on the highway after they detailed and washed it all nice and going through 35 it wobbled, through 45 even more, then around 60 I almost lost control. I turned around and drove right back to the dealership and said fix it. They don't know whats wrong but after reading all of these posts it sounds like its a known issue and they should know exactly whats wrong... Today is day 5 and they said they'll get to it tomorrow. I will take this post to them and it wounds like get some reports filed and the ball rolling. Does anyone have any truck thats been fixed and the wobble hasn't returned?
So far my 2017 seems to be fixed 80000kms. Had 2020 dampener put in over two weeks ago and steering is better than it was brand new off the lot. No shaking at all over bumps...hoping it remains fixed. Ford Canada is involved and following my repair to make sure my truck is fixed.
Since they added the shims in my 2017, I have not experienced the death wobble. Dampener and traction bar did not fix issue as a first response. 20k miles driven since shims added.
2018F250Magma answered 4 years ago
Dealer got my 2020 damper in yesterday and is switching out today let's see what happens... also is going to put the foil tape on for the recall lol
I got the new(est) dampener in December and was still getting minor wobble over smaller bumps, even at slower speeds, but had not had a recurrence of the violent shake that I was was getting. I took it back in as the minor (6-10 small bounces of the wheel on a bump) wobble was still happening too much. They had it for a few days, contacted Ford and ended up putting on new front shocks (I have the FX4) and trackbar ball joint. So far it "seems" to steer a bit tighter, but haven't had a chance to really test it out yet. Sorta feels like they are just throwing parts at it. For history, my violent wobble started at 13k and I now have 25k on a 2017 Platinum. I also opened a case with Ford for visibility and help getting a new dampener to the dealer when they kept releasing new ones and were hard to find.
I've had the issue twice on my 2018 F250, at 4400 miles and 9000 miles. Both times the local Ford dealership did the fix (replaced steering shock dampaner twice and did the cam adjusters). I've complained about a slight wobble before at 8500 miles to the dealership and being concerned, of coarse they found no problem until it went into full death wobble 500 miles later. I'm at 11500 miles now and beginning to the feel a slight wobble starting, nothing like driving a busy freeway afraid of it re-occurring again at any time!!
After a number of shops and half the front end replaced I remembered the air shocks on the rear. Checked pressure at 2 lbs, aired to 15 lbs no more death wobble. 2013 f 250 super duty 120,000 miles.
I have a 2019 Ford F-250. The "death wobble" started at about 12,000 miles. It is very consistent. It happens at city speeds when I go over a slight bump in the road, and it always happens when I am at highway speed (about 65-70 MPH) and I apply the brakes moderately. It is something that happens EVERY time when you apply the brakes moderately at that speed. I get mixed answers from Ford. They told me they were entering a buy back on the vehicle. Within one week they called me back and said that the vehicle did not meet buy back criteria for Texas. I have been told that I need to leave the truck at a dealership for at least 7-9 days before they could diagnose the problem, but their service writers also told me that they already knew what it was, and that Ford was "working on a fix" for the problem. I asked for a loaner vehicle to drive until they fix this dangerous problem and was told we would like to help you with a loaner but we don't loan out vehicles under these circumstances. This problem is very scary, and it has almost caused me to crash several times. I can't believe that Ford hasn't been forced to recall these vehicles for this condition. (It has had 4 other safety recalls issued, but none for this, which is the most dangerous of them all). I have been told by a Ford dealership rep that Ford doesn't actually have a long-term fix for the problem, and that the steering dampeners or steering stabilization that they are installing simply masks the true cause. I think the hope is that they can get everyone past the warrant date/mileage limits and say too bad, so sad.
I have a 2017 F250 XLT. Have had the DW 4 times now. Dealer replaces front end parts but doesn’t seem to fix or guarantee the problem. I think this is definitely a safety issue that Ford needs to address.
NorCalEvan answered 4 years ago
2020 F-250 Lariat - After Ford RAV'd my 2017 for the Death Wobble issue, I ordered the 2020 F-250 Lariat. So far 1500 Miles and it drives like a dream. Keeping my fingers crossed that the Death Wobble doesn't show up. Ford did take care of me and I feel based on all the reports that you all need to hear some positive news. It feels like this truck drives tighter that my 2017, more solid. It's hard to say though because the 2017 gradually loosened up and became unstable.
This feed back is extremely helpful. Currently my 2019 F 250 Lariat 13k mi is at the dealership. They claim never to have heard of this. Mine started in an interstate merge at 65 mph and didn't stop until I was below 20 mph. The pucker factor was intense. I am a Ford fan and have a 2003 F 350 lifted for 37" tires and spend more time off road than on. My F 250 has yet to leave the pavement. There are no after mkt parts save a couple of light bars. This is clearly a design flaw and my after mkt dealers are all familiar with this problem, in fact they have cheat sheets. My guess is Ford is weighing the cost of and trouble of a lawsuit vs recall. This is a dangerous issue and Ford needs to address ASAP
I have a 2019 F250 Lariat that started the death wabble at 40,000 miles. It’s happened 30 times and only happens at 50+ mph speedswhich is scary as hell!!!!! NO HELP from the dealer OR Ford motor company!!!! PITIFUL. They tell me they’re working on a fix but the parts are back ordered, so basically go RISK YOUR LIFE EVERYDAY until we figure this shit out! WTF??? This SHOULD be a recall
bushwacker226 answered 4 years ago
This was posted a couple months ago. A friend warned me of this problem. He had it occur twice on F250 4x4 super crew while pulling a 5th wheel. Truck has less than 25,000 miles and is under warranty. I just read this discussion thread top to bottom and it has me scared. I have a 2018 F250 XLT Super Crew SRW 4x4 6.7L diesel which I use to tow a 5th wheel. Problem has not occurred yet with 14,000 miles. Truck is equipped with 18" highway tires on aluminum rims. Truck is fully stock with no mods. For those with vehicles they have taken to dealer while still under warranty, if dealer is unable to fix a specific problem after repeated attempts you may be eligible for BBB Auto Line arbitration program. Simply stated this program presents a non-legal option to get Ford to pay you the price you paid for the vehicle less a deduct for accumulated mileage OR get a new Ford vehicle for the difference in the vehicle MSRP sticker price. I just went through this process a year ago on my 2013 F350 for an advancetrac electronics problem Ford could not fix after repeated attempts. If you go this route you must document all service visits for the issue. In my case I made a spreadsheet of the problem, when it occurred, dates, mileage, etc., dealer service tickets, letters to Ford and the dealer, etc. When Ford saw documentation I presented we never went to arbitration. They just asked if I wanted money or new vehicle. BBB Auto Line program info is in your warranty guide. I understand this does not solve a serious potential life threatening issue but it does prevent a method for avoiding a financial hit.
As a follow up to my post 2 days ago, I spoke w/Ford Corp today. They immediately knew the problem and call it “steering Oscillation “. A TSB was issued on 12/23/19 and basically called for replacement of steering stabilizer. The Ford rep read it to me but would not fwd and I could not find online. The TSB is 19-2392. After 5 days at dealership w/o contact I called and demanded my truck. Amazingly b4 my arrival 2 hrs later parts had been ordered for my repair, though it would be another 4 days b4 they could repair. My service mgr could or would not tell me what parts or how they intend to repair. I will insist on this info when I return in 4 days. If anyone can locate this TSB 19-2392 it might be helpful. There is a class action suit pending in CA
My solution was after 5 unsuccessful dealer repair attempts in 8 months and new tires on my 2017 F350 SD Crew SRW 4X4 Lariat (25,000 Miles & all stock) was to replace it with a 2018 Ram 2500 Longhorn. The Ram definitely isn't my F350 but at least me and my family are safe in it. I hope that they figure it out and correct the issue instead of denying it and putting band aids on it. I'm very disappointed in Ford's response.
Sully 64. I hate that but understand completely. In addition to my 2019 F 250, I have a 2003 F 350 w/126k mi. (And have owned several others in past) It’s lifted and decked out for hunting and use on my farm. Never had an issue that wasn’t normal wear (or that I caused :) I am going to give them 1 opportunity to get this right. W/3 kids not a risk I’m willing to take. I’m old enough to remember the “Pinto” problems which cost them a fortune. The liability they are risking is nuts, just ask Boeing how covering up a known defect is working out .
5 unsuccessful attempts should be enough to trigger the lemon law!
Cowboy1969 answered 4 years ago
I am sad to say that I also have a 2018 F250 that tried to kill my son and me on I 95 in Wilmington, DE 2/8/2020. At first the wobble was very slight and thought it was not a problem with the truck just the road, but like everyone else I went over a seam on the highway and it took both hands with a death grip to keep it strait. It corrected itself when the speed got down to about 30 mph. For the 46k that I spent on this truck I should have just fixed the rust on my 2004 F250. I never had a problem with it. Will be calling the dealer on Monday.
so that everyone knows, this is not a problem on just the new models. I have a 2011 F250 that I have put $2700 into the front end over the last 18 mo and I still am having death wobble issues. I,ve also been true to Ford for 25 yrs and 11 trucks but this is trying my patience!!!!
My 2016 F-250 with 24,000 miles on it has been in the dealer 4 times for this death wobble. The first time while carrying (2) 55 gallon drums of diesel fuel in the bed while going 70 mph. As soon as I slowed down below 45 (on the freeway mind you), the wobble goes away and my truck rides like normal. I thought that one of my ropes came loose that was holding my barells in place and was caught underneath the rear tire, but when I pulled over, that wasn't the case. I could find anything wrong. I took it to the dealership, and they found my ball joints were destroyed, and replaced them. Three months later the death wobble came back and I took it back to the dealer who originally replaced the ball joints, and once again the new ball joints were destroyed. This time they also installed a steering stabelizer which made the front end feel better, but after a few months of driving it, the death wobble came back. I now took my truck to another dealer who instantly found a Technician Service Bulletin (TSB) #16-0087 which is posted from Ford in April of 2016 which states that some suspension parts need to be ADDED to the rear of my truck which should fix this exact problem, so they installed those parts... Well, the next day the death wobble cam back, and the dealership installed a new Track Bar, but not because the old track bar looked defective, but because after having my truck for a month, and even with the help of Ford's mechanical specialists at the main headquarters couldn't find anything wrong, so replacing this part seemed the most logical thing to do. This all started while my truck was under warranty, and the past 3 repairs, it was no longer under warranty, but I had opened up a Case number with Ford Motor since the first dealer was going to charge me, so with some argument, Ford has paid for most of these repairs and 1 month of a rental car. They made me pay a portion of the front steering stabelizer bar which was $145. I don't know if this has fixed the problem yet since I just got my truck back yesterday and haven't driven it yet, but as an ongoing problem with F- 250's since 2009, this should be a recall, and this particular front end of Ford's should be replaced at the assembly line. If this occurs again, I'll be calling the Lemon Law attorney, which I have his contact information if anyone needs it.
I am in Ontario Canada- Have a 2018 F-250 4x4. I experienced 4 episodes of "Death Wobble" on I-75 on the way to Florida. The truck had 56000 Km on it when I left Canada. I stopped at 3 different Ford dealers in Dayton Oh, Ft Walton Beach Fl and Waveland MS. All 4 said they could not get the parts needed to fix it as they are back-ordered for months in the US. They recommended babying it back to Canada and having it fixed there. None of these dealers was willing to take it apart because "there are no parts to fix it anyway"'. I drove home at 55 mph and brought it to my dealer. When I got home the truck had 61800 km on it. The dealer let me know that I was now out of warranty 60000 km and would have to pay for the repair. I ended up paying 1200 dollars and Ford refuses to look into the situation as a warrantied repair. Feeling ripped off.
Rick. Since the problem was identified before your warranty ran out the repair should be covered. I would contact Ford and tell them the whole story. Any receipts from the Ford dealers in the states will back up your claim.
Agreed. Call Ford Customer Care and open a case to track it. If you paid out of pocket under warranty, they need to reimburse you. My last visit was due to continued minor oscillation of the wheel in certain road conditions, even after caster shims, new shocks, dampener, trackbar ball joint, etc. I took the service manager for a ride and he witnessed it, but stated that the latest fixes were to address the VIOLENT death wobble, not "minor" wheel oscillation. They still checked it over, but found nothing and did nothing. I talked to my Ford Rep and let them know this and that I still wasn't satisfied, they provided me a bit of an extended warranty for some extra 'peace of mind'.
Tristan and the guys at Rockwall Ford in Texas really screwed me good selling me a 88,000 used 2017 f350 dually claiming it was certified and that it came with a 36k warranty. The dealer claimed the heavy-duty truck passed a 200-point inspection and had no problems. This dealer will steal your money to make sales and tell you lies, I should have had the truck looked over better but after driving it a few days found so many issues; the main issue was the truck front end tie rods and steering system was bad and when hitting bumps at low or highway speeds you nearly lose control of the vehicle with the death wobble it’s so dangerous almost killed my family several times. I was told the warranty covered things like this and could go to any Ford for repairs however when I finally got an appointment, I was told there is no warranty and the truck was not certified. In fact, the truck has not been serviced in a long time with all filters covered in dirt and tons of repairs needed. It cost me 2 grands to fix just the basics and another 6 grands on tires and other parts. I emailed the mangers a half dozen times with no response until a bad Yelp review then all they said was sorry. They refuse to do anything about it and act like it’s a joke to rip people off ten or twenty thousand dollars. It’s no joke to me. The salesman Tristan there lied to my face the entire time as well as the loan guy. I will find more info on these guys to post to warn others all over the internet. Do not trust these guys. Its only when I went to another ford dealer that I found out about all of this, Ford In Dallas said it’s not a certified vehicle and most the items the sales guys told me about the warranty are not even covered and they lied to sale me the vehicle for 88k after interest this place will rip you off DO NOT DO BUSINESS HERE. All the electronics freeze up to the point nothing responds and radio, ac, phone, cameras, do not work right it’s a big POS junk. I have to pay several hundred more dollars to fix all the sync and electronic issues that were supposed to be covered day one. I have contacted the NTSB, BBB, and other agencies to file complaints, next is a lawyer. Karma will get you dumb sales men one day. Shop elsewhere and not at Rockwall Ford unless you want to lose a lot of money! Ford In Plano said no service was done to this vehicle, electronics, and front end parts need replaced, all filters, and oil, so many issues plus no 36k warranties as indicated at time of sale. Truck is worth 38k when you sold it to me for 68k plus 20k interest, 3k down, added new wheels and tires, steering suspension and still need more than 2k work to ride safe, total rip off and scam here by Ford Rockwall. Filters were never even changed. They stole my perfect 2015 GMC truck and I demand it back; this is unacceptable from a dealership and will seek a class action lawsuit at this time as I start talking with lawyers and federal and state agencies. This dealer has cost me a ton of money! BEWARE…..
I have. 2016 F250. First death wobble occurred June 2019 at 48557 miles. Ford cover the parts less my $200 out of pocket as my truck was no longer under warranty. Brought back in July 2019 400 miles later. It just didn't feel right, they told me nothing was wrong with it. Tell me to balance and rotate tires. It drives sloppy and when I hit bumps it shakes. Now 10 months later the death wobble is back at 55600 miles. They want me to pay for RF upper outer tie rod drag link tire rod, they are covering one other part that they replaced. Why should I be paying for anything when this truck has had a previous death wobble problem. Guru2454ZH posted approx 2 months ago that he has a contact to a lawyer, how can I get that information...thanks
I don't want to put a bunch of money in the truck that doesn't fix the problem. Like others I'm afraid to drive the truck waiting for the next DEATH WOBBLE.
I'm at 27,000 miles and the front steering dampner replaced three times. 15,000, 22,000 then again at 26,000 just like clock work. Dealer said this is a lemon law truck. Today in the mail Ford sent me a letter, Customer Satisfaction Program 20N04, seems they are acknowledged an issue and are giving 7 years / 100,000 on the steering dampner. They have a complete new design that will be installed on your 2017 F350 truck. Call your dealer and ask them on that CSP 20N04 program. Rec'v mine today 5/18/2020
Fox ATS Dampener. 400$. Adjustable. Cause we trust ford after all the BS they put us through with this.
I have a 2018 f350 and it scares the shit out of me. If I knew ford had this death wobble problem I never would of spent $100,000 on this truck. Anyone have this problem fixed properly? I’m taking it back to ford this week and I’d like a solution if anyone has a fix. I’ll definitely be buying a GMC next if this is how fords going to build their trucks.
Just got a letter from Ford (Customer Satisfaction Program 20N04) extends steering linkage damper to 7 years/100,000 miles. There is also a redesigned steering linkage damper. If you paid for this repair for Death Wobble you can get reimbursed up until Oct
I am sitting here reading the letter, I like the line that states "this is a one time repair". Basically saying that if you have this and it takes a dump within a few thousand miles they are no longer going to fix it unless you pay them. So the 7 years / 100,000 miles is no longer in the picture. I purchase that extended warranty with the truck, I am at 30 months and four times to the dealer to have the dampner replaced. It appears to me that something else is causing the dampner to go bad. Also not even at 28,000 miles. Unreal...
2018 f-250 23,000 miles. 6" lift on 37's from Ford. That is one white knuckle death Wabble! I have all the premium warrantee. Took it in and they put in damper. Less than a week and even worse. It's going back for some Fox set up. we'll see how this works. Not real optimistic after reading all this.
I had the wobble at 16,000 miles on 2017 F-250. Dealer did not have the parts so I had an after market dual steering dampner and new tires installed. I am at 21,000 miles and so far so good. I too received the letter from Ford with the extended warranty and told to take my receipt for after market repairs to my dealer. They told me they only reimburse for Form OEM parts. I explained they did not have any parts to install and they said they were sorry. I called the factory and they told me the same thing. If Ford did not install their parts and charge you (I guess this means after the factory warranty had expired), then no reimbursement. I explained to the factory that there were no Ford parts and they still said no reimbursement. I wish I had bought a Ram or GM product.
I just entered a complaint on the NHTSA site at https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint. Currently only showing about 330 complaints entered for 2010-2021 F-250 Super Duty that include "suspension" or "steering" as categories. I'm thinking that because the complaints are split across years and models rather than being aggregated as a "super duty platform" this issue is not getting enough scrutiny. It's occurred in my 2011 F-250 about 10 times over the last 2 years - with 3 times in the last month alone (ie, getting worse). My entry only accounted for one instance of a wobble (since you have to put a single date in) so it doesn't really illustrate how this is an ongoing issue rather than a one-time event. I included that information in my complaint, but that won't reflect in their analytics since it's just one complaint entry. Perhaps it would help to create a complaint for EVERY SINGLE TIME we've experience a death wobble? Even if you have to make up the specific dates when it's happened to you because it was some time ago, flood the NHTSA with complaints!
Guru9Z4LRV answered 3 years ago
guys, Its your front ends are worn out.. the techs at ford obviously dont know how to check tie rods. take a pair of slip joints pliers to the tie rod , they have vertical movement !! there should be no movement.. the techs at ford are looking for horizontal movement only and there is none... every ball joint( tie rod , draglink, track bar) have this verticle movement... i worked on a truck yesterday 6000 miles , completly worn out !! go replace your steering parts with MOOG and your problem will be solved
2006Z714x4HD answered 3 years ago
My old Chevy has over 272k and everything works great but the mileage was a concern. I was considering a new f250 but you have kept me from a mistake and my family safe. Thank you for your honest information and I hope your law suit makes Ford finally accountable. Stay safe.
Guru9ZG4J1 answered 3 years ago
2019 F-350 XL 4x4 new leftover. Drove home new from VA to CT. Serious steering shake at highway speeds when hitting bumps or cracks in the road. 260 miles on truck at the time. Can’t believe Ford let’s this junk roll off the line. Are you boys at the Kentucky Plant proud of yourselves?? Filed a complaint with the NHTSB-requested warranty service for TSB only to be told the parts are on backorder. Next call is to Ford customer care. FORD!!! YOU NEED TO FIX THIS!!!!
My stock 2011 F-250 got the death wobble after about 100K miles. I had the tie rod ends replaced, new track bar, new shocks all around, new stabilizer shock, tires balanced and rotated -- but it didn't help. Then I had a caster adjustment kit installed - still not fixed. Then I installed a Rancho dual stabilizer and - boom - problem fixed! It was less than $300 and only took about 45 minutes to put it on myself. No doubt that my tie rod ends and shocks were worn out, but I could've skipped the castor adjustment kit and installation which set me back about $1K. I think the geometry of the steering linkage and OEM stabilizer positioning is the problem. Don't waste time with Ford - the dual stabilizer is the answer!
Guru9W3QZM answered 3 years ago
I cured my death wobbling truck I got rid of this piece of poorly engineered junk . Bought it new and will never purchase a Ford again . My problems with the truck fell on deaf ears and find a total lack of concern at the dealer level into this matter.