Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||||
| 42601 | 11/14/2005 | 05221 | 10018736 | Steering wheel oscillation (back and forth motion), immediately following front or rear wheel impacts (pavement joints, frost heaves, rough roads, etc). *tt | 01/12/2006 |
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - POWER STEERING FLUID | |||||
| 062211 | 10020692 | Power steering fluid leak at jumper line to hydroboost connection. *kb | 12/22/2006 | ||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||||
| LP-09L02 | 04/01/2009 | 10028404 | Ford trucks: vehicles have experienced severe steering wheel and front wheel vibrations and oscillations after traveling over a bump or dip in the road. models f-250/350 super duty 4x4. *pe updated 7/22/09. csc letter was receive | 03/30/2009 | |
| 06151 | 10021230 | Steering wheel oscillation. *kb | 03/23/2007 | ||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 01/16/2013 | 145000 | ||
| I own a 2006 ford f-350 king ranch crew cab four wheel drive truck. i am the original owner. a few times through out the years there had been a shake after hitting a bump in the road at 60mph+. we received a letter noting a potential problem. we brought the truck to the dealer and they replaced brakes and 2 tires (other 2 had been replaced previously) and when we drove it home it started the death wobble (as the dealer calls it-and as i see many others on the internet). the truck started experiencing violent front-end shaking. during an episode of left-to-right shaking, the truck is very difficult to control. with my hand placed on the 12:00 position on the steering wheel, the shaking violently turns the steering wheel to where my hand is going back and forth between 10:00 and 2:00. slowing down to 30mph has stopped each of the three episodes. this truck has dealer installed tires and does not have a lift kit on it. air pressure in the tires equal manufacturers recommendation. they acted as if this is an uncommon problem at first, and said they have never heard of a letter that went out. then the next visit they say so commonly, that it is the death wobble and will cost $1500. it appears that ford motor company has blamed tire pressure, giant aftermarket tires, and lift kits for this problem. my truck has none of these possible causes. | |||
| 06/22/2012 | 165700 | ||
| I was traveling north on i59 through meridian mississippi at approximately 8:00 pm yesterday on 06/22/2012. i came across an overpass at about 70 mph when the rough surface of the bridge caused the truck to shake very violently in the front end. i immediately tried to control/correct it by holding the steering wheel firmly and braking. it started to subside and then started again. i held the steering wheel straight and firm, and braked harder until the shaking stopped. i had slowed to approximately 40 to 50 mph before it had stopped. this all took place in matter of seconds. though frustrated because i had just purchased the truck earlier on this day, i feel fortunate that it happened with little traffic. i had recently crossed over lake pontchartrain bridge in louisiana just hours earlier. | |||
| 12/01/2011 | 100000 | ||
| The initial occurrence in december 2011 was a steering stick in the direction of the turn and required force to turn opposite the direction of the turn. the problem ceased and did not reoccur until mid-may of 2012. the problem manifested itself as a severe oscillation of the vehicle steering accompanied by directional sticking and indexing in the steering. the first attempt at repair was to flush the power steering system. this accually resulted in a worse oscillation. the problem was still intermittent but occurring more frequently. the dealer was unable to duplicate the problem and i asked for the steering gear to be replaced. this did not solve the problem. the next step was to replace the steering damper. this also did not result in elimination of the problem. during the damper replacement it was noted that there existed a very small amount of play in the dragling ball joint. while not particular out of the acceptable range we agreed to replace the drag link. the drag link has been replaced and the vehicle continues to demonstrate a walking motion requiring the operator to actively steer the vehicle to remain in a lane. in addition, the vehicle will demonstrate relatively good stability in a sweeping turn until the wheel is displaced beyond roughly 5 degrees at which point the steering displays an active pull in the direction of the turn. the vehicle is being returned to the dealer for continued evaluation. the ford technicians have examined and passed the power steering pump, the hydroslave system, front tires, front tire pressure, front ball joints as well as the front axle u-joints. at this point, they have no further suggestions as to the cause of the problem. | |||
| 10/13/2006 | 10500 | ||
| Experienced severe vibrations and shimming after hitting a bump in the road. had to bring the truck to a complete stop before i could go on. i though i must of had a flat tire, but no. took the truck to the dealer, they said they tightened some things and adjusted the tire pressure. a couple of months later it happened again. i went straight to the local garage to have the tires checked, but the tire pressure was fine. it continues to happen about twice a year with no reason, just depends how i hit a bump on the road. it usually happens when crossing a bridge on the interstate. this last time in october 2011, i was crossing a bridge on interstate pa 80 in the passing lane, when it happened. i was all over the road before i could stop. i was fortunate that there were no other vehicles around, or it would have been a disaster. i was ready to take the truck back to the dealer, and tell them, its to dangerous to drive on the interstate. i got this letter from ford discussing this issue. they are correct stating a severe vibration, but totally wrong saying this condition results from significant tire under-inflation. i've never driven my truck with significant tire under-inflation. this shimming cannot be taken lightly, but that was the impression i got from the dealer. i wonder how long ford really new about this issue. i should be on record back at my dealer soon after i got the truck with this exact issue. | |||
| 09/11/2011 | 1 | ||
| Cpsc#i1190270a. 2006 ford f350. consumer stated the steering wheel began to oscillate back and forth violently. i was unable to control the steering wheel until my speed was reduced to below 40 mph. i learned this problem is very commonly referred to as the death wobble and the fix is $ 875. *ln | |||
| 08/15/2010 | 86000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 ford f-350 super duty. while driving approximately 60 mph over a bump the vehicle lost all steering control. he had to slow down to 30 mph to regain steering control. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic. the mechanic replaced the steering bushing, shocks, lower control and idler arms. the vehicle was purchased used in march 2010. he stated the failure started again after three weeks of the repairs. the contact referenced pe07057. the tire pressure was set to the manufactures specification. the failure mileage was 86,800 and the current mileage was 86,444. vwb | |||
| 10/22/2010 | 92000 | ||
| I have a 2006 ford f350 4 wheel drive single wheel long bed king ranch. i will be driving down the road or interstate anywhere between 30 and 80 miles an hour, and if you hit the smallest imperfections in the road the truck will start shaking violently, uncontrollable, the steering wheel moves about 14 inches side ti side so fast and hard, that it takes ill ive got to hold on to the wheel. you can hear the tires chirp side to side on the pavement it wobbles so severly. ive replaced the steering dampner, the power steering pump, had it aligned 4 times, brand new tires, i have adjusted the castor accordingly to fords tsb forum, had my rotors turned, and wheels and tires balanced so many times. its so bad, it shakes the stuff in the bed of my truck onto the highway. my truck only has 92,000 miles on it. im afraid to drive it. all i know is that i didnt pay 64,000 dollars for a truck that i cant drive. i will spend the money to fix it, but ford says its a normal condition. | |||
| 04/05/2010 | 229000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2006 ford f-350 superduty. the contact was driving at approximately 35 mph and noticed that the wheels began to shake violently from left to right after the vehicle went over a small pothole. he stated that the steering also felt loose. the contact stopped the vehicle, waited and attempted to continue driving. the contact called the dealership but no repairs were performed on the vehicle at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage was approximately 22,900. the current mileage was 22,915. | |||
| 11/24/2009 | 109000 | 4 | |
| While driving along the hwy at approx 65mph i ran across a patch of uneven road at which caused my 2006 f350 4x4 steering to shake violently i had to carefully pull over to the shoulder which was no small task as there was a lot of traffic the shaking would not stop until i was almost stopped this happened 4 times on different roads . the vehicle is stock not lifted and has oem tires. i am trying to find a fix but i am finding out this is a common problem for ford and they are unwilling to help fix. *tr | |||
| 11/10/2009 | 41000 | 1 | |
| Vehicle control compromised when incurring sharp changes in road surface (potholes, expansion joints, etc). *tr | |||
| 10/13/2009 | 62000 | 1 | |
| Excessive front end shimmy on occasion with my ford f350 4x4. i have received a letter from ford discussing this issue. the first time the problem occurred, my tire pressure was low and subsequently maintaining proper tire pressure seemed to prevent the problem for a while. however, recently i hit some bumps while traveling on the highway at a speed of approximately 65 mph and the front end began to shimmy very violently. i knew to hit the brakes to regain control of the steering, but i had to stay on my brakes until i slowed to approximately 40 mph before i could regain control of the steering wheel. i called a local ford service center, but they said they would only be guessing at the proper way to fix the problem. i then called ford customer service to discuss the issue, as i am nervous about riding on the highway with the vehicle. they suggested that i call several service centers until i find one that has experience with trying to fix this particular problem. i have done that and i have found that none of the local dealers know how to correct the problem. this shimmy problem is occurring more and more often and i am convinced that it will eventually result in an accident on the highway. *tr | |||
| 08/13/2009 | 65000 | 1 | |
| 2006 ford f-350 sd 2wd has a violent front end shimmy that has been caused by the smallest imperfection in the highway. at speeds of 50mph+ the shaking is so intense that it causes swerving and you must come to a near complete stop before the shaking will cease. since it happens on the freeway, we have nearly been rear ended and have swerved into other lanes. this is a safety concern for all passengers in the vehicle. it can occur once every other day or four times in 20miles. *tr | |||
| 08/06/2009 | 26000 | 1 | |
| 2006 ford f-350 super duty dual axle. vehicle suffers severe, violent, and uncontrollable shimmy / vibrations when crossing uneven pavement. most notably when doing so while in a left angled turn. must apply immediate heavy breaking to below 20 mph to get the uncontrollable vibration to stop. have nearly been rear-ended on numerous occasions due to this issue. tires are properly inflated and vehicle suspension is completely factory stock. this is a very dangerous situation and has been occurring since purchase nearly two years ago. *tr | |||
| 11/12/2008 | 34000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2006 ford f-350 sd. the contact stated that he experienced multiple failures with the vehicle shaking violently. while driving 70 mph, the vehicle began to shimmy and shake violently. he reduced the speed to 40 mph and the shaking ceased. he is in the process of taking the vehicle to the dealer for further inspection. the manufacturer is aware of the failure, but will not provide compensation because the vehicle was not included in a recall and the warranty was expired. the contact believes that the failure could possibly lead to additional failures regarding the ball joints, tie rod, and anything dealing with the steering due to the violent shaking. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 34,000 and current mileage was 62,000. | |||
| 07/14/2009 | 38000 | 1 | |
| 2006 ford f350 4x4 steering shakes violently and causes loss of steering control and body shake. *tr | |||
| 09/15/2008 | 65000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2006 ford f-350 sd. while driving approximately 65 mph, the steering vibrated and wobbled excessively. in addition, the front end of the vehicle began to shimmy. there were no warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. immediately, the driver pulled the vehicle over. she drove to an authorized dealer, but they could not duplicate the failures. the vehicle was taken back to an authorized dealer and an independent mechanic on separate occasions for identical failures, but there were no resolutions. currently, the authorized dealer is replacing the steering stabilizer shock and drag link. the vin was unable to be entered into the system. the failure mileage was 65,000 and current mileage was 87,000. | |||
| 05/30/2009 | 93000 | 1 | |
| 2006 ford f350 4x4 steering problems. dealer authorized 2 revtek leveling kit installed on front end. stock 20 wheels and tires. only ford dealer maintained since new. steering is inconsistent. two problems. first: serious safety issue. at highway speeds truck will veer left crossing centerline. requires excessive steering effort to correct, which frequently results in overcorrection to right. power steering effort appears in increase and decrease during events. incident requires letting off the gas and slowing to get vehicle back in control. second: after low speed 90 degree turns (eg: left or right turn at an intersection in town) steering will not want to straighten out and requires excessive effort. frequently, after straightening out truck will veer in opposite direction. at low speeds vehicle is controllable with effort. just spent another $741 at ford dealer on new power steering pump, rotate, balance, alignment. problem was not fixed. *tr | |||
| 06/22/2008 | 37000 | 1 | |
| I bought my truck used with 20k miles on it in 2007 and did not have any problems with the front end shaking and the steering wheel shaking violently till about 37k when i took it to the local ford dealership to get it checked out. my truck steering wheel and front end starts shaking at about 40 mph and gets real bad at about 55 mph and really bad slowing down in that same range. any time i've had repairs done by the dealership the repairs done to my truck on the invoices state the dealership verified complaint and then how they fixed the problem but when i took my truck in for this problem my invoice reads my complaint and then no repair attempted. they said they could not duplicate the problem so they did not repair anything but according to the invoice they did not even look at it because it doesn't say they even tried to verify my complaint it just says no repair attempted. so each mile i have put on the truck till now the problem has been getting worse. before the steering wheel would shake after hitting a bump in the road or pot hole but now it does it just driving just about everytime it gets to 40 mph and definitely around 50-55 mph. sometimes it shakes to where i can slow down and it goes away and other times it shakes so bad i have to stop and how safe is that on interstate with my wife and 2 daughters. i've had a couple auto shops look at my truck and they said i needed new tires and an alignment. so i needed them anyway so i took it and got all 6(dually)new tires put on and an alignment and they said everything else was tight and good in the front end but i still have the problem. i took it to another shop and had the front end checked and they said everything was good and tight. my truck now has 48k so i called my ford dealership again and they said they would have to get it in and do a long step-by-step list of procedures and checks to verify the problem but it will cost cause my truck is out of warranty now. i have not taken it in yet. $$$$$$$ *tr | |||
| 09/05/2007 | 40000 | 1 | |
| My new 2006 f-350 sd 4x4 dually fnt end wobbles if small bump is hit (like a road joint) on road way at speeds over 50 mph have had truck in shop several times still does same thing one shop in town has been in business since the 50s says he gets alot of these trucks doing the same thing he has checked with ford no fix is available. *tr | |||
| 02/08/2009 | 32000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2006 ford f-350 pickup and when you hit a bump when bend in road at highway speeds the front end of the truck goes into a death wobble with the front suspension. this happens very routinely and seems to be getting worse. truck is even a hand full to control at highway speeds at 65 mph going down a straight away with bumpy surface. *tr | |||
| 12/26/2008 | 27000 | 1 | |
| Steering/suspension oscillates or going into a harmonic bouncing after encountering a bump in the road. usually around 65 mph. slowing down will stop the harmonic bouncing. it has occurred about 8 times while i had owned the vehicle the latest being 12/26/08. i purchased the vehicle new in dec. 2006. as of 1/2009 the vehicle has 27,000 miles on it. scares the daylights out of me when it happens. no repair/correcting actions have been taken at this time. *tr | |||
| 12/26/2008 | 1 | ||
| 2006 f 350 very violent shaking in the front end after hitting bumps and such in the road. in order to stop the shaking one has to slow almost to a stop. on the highway this is very dangers and something needs to be done... *tr | |||
| 12/23/2008 | 56000 | 1 | |
| 2006 ford f-350 xlt crew cab diesel. vehicle experiences violent shaking in the front end at speeds of 45-55 mph. vehicle has been in the shop numerous times (new tires, shocks, steering stabilizers) without resolution. when the shaking starts the vehicle becomes extremely violent and hard to control. the truck has to be almost completely stopped before the shake will stop. after doing some research on the internet i have found numerous people with the same symptoms. some have wrecked their vehicles, others have had very close calls. ford does not acknowledge the issue that i can find. *tr | |||
| 12/16/2008 | 25648 | 1 | |
| 2006 ford f-350 has death wobble and is unsafe for driving!!!! *tr | |||
| 07/01/2005 | 1000 | 1 | |
| 2006 f-350 ford truck since truck was purchased when tires are about 60% used bad wobble in front end when on a curve right or left when hitting a bump in road or a change in pavement height. when this happens truck is hard to control until speed is reduced to approx 45 mph. a rebalance of the tires help but still wobbles at speeds above 50mph in the above circumstances. truck now has 65,000 miles on it and i am on the 5th set of tires have used 4 different brands but it always seem to be the same as the tire wear the wobble gets worse and worse. the wobble is always there even when the tires are new but it is minimal until the tire wears to about 60% of the tread then it gets to an unsafe level of drivable it literally jerks the steering wheel uncontrollably until you slow below 50mph. ford is aware of this problem and many commercial truck buyers (pacific gas and electric and southern california edison to name two)have brought there fleet trucks in to have no success of repair. i am being told there is no fix so perhaps a recall is in order. at first i thought it was a problem with the contitract 18 tires that came on the truck from the factory (they were the worst with the wobble) but i have since used other brands and the problem still persists. *tr | |||
| 08/18/2008 | 50000 | 1 | |
| I have a ford f-350 that has had a violent front end shake at freeway speeds. the shake has been so violent i thought i was going to crash. i have taken it to ford and they change out a couple parts and then it happens again within 20,000 miles. this has happened 4 times since owning the truck (purchased new in nov. 2006). i have also had problems repeatedly with the high pressure oil pump and or electrical that ford cant resolve. the truck is now in the shop again. it cranks but will not start the truck was going down the freeway at 70mph and it just dies and wont restart. they say it is high pressure oil pump and have replaced it 3 times within 50,000 miles. *tr | |||
| 01/08/2008 | 34686 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2006 ford f-350 sd. the contact stated that there was a wobble in the front end of his vehicle. he referenced tsb number 10021230 from ford pertaining to the steering wheel oscillation and took the vehicle to the dealer. the dealer repaired the failure according to the tsb, but stated that there may have still been minor oscillation, which was normal. after retrieving the vehicle, the contact noticed that the steering wheel pulled to the right. he could also still feel the oscillation in the steering wheel. the entire front tire would shake violently on the highway, forcing the contact to decelerate to approximately 35 mph in order for the shaking to cease. the current mileage was 34,824 and failure mileage was 34,686. | |||
| 03/13/2008 | 14000 | 1 | |
| While driving on the freeway and on two lane roads, and after hitting a pothole on one side of the vehicle, the truck started shaking uncontrollably. in order to stop shaking vehicle was pulled over to the shoulder and brought to a stop. *tr | |||
| 05/06/2008 | 16000 | 1 | |
| We have 2 2006 ford f-250 super duty crew cab v10s. both exhibit a shimmy/wobble in the front end when hitting a pothole with the driver's side front tire that requires us to slow down until it goes away in order to retain control of the vehicle. *tr | |||
| 06/01/2007 | 30000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2006 f350 that has what has been referred to as the deaf wobble. mostly when i drive between 40 - 55 if the truck comes across a small bump or uneven road the front wheels / steering wheel shakes back and forth out of control. the only way i found it to stop it is to hit the brakes and slow down until it stops and then you can try it again until the wobble comes back. also this truck is completely stock not after market parts have been added, no lifts etc. *tr | |||
| 02/04/2008 | 10000 | 3 | 11/18/2005 |
| 2006 ford f-350 truck is road wild due to excessive play in steering box. vehicle has had 3 new steering gears (and many other front end parts) in 34,000 miles. each gear lasts about 8-10,000 miles. after roughly 10,000 miles, truck wanders requiring excessive steering wheel rotation to correct. last service appointment ford field engineer determined after a test drive that it drove like his truck and was normal. *tr | |||
| 01/08/2007 | 20100 | 40 | 11/18/2006 |
| While driving at city or highway speeds under certain conditions the steering wheel will vibrate left to right causing loss of control. feels like the steering damper is not working at all. *tr | |||
| 02/10/2007 | 1 | 08/25/2006 | |
| I have a 2006 ford f-350 4x4. i am having some serious issues with the front end of my truck shaking very badly every time i go over a highway bridge with uneven pavement, uneven pavement, dips or shallow holes on highways. going over railroad tracks on highway routes with speed limits of 55 mph, i have to slow to at least 30 mph because my front wheels start shaking so bad i cannot control the truck. my truck is used strictly for onroad driving and kept in excellent condition and serviced on a regular basis. i feel that my day to day driving have not contributed to this condition and feel it could be some sort of a defect in my 2006 f-350. this has been occurring on a regular basic since my purchase of the truck 13 months ago. i have had the tires rotated a number of time and was recently told that my tire rods need to be replaces. a ford service agent told me it was no reason why my tire rods would go bad so quick for normal highway driving. *tr | |||
| 08/20/2007 | 23000 | 1 | 01/15/2006 |
| While traveling at approximately 30 mph through a curve, the steering suddenly and completely failed causing the vehicle to go out of control and crash. there was no advance warning. an inspection at the scene revealed that parts of the vehicle's steering system had not been installed at the factory and the steering system fell apart in the curve as a result of this negligence. the police report listed mechanical failure as the accident cause and no driver error was involved. the driver was injured and the vehicle sustained substantial damage. ford has refused to take responsibility for their vehicle's mechanical failure and refuses to honor the vehicle's warranty despite the fact the vehicle is less than two years old and has only 23,000 +/- miles on it. no alterations were made to the vehicle's drive train or suspension and it was a fully stock vehicle at the time of the crash. | |||
| STEERING - GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | |||
| 02/04/2008 | 10000 | 3 | 11/18/2005 |
| 2006 ford f-350 truck is road wild due to excessive play in steering box. vehicle has had 3 new steering gears (and many other front end parts) in 34,000 miles. each gear lasts about 8-10,000 miles. after roughly 10,000 miles, truck wanders requiring excessive steering wheel rotation to correct. last service appointment ford field engineer determined after a test drive that it drove like his truck and was normal. *tr | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES | |||
| 02/10/2007 | 1 | 08/25/2006 | |
| I have a 2006 ford f-350 4x4. i am having some serious issues with the front end of my truck shaking very badly every time i go over a highway bridge with uneven pavement, uneven pavement, dips or shallow holes on highways. going over railroad tracks on highway routes with speed limits of 55 mph, i have to slow to at least 30 mph because my front wheels start shaking so bad i cannot control the truck. my truck is used strictly for onroad driving and kept in excellent condition and serviced on a regular basis. i feel that my day to day driving have not contributed to this condition and feel it could be some sort of a defect in my 2006 f-350. this has been occurring on a regular basic since my purchase of the truck 13 months ago. i have had the tires rotated a number of time and was recently told that my tire rods need to be replaces. a ford service agent told me it was no reason why my tire rods would go bad so quick for normal highway driving. *tr | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - KNUCKLE - SPINDLE - ARM | |||
| 11/22/2007 | 27650 | 1 | |
| Truck started to gradually pull to the right when driving, after a couple of weeks took truck for alignment and was told that upper and lower ball joints on right side front knuckle needed replacing. took car to ford dealer and ball joints were replaced under warranty. right front tire got worn on right edge and dealer said that the tire was not the responsibility of ford eventhough the failure of the ball joints caused the tire to wear out unevenly. *tr | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | |||
| 02/10/2007 | 1 | 08/25/2006 | |
| I have a 2006 ford f-350 4x4. i am having some serious issues with the front end of my truck shaking very badly every time i go over a highway bridge with uneven pavement, uneven pavement, dips or shallow holes on highways. going over railroad tracks on highway routes with speed limits of 55 mph, i have to slow to at least 30 mph because my front wheels start shaking so bad i cannot control the truck. my truck is used strictly for onroad driving and kept in excellent condition and serviced on a regular basis. i feel that my day to day driving have not contributed to this condition and feel it could be some sort of a defect in my 2006 f-350. this has been occurring on a regular basic since my purchase of the truck 13 months ago. i have had the tires rotated a number of time and was recently told that my tire rods need to be replaces. a ford service agent told me it was no reason why my tire rods would go bad so quick for normal highway driving. *tr | |||