Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | ||||||
| PE07057 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 11/15/2007 | 03/14/2008 | VIOLENT FRONT END OSCILLATION | ||
| Odi has received 78 consumer complaints of severe suspension and steering wheel shimmy and oscillations commencing after the subject vehicles traveled over an uneven road surface. the majority of these incidents occurred at speeds of 50 mph or greater.thirteen of the complaints received by odi allege loss of steering control and that the vehicle changed driving lanes uncontrollably.four of the complaints received by odi allege that the vehicle left the road surface as a result of the violent suspension and steering wheel oscillations.in one case the consumer alleges that after the vehicle left the road surface, it crashed into a wooded area.additionalfactors contributing to the opening of this ea were early warning field reports,submitted by ford, describing suspension shimmy / oscillationsand a ford tsb (07-10-10) describing the suspension shimmy issue and how to repair the problem.ford has described shimmy as self-excited oscillation of the steering wheels with accompanying wheel tramp.this pe has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea) to determine if the shimmy condition that occurs on the subject vehicles creates a condition where the vehicle becomes difficult to control or startles the driver, thus presenting a safety risk. | ||||||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | ||||||
| PE07057 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 11/15/2007 | 03/14/2008 | VIOLENT FRONT END OSCILLATION | ||
| Odi has received 78 consumer complaints of severe suspension and steering wheel shimmy and oscillations commencing after the subject vehicles traveled over an uneven road surface. the majority of these incidents occurred at speeds of 50 mph or greater.thirteen of the complaints received by odi allege loss of steering control and that the vehicle changed driving lanes uncontrollably.four of the complaints received by odi allege that the vehicle left the road surface as a result of the violent suspension and steering wheel oscillations.in one case the consumer alleges that after the vehicle left the road surface, it crashed into a wooded area.additionalfactors contributing to the opening of this ea were early warning field reports,submitted by ford, describing suspension shimmy / oscillationsand a ford tsb (07-10-10) describing the suspension shimmy issue and how to repair the problem.ford has described shimmy as self-excited oscillation of the steering wheels with accompanying wheel tramp.this pe has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea) to determine if the shimmy condition that occurs on the subject vehicles creates a condition where the vehicle becomes difficult to control or startles the driver, thus presenting a safety risk. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 03/05/2011 | 57000 | ||
| 2006 f-350 lariat super duty- in march while driving on i-70 i hit a bump in the road at 65mph and the front end and steering wheel shook violently and i was immediately thrown into the passing lane. i took the truck to summit ford in silverthorne, co where they called my description the death wobble and they replaced the track bar, ball joint and steering dampener. i felt fortunate that no traffic was near me and i survived the uncontrollable event! now with the $600.00 repair expense i left the service center satisfied that i would be safe on the road. two weeks ago while on a trip, the same death wobble happened again and i was out of control and in the other lane again, thankfully no traffic was beside me or oncoming which would have caused an accident. so now i have lost all confidence in the safety of my truck and drove conservatively to get home avoiding all bumps and slowing dramatically when approaching any imperfect road surfaces. even with my new cautious approach to driving the death wobble happened again at only 50mph. i have since discovered numerous complaints and you-tube videos of others with the same problem as well as complaints on the national highway traffic safety administration's website. i have found 2 documents issued by ford motor company regarding this problem, a technical service bulletin 04-26-1, and a letter dated april 2009 (literature program 09l02) addressed to mr. john sample regarding shimmy, a severe vibration and oscillation in the steering wheel............ i am running the truck at the label specified tire pressure and there are no suspension modifications . i am considering replacing the f-350 with another vehicle that i can be assured of not having this problem. my question to ford is, what am i supposed to do now? sincerely, matthew clark | |||
| 10/26/2010 | 104986 | ||
| 1. traveling at 65 mph hitting a bump in the road 2. front axle begins oscillating with such violence that control of the truck is difficult until slowed down, the entire vehicle shakes to the point you feel it will come apart. i was traveling on a highway when i experienced this. i nearly caused an accident. i'm terrified when this will happen on a icy road. someone is going to get killed. 3. nothing. apparently there is no fix as it is unknown. ford is aware of the problem but refuses to be held responsible. vehicle information: | |||
| 05/14/2009 | 54200 | 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 made an appointment for service tomorrow. the reason for my writing this complaint is that the last occurring was so severe, that i was afraid of causing an accident due to the quick deceleration i was forced into in order to regain steering control of the vehicle. *tr | |||
| 01/10/2008 | 20000 | 1 | |
| When traveling down the freeway a bridge deck or pot hole will cause my 06 f-350 to shimmy uncontrollably. this has happened about a dozen times. i have to come to a complete stop to get the truck to stop shaking. ford says there isn't anything wrong with the truck. *tr | |||
| 09/21/2007 | 25000 | 6 | 03/30/2005 |
| The front end of my 2006 f-350 will shake when going over a bump at speeds of +65 mph. it is almost uncontrollable. i have taken it to ford and they say there isn't anything wrong, this has happened 6 times. i have checked numerous web-sites and there are at least 500 other complaints on this subject. it is a danger to me and all the other motorists around me. *jb | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 01/03/2006 | 135000 | ||
| Approximately 1 month ago i purchased a 2006 ford f350 super duty.while traveling along highways 45-65mph, after hitting a rougher portion of the road, the front wheels begin to hop/shake in a highly unsafe manner to which the vehicle is almost uncontrollable. this happens almost everytime i travel on the highways which is everyday. i have researched this issue quite extensively online in such forums as this. many have trried replacing parts but it seems to be a manufacturing defect. i wanted to make sure nothing was out of the ordinary before i waste hundreds or thousands of dollars trying to fix. safety is of the main concern for myself and especially others on the road due to the size of the vehicle. i have contacted a local reputable ford dealer and they informed me that there are no recalls as of today january 4 2011. | |||
| 06/15/2010 | 33000 | ||
| This is in reference to odi #10336687 filed on 6/16, 2010 concerning wheel shimmy on ford f 350 trucks. after reading defect investigations concerning this topic, the nhtsa summary was that it seemed that the problem was caused by underinflated tires. it appears that the nhtsa and ford, just like bp oil and the mineral department are greasing each others palms. for a safety arm of the govt. to say that this is a tire pressure problem is bull! please check out www.topix.com/forum/autos/ford-f-350-super-duty and read hundreds of posts with the same problem. what is it going to take, another oil spill like bp has created, crashes with deaths like toyota is responsible for? i can see that it is usless to report this. | |||
| 06/15/2010 | 33000 | ||
| I own a 2006 ford f 350 superduty 1 ton pickup with approximately 40,000 miles. i have experienced what is called death wobble when hitting a bump, crossing railroad tracks or going over a rough road. the steering wheel will shake violently at speeds from 30-60+ causing a potential loss of control. ford has sent out a memo stating that you need to check your tire pressure. i have read hundreds of similar complaints on the internet dating back several years into the 1990's. ford refuses to do anything about it and from what i have read on the internet, trying to find a fix for the problem, many have had really bad safety issues including accidents involving women drivers with children as passengers. | |||
| 08/10/2009 | 55000 | 1 | |
| I own a 2006 f350 4x4 xlt and when i hit a bump at over 55mph the front shakes and feels like it is coming off. i know this is a problem that numerous super duty owners have. i have done extensive research and know that this has caused serious injury and i am sure death. *tr | |||
| 06/01/2008 | 10000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2006 ford f350 crew cab 4x4 which was purchased in 2005. while driving approximately 25 mph, the contact lost steering control when the steering wheel began shaking excessively. the manufacturer stated that they were aware of the failure. the manufacturer also confirmed that there were no related recalls; however, there were technical service bulletins. the front end of the vehicle was replaced as well as previous repairs were performed to correct the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 10,000 and the current mileage was 29,000. | |||
| 08/17/2009 | 7000 | 1 | |
| I purchased new a 2006 f350 4x4 3 years ago. i have had numerous (so there are many dates this has occurred) left front end death wobbles when taking a sweeping turn to the left at about 70 mph on a freeway with some bumps under the left front tire. this wobble is so bad that i have to immediately slow the vehicle to almost 30 mph on the freeway for it to go away. i have taken this truck in to the dealer several times for this wobble to no avail. i have rotated tires and made sure the tires are inflated properly by the dealer. tire inflation does not resolve this issue. after proper inflation by the dealer and checked by me, i still get the death wobble. recently, i received a generic letter from ford acknowledging the fact that this issue is not uncommon and that i should make sure my tires are inflated properly. i have done this several times. i have now searched the internet and find that this problem is not uncommon. i need to know how to get this problem fixed. it is dangerous to me and my family. *tr | |||
| 08/20/2006 | 5000 | 1 | |
| 2006 f-350 dually has a shimmer or severe vibration of the steering wheel that begins when a bump or dip in the road occurs and does not correct itself. even though the tires are in good order. ford motor co says there is nothing that can be done to correct this situation. their letter of notification is dated april 2009. *tr | |||
| 04/26/2008 | 35000 | 1 | |
| 2006 f-350 front end shakes violently on occasion. usually occurs with a change in level of interstate as in driving over an overpass back onto the normal road surface. speed is usually around 65-70 mph when it happens. immediate reduction to approximately 30 mph is required to make it stop. has happened 6 times so far and almost caused an accident on 3 of those occasions. *tr | |||
| 03/24/2008 | 58000 | 1 | |
| Severe suspension and steering wheel shimmy. *tr | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - WHEEL BEARING | |||
| 01/02/2008 | 58034 | 2 | 06/28/2006 |
| I have had two (2) f350 2006 super duty ford trucks that the wheel bearings are completely gone at 54,000 miles and at 58,000 miles. costing at total of $2,200.00. *tr | |||