2009 Ford F-250

While driving at freeway speeds (typically above 50mph) the vehicle will have extended steering oscillation (violent shaking of the steering wheel) after going over normal expansion joints in the roadway and other roadway bumps. It is impossible to control the vehicle steering when oscillations start. Sometimes the only thing that stops the oscillations is slowing, and leaving the freeway. No warning messages or lamps appear. When brought to dealership for repair, was told to contact manufacturer customer service.

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A CITY STREET AND MY 2009 F250 STARTED TO VIOLENTLY SHAKE AND I COULD BARELY CONTROL THE STEERING WHEEL, IT WAS LIKE I HAD BLOWN ALL 4 TIRES OR THE SUSPENSION HAD FALLEN APART. I WAS TALKING TO MY SISTER ON THE CAR SPEAKER WHEN IT HAPPENED AND SHE COULD EVEN HEAR THE SHAKING AND STARTED YELLING TO MAKE SURE I HAD NOT WRECKED MY VEHICLE. I PULLED OVER IN A PARKING LOT AND EVERYTHING LOOKED FINE, ALL TIRES IN TACT, SUSPENSION STILL ON THE VEHICLE. THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 MORE TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AND ALSO ONCE ON A PACKED INTERSTATE. I CALLED A FORD DEALER AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THIS WAS KNOWN AS THE "DEATH WOBBLE" BUT WOULD NEED TO CHARGE ME $120 TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE. THIS IS NOT ONLY SCARY BUT ALSO VERY DANGEROUS AND COULD CAUSE INJURY OR EVEN DEATH. I CHECKED GOOGLE AND SEE LAWSUITS AND FORD ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE BUT NO RECALLS AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY THE REPAIRS AND SAVE MY RECEIPTS! FORD NEEDS TO FIX THIS! THAT IS TOO BIG OF A VEHICLE TO HAVE THIS KIND OF KNOWN ISSUE AND NO RECALL TO REPAIR!

I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE EPISODE OF DEATH WOBBLE. I HAVE HAD THE FRONT END SUSPENSION REBUILT TWICE AND HAVE HAD THE PROBLEM RETURN, MECHANICS SAY ITS THE WORSE THEY HAVE EVER SEEN. I'VE HAD TO REPLACE BODY MOUNTS BECAUSE THEY WERE DESTROYED BY THE VIOLENT WOBBLE. THIS HAPPENS AT SPEEDS OVER 45 MILES AN HOUR AND ONLY STOPS WHEN SLOWED DOWN TO ABOUT 35 MILES AN HOUR, WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS ON THE INTERSTATE

WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AT 65-70 MILES PER HOUR, IF YOUR FRONT TIRES HIT A SMALL BUMP, ESPECIALLY ON CURVES, THE PICKUP FRONT END WIL GO INTO AN UNCONTOLLABLE WOBBLE AND YOU MUST IMMEDIATELY HIT YOUR BRAKES TO GET IT TO COME TO AN ALMOST DEAD STOP BEFORE IT WILL QUIT. YOU CAN END UP IN THE OTHER LANE OR CAUSE THE PERSON FOLLOWING YOU TO REAREND YOU OR END UP IN THE DITCH. SO FAR, WE HAVE BEEN LUCKY WHEN THIS HAS HAPPENED AS WE LIVE IN A FARMING AREA AND NOT HEAVILY POPULATED BUT ARE AFRAID TO HAUL CATTLE TO SALE WITH THIS PICKUP WHICH IS WHAT WE NEED IT FOR. THIS STARTED AROUND AT AROUND 88,000 MILES ON SPEEDOMETER. WE HAVE RESEACHED THIS AND TALLED TO OTHERS AND FOUND IT IS CALLED THE "DEATH WOBBLE".

MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED A FORD F250 LARIET TRUCK FROM A FORD DEALERSHIP IN CALIFORNIA ON 3-11-2012. EVER SINCE WE HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE WE HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH A WOBBLE WHEN ON TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY. WE HAVE HAD THE TRUCK IN THE SHOP ON MANY OCCASIONS AND WERE TOLD WE NEEDED NEW TIRES, ETC. SEVERAL TIMES WE BOTH HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERE SHAKING ON THE FREEWAY WHICH CAUSES US TO SLOW WAY DOWN AND MOVE TO THE SLOW LANE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND SCARY. I HAVE DOCUMENTATION FROM VISITS TO THE FORD GARAGE WHERE WE HAVE MENTIONED THE ISSUE AND HAVE HAD PAID FOR ITEMS THAT I DO NOT BELIEVE WE NECESSARY SINCE THE PROBLEM WAS STILL ONGOING. THE ISSUE CONTINUED TO GET WORSE SO WE RECENTLY TOOK THE TRUCK TO A DIFFERENT FORD GARAGE ON 7-25-19 WHERE WE WERE TOLD BALL JOINTS WERE WORN, WE NEED A NEW TRACK BAR AND HUB SEALS. THE BILL FOR THIS ALONG WITH A SMOG CHECK CAME TO $2296.16. THE TOTAL AMOUNT SPENT ON THIS ISSUE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS IS QUICK SIGNIFICANT. I STILL DO NOT HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT THE ISSUE IS FIXED AND I RECENTLY BECAME AWARE THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT FORD IS AWARE OF AND HAS DONE NOTHING ABOUT. WE HAVE A 5TH WHEEL THAT WE INTENDED TO PULL WITH THIS TRUCK BUT THE STRESS INVOLVED WITH THIS ISSUE IS ENOUGH TO NOT FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN DO THAT. IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO GET REIMBURSEMENT AND HAVE FORD FIX THIS ISSUE AND GUARANTEE THIS WILL NOT BE AN ONGOING PROBLEM?

RIGHT AFTER PERFORMING THE FRONT AND BACK BRAKE PADS REPLACEMENT TOOK MY TRUCK FOR A FAMILY TRIP IN WHICH WE EXPERIENCE A SEVER SHAKING IN THE FRONT END OF THE TRUCK TO THE POINT THAT WE HAD TO COME TO A FULL STOP THE SPEED WE WERE TRAVELING WAS 70MPH, AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS A FLAT TIRE BUT IT WASN'T THE CASE. WE CONTINUE TRAVELING AT SLOWER SPEED (60 MPH) AND SLOWLY INCREASING IT AND AGAIN AT 70 MPH AND STEPPING ON A LITTLE BUMP THE SHAKE STARTED AGAIN. I SET UP AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE DEALER TO FIND OUT IF THE ISSUE WAS RELATED WITH THE BREAK JOB THEY DID. THEY MENTIONED TO ME ABOUT A SIMILAR ISSUE THAT THIS KIND OF TRUCKS ARE BEEN REPORTING. DEFINITELY, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE ⚠️ IF THIS ISSUE IS BEEN HAPPENING MORE AND MORE, DEFINITELY THERE IS A FAULT IN THE TRUCK SUSPENSION.