I have experienced the Death Rattle with my 2018 F250-SD on 3 occasions: First was in late summer of '22, the second time was in November of '22 and the third time was on Feb. 5, 2023. In all 3 instances the weather was clear, no rain or snow on the road and I was traveling at 65 mph. The first & second time I thought it was due to a rough patch of road surface on the highway. On Sunday I was hauling my 14' GN trailer with one horse in it and drove over a minimal rough patch on the 2 lane county highway when it froze up. In the first example I was in city traffic and drifted over to the left shoulder. In the 2ed & 3ed examples there were no other passenger vehicle beside me so I was able to drift over to the closest shoulder to reset the truck. All 3 instances happened with no warning and no warning light appeared on the dash- just clatter and a freeze up. I have an appointment on 2/15/2023 with the Ford dealership where we purchased the truck.
2018 Ford F-250 SD suspension complaints
Page 2 of 8: complaints 11 to 40 of 199, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I bought brand new in 2018 a 2018 ford f250 this vehicle now has 39,000 miles and no upgrades of any kind other than a 5th wheel hitch installed in the bed. after going above 45mph and hitting a bump I get a massive wheel wobble that will only stop if I pull to the side and stop, this has happened 10-12 times since i have owned it. I do not believe I need to pay for this because i paid 65,000 dollars for it to be a safe vehicle. I only buy fords and my family only buys fords. if this can't get corrected you will lose ford owners for life. I can be reached at 931‑905‑8240
My truck has done what is known as the death wobble, which is easily searchable.The infamous death wobble that many Ford truck drivers have experienced is a violent shaking of the front end of the truck and the steering wheel. This issue typically occurs at highway speeds or after hitting a bump in the road. But it can also occur under any typical driving conditions. Ford truck drivers who have experienced this violent shaking on the road describe it as a terrifying experience because many struggle to steer and keep control of the vehicle. Naturally, this temporary loss of control and difficulty steering can lead to an increased risk of accident, injury, or death. This first occurred in 2018 and the dealer serviced it replacing the steering column. It has happened a few more times since then but very minor. Yesterday, 1/9/2023, it occurred with every single minor bump on the interstate at speeds over 65mph. It was very violent to the point where my coffee cup bounced out of the cup holder during the wobble. To get it to stop, you must slow down to 30mph very quickly and can not steer during this time (must go straight). A few occurrences were very dangerous. One where I almost went through a curve and into a semi, and another where I was almost rear ended to slow down and get out of the wobble before the next corner. I took it to my dealer this morning. They said, "Ford has identified what they believe to be the problem, but does not have parts designed yet. You can either pay $280 for an aftermarket steering damper, deal with it or trade it in...up to you." 1) They didn't diagnose the problem. 2) Ford knows it's a know issue and is doing nothing about it. I have been a life long Ford customer, but no more after this!!! This truck is a death trap / disaster waiting to happen for me and any other drivers around me!
Twice in the last two years I've experienced what is being called the "death wobble". A very violent shaking of the steering wheel as well as the vehicle after driving over some unforseen divet in the road at highway speeds. The first time was in the summer of 2020 and the second time just yesterday, 12-5-22. Both occured on 65 Hwy. Once on the east side of Sedalia and the later on the west side of Sedalia. This is going to get some one killed.
Driving at approximately 70 mph I traversed over a road divider of a suspension type bridge and immediately encounter the so called “Death Wobble” in my entire front end steering mechanism. The vehicle and steering wheel vibrated so violently that it caused a lane excursion. Applying brakes and slowing to 30 mph the steering came under control. This is the (3) third incident of this happening to my vehicle.
On 12/2/2022 at ~9:30 AM I was westbound on Interstate 40 in SW AZ. Traffic was average, road was clean and dry. My right front tire clipped a small pothole. The front end of the truck began to shake then became a violent, out of control thrashing. I grabbed the oscillating steering wheel with both hands to avoid changing lanes and hitting other vehicles. I tapped the brakes to shut down the cruise control. But my truck continued the violent shaking and the steering wheel wasn't much help. Only after I had let my speed drop dramatically did this incident began to subside. Eventually I steered onto the shoulder and it stopped. I needed a few minutes to regain my composure to exit I-40 and return home at 35 MPH.
Traveling on US highway 77 at about 60mph and hit a small bump and the truck starting shaking and the steering vibrating and was almost thrown off the highway in the opposite lane of traffic. Had to decrease speed quickly and almost lost total control of the vehicle. If a car had been in the oncoming lane we would have had an head on collision
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced the death wobble, causing the vehicle and steering wheel to violently shake and vibrate. The contact indicated that the failure had occurred after driving over a bump in the roadway, causing the vehicle drift into the other driving lane. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 25,000.
When driving at speeds in excess of 45 mph, if the front wheels strike a pothole or some other significant bump in the road, occasionally - but with increasing frequency - it will cause the wheels to start violently bouncing up and down (alternating each wheel so one is up and the other is down) and the steering wheel shimmies violently back and forth. This will continue until the vehicle is slowed to under 10 mph. During these events, there is no controlling the steering and the vehicle does not slow quickly since the front wheels are not in constant contact with the pavement. Research on the internet has shown that this is not an isolated problem and it has been labeled the “death wobble” by many. (Google “Ford F250 death wobble”). The result of this event - and thus the safety hazard - is that one must immediately stop the vehicle to make the malfunction stop. I have had to stop in the middle of the commuter lane on the highway on several occasions, causing many people to slam on their brakes and swerve to avoid hitting me. It is completely terrifying as it puts me, my passengers, and any other vehicles around me at risk. I am appalled that so many apparently know about this issue and nothing has been done to get Ford to take ownership. When I described the problem to my service center, they knew exactly the problem that I was speaking of. Unfortunately, there is no definitive fix other than to try this or that which will become costly.
While driving at freeway speed between 55-75MPH, the steering wheel oscillates after hitting expansion joints or pot holes. The oscillation was on multiple occasions throughout the trip and, sometimes, was so violent the truck drifted into another lane. Luckily there was no other traffic in the other lane at the time. It has done this before both while towing and not towing. This particular trip was the worst its ever done this and almost caused an accident at high speeds.
2018 has Death Wobble which has been reported by many and a recall was issued but we have taken it back 3 times for this recall/death wobble=tie rod, sector shaft, drag link replaced (the first time it wasn't recalled yet so we had to pay for it and still have not been reimbursed) last 2 times they fix the tie rod, shaft or whatever but it keeps happening and it is scary. Lucky not to have caused an accident. Also because of the "death wobble" it has ruined the alignment and some tracker line thing as well as our tires and we have to pay for those things even though it is caused by the death wobble/recall?! -Component described above, yes it is available for inspection upon request -Safety at risk because if we are going over 60 and hit a bump the vehicle starts to shake uncontrollably and we have to slam on the brakes to make it stop while going that fast with other vehicles going that fast we have almost caused several accidents and almost hit a barrier trying to stop it -yes problem has been preproduced, verified and supposedly fixed but never lasts more than a month --yes the vehicle component has been inspected by the manufacturer it is an open RECALL -NO WARNING LAMP, MESSAGE etc. Just uncontrollable shaking of vehicle if hits a bump
Death wobble of front suspision
Multiple times while driving between 50mph and 65mph, the front end starts vibrating out of control. This will continue to happen until the truck is slowed to below 25mph for a few seconds. This has happened on the highway twice and I have had to stop traffic behind me almost causing an accident both times. I have contacted Ford regarding this issue and it was supposedly fixed, but it continues to happen. There were no warning lights or messages.
After hitting a small bump in the interstate on I65 North, my F250 began shaking uncontrollably. Only by emergency breaking, was I able to regain control on my truck. This has happened 4 times. It is not safe to have to do this on the expressway, at any speed.
The contact's husband owns a 2018 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced the death wobble. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with steering stabilizer failure. The dealer replaced the steering stabilizer; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the track bar, drag link assembly, ready lift caster bushing kit, and performed two front-end alignments. The failure recurred and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,402.
At highway speeds my 2018 Ford F250 4WD will start shaking severely. The steering wheel shakes violently back and forth and the entire truck shakes like it's coming apart. The truck feels like it could swerve out of control at any moment. I was in great fear for my well being because I thought the truck was going to cause an accident. To get the shaking to stop I had to pull off the road and reduce my speed to less than 30mph. This has happened multiple times. Having to pull off the interstate and reduce speed to such a great extent is a safety hazard in itself. I took the truck to the dealer and they replaced the steering dampener under a recall. This caused the problem to go away for approximately 6 weeks. The problem has now returned. There were no warning lights or any indication that this was going to happen or when it did happen.
We had previously experienced severe shaking when driving at freeway speeds. We took the pickup to a dealership and the replaced the drag link at no cost and we paid to have tie rod ends replaced which they said would fix the issue. We took our first road trip in the vehicle this weekend and the problem is rven more frequent and severe. We almost had 3 accidents because the truck is very difficult to steer once the vibration starts.
I have experienced at least 6 incidents with my truck in which it starts violently shaking at highway speeds. In order to stop the shaking, I have had to either slow way down or pull over and stop completely to get the truck to stop shaking. In the most recent incident, there was a semi truck directly behind me and I was barely able to get to the side of the road to avoid being struck from behind and I nearly went into the ditch. After the first incident, I took my truck to the local Ford dealership and they told me there wasn't a problem when they drove it even though I provided them information about the "death wobble" from sources on the internet. The problem continued, so I took it back and they put "stabilizers" on it. I had no problem for almost a year until it happened twice yesterday. The first incident occurred on 12-25-18.
When driving above 50mph we experience a problem that our Ford service department originally called the Death Wobble, it is now called High Speed Oscillation. The steering wheel and entire front end of the truck shakes violently and I have to slow to almost a complete stop in order to regain control of the vehicle. We have have the steering damper replaced twice (the tech today said about every 20,000 miles) and the truck is in the dealer for the third time addressing this issue. This third time the work that is also being done involves a large nut that requires 450#'s of torque to adjust. We had to replace tires that wore out prematurely. This last time the impact of the violent shaking caused the other vehicles on the road to move away from us because they could see something was wrong as well. I don't scare easily, but these events are terrifying. The problem has been confirmed by a Ford Service department multiple times. This has not had third party inspections, but I will ask for the worn out part when I pick up my vehicle from the current servicing. There were not any warning lights or messages that gave alerts to the incidents. The incidents would occur on macadam, concrete, going downhill and uphill, on transitions between road surfaces and on roads that have rough surfaces from heavy use.
At speeds above 50mph steering wheel & front end vibrates uncontrollably. Have to apply the brake & get below 45mph to get it to quit. Local Ford dealership has replaced the steering linkage damper per Ford bulletin 20N04. That did not solve the problem. There was no warning lights or other indicators before, during, or after this issue started. My personal safety is affected by this issue as well as passengers and other drivers. The truck cannot be controlled until you get slowed down.
Was driving on highway normal driving went through a construction zone uneven road patches on major highway 3 lanes. While slightly above 70mph my truck violently started shaking as if a front tire steel belts had ripped and separated while maneuvering through a curve o n construction no speed limit I almost lost control and rolled my truck. I had to hit the brakes in order to come to a violent stop and regain control. While almost getting rear ended and causing a chain reaction of cars swerving and braking cause of the result of the front end. The truck on has 70,000 plus miles and is on highway driven. Upon further investigation on the internet I found hundreds of complaints on line the name given was the death wobble from a series of years including all new F 250 -350 Series trucks. I had my wife and daughter plus family member hope this escalates very quickly and is taken seriously.
I experienced the Death Wobble running around 60 mph. It was one of the scariest moments I have ever experienced. I took my Truck into the Ford dealership and they replaced the Steering Stabilizer. It has really made me scared to drive my Truck.
With no indication the truck started shaking violently after driving over an overpass expansion joint at about 60-65 mph on highway. After slowing to about 20-25 mph in breakdown lane, it seem to go away. Approximately 3-4 miles down the highway, again going over an expansion joint to a bridge this time, it happened again. With the same process of pulling into the breakdown lane and reducing speed to 20-25 mph it went away. Obviously looking this up on the internet, you come across the Ford death wobble. If this doesn’t constitute a recall, what does, death..
Going down Interstate 99 in Pennsylvania I hit a bump on the approach of a bridge at 65mph front end started shaking violently almost lost control of truck had to pull to shoulder and slow down until it cleared up. I got out and checked everything could not see anything visibly wrong with the front end. It is a 2018 F-250 with 23,000 miles on it. When I bought it the dealership said the death wobble was takin care of. I asked about the issue before I bought the truck but obviously it has not been fixed correctly this is a concern as I pull a camper in the summer months quite often.
Traveling at highway speeds(above 55 mph) I’ve hit a small bumps in the road on multiple occasions. The problem has occurred several times where the vehicle shakes violently until I slow down to about 40 mph. Googling the problem informed me this is a problem with Ford superdutys and the phenomen is referred to as “death wobble”. The article provided a link to the federal safety agency.
“Death wobble” at 60mph while on the highway after hitting a small pothole. Controllable when slowed to 35mph on the shoulder
I was driving down the road at approximately 60 mph and the steering wheel and whole truck started to shake violently. I had to slow down to around 20 mph to get it to stop. I had an almost impossible time just keeping the truck under control. This has happened twice now within the past 3 weeks
While merging onto the interstate yesterday, there was a slight bump in the road and the truck began violently vibrating, including the steering wheel. The vibration lasted at least 10 seconds this time, making steering very difficult. This is at least the third time this has happened in the past 2 months. Upon researching, this seems to be an very big issue with these trucks & has been named "the death wobble" on MANY websites. This is obviously a huge safety issue. What would happen in icy conditions? This could have deadly consequences and cannot understand WHY Ford has not recalled for correction!
I have a 2018 F250 SuperDuty Diesel Truck that has approximately 20,000 miles. I was driving approximately 60 mph and my steering wheel jumped out of my hands and began to shake and a loud noise from the truck itself was audible as I continued down the road. I applied the brake slowly and was able to pull over. I noticed as I slowed that the noise and shaking stopped. I waited for all the cars to go by and started to return home hoping to make it back. It did not repeat, however I am now afraid to drive the truck as this seems very dangerous.
I went over a bridge joint on the highway and the truck started shaking uncontrollably. I had to slow down under 50mph for it to stop. The windshield cracked in the process. Everyone driving around me slowed down and moved away. There were and still are no warning lamps. I have not taken it to the dealer yet. I feared that the truck was going to roll over because of the uncontrollable steering and shaking.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2018 Ford F-250 SD?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history