2011 Ford F-350: ball joint or control arm failure

Filed Oct 15, 2024 · Steering, Suspension · 230,000 miles · AZ

The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle experienced a Death Wobble. The contact stated that the front end of the vehicle and the steering wheel were shuddering violently from the right to the left, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. The contact stated that he was able to regain control of the vehicle upon decelerating to 10 MPH. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to Litchfield Auto Repair, where the axle track bar ball joint, the steering damper, the drag link, and the tie rod or the tie rod end were replaced. Additionally, the mechanic performed the front alignment; however, the failure recurred while driving 75 MPH and hitting a bump. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was inspected, and the contact was informed that the previous repair was performed correctly. The dealer replaced the tires because the tires were worn out. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 230,000.

Filed May 3, 2022 · NC

My low mileage 2011 F350 has what has been called a "DEATH SHAKE". If while driving at highway speeds I hit a bump the wrong way the front wheels seem to go in non-parallel directions, causing the vehicle to bounce from side to side. During this time there is no control or steering possible. The goal is simply to hang on and not get thrown from the seat. (The bouncing from side to side has destroyed my relatively new shocks.) Braking hard to slow the vehicle will eventually realign the wheels and allow me to regain control. This has been happening for over a year. In September 2021 I paid over $2,500 to Capital Ford, Hillsborough, NC for the problem to be repaired. They replaced a rod and ball joint in the front end, aligned the front wheels, and told me the problem was fixed. I still have the problem. I am very surprised, and apparently lucky, that I have not been involved in a major accident or run off the road into something while my truck was bouncing from side to side and I had no control. (I have ended up off the road but have been lucky enough to have not hit anyone.) When this happens, vehicles around me get as far from me as they can as it is quite clear something very dangerous is happening. My wife's internet search turned up many F350s with EXACTLY the same problem. This is where I learned this was called a "death shake". Her search also showed that Ford does not seem to know what to do about the problem, as they have no standard fix for the repair and many "fixed vehicles" still exhibit the death shake. At this stage I don't know what to do with the vehicle. Its book value is over $20,000, yet I don't dare sell the vehicle as it may kill someone. I clearly can't afford to junk it. Ford apparently doesn't know how to fix it. It's that or Ford isn't willing to admit this is a major design flaw and is unwilling to incur the cost of a recall. My only hope at this stage, is for the federal safety agency to order Ford to recall and fix the F350 front ends.

Filed Aug 15, 2021 · Suspension · UT

We were driving in a street road and hit a small bump and the car started shaking violently and my husband lost control of steering, we almost hit a light pole but were able to reduce the speed and only hit the curve. When we slowed down the tie rod was broken and we had to call for road assistance. All of the things we experienced were exactly as they are described by other people who have experienced the “death wobble”. There were no warnings that it was going to happen, it was sudden. Luckily we weren’t in a highway so we weren’t going at high speed, but otherwise it would have been very dangerous also for the cars surrounding us. After the incident we took our car to ford to be repaired and it was a very expensive repair, they didn’t give us a reason as to why it happened but that just left us wondering if it might happen again in the future. The insurance company doesn’t seem interested in getting in touch with us to see if there is something they can help us with. And now we are just left to hope it doesn’t happen again to us or other people. Ford needs to recall his trucks.

Filed Nov 17, 2020 · Steering, Suspension · 140,000 miles · TX

On multiple occasions when driving at highway speeds when I run across ruff roads or bumps the trucks front end begins to wobble and shake. The shake is worse if I am in any kind of turn, but it will do it on straight roads also. I must slow down to under 30 MPH to regain control of vehicle. I have taken it into ford dealerships and gotten no results. One dealership claimed it to be in the ball joints and I had them replaced but the problem still exists. Doing online research, I am seeing others with the same issue and some calling it the death wobble. I have been experiencing this since 2018 but the last time was 10/22/2020.

Filed Mar 26, 2020 · Steering · 98,000 miles · FL

08during 2018 we took an extended camping trip to maine. It was at this time we experienced the most instances of what I have heard called "death wobble".the first time was in pennsylvania pulling the fifth wheel camper when we hit a pothole and was terrified I was going lose control. This occurred at least three more times, once more with the cmper and twice just traveling with the truck, but all brought on by hitting a bump in the pavement.all happened on interstates and fairly heavy traffic. Having to come almost to a stop in heavy traffic is not something no one should have to experience.in 2019 we finally got to where we could financially have a ford dealer look at.this. They replaced the ball joints , upper and lower and aligned the front end. So far it has not occurred again.

Filed Mar 6, 2020 · 156,000 miles · CO

When the truck reaches speeds over 60 MPH, the vehicle will go into an uncontrollable shake, the death wobble. The driver looses partial control and has to fight to keep the truck in a single lane for safety until the truck speed gets under 45 MPH. There is no warning for the wobble. We have checked the alignment, the tires, the tie rods, the suspension and steering, brakes and bearings and all are in mechanical order. We drive on a highway daily with traffic speeds from 60-75mph. I do not have photos, but we do have a short video of it happening.

Filed Dec 18, 2019 · Steering · 175,512 miles · UT

2011 ford f-350 super duty 4x4. The vehicle has never had a lift or large tires of any kind installed on it and has always had stock oem spec tires. This vehicle has what has become known as "the death wobble". Ford calls it "sustained steering wheel oscillation". It is extremely dangerous and terrifying to experience. The problem is well documented and I am shocked that there has not yet been a safety recall on this. The death wobble primarily occurs at speeds above 50 or so miles per hour when the vehicle hits a pot-hole, expansion joint, unavoidable road debris, etc. It also has a nasty snowball effect in that once you have experienced it a couple of times the additional damage it is creating causes it to happen easier and easier to the point that it will then occur regularly all the way down to 35 miles per hour. We have experienced the death wobble literally many dozens of times over the years since we purchased this vehicle. We have done and replaced everything that we can think of to fix this problem; some of them multiple times but nothing works. Things we have done: new tires (multiple times), new front-end alignment (multiple times), new track bar bushing and ball joint (multiple times), new tie rod ends (multiple times), new center link (multiple times), new shock absorbers, new steering damper, new upper and lower ball joints, new u-joints. None of this has worked. The death wobble is so violent that it is wreaks havoc on the entire truck including the newly installed parts, the frame, drivetrain and suspension components, chassis, etc. Literally everything on the vehicle including windshields. Ford is obviously aware of this problem and the propensity for their solid front axle f-250 and f-350 trucks from the past two decades to experience the death wobble. Somebody will eventually die from this, if it hasn't happened already. It needs dealt with!

Filed Sep 28, 2019 · Steering, Suspension · 120,000 miles · TX

The well known issue called "death wobble". This is documented issue with the ford f-series trucks where the truck violently wobbles out of control when driving approximately 55mph. Ford denies this is an issue, yet you can find evidence of this issue all over the ford truck forums. With my truck, this issue is becoming more frequent. When it occurs, I have to pull off to the shoulder and slow down to approximately 15mph before it stops. I have replaced the shocks, tie rod ends, track bar, track bar ball joint, rotated tires, alignment, and it is still occurring. The only thing left to replace are the ball joints then pretty much the entire front end suspension will have been rebuilt at a cost of a couple thousand dollars. This is a significant safety issue and can easily cause an accident, especially when in construction zones on the highway. From what I've read, this has already caused accidents in certain cases and is due to a poor design of these trucks. Ford needs to address this and the federal safety agency should force ford to issue a recall to correct the problem.

Filed Mar 14, 2019 · Suspension · 42,656 miles · NY

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford f-350. While driving 60 MPH, the vehicle wobbled without warning. The vehicle was taken to fx caprara chrysler dodge jeep ram watertown (18476 us-11, watertown, ny 13601, (315)-788-7400) where it was diagnosed that the lower control arm failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to bring the vehicle in for a second diagnostic test. The failure mileage was approximately 42,656.

Filed Mar 28, 2017 · Steering · 96,000 miles · MA

When traveling at highway speeds while turning slightly left and hitting any moderate bump in the road the truck shimmys violently and does not stop until speed is reduced to under 20 MPH. While the shimmy is occurring steering control becomes nearly impossible. There seems to be an un-dampened oscillation or severe vibration of the front wheels. Not sure what the cause is. I've had the front end looked at and been told everything looks tight and the tire pressure is even and correct. I have also personally lifted the truck and inspected all the steering components and do not see obvious play in any of the ball joints, tie-rod ends, sway bar etc. The truck also has had new shocks within the past 200 miles and that did not help. This problem has occurred more than once and is repeatable given the right conditions. I had purchased this truck april 2016 and during the test drive I complained of a vibration. The service people took nearly a month to figure out a cause. What the did helped, but the vibration never truly went away. This slight steady vibration seems to be related to the sever vibration because it is of exactly the same frequency and speeds, just under normal circumstances the truck is very controllable.

Filed Apr 7, 2014 · Steering, Suspension · 69,000 miles · MI

2011 f350 4x4 dual rear wheel lariat. Everyone calls it the "super duty death wobble" ford has no plans to fix. Started at 30k miles, replaced all known worn parts and suggested parts like everyone else - still doing it. Youtube videos show violent shake to the point your head can smack the side windows. Front end on highway hits slight bump like on over pass shakes so violently it can break the front end wheel tires and everything else.. Changed tires, stabilizer shock, alignments. Recently this past week on i75 in ohio it happened 1/2 dozen times @ 65 to 70 MPH shook so hard you cannot control lock the brakes down hard to 30 MPH just like everyone else on the net says. Nearly causing wrecks on the freeway. Happens without warning. Totally stock $55k truck. Dealer says no tsb or recall. But ford does know about it and says it "may help" to check stabilizer shock. Everyone has done that. Google super duty death wobble it and see videos. My first ever online complaint. This ford truck is insanely dangerous. At dealer now with no solution. I discovered by switching into 4whd it will stop which tells me it is internal control arm bushings because 4wd will bind the front end up enough to preload suspension. It got me home but the wife will never ride in it again!

Filed Jan 13, 2014 · Steering, Suspension · 102,132 miles · TX

Driving at 65 MPH on ih-10 houston tx, hit a bump in the road and truck entered into a death wobble, had to veer across 3 lanes and a on ramp to the shoulder and slow to about 5 MPH before the shimmy stopped. Very scary actually a little scared of my truck now. Went to a front end shop today and was told I have no loose parts and the steering stabilizer was fine. He told me the ball joint on the track bar is usually what it is and only ford can fix it. They did not charge me.