What 323 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Ford F-250 Super Crew

The front end of the vehicle and wheels start to violently oscillate at speeds between 50-60 mph. Sometimes it occurs after hitting a small bump and often occurs over smooth roads. This has been described as the "death wobble". I have to slow down below 25 mph for the wobbling to stop. This has put me in numerous dangerous situations on the street amd highway.

NHTSA ODI 11531854

Inconsistent Death wobble when traveling at speeds 50+mph. The vehicle will begin to shake violently. I will have to come to stop to resolve issue. A licensed mechanic has diagnosed this issue and replaced most of the front end suspension parts. The inconsistent death wobble continues and the vehicle shakes violently and is difficult to maintain control. This is a huge safety issue.

NHTSA ODI 11525024

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while her son was driving 25 MPH on a slight incline, the vehicle made an abnormal sound and then stalled. Both the contact's son and husband were unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the high-pressure fuel injection pump had failed due to metal shavings intrusion into the fuel system. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000. The vehicle was repaired at the owner's expense.

NHTSA ODI 11514838

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds over 50 MPH, the vehicle shifted into LIMP Mode. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the failures could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted and that the transmission was slipping while shifting. The contact also stated that prior to entering the vehicle, he noticed a fluid leak underneath. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where unknown transmission repairs were completed; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, where the fuel pressure regulator and heater malfunction failure codes were retrieved, and it was diagnosed that the Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) tank needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 160,100.

NHTSA ODI 11512823

Driver and passenger front air bags did not deploy. Side air bags did deploy. Was hit front passenger side by ford explorer. Then hit by dodge truck head on. Then stuck by dodge truck on passenger side behind back door.

NHTSA ODI 11509470

Ford super duty has been in shop for death wobble numerous times and when we get vehicle back still is the issue. Very unsafe and hard to stable once it starts. Even auto shop people when thought fixed drove and scared them. Whole truck shakes uncontrollably. Very poor on Ford for no recall with this happening. Why buy truck if you can’t drive it for work duties.

NHTSA ODI 11509238

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-250. The contact stated upon making a turn, the wheel seized, and the vehicle failed to move. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the front passenger’s side axle shaft had fractured at the wheel. The dealer diagnosed that the outer shaft and seals needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 229,020.

NHTSA ODI 11503774

WHILE DRIVING THE TRUCK GOING OVER 50 MILES PER HOUR, IT GOES INTO A WOBBLE, SHAKING, VIBRATION MODE. I FEEL LIKE I'M IN A EARTHQUAKE. SOME TIMES IT COMES ON JUST NORMAL DRIVING AND MOST OF THE TIMES HAPPENS DRIVING OVER BUMPY UNEVEN SURFACE AND POTHOLES ROAD DOING OVER FIFTY MILES PER HOUR. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP RED MCCOMBS IN SAN ANTONIO TEXAS ABOUT THREE OR FOUR TIMES BEFORE WITH THIS PROBLEM. THEY CAN'T FINE THE PROBLEM. THE SURVICE ADVISER DID STATE THAT ONE OF THERE TECHNICIAN DID KNOWDICE A SLIDE VIBRATION WHILE TEST DRIVING IT BUT OTHER THEN THAT NO PROBEMS. THEY DID REPLACE A PART AT ONE TIME BUT IT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT [RED MCCOMB] ON 6TH OF FEBRUARY TO DROP OFF THE TRUCK TO CHECK OUT AGAIN. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ANY MORE. THIS LAST TIME THE VIBRATION WAS REAL BAD. HAD HARD TIME GETTING IT UNDER CONTROL ON A MAJOR CITY HIGHWAY. I THOUGH I WAS GOING TO GET KILL. I FEAR FOR MY LIFE AND SAFETY DRIVING THAT TRUCK. I DON'T WANT TO SELL IT AND PUT SOMEBODY ELSE LIFE IN DANGER. I CALLED FORD MANUFACTURE ON AROUND THE 17 OR 18 OF JANUARY AND INFORMED THEM ABOUT IT. THE CONVERSATION WAS RECORDED ACCORDING TO THEM. THEY ACTED LIKE THERE HAS BEEN NO PROBLEM WITH THOSE TRUCKS. THEY CONTACTED ME BACK WITH THE DEALERSHIP. THATS WHEN I MADE THE APPOINTMENT. I BOUGHT THAT TRUCK NEW IN TEMPLE TEXAS FROM THE JOHNSON BROTHERS DEALERSHIP IN JUNE 2012. RED MCCOMB HAS MAINTAIN ALL OF THE REQUIRED MAINTANACE AND MECHANICLE PROBLEMS SINCE I BOUGHT IT NEW. JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING IS DOCUMENTRED THERE.

NHTSA ODI 11502769

Ford previously issued warranty extension for this vehicle 18-M-01 related to the replacement of the reductant heater unit. I acquired the subject vehicle above and had the repair done at my expense on September 9, 2015 with 115,710 miles on the vehicle using an OEM part. Eventually, Ford would reimburse me for this expense. The truck currently has 150,000 miles and once again the DEF heater failed . So, roughly 35,000 miles on a single unit. That seems ridiculous to me that an emissions part would fail after a mere 35,000 miles. My experience is far from being alone and others have reported similar experiences on internet forums. I will preserve this unit that failed for 60 days after the submission of this claim in case Ford or you would like to inspect it. Unfortunately, the result of having to perform repeated repairs is that people decide to remove and bypass the DEF system completely. That seems to be a terrible outcome for the environment. However, in communities where there is no emissions testing, no one will find out. Please require Ford to extend the warranty on this part again.

NHTSA ODI 11499624

The truck will shake violently and uncontrollably at speeds above 45mph...thought I was going to crash into on coming traffic...very scary and life threatening not only for myself but also my passengers oncoming traffic ... I'm pretty sure I would have been the one with a lawsuit if I was to crash into something or someone...instead of ford ..please fix

NHTSA ODI 11494592

Known Ford Superduty "death wobble"...violent shaking of truck's front end at highway speed. Happens randomly and usually after hitting a bump or going over uneven road surfaces. Only way to stop wobble is to slow down to below about 50 mph, putting myself and others on the road at risk. Known Ford issue.

NHTSA ODI 11490105

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle suddenly experienced a death wobble causing the vehicle to violently shake and vibrate. During the failure, the steering column failed as a result the driver lost control of the steering and drove off the road, and crash into a ditch. During the crash, the vehicle sustained damage to the subframe bracket. No injuries were reported. No police report was taken. The vehicle was towed away from the scene. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 206,000.

NHTSA ODI 11489351

the diesel particulate filter is failing on a lot of 2011-2016 ford f-250 f-350, f-450, and f-550 Part 6D20000. Leaving vehicles stranded on the road while driving at 75 MPH. The safety was impacted by a sudden vehicle slowing down with no acceleration. It had also tried doing a lot of regins. This particular truck has not been inspected by a ford dealer nor insurance, but it has been inspected by me and a private mechanic. there weren't any prior problems with this truck. On top of this situation, diesel particulate filters are back ordered by about 3 months and cost about $4,700.00 for replacements. I do forget what the exact day was but it was somewhere in august of 2022

NHTSA ODI 11484999

Today, September 6, 2022, is the first time I experienced the so called death wobble. I was traveling along at 55 mph when I went over a bump in the road and my truck began to shake like a dog shaking water off. I slowed down to 40 mph before it stopped. The shaking caused the turbocharger intake hose to break away from the engine causing an undrivable condition.

NHTSA ODI 11483156

The truck is experiencing what is commonly referred to as the "Death Wobble." At around 55 mph, the vehicle starts to violently shake. It shakes the whole vehicle, especially the steering--the steering wheel severely shakes until I slow the vehicle slows down below 40 mph. From my research, I've found this is a common issue among other Superduty owners. It seems like there are faulty front end suspension and/or steering parts at play: pitman arm, drag link, tie rod ends (and their bushings/ball joints), etc. The shaking happens on the freeway and is frightening to experience as it could potentially lead to losing control if unable to slow down in time to stop the shaking. Being at freeway speeds, my family and I are at risk as well as other vehicles on the road if we were to lose control. This issue did occur 1.5 years ago. I took it into a Ford dealership where they replaced the steering dampener/stabilizer. Now the death wobble is happening again. From what I've learned, this is a band-aid fix that doesn't address the root cause of the death wobble. No warning lamps or error codes are present before, during, or after the shaking.

NHTSA ODI 11482798

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would shake abnormally without warning. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to the death wobble. The contact also stated that the EGR cooler was defective, causing the vehicle to downshift while driving at various speeds. The contact had the EGR cooler repaired by the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired for the death wobble. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 136,700.

NHTSA ODI 11480961

Very intermittently, when I brake this vehicle to bring it to a stop, the engine will start to rev uncontrollably. I have to practically "stand" on the brake to keep it from charging forward. I have to turn off the truck to stop this high speed revving. After this happened 3 times in 2 months we took it to the dealer to check. There was nothing on the floor that could cause the gas pedal to accelerate. The dealer in Kingwood, WV could not duplicate, and found nothing wrong when inspected. We only use the truck once or twice a month so it is a low use vehicle. For this reason the problem does not occur frequently enough to replicate "on demand". While there was not a crash, it almost revved through an intersection and almost ran into another vehicle. Fortunately I was able to throw it into park (Not Good for the vehicle) and then turn it off.

NHTSA ODI 11477905

I have not had an accident. I have experienced a violent shaking of the steering after going over a bump at highway speed (50 +MPH). The truck shakes so that control is very difficult until one can reduce speed. I have heard this shaking called the “Death Wobble” An appropriate name.

NHTSA ODI 11475002

Many early model vehicles with the 6.7 Powerstroke experience broken exhaust manifold bolts. Ford corrected this problem after the first few years of known defects but never issued a recall for the faulty design on 2011-2012 models. The exhaust leak can lead to a lack of power, “limp mode”, and/or a fire as the exhaust is located on top of the engine (not a common design). While Ford is aware of the problem, they’ve done nothing to rectify the situation.

NHTSA ODI 11470023

Extreme, violent shaking of the front end. At highway speeds, when it happens, the vehicle is very difficult to control while trying to slow down enough for it to stop. This is definitely a safety issue.

NHTSA ODI 11468961

Okk Main issue is what everyone calls the “Death Wobble”. It has done it countless of times since I’ve had the truck. Even after I bought a New Fox Single steering stabilizer. I have replaced quite a few things under the front end that I was told “Could” be why it kept doing it. The most recent I’ve bought for the front is brand new Fox Shocks just like the ones I have on the back and it still does it. I’ve had the front end aligned a couple times since I’ve had the truck and rotated my tires once too. And to this day it Still does that death wobble. It scares me every time too still. Im afraid ima end up in a wreck or cause a wreck bc of it. Another issue is I keep having this warning pop up saying “ Engine Temp too high reduced engine power “ bc it thinks the engine coolant is too low which it’s Not. And when I scan the code through the OBD port it just says “Engine oil temp sensor too low/too high”. I had the Ford dealership in my town put a new Oil Temp sensor in it but it still throws a code just about everyday I drive it. Another issue I had was the High Pressure fuel pump on the front of the motor go out Literally while I was sittn in my driveway at night after just driving it not even 3 miles down the road to the store to grab a few things. And it ran fine like normal but soon as pulled in the driveway an was rolling my windows up about to go in it just died on me an had to get it towed to the Ford dealership in my town. They looked at my fuel an said my fuel was fine with No contaminants in it. I was just Unlucky they said so that was basically 10k out my pocket to pay for a Whole New fuel system. The Death Wobble is my most concerning issue but other than that the truck has been awesome.

NHTSA ODI 11465071

While traveling at 55mph I hit a bump which caused the front of the vehicle to shake very violently. Rapid speed increase made it worse. It was only resolved when I braked hard slowing to 30mph. Thank goodness there was no traffic behind me as this would have resulted in my being rear ended by another vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11464190

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-250. The contact stated that since purchasing of the vehicle, the vehicle experienced the death wobble on two separate occasions. The contact stated that the failures occurred while driving at undisclosed speeds. The contact stated that after driving over bumps on the road the vehicle experienced a violent and uncontrollable shaking without warning. The contact stated that once the vehicle slowed down, the vehicle would resume normal operation. The contact had initially taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who replaced the track bar and track bar ball joint; as well as, the front and rear shocks. Despite the repair, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic after the second failure and remained in the possession of the independent mechanic. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and he was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle and was provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

NHTSA ODI 11462025

Front end death wobble. It began slightly about 6 months ago but progressively has gotten worse. Today driving from 40mph to interstate speeds of 70mph. It is scary and dangerous. Please do whatever is necessary to have FORD recall and fix for this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11461920

The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle drove over a bump in the roadway and started to experience the death wobble. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to park on the side of the road, restarted the vehicle, and continued driving to his destination. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 148,200.

NHTSA ODI 11454408