What 287 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Ford F-250 Super Crew

The "death wobble" occurred as my wife and I were driving on I-70 at approximately 75 MPH. We were maybe 100 miles west of Salina and fortunately there were not any vehicles around us, but we were forced to immediately pull over to the emergency lane. We just hit a bump and all of a sudden, this violent shaking started to occur. This incident happened around 10:00 am on September 30, 2023.

NHTSA ODI 11548976

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-250. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V337000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving and making a turn into the driveway, the steering wheel lost power steering functionality inadvertently and made a clicking sound. The airbag warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and to a secondary dealer, Bill Utter Ford (4901 S Interstate 35 E, Denton, TX 76210), where it was diagnosed that the failure was related to the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11548217

I was attempting to access the interstate when my truck began to immediately shut down at 70 miles per hour. I received a warning as the engine shut down stating that my engine power was reduced. At the exact moment the message displayed, the truck immediately died at 70 mph leaving me to be forced to wrestle the steering wheel to maneuver the truck to the side of the interstate as I had no power steering due to the failure. I have been informed that my truck is a victim of a catastrophic engine failure as a result of a failed CP4 OEM Bosch high-pressure fuel pump. The failure has resulted in the complete contamination of the fuel system requiring a complete overhaul with parts cost at $6,600.00 and approximately $4,000.00 in labor for a total of more than $10,600.00. on a low mileage diesel.

NHTSA ODI 11547948

I recently received a warning for P20BA informing me that the truck had a failed DEF heater. The unit was not in warranty and parts estimate for this is $360.00-$400.00 with an additional $400.00 dollars in labor for a total cost at minimum of $800.00 to $1,000.00 to replace a part that Ford Motor Company knew was a high failure rate part that would not meet industry standards.

NHTSA ODI 11547951

Ford has consistently indicated that the replacement part is available and it is not. Oou truck has a heated steering wheel. The clock spring for the heated steering wheel is different from the standard clock spring. FORD DOES NOT HAVE THE PART. Our truck is not safe to drive.

NHTSA ODI 11546580

Death wobble at approximately 60 mph. The truck is absolutely uncontrollable when this occurs. The only way to stop it is to stop the vehicle. This is a known issue with this truck. Will have it evaluated at a shop next week.

NHTSA ODI 11546248

DEATH WOBBLE! Driving at any speeds from 30 MPH to highway speeds of 65-70 MPH, the front end (front suspension) of the truck will Wobble Uncontrollably in a Vehement and Violent Manner, making driving unsafe with loss of steering after hitting a small bump or dip in the road/highway. The condition is worse when pulling a 30 foot gooseneck trailer. I have replaced the front shocks, steering damper, and rear shocks and to no avail, the Death Wobble still occurs! This is Major Safety Concern and Life Threatening to myself and anyone on the road during the Death Wobble, and seeing the reaction of other drivers in the opposite direction should be cause for concern! My truck is at a dealer now for inspection of the front end suspension system (drag link, track bar, tie rod ends, ball joints, bushings, tires, and alignment), to include the engine mounts, which were worn and deteriorating (I noticed this when I was replacing my steering damper) probably from the Death Wobble. The tires were balanced and rotated on September 9th by Discount Tire and the technicians there didn't see any problems with the tires or the wheels. I get my tires balanced and rotated about every 7,500 miles and I keep an accurate vehicle history of my truck.

NHTSA ODI 11546284

In 2022 Ford issued a recall for my 2016 F250 for the clockspring. In mid 2023 for said sent me a letter telling me the parts are in stock contact a local dealer for repair. I dropped off my tuck and 2 day later I was told by deal it’s fixed come pick it up. I got in my truck and all the same issues were there. Airbag light is on, steering is sticking, no horn or other electrical working on steering wheel. The dealer said they did a temp fix which I later found was not true, Ford has no temp fix. After contacting Ford directly and being sent to another dealing by Ford Corp I was told Ford has no part number or fox for trucks with heated steering. Ford has failed to remedy as their team does not have a part made to correct. This is a safety issues and they have a dealer saying don’t worry your airbag will deploy. Fraud along with failure to remedy in a timely manner.

NHTSA ODI 11545730

Vehicle developed a death wabble at 98,000 miles and is getting worse. hit a bump and started to wobble violently and had to hit brakes and pull to side of road and stop to get to quit wobbling. happened two more times on the way home. thought i was going to loose control of vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11542734

Driving home and the air bag light came on

NHTSA ODI 11541778

The contact owned a Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 MPH the contact heard a loud pop from the engine. The contact stated that immediately after hearing the noise smoke started to emanate from the engine. The vehicle caught fire. The driver sustained a hand injury. Medical attention was needed. The fire department extinguished the fire. The fire and police reports were available. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.

NHTSA ODI 11541185

Death wobble. I took it to Vallery Ford in Waverly Ohio. They told Ford recommended that the steering linkage be replaced. They did that and told me the truck was repaired and ready to pick up. I picked it up and as soon as I got over 45mph and ran over a seam in the road the death wobble was the same. I turned around and took it back. They acted like they didn't believe me. I waited about 1 1/2 hours and the service manager finally drove it. When he came back he apologized and said he thought he was going to die. So I left the truck there again. The next time they called to say it was repaired I went back to pick it up. They replaced tie rods, ball joints and track bar ball joints. I drove it home and it kind of bumped along and the steering wheel wasn't straight it was off center to the right. I called them and they told me to bring it back again. I waited at the dealer because they said it would only take about an hour to realign it again. When I drove away the steering wheel was not straight, it was not straight to the left. Turned around and took it back. They said maybe one of the tie rods was defective. I left it there. After about a week and a half they called and said it was done again. I picked it up today. As soon as I got over 45mph the death wobble was back as bad or even worse before I took it in the first time there. I left it, but they said they don't know what else they can do. It's not safe to drive. I'm 68 years old, I am lost over this. What can I do?

NHTSA ODI 11541245

HIT A POTHOLE FRONT END SHACKS HAVE TO STOP FAST VERY BAD

NHTSA ODI 11537959

Severe shaking of front end at highway speeds (55-65mph) causing inability to control steering causing immediate reduction in speed to avoid accident and stopping. No warning lamps or messages prior to vehicle shaking. Road was dry and normal conditions. Did not hit any hazard, no potholes, or debris causing damage or explanation as to why truck began to shake. Safety of driver and passengers were at risk due to possible loss of control if continued driving. Problem continued returning to home where vehicle parked approximately 25 miles at 45 mph with no major shaking. This occurred August 6, 2023, at approximately 5:00pm. There was me and one passenger on way to doctor appointment in Tulsa, a 4-hour drive. Did not trust vehicle safety to continue trip. Drove it home and parked. Vehicle is going to be taken to Ford dealership, in Idabel, OK, where purchased and all maintenance has been done. Truck has 33,971.5 miles as sitting now. Not used extensively, highway miles. Will drive to dealership on August 16th, 2023. Leaving it there for them to diagnose and repair the problem. Available to be inspected.

NHTSA ODI 11537554

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-250. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V337000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the message "Air Bag Disabled" was displayed. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11534631

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-250. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V337000 (Air Bags) however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. An undisclosed dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11532642

I have difficulty maintaining control of my 2016 Ford F-250 (purchased in 2019) after hitting any bumps going highway speeds, and is notably worse if this happens during any non-straight sections of highway. Commonly referred to as the "death wobble," it does truly feel like the front end of my truck no longer has traction with the road and I am unable to steer the truck safely until the "wobble" resolves, typically once I reduce my vehicle speed under 40mph. There have been instances when I have hit a bump on the highway while the highway is curving to the left or right and my truck will skitter into the next outside lane without my control and have luckily avoided crash/injury. When I am towing my camper (31' 5th wheel), the issue seems to be deflected back to the trailer so I hit a bump and the front end movement gets transferred to the back so I have my trailer whipping back and forth until I reduce my travel speed. I have brought this issue to the attention of more than one Ford dealership and have had my vehicle inspected. I have had the steering damper replaced twice without resolution. One dealership noted a tire arm with "some play" which I chose to have replaced without any significant change in this issue. This dealership did acknowledge there was some steering/control issues with the truck prior to the part being replaced. They also recommended I replace my tires to reduce this issue, which I did, and have not noticed a change either. I maintenance my vehicle as recommended and this issue has been ongoing since 2021. At no point has any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms appeared for this issue. My traction control light doesn't even illuminate when I have lost control of my vehicle and moved into another lane involuntarily.

NHTSA ODI 11531856

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-250. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V337000(Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11531519

This is a safety recall dated December 2022. I have had truck in dealer but they state I have to wait for Ford. If it's a safety issue, when will my safety become priority.

NHTSA ODI 11529532

Since I purchased this vehicle, it has always had a bad shaking in the steering wheel/front end when I hit a bump at high speeds. I took it to ford in 2019 and they replaced one of the steering components (track bar ball joint) and told me it had resolved the issue. It didn't. I took it back and they said it was a known problem and that there is nothing they can do for me. It is still happening and is getting worse. Ford should be required to resolve this safety issue.

NHTSA ODI 11528401

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the interlock brakes started grinding and then inadvertently activated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the intake manifold needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.

NHTSA ODI 11528156

The contact owns a 2016 Ford-250. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced severe shaking and vibration after driving over bumps on the roadway. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the front ball joints were faulty and needed to be replaced. The ball joints were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 30,000.

NHTSA ODI 11526834

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, an unknown message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the exhaust filter assembly was clogged and needed to be replaced. The dealer replaced the exhaust filter assembly. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 93,538.

NHTSA ODI 11526167

Upon hitting small road bump while accelerating to highway speed, steering wheel started violently shaking (death wobble), had to decelerate quickly to regain control. Upon later inspection found steering damper bad and some resulting ball joint play in several areas due to bad steering damper.

NHTSA ODI 11525599

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-250. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V337000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the air bag warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the horn became inoperable. The contact called a dealer and was informed that the part to complete the recall repair was on a national backorder. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11523658