What 286 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Ford F-250 Supercab

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle went into the death wobble and started shaking violently. The contact pulled off the roadway and parked the vehicle. The failure was a recurring failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be repaired; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.

NHTSA ODI 11750297

A Ford Dealer came on a mobile call the replace the Clock spring in the steering wheel. It was an recall NHTSA # 22V337 ------- Manufactures # 22S35 They replaced it and now nothing works on my steering wheel. Dealer came to pick up my truck and take it to the Dealership. Has not been repaired yet .

NHTSA ODI 11747897

The contact's former employer owns a 2016 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while exiting the freeway at 45-50 MPH around a bend, the steering wheel failed to move and crashed into a tree. The contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V337000 (Air Bags). The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that he sustained injuries to his hand, and medical attention was provided the next day at the emergency room. There was no reported fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to his employer's yard. The contact called an unknown local dealer. The contact was unaware whether the vehicle was diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

NHTSA ODI 11713367

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-250. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a white screen while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. The message to "Contact Your Local Dealer" was displayed on the instrument panel. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle drove over a speed bump or pothole, and the steering wheel vibrated. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact used force to control the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The contact stated that an alignment was performed, and an unknown repair to the exterior lighting was also performed. The contact stated that the failure persisted. 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 failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11697967

Ford F250 “death wobble”. I believe there’s a recall for 2017-20?? But the recall needs to be expanded to include 2016 models. I have had this issue twice. Very very dangerous!

NHTSA ODI 11690732

DEATH WOBBLE FRONT SHOCKS, STEERING DAMPNER AND NEW MICHELIN TIRES HAVE BEEN INSTALLED VEHICLE WILL SHAKE VIOLENTLY AND HAVE TO BRING SPEED DOWN TO GET BACK UNDER CONTROL.

NHTSA ODI 11684300

We called our local Ford dealership, Matthew Ford of Pryor (Oklahoma) and made an appointment for the safety recall of replacing the clock spring. They proceeded to attempt the replacement and in the process damaged the steering column module, part no. GC3Z3F791KA. We are now being told that Ford does not have the necessary steering column module part and nobody manufactures it for our trim level, Platinum. Consequently, our truck is not able to be fixed and returned to us in the same condition it was given to the dealership. It is still at the dealership, in pieces. We dropped it off on March 27th, 2025.

NHTSA ODI 11674981

While driving, when bumps are ran over sudden violent shaking of front end and steering wheel occur. Steering stabilizer and worn front rt 4 wheel drive universal joint replaced with problem continuing to occur.

NHTSA ODI 11664090

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle started to wobble violently. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11662187

Driving on highway 70 mph. Drove a rough spot on highway. Pot hole patch. Death wobble started. Had to preform emergency stop to end death wooble. This is the 10th time this has happened.

NHTSA ODI 11659551

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle started shaking violently. The contact stated that the steering wheel was shaking uncontrollably, and the vehicle was drifting from side to side. There was no warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the failure almost caused a crash with another vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or a dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11647710

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving 65-80 MPH over a bumpy road surface, the steering wheel and the front end of the vehicle shuddered violently. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the death wobble, and almost caused the contact to lose control of the vehicle. The contact stated that upon decelerating to approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle responded as needed. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while driving on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that a fee would be charged for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

NHTSA ODI 11641702

As we are driving on a highway the truck steering begins to fiercely and violently wobble and cause us to nearly have an accident. This is a serious issue and we want this addressed please. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11633534

Normal driving on highway. I drove over a rough section of road and the truck began shaking uncontrollably. Was able to slow down and the shaking stopped.. I've spent over $4000. 00 to fix problem. Within 6 months the issue returned. Have told Ford dealship. They will not fix problem. This is the 5th time I've reported the issue.

NHTSA ODI 11623480

I bought the truck a week ago I was driving it home from went over a bridge at 70mph and it went into a violent death wobble. Luckily I have experience with death wobble from an Offroad Jeep and I was able to get to a stop. If my wife was driving it could have been a different story, or if I was hauling a trailer it may have went in the ditch.

NHTSA ODI 11622397

Steering tried to lock up as I tried to turn.

NHTSA ODI 11621167

The contact's husband owns a 2016 Ford F-250. The contact stated that a bracket was placed on the suspension to prevent the failure commonly known as the "death wobble". Despite the repair, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a loud vibrating noise followed by violent shaking while driving over a bump in the road. Additionally, the steering wheel was vibrating uncontrollably making it difficult to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was discovered that the steering bracket had rubbed against other steering components causing the stabilizer to become bent. The vehicle remained with the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 63,000.

NHTSA ODI 11621295

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH with the cruise control engaged, the vehicle violently shook while driving over a bump on the roadway. The contact slowed down, pulled over, and turned off and restarted the vehicle several times and was able to drive the vehicle; however, the failure recurred while driving over bumps on the roadway. The vehicle was taken to three different independent mechanics and the contact was informed that an alignment, shocks, ball joints, and the traction bar needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was notified of the failure and verified that the VIN was not under recall for the failure. The contact researched online and discovered that the failure was related to a steering linkage damper. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had previously issued a Customer Service Program for the failure however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 249,000.

NHTSA ODI 11621054

dRIVING APPOXIMATELY 50MPH AND HIT A BUMP AND THE TRUCK WENT INTO THE DEATH WOBBLE AND NARROWLY AVOIDED A ROLL OVER

NHTSA ODI 11619626

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle drove over a bump in the roadway and the contact observed a loud vibrating noise, and the vehicle started shaking violently. Additionally, the steering wheel vibrated uncontrollably, making it difficult to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was slowed down, steered to the side of the road, and turned off. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed and determined that the track joint and damper assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11613409

Death Wobble on several occasions very scary! speed over 50 mph vehicle began violently shaking had to get off roadway very dangerous almost uncontrolable!

NHTSA ODI 11608447

The problem is commonly called "DEATH WOBBLE". The steering system enters an extremely violent wobble/shake making control of the vehicle nearly impossible. 2 independent service centers have addressed the issue. The first did repairs, including warranty replacement of a faulty part and the truck still has the "DEATH WOBBLE". The 2nd independent service center made note of the 2nd faulty replacement part (TRACK BAR) and reports "TRACK BAR BUSHING IS MOVING EXCESSIVELY. TRACK BAR SHOULD BE REPLACED." No other physical inspections have been performed. There were no vehicle warning lights due to this issue. There were a few incidences of the "DEATH WOBBLE" prior to my first appointment with an independent service center. That first appointment was approx. 2/19/2024, completed on 2/27/2024. Second time completed on 6/21/2024.

NHTSA ODI 11596584

I have had my vehicle inspected and supposedly repaired for the death wobble by two separate ford dealerships (Castle Rock Ford in Castle Rock, CO and Phil Long Ford in Colorado Springs CO). I continue to have safety issues as when I hit pot holes or rough roads, the steering and suspension system shakes the front wheels and steering wheel to the point that I have to come to a full stop. The entire steering system and shocks have been replaced (some parts multiple times) over the past two years. Please assists.

NHTSA ODI 11595308

It has been labeled as the death wobble. When driving down the highway at 65-70 mph and I hit a bump, pothole or a washboard effect in the road with the left front wheel. The whole truck will shake violently. So much that I can barely hold on to the steering wheel. The only way to stop the shaking is to slow the truck down to 30-40 mph. In the middle of the highway. I can watch the other vehicles around me scatter and put on their brakes as they try and avoid me. Sometimes it’s to hard to control and I will waver into another lane or on coming traffic. This happens sporadically and without warning. I have taken the truck to the Ford dealership for $3000 in steering component repairs . I have 60,000 miles on it and it is only used for personal use and never abused. This is a design defect that is going to get someone killed. A heavy duty truck should not have the parts wearing out to such a degree that threatens the lives of everyone on the road around me.

NHTSA ODI 11591711

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was shaking uncontrollably. The contact stated that the steering wheel was shaking, and it was difficult to hold onto the steering wheel. The contact decelerated and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure had previously occurred, and the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

NHTSA ODI 11586621