What 198 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Ford F-350 Crew

Steering Effort Control Module failed. This is a known concern with these vehicles. Many Super Duty's have this happen. It is a very expensive repair. The steering effort changes, the vehicle becomes out of alignment and other things like cruise control, wipers, etc may fail as part of this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11710914

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH and driving over a bump on the road, the steering wheel started vibrating and shaking abnormally. The contact stated that the failure had occurred approximately twelve times. The contact stated that an independent mechanic and a dealer were contacted. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the steering dampener needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering dampener, the pitman arm, and the inner and outer drag links needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the death wobble. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the inner and outer drag link and pitman's arm were worn and that only the steering dampener replacement would be covered. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 76,000.

NHTSA ODI 11638271

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced a "death wobble". The contact then received notification for Customer Satisfaction Program: 20N04 (Steering Linkage Damper Extended Coverage). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the repair was performed; however, the failure recurred approximately 5,000 miles after the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was also referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a safety complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 38,320.

NHTSA ODI 11611247

Violent front end shimmy (death wobble) at highway speeds. Seems to be worsening. Happened in Interstate traffic near Atlanta Georgia. Extreme concern as I was among multiple vehicles with many behind me as well, all moving at highway speeds. I could not stop the problem until I had slowed to about 20 miles per hour.

NHTSA ODI 11583892

Vehicle steering began shuddering violently while driving at around 50MPH. I had to slow to around 25MPH to get the shuddering to stop. It happened again around 50MPH any time I hit a bump or pothole. At this point the vehicle is unable to be driven at highway speeds.

NHTSA ODI 11578414

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver as well as it was no longer centered. The adaptive steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure was diagnosed as the steering effort control module (SECM) was not communicating and the steering wheel needed to be replaced. The steering wheel was not replaced however, the dealer attempted to reprogram the SECM and the failure continued. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 10222258 (Steering). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in the Manufacturer's Communication Number due to the plant assembly location. A case was not opened with the manufacturer. The approximate failure mileage was 148,000.

NHTSA ODI 11578543

I was changing lanes at 75 MPH on the interstate in Chicago and hit a bump in the road. The steering wheel and the truck started shaking violently (Death Wobble). The only way that I could get it to stop was to come to a complete stop. Luckily there wasn't a ton of traffic and I was able to change lanes easily. I was on my way home with 300 miles of travel left. This happened again 2 more times on the way home. I had to travel at a reduced rate of speed to try and keep the issue from happening again. Luckily I had just dropped of my 42ft 5th wheel camper. If this had happened while pulling my camper I don't think I would of been able to control the vehicle. I have ordered $1,000 of aftermarket and replacement parts to fix the issue . I will not drive the vehicle again until I have this repaired.

NHTSA ODI 11575967

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started shaking excessively. The contact had to reduce the speed to stop the vehicle from shaking. In addition, the steering wheel was shaking, and the contact stated it felt like the wheels were also shaking. The contact stated that the failure recurred while exceeding 40 MPH. The vehicle was safely driven to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was unofficially diagnosed as steering isolation. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11570632

Experienced the "Death Wobble" multiple times while on vacation March and April 2023 while towing a 30 foot 5th wheel RV. When traveling interstate highways between 55 and 65 MPH we experienced extreme violent shaking of the front end whenever going over rough pavement. Immediate slowing to below 50 MPH ended the violent shaking. We do not tow the RV at speeds above 65 MPH. We reported the issue to Kendall Ford of Meridian, 250 East Overland Road, Meridian Idaho 83642, 208-888-4403 on April 24, 2023. Kendall Ford acknowledged the issue and we are "in line" for the parts that supposedly fix the issue. Once the parts arrive, Kendall Ford will schedule the repair.

NHTSA ODI 11520303

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced the death wobble. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where Customer Satisfaction Program: 20N04 (Steering Linkage Damper Extended Coverage) was performed; however, the failure recurred while the contact was driving 35 MPH. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 53,175.

NHTSA ODI 11514667

Twice while driving between 65-70 mph when hitting a bump or groove the front end began shaking violently and I had to pull over to make it stop. Luckily I was in an outside lane and did not hit another car. This sounds like the "death wobble" problem that many others have reported. I have contacted the dealer and am waiting to get a call back. This was terrifying and I don't feel safe driving my truck on the highway now.

NHTSA ODI 11514035

Suspension and or steering goes into a violent shaking and vibrating motion that will stop only when hitting the brakes and or significantly slowing down. Safety of the driver, passengers, and others around may be significantly injured if loss of control should occur. There are numerous complaints to the NHTSA, and lawsuits regarding this exact issue, known as the "death wobble". There are no warnings to when this may occur, and usually starts with a bump in the road. This vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

NHTSA ODI 11507156

Experienced death wobble/uncontrollable vibration in front end and loss of steering. Truck is at the Ford service center but cannot get parts from Ford to fix per Ford Technical Service Bulletin #18-2268. What work the shop did actually made the situation worse.

NHTSA ODI 11505956

Traveling on highway with no load and no passengers at the speed of 53 mph the trucks steering wheel began shaking violently when I hit a rough spot in the road. At this point I had to bring the vehicle to a complete stop in the middle of the highway. Motorists that where behind me were doing all they could do to stay clear of me and one driver actually waited to be sure everything was alright. This was my first experience since purchasing the vehicle new and the truck only has 25,600 miles on it , and now I'm scared to drive it. I am waiting on Ford to respond since calling them. This is very scary and dangerous and I feel lucky that no one was hurt, although I thought it was going brake my hands off while trying to hold on.

NHTSA ODI 11505834

I have a 2018 F350 with about 60k miles, otherwise excellent condition. Problem started about 2 months ago (around Nov 2022) or about 1 month after the last shop maintenance visit. Description: Coming home from work with driving speed around 50-60 mph the front end started shaking strongly. Had to slow down quite a bit to get it under control or stop shaking. The incident has been repeated on other roads. The stimulus that starts it all is when some roughness of the road is encountered. This shaking has become violent at times and have had to take evasive maneuvering to avoid an accident or damage to the truck. No warning lamps have come on nor have any other indicators. The problem has progressed to where it may be unsafe to take it on the freeway for any trips. I do fear for my safety and have to be vigilant at all times. The dealer will be notified on 27 Jan 2023 so a record can be made. Have gone on-line to find out that over a thousand other similar reports are out there and video footage. I have seen this happen on other Ford chassis specifically the 2004 Thor motorhome built on a Ford F53 chassis.

NHTSA ODI 11503891

DEATH WOBBLE IN FRONT SUSPENSION

NHTSA ODI 11498850

Driving at normal highway speed while going over a bridge on highway 290 Worcester, mA the vehicle went over the metal plate that connects the bridge to the road, the front end of the vehicle started to shake. Slowly at first and quickly becoming uncontrollable. The vehicle would not stop violently shaking until I brought the truck to an almost complete stop on an extremely congested highway two days before Christmas at noon time. Many vehicles around me at the time swerved to avoid hitting me, just avoiding accidentally striking my almost completely stopped vehicle in the fast lane of the highway. My confidence in the vehicle has dropped to zero and will not allow my wife or two junior operators to drive that vehicle on the highway anymore until the vehicle problem has been corrected.

NHTSA ODI 11498660

Truck is experiencing what is referred to as death wobble. It has happened 8 times in the last three times vehicle has been driven. It happens mostly after hitting bridge transitions or pavement changes. Happens when towing and also unloaded. Happened 4 times while pulling 40 foot 5th wheel. Steering wheel shakes violently and you have little control of steering until you slow or stop truck. Dash light comes on and steering wheel is off center until you stop and restart truck. I fear I’m going to cause accident while trying to slow vehicle fast. Dealer has looked and thinks it’s a bad damper but says probably can’t get one for at least 3 weeks. Parts are back ordered.

NHTSA ODI 11492110

We were traveling on a highway in Arizona (Hwy93 between Wickenburg and I40 JCT), going about 65mph. We hit a rough patch on the road. When we hit some really rough patches, the front end began wobbling and shacking, even after the road smoothed out. This would last an extra 15 to 30 seconds after the last bump. This made it hard to steer, so I had to slow down. This happened many times, even when we were on different roads. It happened again a couple of days later on I15 between Pocatello, ID and Idaho Falls, ID.

NHTSA ODI 11488715

Sunday 06/12/2022: Driving south in the center lane on I-65 near Shepherdsville, Kentucky, the front end of my truck began shaking uncontrollably. I had to fight to maintain control of my truck as I attempted to decelerate and steer towards the shoulder. The shaking lasted approximately 15 seconds before I could safely get to the shoulder, and numerous cars has to brake rapidly and swerved to miss me . As I pulled to the side, I exited and looked under the front end to inspect my truck for a broken part or damage. Upon visual inspection, I couldn’t see anything that appeared out of normal. I contacted the auto craft shop on Fort Knox on 06/13/2022, and they inspected the truck for broken or worn parts. They reported there was no excessively worn components.

NHTSA ODI 11470157

In 2019 I had to take the vehicle to the Ford dealership to have it inspected for violent shaking and loss of steering control after hitting a uneven spot in the road around 55 mph on a two lane highway towing a 40' 5th wheel. The dealership added a component which eliminated the issue for a short period of time. The vehicle has low miles and has exhibited the same issue 4 times in the last two months. Once it occurred at a speed of 35 to 40 mph on a city street and the last occurrence happened while on an on-ramp to the freeway. During the latest on-ramp event it occurred while accelerating to match freeway speeds a complete stop on the side of the freeway in order to get the shaking to stop.

NHTSA ODI 11468549

(Death Wobble) Driving down the road and you hit a bump then the front end starts to shake viciously and out of control until slow down or stop to get the truck back under control. I’m afraid to have anyone in my truck besides me

NHTSA ODI 11463792

The steering wheel shakes violently on my F350 Super Duty truck. Ford has supposedly fixed this issue for me twice. It typically occurs at speeds over 50 miles per hour. It can also happen after going over bumps or grooves in the road. To stop the shaking, I have to quickly slow way down or even stop completely. I tow a 15k pound 5th wheel with this truck. I'm concerned that this could cause a tragic accident especially since my family is also traveling with me in this vehicle. How can Ford not be responsible for fixing this serious issue, we are taking about losing steering control at high speeds.

NHTSA ODI 11459952

While driving on the interstate at approximately 65 miles an hour the steering wheel began to violently shake back-and-forth and causing me to lose control of the vehicle. The first time this occurred it was relatively short-lived and lasted maybe 15 seconds as a slowed. At that time I was unsure what I had just experienced and then noted it a second time up at which I had to pull the car to this over to the side of the road and stop. The last event occurred and was prolonged with really an inability to steer the vehicle I was able to stop it. I went home and started to find someone who would repair this. When describing it to the service center I was told that this is become known as the death wobble and he recommended I get it in for repair. I looked online at videos describing the death wobble this was exactly what happened to my vehicle. This is a horrendous safety issue that will likely take several lives until this gets reported and these vehicles repaired.

NHTSA ODI 11453826

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving 73 MPH, the vehicle experienced the death wobble. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the steering damper to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience a failure. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact stated she had experienced the failure three times. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11441249