In monitoring our technical service inquiries and technical service bulletins from Ford, there is the potential for moderate to severe steering wheel oscillation (wobble) to occur. After extensive testing and outside feedback, the following details have been established to correct or prevent steering wheel oscillation occurrences in lifted 05-16 Ford Super Duty 4wd pickups.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2007 Ford F-250 steering problems
moderate 23 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $700 · see steering across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
23
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$700
1crash
When does it fail?
Of the 23 steering complaints filed for the 2007 Ford F-250, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 25,000-50,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Steering accounts for 38% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 5 categories tracked.
No new NHTSA steering complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 12 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering steering on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
The 2007 F-250 has a documented pattern of severe steering problems that owners describe as "death wobble." When the truck hits bumps or potholes at speeds between 45 and 75 mph, the front end and steering wheel shake violently—so hard that drivers must apply heavy braking to regain control. The shaking jerks the steering wheel back and forth violently enough that multiple owners report nearly losing control or crashing.
Ford issued a Special Field Action Letter (09L02) acknowledging the problem, and the manufacturer has admitted to a design flaw involving steering geometry. Some dealers have replaced steering dampers, tracking bars, and realigned suspensions, but these repairs rarely stop the wobble. One owner paid $1,700 for a redesigned bracket and relocated steering components with no lasting fix. Another replaced tires, tie rods, ball joints, dampers, and shocks, yet the problem continued.
A secondary failure mode involves loss of steering control—steering wheel turns but wheels don't respond, or steering becomes stuck. One incident at 75 mph caused a crash into guardrails. Power steering pump replacement hasn't resolved this in repeated cases.
Some owners also report violent shaking at specific speeds (40-60 mph) without needing a bump trigger, which has required replacement of gearbox and steering column components without success. The problem occurs from as low as 4,000 miles into the truck's life and persists into high-mileage examples.
Same Ford F-250 steering reports on nearby years: 2005 · 2006 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010
Failure modes owners describe
Violent steering wheel shimmy and oscillation (death wobble)
Severe front-end vibration and steering wheel oscillation triggered by bumps, potholes, or uneven road surfaces, particularly at highway speeds. The shaking is violent enough to force drivers to brake and slow down to regain control. Occurs most frequently between 45-75 mph. Owners describe having to fight the steering wheel and apply heavy braking to stop the oscillation.
When: Typically 45-75 mph when hitting bumps, potholes, or uneven road patches; some cases at speeds as low as 30 mph or as high as 65+ mph. Reported from as early as 4,000 miles to as late as 226,000 miles.
Symptoms owners cite: Violent shaking in steering wheel and front end; Oscillation that forces driver to brake and slow down; Entire truck shaking including all four wheels; Loss of control or near-loss of control events; Jerking steering wheel back and forth; Shimmy and cavitation in steering; Problem recurs intermittently or after triggering event
Repairs/costs cited: Ford dealer replaced steering damper on multiple vehicles (repair ineffective in several cases). Owner #4 replaced: tires, tie rod ends, ball joints, steering dampener, and shocks with no resolution. Owner #3 reports Ford admitted design flaw and quoted $1,700 for redesigned bracket, relocated steering components, and realignment. Owner #1 had tracking bar and steering damper replaced by Ford, did not fully resolve issue.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Special Field Action Letter 09L02 issued to address this issue (owner #1 complied but problem persisted). Owner #3 states Ford acknowledged the design flaw and offered correction including newly designed bracket and relocated steering components for $1,700. Multiple owners report dealer test drives unable to duplicate failure or dealers claiming no recall exists and vehicle out of warranty.
Loss of steering control / steering failure
Complete or near-complete loss of steering control where the steering wheel turns but wheels do not respond, or steering becomes difficult or impossible to turn. One incident involved a crash into guardrails after steering failure at 75 mph.
When: Owner #7 at approximately 226,000 miles; Owner #6 at 162,823 miles; Owner #10 at 50,000 miles.
Symptoms owners cite: Steering wheel difficult or impossible to turn; Steering wheel turns but wheels fail to respond; Loss of vehicle control leading to crash; Veering left and right at highway speed without driver input
Repairs/costs cited: Owner #6: power steering pump replaced by independent mechanic initially, then replaced again by Ford dealer after recurrence. Owner #10: steering box replacement attempted at dealer but failure recurred; vehicle not repaired.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer informed in cases #6 and #7. No recall or comprehensive fix documented.
Violent shaking during acceleration or at specific speeds (40-60 mph range)
Vehicle shakes violently during normal driving, particularly at speeds between 40-60 mph, occurring intermittently or continuously. Differs from bump-triggered shimmy in that it may occur without a specific road hazard trigger.
When: Failures reported between 26,000 and 60,000 miles. Occurs when driving 40-60 mph.
Symptoms owners cite: Violent shaking at 40-60 mph; Intermittent recurrence; Entire vehicle shakes
Repairs/costs cited: Owner #8: gear box and steering column replaced by dealer on numerous occasions; failure continued to recur intermittently; dealer unable to diagnose root cause.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No effective manufacturer response documented in these cases.
Steering wheel does not return to center or wanders after turns
After making sharp turns, the steering wheel does not automatically return to center, and the steering wanders or hunts for center position. Wobble may be triggered after sharp turns before correcting at 20-25 mph.
When: Owner #12 reports this occurring after sharp turns, typically self-correcting by 20-25 mph.
Symptoms owners cite: Steering wheel does not return to center after sharp turns; Steering wanders and hunts for center; Wobble triggered after sharp turns; Premature wear on front-end and steering components
Repairs/costs cited: Owner #12 notes the wobble has caused premature wear of many front-end and steering components.
Synthesized from 23 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 8 most recent
Pronounced and severe shimmy and oscillation in the steering wheel when traveling over small bumps or dips in the roadway and on uneven driving surfaces. Ford dealer confirmed the problem and replaced a tracking bar and the steering damper. These repairs helped but did not eliminate the issue. New OEM tires were installed 2,000 miles after the Ford repair. As of dec 2013 the vehicle now has…
After hitting a bump in the road, while driving approximately 55 MPH, the front end the truck started shaking causing a temporary loss of control. The truck has done this on numerous occasions after hitting bumps, pot holes or uneven surfaces. *tr
1) faulty head bolts repair was over $6000 involved gaskets, cracked heads, bolts, updates and upgrades. 2) death wobble front end issues (mine are fortunately occurring at at low speeds) however the wobble has caused many front end and steering components to wear out prematurely. Wobble kicks in after sharp turns and wheel will not return to center and when forced back to center it will wander…
Ea08007 complaint truck hits uneven paved road at 55 MPH or faster on the freeway, and starts a violent shaking that is only stopped when slowing down via heavy braking, or by no acceleration. Entire truck and all four wheels, including the steering wheel shake violently. *tr
Recently, while driving my Ford f250 truck, I have experienced the Ford's death wobble' on three separate occasions. After driving over a bump in the roadway, the front end starts wobbling to the point that I have to brake and pull over just to stay in control of my vehicle. When this death wobble' occurs, it causes the driver has to fight the steering wheel and apply braking just to stay in…
Tl*the contact owns a 2007 Ford f-250. While driving approximately 60-65 MPH or while driving over a bump, the front end of the vehicle shakes dramatically. The shaking is so severe that the contact must apply the brakes to decrease the speed and stop the shaking. A few months after the failure occurred, the dealer replaced the steering dampener. Six months after the repair, the failures…
Running interstate going on bridge in curve an little crack in road made truck start shaking violently. Making me have to come to complete stop before it would quit shaking throwing stuff all around inside truck. *tr
Hit a bump on interstate truck started shaking violently, I almost caused an accident and had to slow down to about 40 or it was going to shake me off the road, I could barely hold on, brought is it to the dealer and they said it was tire pressure, which was about 70lbs not the recommeded 75, come on that is not the problem. It is still doing it years later, wnet back to the dealer they said it…
Had steering trouble with your 2007 Ford F-250?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the steering problem on the 2007 Ford F-250?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 23 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $700 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the steering typically fail?
Across the 22 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most steering failures cluster between 26,000 and 75,000 miles, with the median around 46,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 26,000; a quarter make it past 75,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $700 for steering repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to steering?
No active recalls currently cover steering issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2007/Ford/F-250.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.