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 ↗2009 Ford F-250 steering problems
moderate 39 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $700 · see steering across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
39
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$700
When does it fail?
Of the 39 steering complaints filed for the 2009 Ford F-250, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 50,000-75,000 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 51% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 5 categories tracked.
Owners have filed 39 steering complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
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 dominant complaint is a violent, uncontrollable shaking of the front end and steering wheel triggered by bumps, potholes, or road expansion joints—especially at highway speeds (50–70 mph). Owners call it "death wobble." The truck shakes left-to-right so hard the steering wheel jerks out of control; the only way to stop it is to brake hard or slow to 30 mph. Many report swerving into other lanes or nearly losing control.
The condition shows up as early as 40,000 miles and continues across the truck's life. Dealers acknowledge it as "death wobble" but deny any recall and blame tire pressure or wear. Recommended fixes—track bar ball joints, shocks, stabilizers, dampers—often don't work; some owners report the wobble returns within 18 miles of repair or after front-end suspensions have been rebuilt twice.
A second failure pattern is sudden steering gearbox failure: complete loss of steering or restriction to a quarter-turn, typically around 40,000–50,000 miles. One owner heard a clunk and lost all steering on the highway; the dealership blamed "mechanical issues" not under warranty.
Some owners also report intermittent power-steering loss after starting from a stop, with the wheels feeling stuck and requiring muscling to straighten. One mechanic could not duplicate or find the cause despite a thorough inspection.
Owners are afraid to drive the truck at highway speeds and report family members refusing to ride in it.
Same Ford F-250 steering reports on nearby years: 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2010 · 2011
Failure modes owners describe
Death Wobble / Violent Front-End Shake
Uncontrollable violent shaking and oscillation of the front end, steering wheel, and entire cab triggered by bumps, potholes, expansion joints, or rough road surfaces. Occurs most frequently at highway speeds (50-70 mph) but can happen at lower speeds. Owners report the truck shakes left-to-right so violently that steering control is nearly lost; the only way to stop the shaking is to slow the vehicle significantly or brake hard. Some owners report the tires hop or bounce off the ground. The condition has been widely called the 'death wobble' online and is described as extremely dangerous, particularly on interstates where braking to a stop is not safe.
When: Typically 40,000–180,000 miles; many complaints from trucks with 40,000–70,000 miles; continues across wide mileage range
Symptoms owners cite: Violent shaking of steering wheel and front end after hitting bumps or potholes; Steering oscillation that makes the vehicle difficult or impossible to control; Tire hopping or bouncing; Vehicle swerving into other lanes during wobble events; Wobble triggered by road expansion joints or rough patches; Occurs most at highway speeds (50-70 mph), less frequent at lower speeds; Wobble only stops when vehicle is slowed significantly or brought to near stop
Repairs/costs cited: Owners report dealers recommend replacing track bar ball joints, shocks, steering stabilizers, track bar bushings, and steering dampers. Costs cited: $165 for damper rod, $400 for track bar ball joint repair, up to $3,300 for comprehensive suspension work. Despite repairs (some owners report front-end suspensions rebuilt twice), the wobble often returns. One owner reported replacing body mounts destroyed by violent wobbling.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Ford dealerships acknowledge the condition as 'death wobble' but claim no recall exists. Some dealers charge $120 just for diagnosis. Dealers commonly blame tire pressure, wear, or misalignment rather than design defects. Parts (e.g., steering gearbox) sometimes on 120-day national backorder. One owner reports the dealership indicated multiple concurrent failures (track bar ball joints, bushings, dust seals, failing steering gearbox) would have been 'catastrophic' at highway speed. Ford customer service reportedly stated they are unaware of the problem.
Steering Gearbox Failure
Complete or partial failure of the steering gearbox resulting in loss of steering control or severely restricted steering response. One owner lost all steering ability on a highway; another could only turn the steering wheel a quarter-turn and could not execute left turns. Occurs suddenly with no warning.
When: 40,000–50,000 miles reported
Symptoms owners cite: Complete loss of power steering while driving; Steering wheel becomes inoperable or extremely hard to turn; Steering wheel restricted to a quarter-turn or less; Vehicle unable to make sharp turns, especially left turns; Clunking sound from front of truck preceding steering loss
Repairs/costs cited: Steering gearbox replacement required. One dealership (Lakewood Ford in Lakewood, CO) replaced the part; owner reports keeping the broken gearbox for independent evaluation. Dealership determined the failure was due to 'mechanical issues' not covered under warranty.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership stated the gearbox failure was due to mechanical issues and not covered under warranty. One owner notes online that 'many complaints have been noted about a steering issue with F250 6.4L diesel trucks.' Ford has not issued a recall for this defect.
Loss of Power Steering / Steering Stiction
Intermittent loss of power steering assist, particularly after starting from a stop or making initial turns. Steering effort becomes excessive; wheels feel 'stuck' in the turned direction and must be 'muscled' back to straight, sometimes followed by tugging in the opposite direction. One owner reports the steering wheel was jerking side-to-side as if someone was 'yanking' it, though the owner was trying to straighten it.
When: 61,630 miles reported
Symptoms owners cite: Loss of power steering assist; Excessive steering effort required after stopping or making initial left turns; Wheels feel stuck in turned direction; Tugging or jerking of steering wheel in opposite direction after straightening; Intermittent condition that comes and goes
Repairs/costs cited: Owner's mechanic checked the vehicle, found nothing worn or broken, and could not duplicate the condition despite being familiar with the truck's maintenance history.
Synthesized from 39 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 9 most recent
Driving 2009 Ford f-50 super duty fx4 on insterstate at 65 MPH, as I exited to another interstate I experienced a violent wobble in the front end which only stopped when I brought the pickup truck to a complete stop. I took the truck to the dealer I purchased the vehicle from and they gave me a shopping list of $3300. This included windshield wipers. They also did not know what caused this…
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Ford f-250 sd. While driving approximately 50 MPH, the contact noticed a vibration from the front end of the vehicle. The failure progressed until the front end would shake violently. The vehicle was taken to two different mechanics for diagnostic testing. The mechanics were unable to diagnose the failure. The contact stated that the front driver and passenger side…
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Ford f-250. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50-70 MPH, the steering wheel shook violently causing the vehicle to sway. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.
While driving on a highway at 65-70 miles per hour, if your front tires hit a small bump, especially on curves, the pickup front end wil go into an uncontollable wobble and you must immediately hit your brakes to get it to come to an almost dead stop before it will quit. You can end up in the other lane or cause the person following you to rearend you or end up in the ditch. So far, we have been…
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Ford f250. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH the steering gear box failed. The vehicle would not stay in a straight path and it would swerve all over the lane. The dealer was notified who stated there was no recall and the parts were on national back order. The manufacturer was notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was…
My truck going highway speeds has had numerous issues with death wobble. If you don't know what that is it's where the truck starts shaking violently and the only way to control it is to cone to a complete stop which in the middle of the highway is very dangerous. This has happened many times with me and my family in the truck.
Death Wobble. Hit a dip in the road steering wheel and whole truck Shakes out of control until you slow WAY down or stop.
I was making a left turn out of a parking lot and heard a clunk from the front of the truck. At the end of the block after the light turned green, I tried to make a left turn and it was really hard to turn the steering wheel. The truck made the left turned but not very sharp. Upon driving up the street I tried to shift to the left lane and the truck would not respond well. Upon pulling over…
I'm a life time Ford truck owner and have never been so disappointed in my life and ready to purchase from a competitor. The title "death wobble" is very true and Ford really needs to pay attention because it will cost someone their life. If I wasn't 65 years old and an experienced driver the multiple times I've experienced this could have killed me. I have replaced everything involving the…
Had steering trouble with your 2009 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 2009 Ford F-250?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 39 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 35 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most steering failures cluster between 50,000 and 102,000 miles, with the median around 70,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 50,000; a quarter make it past 102,000. 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/2009/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.