My truck has the death wobble for the second time. I took it to Red McCombs Ford in San Antonio, Texas and they charged me to fix what is an inherently bad design flaw in the F350 that I own. The wobble stopped and has now reappeared. The death wobble is real. I want it fixed for free or I want Ford to buy my truck for top dollar.
2009 Ford F-350 steering problems
moderate 16 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $700
Complaints
16
Recalls
0
Crashes
0
Avg fix
$700
What owners are reporting 9 most recent
Hit a bump on the highway while driving. Vehicle started vibrating and shaking uncontrollably. Heavy traffic with Tractor Trailer behind on me was barely able to get vehicle stopped and to the shoulder of the highway. Was in fear for my life and haven’t had the vehicle a month yet after purchasing it from a cord dealership.
WHEN I HIT A ROUGH PATCH IN THE ROAD WITH THE FRONT LEFT SIDE, I GET A VIOLENT SHAKING IN THE FRONT END AND ALMOST LOOSE CONTROL. CONTROL IS REGAINED WHEN YOU SLOW TO 5-10MPH. I HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE FOR AWHILE AND HAVE HAD THE FRONT END INSPECTED WITH NO DEFECTS. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, THIS CONDITION HAS A NAME "THE DEATH WOBBLE." FORD HAS ISSUED 2 TSBS # 18-2268 AND #06-2214. NO ONE HAS ME…
On September 4th & 5th two separate occasions I was driving on US 85 in WY when I hit a bump in the road and my truck started shaking violently and was hard to control. I immediately pulled over and slowed down until the shaking stopped but was almost rear ended by the truck behind me on one occasion.
While traveling at 65 mph, the truck crossed a separator strip resulting in loss of steering control. Vehicle steering wheel began violently "shaking" left to right and began to swerve violently in an area of heavy traffic. The vehicle was towing a 37 ft. 5th wheel at the time of the incident and I had to use a combination of braking and defensive steering to slow/stop the vehicle in the right sid…
When I hit a bump at between 55 and up, the Truck develops a death wobble even after having all the steering components, including ball joints, tie, rod ends, stabilizer, bar, shocks, replaced
Death wobble when hitting any bump whilr going over 55
THE FIRST ITEM I HAVE HAD ISSUE WITH AND CONTINUE TO HAVE ISSUE WITH IS THE PHENOMENON REFERRED TO AS DEATH WOBBLE THAT IS TRACEABLE TO STEERING COMPONENTS AND POTENTIALLY SUSPENSION. THERE IS NO CLEAR SOLUTION AND A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT FORD DOES NOTHING ABOUT THE SECOND PROBLEM IS ANOTHER KNOWN PROBLEM AT FORD THE BODY MOUNT BUSHINGS WHICH DETERIORATE OVER TIME. BOTH ISSUES FORD IS AWARE OF BUT TH…
I OWN A 2009 FORD F350 KING RANCH THAT I PURCHASED USED 2 YEARS AGO FROM A NISSAN DEALERSHIP. ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, THE FRONT END VIOLENTLY SHAKES WHEN IT ENCOUNTERS ANY DEFORMITY ON THE ROAD. THE SHAKES ARE SO INTENSE AND UNCONTROLLABLE THE I HAVE TO TRY AND PULL OFF THE ROAD TO NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THE SHAKING DOES NOT STOP UNTIL THE VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY STOPPED. I HAVE HAD THE BODY MOUNTS …
Common questions
How serious is the steering problem on the 2009 Ford F-350?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 16 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?
Mileage data is limited for this issue. Owners report failures across a wide range, suggesting cause is more about driving conditions and maintenance than mileage alone.
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.
Other problem areas on this vehicle
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. 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.
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