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 ↗2013 Ford F-250 steering problems
moderate 40 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $700 · see steering across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
40
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$700
When does it fail?
Of the 40 steering complaints filed for the 2013 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 34% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 8 categories tracked.
Owners have filed 40 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
Owners of 2013 F-250s across the country report sudden, violent shaking of the front end and steering wheel at highway speeds (50–75 mph) when hitting bumps, bridge joints, rough pavement, or tar lines. The shaking is severe enough that drivers lose control of the steering and the truck drifts across lanes. Episodes last until the vehicle slows to 35–40 mph or stops completely. Owners call it "death wobble" and describe it as terrifying—several had children in the truck who became frightened; some nearly collided with other vehicles or had to brake hard in heavy traffic.
The problem strikes without warning and is unpredictable. Some owners hit the same rough road sections multiple times before it occurs; others have experienced it repeatedly over months or years. Dealership inspections—including tire balance, alignment, front-end checks, and road-force balancing—often find nothing wrong, leaving drivers with no diagnosis. When repairs are made (track bar bushings, shocks, damper, suspension parts, or even full front-end replacement), the wobble frequently returns weeks or months later. One owner replaced suspension and steering parts three separate times and the wobble came back each time. Ford issued a recall for 2017-and-newer models but offers nothing for 2013 models, deflecting blame onto customer maintenance and tire care despite no maintenance lapses reported.
Same Ford F-250 steering reports on nearby years: 2011 · 2012 · 2014 · 2015 · 2016
Failure modes owners describe
Death Wobble — Front-End Violent Oscillation Triggered by Road Imperfections
Sudden, violent shaking of the front end and steering wheel occurring at highway speeds (typically 50–75 mph) after hitting bumps, bridge joints, road grooves, tar lines, or rough road patches. Loss of steering control; vehicle drifts sideways or becomes nearly uncontrollable until speed is reduced to 35–40 mph or below. Owners report the phenomenon triggered by minor road defects they cannot always avoid, especially in traffic. Episodes are unpredictable and recurring.
When: Speeds 50–75 mph; triggered by road imperfections (bumps, bridge joints, rough asphalt, tar lines, transitions). Multiple owners report first occurrence between 30,000–158,000 miles; recurring after initial repairs.
Symptoms owners cite: Violent shaking/vibration in front end and steering wheel; Loss of steering control; vehicle drifts across lanes; Steering wheel hard to grip or control; Shaking does not stop until vehicle slows to 35–40 mph or lower; Episodes triggered by hitting any bump or road defect at speed; Recurs after repairs in many cases
Repairs/costs cited: Track bar loose bushings ($1,200 reported); shocks and steering damper replacement; tire alignment and balance; entire front-end replacement; track bar and tie rod end replacement. Multiple owners report repairs do not resolve the issue; wobble returns after weeks or months. One owner reports three separate repair attempts with front end replaced and suspension parts replaced three times—problem persists.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Ford issued recall for 2017-and-newer models only. Dealers report inability to diagnose root cause in many cases. Service records show road-force balance recommended; Ford blamed maintenance and tire alignment rather than design defect. No warranty coverage for out-of-warranty repairs (e.g., track bar wear after 35,000 miles on 40,000-mile truck).
Synthesized from 40 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 7 most recent
Truck will start to violently shake while on interstate after going over ruff road or bridge joint. It seems like the wheels are going to break off. This happened to me numerous times. First time I got new tires and alignment. The last time this occurred was on the way home from school and we passed over a bridge joint. The truck started to shake so much the kids started to scream "daddy…
As I was driving down the interstate at about 75 mph I encountered a worn out area in the road that I could not avoid due to traffic. The truck immediately began shaking violently and I was horrified. I thought I had perhaps had a tire blowout, and immediately pulled onto the shoulder to inspect. Realizing my tires looked OK, I got my wits about me and began driving again. To my surprise, the…
While driving on any road/highway vehicle began wobbling after hitting a bump while driving between 45-55 miles an hour, causing shaking/wobbling to the point of losing control without slowing down below 10-15 miles an hour. It began with less than 38,000 miles on the vehicle, requiring two service visits to date.
Repeating death wobble. Have replace all suspension and steering parts 3 times and the wobble returns.
I was driving 75 MPH down the highway, ran over a patch if wavy concrete road when the front end of my f250 began to shake violently. Out of nowhere, I was not in control of my truck and simply along for the ride. Thank god for alert truck drivers around me that gave me space when they saw I was struggling to regain control. I used 15' of lane, side to side, to get my truck back under control but…
Driving more than 70 MPH the truck started to move suddenly and I could not control it until I got off the road, until I was unable to control the truck by reducing the speed to 20 MPH
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Ford f-250. The contact stated that the vehicle had a bent frame, which resulted in a shake in the steering wheel. The failure was noticeable upon starting the vehicle at speeds approximately 65 MPH. In addition, the vehicle veered independently when it struck a bump. The vehicle also had a bent frame. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the…
Had steering trouble with your 2013 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 2013 Ford F-250?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 40 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 23 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most steering failures cluster between 64,000 and 154,000 miles, with the median around 95,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 64,000; a quarter make it past 154,000. 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/2013/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.