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 ↗2014 Ford F-250 steering problems
moderate 80 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $700 · see steering across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
80
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$700
2crashes
When does it fail?
Of the 80 steering complaints filed for the 2014 Ford F-250, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 100,000-125,000 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 48% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 8 categories tracked.
Owners have filed 80 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 2014 Ford F-250 exhibits a severe front-end oscillation problem owners call the "Death Wobble"—a violent, uncontrolled shaking of the steering wheel and front suspension triggered by hitting bumps, expansion joints, or rough pavement at speeds above 45 mph. The wobble strikes without warning, rendering the steering wheel unresponsive and throwing the truck toward medians or off the roadway. Owners must brake hard and slow to 20–40 mph to regain control, creating hazardous situations on busy interstates where rear-end collision or loss of control is imminent. The issue occurs across all mileage ranges, sometimes early in ownership and sometimes after years of trouble-free driving.
Dealers have replaced steering dampers, stabilizer shocks, tie rods, drag links, track bars, ball joints, steering gear boxes, springs, and coils—often multiple times per truck—with no permanent fix. One owner spent $5,758 in repairs over several months; another paid $1,600 for suspension work only to have the problem recur. Tire balancing, replacement, and alignments do not resolve it. Owners report dealers sometimes blame worn tires or claim no problem exists, despite the truck becoming unsafe to drive. One dealership suggested trading in the truck. No formal recall has been issued, though owners cite a 2019 class action lawsuit and references to Ford technical service bulletins that have not solved the problem.
Same Ford F-250 steering reports on nearby years: 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2015 · 2016
Failure modes owners describe
Death Wobble - Violent Front-End Oscillation
Severe, uncontrolled vibration and shaking of the front end and steering wheel, typically triggered by hitting bumps, expansion joints, potholes, or rough pavement at highway speeds (45+ mph). Owners report complete loss of steering control and difficulty maintaining vehicle position; requires hard braking and speed reduction to 20–40 mph to stop the wobble. Occurs across a wide range of mileages and driving conditions.
When: Typically 40,000–150,000 miles; can occur early in vehicle life or develop after years of ownership. Triggered unpredictably by road imperfections at speeds above 45 mph.
Symptoms owners cite: Violent, uncontrollable shaking of steering wheel; Severe front-end vibration; Loss of steering control or extreme steering difficulty; Truck pulled toward median or off the road; Shaking stops only when speed reduced to 20–40 mph; No warning lights; Can occur with towing (horse trailers, fifth wheels) or empty; Becomes more frequent and intense over time
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers and independent shops have replaced steering dampers, steering stabilizer shocks, tie rod ends, drag links, track bars, track bar bushings, steering gear boxes, ball joints, springs, coils, shocks, and performed alignments and tire balancing/replacement. Owners report repairs often provide only temporary relief (days to weeks) or no relief at all. One owner cited Ford TSB 18-2268. Repair costs range from $310 to $5,758; dealers sometimes blame tires or deny the safety issue entirely.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No formal recall identified in narratives. Some owners report Ford has a class action lawsuit filed in 2019. Dealers blame tire wear, tire pressure, or alignment and refuse responsibility. One dealer suggested customer trade in the truck. Some owners mentioned the dealership acknowledged it as a known issue but offered no fix. No TSBs or warranty programs specifically mentioned as available to remedy the issue; one owner attempted to reference TSB 18-2268 but problem persisted.
Lack of Steering Control During Wobble Episodes
During death wobble events, steering becomes unresponsive or extremely difficult to control. Multiple owners report inability to steer the truck left or right while shaking occurs. Drivers must rely on braking alone to regain control, creating risk of rear-end collision.
When: Occurs during and immediately following the onset of death wobble at speeds above 45 mph.
Symptoms owners cite: Steering wheel shakes so violently it comes out of driver's hands; Steering does not respond; unable to turn left or right; Truck drifts toward median or into oncoming lanes; Driver must brake hard and reduce speed to regain steering control; Risk of rear-end collision due to sudden, hard braking
Repairs/costs cited: No repairs documented that resolve loss of steering control during episodes. Replacing steering stabilizers, gear boxes, and tie rods have not addressed the underlying steering unresponsiveness.
Synthesized from 80 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 11 most recent
2014 f250 diesel experiences multiple 'death wobbles' while driving on highway at speeds over 60mph and passing over expansion joint on bridge or other like crevices. Felt like the front end was falling apart with violent front end shaking, had to slow down to 35 MPH to regain control of the vehicle. Took truck to dealer and had to pay $150.00 for diagnosis. Ford claims all front end suspension…
Driving at 55 mph and hit small bump in the road and front end started shaking violently. Had to come to a complete stop to get it to quit
The truck developed a "death wobble" about a year ago. Over the past year the death wobble has happened almost every single time we have drove it. We have had multiple diesel mechanics look at it numerous times. We have replaced all the tie rod ends, drag link, steering stabilizer, track bar and track bar bushing. When the truck starts shaking, the driver has to immediately engage the breaks,…
Vehicle will have violent shaking at highway speeds know as a "death wobble". Death wobble happened at different speeds and on different road terrains. This issues also happened when at highway speeds and braking around curves.
vehicle shakes uncontrollable on the front passenger side when driving over 50 mph. took to the repair shop and was diagnosed with the death wobble. told it's unsafe to drive until repaired and repair will be over 1,600.00
Traveling down the highway at 55MPH, I hit a little bump or crack in the cement and the front end of my truck shacks so hard that my glasses fell from the ceiling storage. This happend 2 times on the same commute. Very scary and dangerous.
Driving at 70 miles per hour on a state hwy my front end started shaking violently. It almost caused me to crash ,I applied the brakes but made it worse.finally was able to regain control and stopped.
Vehicle wobbles violently on highway when it hits a bump. Had several near collisions. There were no warnings, happened suddenly.
On November 26, 2024 we experienced our third incident of the death wobble. During this third incident it threw the truck into oncoming traffic. After the second incident of the death wobble, we had the steering stabilizer fixed that was November 11, 2022. There was also damage to one tire due to truck leaving road. There was no warning lights or anything else prior to the uncontrollable shaking.
Driving at highway speed 65-70 MPH on ca-99 on 11-30-2019 between bakersfield and fresno I experienced several "death wobbles." this vehicle was repaired for this problem at future Ford in sacramento, ca. On 03oct19 by replacing steering damper and track bar. Also an alignment was done. Evidently the problem still persists on certain occasions.
Had steering trouble with your 2014 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 2014 Ford F-250?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 80 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 46 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most steering failures cluster between 70,000 and 116,668 miles, with the median around 96,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 70,000; a quarter make it past 116,668. 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/2014/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.