In some of the affected vehicles, customers may experience sustained steering wheel oscillation after hitting rough pavement or an expansion joint at speeds typically above 45 mph (72 Km/h).
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2019 Ford F-350 steering problems
moderate 262 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $700 · see steering across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
262
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$700
2crashes
3injuries
When does it fail?
Of the 262 steering complaints filed for the 2019 Ford F-350, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 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.
How fast does it fail?
Cumulative share of the 10 mileage-bearing steering complaints filed against the 2019 Ford F-350 by each odometer reading. Median failure: 20,000 mi.
10% have failed by11,000 mi
Half the fleet by20,000 mi
90% have failed by72,000 mi
Curve based on owner-reported odometer mileage at the time of complaint. Reflects when owners filed, not when symptoms first appeared. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve.
What stands out
Steering accounts for 58% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 11 categories tracked.
Owners have filed 262 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 2019 Ford F-350 trucks describe a violent, repeating phenomenon they call "death wobble." It begins when the front wheels encounter any bump—a pothole, expansion joint, bridge seam, rough pavement, or railroad tracks—typically at highway speeds above 45 mph. The steering wheel and front suspension then oscillate violently side-to-side, with the shaking intensifying until the truck slows to 30–40 mph. Owners report loss of steering control, vision blur from head movement, difficulty holding the wheel, and near-accidents in traffic.
The problem is not a one-time event. Most owners experience it multiple times within weeks—one reported five episodes in two days—and severity tends to increase. Early incidents often occur between 2,800 and 22,000 miles on bone-stock, unmodified trucks.
Ford acknowledges the issue and has issued Technical Service Bulletins (TSB 18-2268, TSB 19-2274) offering steering dampener replacement under an extended Customer Satisfaction Program. However, dealers consistently report parts are backordered with no delivery date. Several owners were told not to drive above 40 mph or to avoid driving altogether. One truck was "repaired" at three different dealerships and still failed. Another had the same dampener replaced twice with identical part numbers. Aftermarket stabilizers provide temporary improvement but do not eliminate the problem. Owners have paid out of pocket ($1,600, $2,500, $3,000+) for repairs Ford has not reliably reimbursed, and insurance companies dispute coverage for what Ford now calls a known defect rather than a recall.
Same Ford F-350 steering reports on nearby years: 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2020 · 2022
Failure modes owners describe
Death Wobble - Front-End Oscillation After Road Impacts
Violent, sustained shaking of the steering wheel and front suspension initiated by hitting bumps, potholes, expansion joints, bridge seams, rough pavement, or washboard sections at highway speeds. The oscillation is rapid side-to-side movement that makes steering difficult or nearly impossible to control. The event only stops when vehicle speed drops significantly, typically below 30–40 mph.
When: Can occur as early as 2,800 miles; most common between 13,000–27,000 miles; continues to recur throughout ownership. Events triggered by minor road imperfections at speeds above 45–50 mph.
Symptoms owners cite: Violent, uncontrollable shaking of steering wheel side-to-side; Front end bouncing and shaking; Loss of steering control or near-loss of control; Oscillation intensifies or does not improve with gentle braking; hard braking may worsen it; Visible tire wear marks or scuffing on sidewalls from skidding; Vision blurred in extreme cases from head/arm movement; Event resolves only when speed drops below 30–40 mph
Repairs/costs cited: Ford issued TSB 18-2268 (for trucks built on or before July 31, 2018) and TSB 19-2274 (steering linkage damper redesign); these apply to earlier 2019 models only. Dealers have replaced steering dampener (multiple times in some cases), track bar, drag links, and front suspension components. Parts frequently backordered for months with no ETA. Aftermarket steering stabilizers (e.g., Moog) have provided temporary improvement in some cases but do not permanently resolve the issue. Tire replacement and front-end alignment sometimes performed but do not address root cause. One owner reported $1,600 in out-of-pocket repair costs after dealer initially reimbursed only ~$250. Dealerships have stated no permanent fix exists.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Ford acknowledges the problem, offers extended warranty under Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP 20N04) for redesigned steering linkage damper. However, parts are consistently unavailable or severely backordered. Some dealers told owners to avoid driving over 40 mph or not drive the vehicle at all until parts arrive. Ford has not issued a full recall; dealers report they have received 3–4 calls per week on this issue and have been told by Ford to await replacement parts with no timeline provided. One dealer refused warranty coverage after multiple incidents, claiming owner caused the damage. Ford initially offered reimbursement for some out-of-pocket repairs but has not consistently honored this.
Progressive Worsening and Recurring Episodes
The death wobble does not remain isolated. Many owners report multiple episodes (5–15+ times over several months), with increasing severity and frequency. After repairs are made, the issue returns at similar or higher mileage, suggesting underlying design defect rather than wear.
When: First event typically occurs between 2,800–22,000 miles; subsequent events cluster within weeks or months thereafter; can accelerate to 5–10 events within a single long trip
Symptoms owners cite: Multiple incidents within a short time period (hours or days apart); Increasing violence and duration of oscillation over time; Issue recurring after dealer 'repair'; Occurs at progressively lower speeds (initially at 65 mph, later at 45–50 mph); Reduced owner confidence and fear of driving
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers have replaced the same components multiple times (e.g., steering dampener replaced 2–4 times on same vehicle) without permanent resolution. One owner had dampener, tires, shocks replaced and still experienced the issue. Another owner's truck was repaired by three different Ford dealerships with no lasting fix.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: TSBs issued but superseded by newer versions with same or similar part numbers, suggesting root cause has not been addressed. Ford has not provided owners with a permanent solution or timeline. Extended warranty (CSP 20N04) covers parts that remain backordered indefinitely.
Synthesized from 262 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 15 most recent
I purchased a new f350 in 04/19. It has an issue that causes the steering and front end to shake violently and uncontrollably when it hits a bump in the road when traveling at highway speeds. The issue is only corrected by slowing the vehicle. Sometimes the vehicle has to come to a complete stop before the vehicle will stop shaking. The issue has happened no less than 12 times as of 12/31/19. It…
Vehicle front end started to violently shake when hitting small bumps while driving over 55 mph. When this happens, I have to slam on the brakes to get the vehicle back below 40 mph to stop the shaking, then can accelerate back to speed.....only to happen again when hitting a bump. The dealer states that it is worn parts on a vehicle with less than 20,000 miles on it. The vehicle has been at…
At speeds greater than 45 MPH, when hitting rough pavement or a joint in the roadway (such as a freeway overpass or bridge), the steering wheel wobbles (oscillates) violently back and forth. It cannot recover until speeds are reduced below 45 MPH. This is repeatable. I have filmed an occurrence and posted on youtube for review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rupsa7kdsjo this video shows a…
Traveling at 65 MPH, steering wheel begin to shake violently. Unable to control the steering of the vehicle, when brakes were applied, no braking action took place, pedal just went to the floor as if in an anti-lock situation. After speed was reduced below 25 MPH, the shaking stopped and was able to return back to normal driving. This happened 3- consecutive times, each time with the same ending.…
I hit a rather large bump in the road at highway speeds and the steering wheel and whole truck started to shake and wobble extremely violently and i almost lost control. The only way to stop it was to come to a stop.
While traveling down an 8% grade hill, I applied my brakes to slow the vehicle and the sterring suddenly shook violently. I could not control the vehicle. I regained control after the vehcile slowed going back up a hill. This was terrifying for my family. I had to drive another five hours fearing this would happen again. I took it to a Ford dealer when I returned home and they installed a…
While driving at about 65 to 70 MPH, their was a small bump in the highway that normally you would not even notice, made my new truck with only 7,000 miles start shaking and it felt like my wheels were going to fall off, I lost about all control of my vehicle, and had to slow down to about 15 MPH on the I-15 highway to get it under control. I am sure if this persists that I or someone will be…
Shacking of steering wheel this is not an isolated incident with our trucks, it's a nationwide problem that is very very dangerous. In a 10 mile ride it would happen 3-4x at 70 to 75mph hitting the slightest bump, the truck would violently shake. I would have to slow down to 20 MPH for it to stop. Very difficult on a highway! *bf
I'm a small business owner in tulsa, ok and I was wondering if your agency has received complaints regarding the 2019 Ford trucks with the front end issue called the 'death wobble'? This has occurred multiple times this year and we take it directly to the dealership when it occurs. The last time the truck was in the dealership for two weeks. Fowler Ford called and said out truck was finally…
I was driving at 65 miles per hour and hit a bump, the steering wheel started to shake uncontrollably and I had no control of the vehicle till I slowed down to about 40 milers per hour and the shaking went away. The same event happened two times. I had it fixed, and the problem still happened. I was pulling a horse trailer with three horses in it the first time it happened.
Had steering trouble with your 2019 Ford F-350?
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 2019 Ford F-350?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 262 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 138 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most steering failures cluster between 12,005 and 27,800 miles, with the median around 21,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 12,005; a quarter make it past 27,800. 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/2019/Ford/F-350.
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.