Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2017 Ford F-250 Sd submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 717 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 717, in the owner's own words
No less than 6 occasions now I have experienced extreme shaking (death wobble) even after Ford replaced the steering damper. I'm done with the vehicle and will take it in again for this issue.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70-75 MPH, the vehicle drove over a bump in the roadway, and the front end of the vehicle started bouncing. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and then continued driving 45 MPH with no further issues. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
2017 F250 99k miles . got off the interstate and went to turn and the steering wheel immediately came loose. I had to press down while turning. I brought it to a repair shop and it was stated that it looked as if was glued and the locknut was never tightened . This could have been catastrophic. I didn't bring it to the dealer because it would take three days to look at it.
All factory setup. Vehicle will get death wobble due at highway speeds. There was a recall for steering related issues.
2017 Ford F250 issue is with the steering damper and the reported "death wobble" caused by the faulty part. In 2019, on several occasions driving on the highway I experienced uncontrollable shaking in the front end. Each time, I had to slow my speed down to under 10 MPH for the wobble to stop. When I took the vehicle to Ford dealer, they knew what the issue was and told me to properly fix the issue I needed to purchase and Aftermarket part, that Ford did not have the proper part to fix this. This comment was straight from the Ford Service Tech. I paid for the fix and up to 2025 the problem was gone. Starting in November 2025 the same issue is back. Each time of the problem, either my wife or I were traveling on a highway, traveling between 65 - 75 MPH. It takes both hands firmly holding the wheel simply to hang on until the truck can be slowed to, again, under 10 MPH. This puts us in a bad situation when on the major highways around the Ft. Worth Texas area. This time the Ford dealer charged ~$600 to fix the steering and re-align the front end. And once again, the Ford Service Tech said this is only a temporary fix and we would be back!! This has been a well known and documented issue with these trucks but Ford has refused to issue a total recall. I guess in this day it takes "confirmed body counts" before recalls actually happen. Why does it take the loss of life for this to happen? Ford should be proactive and fix the issue before deaths occur...but this would be expensive and bottom line financial statements to share with Wall Street take precedence over peoples lives.
While driving 70mph on I20 outside of Ft.Worth, TX. I experienced severe front end vibration after hitting a rough spot on the highway. I was in the inside lane with no shoulder to escape off the highway. Cars were traveling on the outside lane next to me which prohibited my escape to the shoulder of the highway. The vibration did not stop until I slowed down to around 40mph and was able to maneuver to the shoulder of the highway after traffic passed me. The violent vibration causing lack of control until my speed slowed below highway speed and unable to exist the roadway out of busy traffic put myself and others in grave danger. This occurred 2 other times within a 2 week span while traveling at highway speed. This violent vibration (well known on the internet as the death wobble) first appeared in the same vehicle in 2019 and it was serviced on 10-25-2019 and supposedly fixed. Mileage on the F250 was 19,155. The service technician told me then that it needed a dual steering stabilizer but the Ford Company will not recognize the needed fix. This is a defect that the Ford Motor Company is very aware of, yet neglects to make a permanent repair. They are knowingly putting their customers in danger.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle experienced the death wobble. The steering wheel shook aggressively, making it difficult to maneuver the vehicle. The contact decelerated and was able to coast to the emergency lane on the side of the road to get off the interstate. The contact continued to drive the vehicle to the residence but did not exceed 15 MPH. The dealer was contacted by phone and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The contact had scheduled an appointment with a certified mechanic. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and provided the contact information to the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
I was travelling back home at about 65mph on the highway in my 2018 ford f250 crew cab and my left front wheel hit a small bump in the road. The whole truck started to shake violently and I couldn't hold the steering wheel as it was also shaking uncontrollably. I thought at first that I had had a puncture but the truck wasn't leaning as such. The wheels where simply shaking from side to side very fast. I hit the hazard lights and gently brakes down to about 30 mph, pulled over to the side of the ride gently to avoid the risk of flipping over and stopped. When I started up again, the wobbling had stopped. I later looked up the.probable cause and learned about the (infamous) death wobble which several people have experienced. It was truly scary as everything was shaking and I couldn't control the steering wheel. If it would have happened on a bend I would have gone straight over and flipped the truck as I wouldn't have been able to slow down in a straight line to stop the wobbling and shaking... This is a very serious issue that needs to be addressed as people will die...
My vehicle has a death wobble when you hit seams in the roadway.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-250. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at speeds over 45 MPH, the vehicle experienced the death wobble. The contact stated that there were no warning lights illuminated. The contact slowed down to under 45 MPH, and the vehicle operated as needed. The vehicle was taken to dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering linkage dampener needed to be replaced as part of an unknown Customer Satisfaction Program. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred after one year. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, but the failure was not duplicated. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the contact experienced the death wobble. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to control the vehicle and slowed down, and prevented the vehicle from driving off the road into a ditch. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with hesitation in the steering wheel linkage, suspension failure, and an oil leak. The death wobble was due to the failure of the suspension. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, and the contact was provided the same diagnostic results. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Death wobble in front end. Violent shaking when you hit a bump.
Driving on interstate at 65 mph steering wheel starts shaking violently. Pulled over visually check underneath and around vehicle. Everything looked normal. Proceeded hit an expansion joint on a bridge and it started again. It was shaking so violent. Everything in the truck was moving.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds over bumps in the roadway, the vehicle experienced a "death wobble". The failure caused the front of the vehicle to shake uncontrollably, causing the contact to temporarily lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions where the front steering damper and tie rods were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and automatically transferred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200.
While driving I made a left hand turn and when straightening the steering wheel it was 90 degrees out of alignment which caused the truck to steer to the right almost striking another vehicle. The dash had a warning message come on stating adaptive steering fault service required. I have taken it in for service and the steering wheel needs replaced which is a recall on some ford super duty’s the same year but this one was not included
Uncontrollable shaking wobble in steering known as death wobble.
I was on the freeway and doing about 70 and I hit some bumps in the road and my vehicle started to violently shake and I was unable to control my vehicle. I had to hit the breaks and slow down to regain control of my vehicle. This the second time this has happened. Vehicle was repaired about 2 years ago for the same thing. Ford repaired the damper steering linkage last time this incident happened. AKA DEATH WOBBLE.
2017 f250 death wobble when I hit a small bump on the interstate
After driving for a short distance in my 2017 F250 Diesel (75k miles) I pulled into a store. Turned off truck. Upon return and starting truck I got a dash alert that said Adaptive Steering Fault Service Required. When I began to drive I noticed my steering wheel was turned left to the 10 o’clock position while driving straight down the road. I drove to the dealer as I felt my batteries were sluggish at starting and needed both replaced. Luckily batteries were covered but dealer said I need new Battery Cable Harness for $4596.59! I did some research and found the Adaptive Steering Fault is a known issue with several people as is the Battery Cable Harness. I also read where a voltage issue can cause the Adaptive Steering Fault alert which is why I mention the wire harness. I’ve also known others with the battery cable issue and there is a recall on other years not mine. The dealer wants $465.88 just to diagnose the adaptive steering so who knows what cost would be to replace at this point. This all is extremely dangerous as I don’t know if the adaptive steering controls will decide to start working and adjust my steering while driving causing an accident. There have been recalls on both issues but not my model and year. Truck is currently at dealer and I filed complaint with Ford Consumer to no resolution at this point.
Death Wobble. Was driving speed limit of 65mph and vehicle started a violent, uncontrollable shuddering and bouncing movement to the left almost hitting the dividing wall on the interstate. I had little control over steering of vehicle and was barely able to avoid slamming into wall. Finally got vehicle stopped. Has happened before at lower speed. Has happened several times before with less violent shuddering after hitting bumps in roadway. Now understand how very dangerous and scary the less severe incidents have been after this latest incident!
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving approximately 50-60 MPH and hauling a trailer, the vehicle drove across uneven pavement, and the vehicle went into the death wobble and the vehicle became difficult to steer. The contact pulled over to the side of the road but found no cause for the failure. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering dampener had failed and needed to be replaced. The steering dampener was replaced. The dealer confirmed that the vehicle had been repaired under Customer Satisfaction Program: 20N04 (Steering, Equipment) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included the Customer Satisfaction Program. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 78,699.
I hit a small bump at around 45mph and my truck began shaking violently. I was unable to control the truck and had to come to a complete stop. They call it the death wobble. It truely was frightening and I could have killed someone..
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving over a bump at various speeds, the vehicle experienced the death wobble. The failure caused the front of the vehicle to shake uncontrollably, causing the contact to temporarily lose control of the vehicle. Recently, the contact was notified of Customer Satisfaction Program: 20N04 (Steering Linkage Damper Extended Coverage). The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure but offered no assistance with the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.
Driving down the freeway at 65 mph, hit a small pot hole with the right front tire, which caused the front end the shake back-and-forth uncontrollably. I was able to pull over, and upon slowing down the wobbling stopped and we were able to proceed with our drive. We could have hit other vehicles on the road if anyone had been near us. We also could have been thrown off the road. No inspections have been done and no warnings have occurred.
My truck has the Death Wobble . It has been worked on for the incident It happened again yesterday at least 4 times within 30 minutes We turned around and came are parked the truck. Am going to talk to the Dealer where I Purchase the vehicle and want some answers and to fix this major problem with my Ford Superduty 250 2017
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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