Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Ford F-250 SD owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was heading down my street in my neighborhood and just before the street bends to the left my truck stalled and I lost my power brakes and power steering. Doing the best I could I turned the wheel just enough to avoid the car parked on the side of the street then I proceeded to run through my neighbor's wrought iron gate and plaster coming to rest on the hill in his front yard. After assessing the damage, I tried to start my truck to see if I could move it. It started and I moved it to my driveway. After the repairs were done at the body shop I then took it to my mechanic where he discovered a faulty wire in the wire harness causing the engine to stall without any notice or signs of trouble. Later I learned from my insurance company that there was a recall for the 2004-2005 models for the wire harness specifically, that I never received any information on.
While driving home from work, just leaving town I hit 50 MPH and the truck starts to wobble from side to side and vibrate till I slow down to under 40 MPH. I got the notice from Ford telling me it all had to do with tire pressure. I inflated the tires to the required pressure and it only made things worse. I have contacted them the first time this happened only for them to tell me there is nothing wrong. Clearly there is a problem. I have spent so much money replacing parts in the front end of this truck. Tires are now junk on the front end. The only thing I could do is under inflate the front tires to gain better control and drive slower. Still wobbles just not as bad. This is an on going problem I have everyday.
Ford f-250 superduty- while driving at 55mph or higher,and you hit a small pothole or dip in the road, this vehicle goes into a violent shimmy. The vehicle is uncontrollable and extremely dangerous. I won't let any of my family members ride in the truck with me and cringe at the thoughts of having to drive it on the interstate! It has shaken me off the road and into the ditch or median several times.
I own a Ford f-250 super duty[2005] with 14,000 miles on it. I have hit a series of slight bumps traveling on the garden state parkway traveling at about 65 MPH. The front end of the truck and steering wheel shook so violently, I thought the front end of the truck dis-engaged from the rest of the body. The steering wheel shook so violently I could hardly hold on to it. I took my foot off the gas and applied the break very gently. I must have slowed down to 30 MPH before the truck became under control again. Meanwhile the car behind me had to slam on his breaks do to my truck being out of control and the rapid de-acceleration on a major highway. I had to pull over as soon as I was able to check what I thought would be major front end damage. After all, what could cause such a violent reaction. Absolutely nothing to be seen. …
My 2005 Ford f-250 pickup truck has a violent front end shake when it hits even a normal small bump in the road traveling at safe highway speed. The truck now has only 20,000 miles on it, but it has done this since it was brand new. It is dealer maintained and the tires have been rotated and filled to correct pressure aprox. Every 5,000 miles. Ford says it is due to improper tire pressure. However, they are the ones who filled the tires to the correct pressure. I have complained about this very dangerous situation before and have been given lame excuses by both the NHTSA and Ford. Please let me say this again. This is not a shake in the front end. This is a very violent reaction when the truck hits a bump. The truck must almost be brought to a stop in order to stop the truck from shaking. …
I recently purchased a Ford 2005 f250 super duty truck. While driving on the highway at 70 MPH, I hit an uneven spot on the road that caused the front end to wobble violently. I felt I could not control the truck and had to apply the brakes immediately. Luckily there were no other cars nearby. When the truck reached approximately 30 - 35 MPH, the wobble ceased. On my way back home, the wobble occurred again. This time I was traveling at 60 - 65 MPH and hit another rough spot on the road. This is a major safety hazard that needs to be resolved before someone is killed. I researched the problem on the internet and discovered this has been ongoing for a while. There are numerous examples from other f250 and f350 owners with the same problem that can be found on the internet. The Ford motor company is aware of the problem and blames the wobble on underflated tires. …
Lose of steering do to poor design of Ford f-250 and f-350 solid front axle with springs. From 2005 to present. I have new tires and rims,balanced,had front end checked for alignment, my truck like so many others are having sever front end shimmy do to the poor design on Ford trucks. I have contacted legal advice from the advice of other government agencies. The attorney generals office,bbb, and the consumer protection agency. This is my second complaint about this matter, and im a little upset to keep getting the only response you and the Ford co. Can come up with, tire pressure!!! Come on you know its the poor design of there front ends. I've spent thousands to help deal with matter to no better results. So from here I will seek legal help to protect my family and myself from possible severe injury or death. I hope Ford motor co. …
2005 f-250 short bed 4x4 super duty 5.4 v-8. Truck shakes out of control at high speed when rough roadway is present. Has done this since 18,000 miles and gets worse with age. Ford refuses to find the problem, as they only drive truck around town. Have ask them to take onto interstate, but they don't have time ! Ford replaced the damper at 34,000, helped, but did not fix! Have had my front end man look at front end, and he could only find slack in the steering gear box, but that didn't fix the problem either. This truck is unsafe and Ford needs to step up to the plate and fix the issue before someone gets killed! …
When ever the truck goes over something like an bulged expansion joint or a pot hole with speed in excess of 40-45, it will react violently. Often the vehicle will move over a foot or two(depending on the speed of the truck) in the lane of traffic. The bouncing/shaking of the front wheels is over in several seconds, but is severe none the less. If you hit a bump on a curve, the vehicle will almost go off the road. This has happened enough times over the years that I attempted evasive action/slow way down when I see I'm about to strike something that will set the suspension into bounce mode. Many, many, many Ford super duty owners have complained about this issue and all Ford can say is that it's the owners fault for not keeping the tires aired properly. I dare you to come drive my truck!!!!!!!!! …
While driving on pa interstate 81, my 2005 f250 experienced severe driving loss of control when the front suspension traveled over an area of the road that was uneven. This caused the trucks interior and exterior to shake uncontrollably for a long period of time to the extent that the vehicle was shifting into the other lane of traffic. Decelerating by releasing the gas peddle did not immediately stop the severe vibrations and applying the brakes seemed to increase the problem. My entire family and a non-family member was in the vehicle at the time and we all feared for our lives. After researching the internet, there is a video posted by another Ford owner and is exactly what we had experienced too. …
NHTSA investigations
Violent front end oscillation
Odi has received 78 consumer complaints of severe suspension and steering wheel shimmy and oscillations commencing after the subject vehicles traveled over an uneven road surface. The majority of these incidents occurred at speeds of 50 MPH or greater.thirteen of the complaints received by odi allege loss of steering control and that the vehicle changed driving lanes uncontrollably.four of the complaints received by…
Violent front end oscillation
This investigation was opened based on 78 consumer complaints of severe suspension and steering wheel oscillations after the subject vehicles traveled over an uneven surface.odi was concerned about these complaints because many of them alleged loss of control and the loss of control occurredat speeds above 50 miles per hour.at the time these complaints were received, odi was also aware of the TSB 07-10-10 and early…
Suspension complaints in other F-250 SD years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2005 Ford F-250 SD?
NHTSA has 118 complaints about the suspension of the 2005 Ford F-250 SD, 40% of the model year's 295 complaints. The component named most often is front (68 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Ford F-250 SD suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 2005 Ford F-250 SD, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Ford F-250 SD suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 30,000 miles, and 36% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to suspension problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.