Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2018 Ford F-250 SD owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact's husband owns a 2018 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced the death wobble. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with steering stabilizer failure. The dealer replaced the steering stabilizer; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the track bar, drag link assembly, ready lift caster bushing kit, and performed two front-end alignments. The failure recurred and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,402.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the steering wheel began to shake violently, and the front end of the vehicle swayed from side to side. Upon slowing down, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the front ball joints. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 100,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced the death wobble, causing the vehicle and steering wheel to violently shake and vibrate. The contact indicated that the failure had occurred after driving over a bump in the roadway, causing the vehicle drift into the other driving lane. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 25,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving 70 mph, the vehicle would shake abnormally whenever the contact drove over a pothole. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with the steering dampener needing to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and the contact filed a complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle displayed the death wobble. The failure had occurred three times. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was contacted; however, the contact was not able to speak with a representative. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.
When driving above 50mph we experience a problem that our Ford service department originally called the Death Wobble, it is now called High Speed Oscillation. The steering wheel and entire front end of the truck shakes violently and I have to slow to almost a complete stop in order to regain control of the vehicle. We have have the steering damper replaced twice (the tech today said about every 20,000 miles) and the truck is in the dealer for the third time addressing this issue. This third time the work that is also being done involves a large nut that requires 450#'s of torque to adjust. We had to replace tires that wore out prematurely. This last time the impact of the violent shaking caused the other vehicles on the road to move away from us because they could see something was wrong as well. I don't scare easily, but these events are terrifying. …
2018 has Death Wobble which has been reported by many and a recall was issued but we have taken it back 3 times for this recall/death wobble=tie rod, sector shaft, drag link replaced (the first time it wasn't recalled yet so we had to pay for it and still have not been reimbursed) last 2 times they fix the tie rod, shaft or whatever but it keeps happening and it is scary. Lucky not to have caused an accident. Also because of the "death wobble" it has ruined the alignment and some tracker line thing as well as our tires and we have to pay for those things even though it is caused by the death wobble/recall?! …
When driving at speeds in excess of 45 mph, if the front wheels strike a pothole or some other significant bump in the road, occasionally - but with increasing frequency - it will cause the wheels to start violently bouncing up and down (alternating each wheel so one is up and the other is down) and the steering wheel shimmies violently back and forth. This will continue until the vehicle is slowed to under 10 mph. During these events, there is no controlling the steering and the vehicle does not slow quickly since the front wheels are not in constant contact with the pavement. Research on the internet has shown that this is not an isolated problem and it has been labeled the "death wobble" by many. (Google "Ford F250 death wobble"). The result of this event - and thus the safety hazard - is that one must immediately stop the vehicle to make the malfunction stop. …
I have experienced the Death Rattle with my 2018 F250-SD on 3 occasions: First was in late summer of '22, the second time was in November of '22 and the third time was on Feb. 5, 2023. In all 3 instances the weather was clear, no rain or snow on the road and I was traveling at 65 mph. The first & second time I thought it was due to a rough patch of road surface on the highway. On Sunday I was hauling my 14' GN trailer with one horse in it and drove over a minimal rough patch on the 2 lane county highway when it froze up. In the first example I was in city traffic and drifted over to the left shoulder. In the 2ed & 3ed examples there were no other passenger vehicle beside me so I was able to drift over to the closest shoulder to reset the truck. All 3 instances happened with no warning and no warning light appeared on the dash- just clatter and a freeze up. …
Was driving on highway normal driving went through a construction zone uneven road patches on major highway 3 lanes. While slightly above 70mph my truck violently started shaking as if a front tire steel belts had ripped and separated while maneuvering through a curve o n construction no speed limit I almost lost control and rolled my truck. I had to hit the brakes in order to come to a violent stop and regain control. While almost getting rear ended and causing a chain reaction of cars swerving and braking cause of the result of the front end. The truck on has 70,000 plus miles and is on highway driven. Upon further investigation on the internet I found hundreds of complaints on line the name given was the death wobble from a series of years including all new F 250 -350 Series trucks. I had my wife and daughter plus family member hope this escalates very quickly and is taken seriously.
Suspension complaints in other F-250 SD years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2018 Ford F-250 SD?
NHTSA has 198 complaints about the suspension of the 2018 Ford F-250 SD, 50% of the model year's 398 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2018 Ford F-250 SD suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 2018 Ford F-250 SD, though it has 9 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 2018 Ford F-250 SD suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 27,000 miles, and 43% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 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.