Traction Control complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | 0% | 66,000 miles |
| 2019 | 16 | 1% | 11,000 miles |
| 2018 | 6 | 2% | 19,000 miles |
| 2017 | 13 | 1% | 31,000 miles |
| 2016 | 3 | 1% | — |
| 2015 | 3 | 1% | 135,000 miles |
| 2012 | 1 | 2% | 90,000 miles |
| 2011 | 2 | 2% | 48,000 miles |
| 2008 | 1 | 1% | 15,000 miles |
| 2006 | 2 | 1% | 63,000 miles |
| 2004 | 2 | 1% | 140,000 miles |
| 2003 | 1 | 1% | 1,000 miles |
| 2000 | 1 | 0% | 117,000 miles |
| 1999 | 2 | 1% | 230,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (electronic stability control and traction control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Vehicle begins to shake violently when at interstate speeds(70+MPH) when hitting rough areas or entering bridges. Today we almost hit a bridge when it happened. It has happened 4 or 5 times in the month. The only way to stop it is to quickly reduce speed and fight steering wheel with both hands. Very difficult to do this on the interstate with other traffic. It began doing this 6 weeks ago at near 8,000 total miles. Vehicle has been in shop twice for this in 3 weeks and is scheduled to go back Monday. They replaced steering stabilizer the first time, alignment the second time, is supposed to have front end lifted Monday. Vehicle is 100% stock. Returned vehicle to dealership today and told them they could keep it. If they don't make it possible to for us to trade it we plan on getting a lawsuit started against them. …
Local highway driving the truck shake uncontrollably for about 5-10 minutes or until the truck slows to a near stop. The shake will also occur when hitting a pot hole, going over railroad tracks or braking. The first experience occurred at 17,000 miles and has since continued to a current 26,000 miles. After taking to Ford dealership service they have indicated that several trucks were experiencing the same and the part(s) were on back order. After approx. 30 days, the dampner came in, however, the defect has occurred several times since. Returned to Ford service and had a tire alignment done. To no avail, the same issue has occurred again. I have researched this defect and found the Ford community is calling this occurrence as the "death wobble".
My truck has had the same problem twice now. The "death wobble" in my front end when in got over a rough patch of road or a bridge joint going between 55-75. It was fixed once while my warranty was active now since my warranty is up they will not cover it. Multiple times driving if I wasn't holding on tight or if my wife was driving there would have been an accident which could have been catastrophic. Needs to be a recall on this. Everything on my truck is stock and it happened roughly 15K and now at 43K miles. Im worried it will kill someone and me and or my family when we are in the truck. I don't let them ride very often unless we are going somewhere in town where my speed in less than 45 MPH. I have an appointment for my truck at woodhouse Ford in blair, ne on the 19th of this month, March 2020. Hoping by doing this complaint they will not charge me since it is a safety issue.
Truck is vibrating and wobbling while driving. Issue is causing loss of control of the vehicle which could easily result in a serious accident. I called Ford and they had us take it in on 01/19/2020 to have it repaired under warranty. Evidently this is an issue with this truck and is under recall. The truck was said to have been repaired but the vibration and wobbling happened again today 01/28/2020 which was seriously scary. The driver had to fight with the steering wheel to try to keep the truck on the road. I called Ford today to have the truck taken in tomorrow but I am concerned with the fact that many others are stating that this issue is not getting repaired properly and the issue keeps occurring after repair has taken place. I would like to know what can be done if this is not corrected this time. This truck is not safe to drive.
My Ford f-250 experienced a severe "death wobble" on 3 occasions causing the need to slow down from 65 MPH to 25 MPH on the freeway during normal traffic. On one occasion, the shaking was so bad it went to the adjacent driving lane while on an on-ramp and was completely uncontrollable. The vehicle is at the Ford dealership now and having the steering shock replaced but the service rep stated they are just trying this as a solution but do not know the root cause. They are also requesting that I pay for an alignment as another possible solution. The truck has roughly 20K miles on it and is completely stock (less a camper shell). I do not feel safe putting my 2 year old, 7 year old, or wife in a very expensive vehicle while having to worry if the truck will cause a wreck due to a factory defect.
Tl* the contact owns a 2017 Ford f-250. While driving various speeds on a clear road surface, the vehicle shook violently out of control. As a result, the steering column shook violently. The contact stated that the steering wheel needed to be held with extreme force to keep the vehicle in its lane. The contact stated that the failure was experienced on a daily basis and the shaking failure worsened. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 8,000.
I was driving down the highway and all of a sudden twice within 10 miles of each other my truck started violently shaking alost sending me into another lane and losing control. Had to slow down almost to a stop before it would quit.
12/07/16 I purchased a brand new vehicle. I drove it home approximately two miles to pick my wife up and take her for a spin. Upon starting the vehicle the air bag light, the stability control light as well as the warning message for service advance trac and trailer brake module fault and the 911 assist non operational. I took the truck back to the dealership and they ended up replacing the restraint control module. They had the truck for about five days. When I picked up my truck before I even got off the lot all the lights and messages came on again. I took it to the dealerships other location and they had it roughly three weeks. They replaced the instrument cluster and the master wiring harness at the instructions of Ford engineering. I drove the truck before having all the same things happen again with the exception of the stability control/ service advance trac message. …
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford F-250 SD years have traction control problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2019 (16), 2017 (13) and 2018 (6) model years. Traction Control complaints make up 1% of all complaints for the 2019.
Is there a recall for Ford F-250 SD traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control recall for any Ford F-250 SD model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Ford F-250 SD traction control problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 43,000 miles; 76% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic (asc) (2 mentions).
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.