Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Ford F-250 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Not quite sure what component or system is failing/malfunctioning. Best way to describe what is happening, "Death Wobble". No other simpler way to put it. No auto store/dealer has any solid answer. Simply put, almost killed my entire family on the highway and not to mention other drivers on the highway. Driving fine then any bumps/grooves in the road instantly sends the entire vehicle into this VIOLENT shaking mess. To stop the shaking, we have to TRY (because once it starts shaking, it's almost like the steering is freezing up) to stop the vehicle completely. Once stopped, we take off like nothing ever happened until the next set of bumps/grooves. We have taken the truck to auto mechanics, we explain what is going on and INSTANTLY they inform us that we are not alone in this and there's really nothing you can do without constantly changing parts, etc. but there is "no" fix. …
On 6/25/2022 I experienced violent shaking at freeway speed in southern California. The vehicle was difficult to control - the steering wheel shook violently, and it could be felt throughout the vehicle. The ride was completely smooth when I began the freeway drive; the problem came on all of a sudden, then continued at all speeds, but was particularly violent over 50 MPH. I have not had it inspected yet, but research revealed this is most likely the Ford "Death Wobble" affecting F250 and F350 trucks years 2005 to 2021. I haven't discerned all the information yet as to how to make repairs. My understanding is the cause is inadequate front end suspension parts, a Ford manufacturing safety issue. Mine is a 2006 model, and some articles report that year was notably the worse. There was no traffic accident, no police report was filed, and we made it home safely. …
My son was driving on the freeway, traveling approximately 83 mph, when the vehicle lost power, the engine stalled and he lost the ability to steer the vehicle properly. The vehicle was parked at nearest gas station until i could get to it. After inspecting engine, I noticed some wires that had the insulation coming off. I replaced wiring harness, and when doing so, found the main harness to be severely chafed from rubbing the under side of air filter ducts. When looking around engine bay I noticed other wires with insulation coming off too.
In two separate instances, traveling on the highway, after going over a bridge transition, the steering wheel and front end began to shake violently. This shaking reverberated throughout the truck causing me to have to slow down immediately and exit the freeway. This was the only thing that stopped the shaking. This is commonly referred to as the "Death Wobble".
Our truck has been doing the "death wobble" several times over the last 2 years. The truck will suddenly shake violently at high speeds and go into limp mode. We have to pull over pumping the brakes slowly. It is EXTREMELY TERRIFYING to have happen and we have spent THOUSANDS trying to get it repaired but it continues.
While driving on the freeway the vehicle started to shake violently. I had to pump the breaks slowly and pull to the side of the road. After checking everything we took it to the shop and they did 2k in repairs and said it was fixed. It did it again. They said they don't know what it is.
Purchased my truck last year and was unaware of problems with this truck.whikr traveling couple miles from my home on a paved two lane road I ran over a small gravel or walnut which immediately sent my truck into uncontrollably shaking in the front end my speed was between 30 and 35 mph it was all I could do to get it to the side of the road and stopped.Shaking I got out and looked underneath the front thinking I had a wheel or something about to come off.I couldn't see anything noticeable loose.So I got back in and very slowly continued to my destination.Since then it has happened more times than I can count small hump or raised pavement or even a hole in the road will send it into a shaking fit all I can do is try and get to the side of the road and come to a stop.Im in a fix as this is the only vehicle I own and I can't afford to buy another and no one knows what to do to fix it.I …
I had never heard of a death wobble until I was on my way to the hospital with my three children after being involved in a rollover accident. We were traveling north bound on the m53 van dyke expressway which has a posted speed of 70 MPH. I had just passed a vehicle that was in the right lane. Just after passing this vehicle I developed this death wobble, I was switching lanes back to the right lane when my steering wheel started to shake, not just a little shacking either. I had applied my brakes and held the wheel with both my hands. My steering wheel was shacking so badly that my dashboard was falling apart, and I was having major problems controlling my vehicle. It felt as if my driver?s wheel was bouncing up and down and my steering wheel was also shaking so badly that in just a second I had lost total control of my vehicle. …
At 145,000 miles, a steering issue developed. 3 miles away from home, at a 4-way stop, I turn right to go to work. The steering wheel gets "stuck" and is hard to turn back to the left to center the f250 in my lane. 1 mile later, another right turn, and the problem becomes scary. The wheel is stiff to turn to the left and then all of a sudden the steering wheel and the truck zoom to the left, I steer right and it is slow and stiff and then responds without warning zipping me to the right. I'm on the highway at this point, doing 35mph waiting for the problem to clear up. At first, the problem cleared up within a mile, but today it took 5 miles. The problem is then gone for the rest of my 30 mile trip to work. Same thing, same place everyday. This also happens on the way home from work. …
Truck "death wobble" - dri\ving on I 25 at about 60 MPH we hit a small bump in the road and the truck began to violently shake. We thought we had a blowout, but the tires were OK. In fact, before our trip we had our tires checked and were told they were fine. After going to a dealer I have discovered that this is a known problem called the "death wobble". It is an engineering defect and has nothing to do with tires as Ford would like to assume. I received a notice from Ford in dec 2015 acknowledging the "severe vibration" and blaming it on the tires. It is not the tires it is an engineering defect. What is being done regarding a recall to fix this problem? Unless you have experienced the violent shaking you have no idea how terrifying it is and the potential to cause a serious if not deadly accident. …
Steering complaints in other F-250 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2006 Ford F-250?
NHTSA has 78 complaints about the steering of the 2006 Ford F-250, 35% of the model year's 221 complaints. The component named most often is linkages › tie rod assembly (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Ford F-250 steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2006 Ford F-250, though it has 1 recall 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 2006 Ford F-250 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 61,000 miles, and 22% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to steering 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.