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-350 SD owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was in oakland california i880 north number four lane pulling my car trailer with a load when the "death wobble" occurred, before I could grab the trailer brakes to slow the vehicle, the rig started a whip and the trailer struck the "k" rail. I slowed to about 10mph before the shimmy stopped. The fender on the right side of the trailer was destroyed and blew both tires on the tandem axle trailer. Luckily no one else was involved and no one was hurt. This truck now is on it's third set of the factory b.f. Goodrich rugged trail t/a radials on the front. I have had this vehicle aligned with each tire change and have experimented with tire pressures, it does not matter, after about ten thousand miles on a set of tires it shimmies again. I have resorted to the safety and reliability of my 30 year old Chevy half ton and overloading it by up to 50% out of fear for this truck. …
I have a 2006 Ford f350 4 wheel drive single wheel long bed king ranch. I will be driving down the road or interstate anywhere between 30 and 80 miles an hour, and if you hit the smallest imperfections in the road the truck will start shaking violently, uncontrollable, the steering wheel moves about 14 inches side to side so fast and hard, that it takes ill I've got to hold on to the wheel. You can hear the tires chirp side to side on the pavement it wobbles so severely. I've replaced the steering dampener, the power steering pump, had it aligned 4 times, brand new tires, I have adjusted the castor accordingly to fords TSB forum, had my rotors turned, and wheels and tires balanced so many times. Its so bad, it shakes the stuff in the bed of my truck onto the highway. My truck only has 92,000 miles on it. Im afraid to drive it. …
While traveling at approximately 30 MPH through a curve, the steering suddenly and completely failed causing the vehicle to go out of control and crash. There was no advance warning. An inspection at the scene revealed that parts of the vehicle's steering system had not been installed at the factory and the steering system fell apart in the curve as a result of this negligence. The police report listed mechanical failure as the accident cause and no driver error was involved. The driver was injured and the vehicle sustained substantial damage. Ford has refused to take responsibility for their vehicle's mechanical failure and refuses to honor the vehicle's warranty despite the fact the vehicle is less than two years old and has only 23,000 +/- miles on it. No alterations were made to the vehicle's drive train or suspension and it was a fully stock vehicle at the time of the crash.
My 2016 f350 super duty 4wd disesal has a death wobble with only 46,ooo miles. The dealership at seminole Ford, seminole oklahoma [phone] told me I would have to pay 1200 to fix this. I was driving 70mph on the highway yesterday and my vehicle went out of control almost causing me to wreck. I immediately scheduled an appointment with the dealership. I will forward the bill when I receive it. This is a safety hazard and a factory defect that I should not be responsible for, I had the vehicle at the dealership one month ago and had to pay for a new def heater at the tune almost $1,000. At that time they did their multi-point inspection which shows that the parts that failed were all fine. Please help me as Ford is trying to screw me over on a 70K truck with minimal miles. This should be a recall issue that Ford should pay for not the consumer.
The death wobble that you say had only 76 complants is [redacted] ! Over the last 3 years it has happened over 18 times with new correct size tires @ correct pressure ! I have had to make rapid lane changes slamming on the brakes to get to the side of the road so it will stop ! If you think this is not a problem maybe you should go to work for Ford ,on second thought its apparent you already do !
2006 f-350 Ford truck since truck was purchased when tires are about 60% used bad wobble in front end when on a curve right or left when hitting a bump in road or a change in pavement height. When this happens truck is hard to control until speed is reduced to approx 45 MPH. A rebalance of the tires help but still wobbles at speeds above 50mph in the above circumstances. Truck now has 65,000 miles on it and I am on the 5th set of tires have used 4 different brands but it always seem to be the same as the tire wear the wobble gets worse and worse. The wobble is always there even when the tires are new but it is minimal until the tire wears to about 60% of the tread then it gets to an unsafe level of drivable it literally jerks the steering wheel uncontrollably until you slow below 50mph. …
Excessive front end shimmy on occasion with my Ford f350 4x4. I have received a letter from Ford discussing this issue. The first time the problem occurred, my tire pressure was low and subsequently maintaining proper tire pressure seemed to prevent the problem for a while. However, recently I hit some bumps while traveling on the highway at a speed of approximately 65 MPH and the front end began to shimmy very violently. I knew to hit the brakes to regain control of the steering, but I had to stay on my brakes until I slowed to approximately 40 MPH before I could regain control of the steering wheel. I called a local Ford service center, but they said they would "only be guessing" at the proper way to fix the problem. I then called Ford customer service to discuss the issue, as I am nervous about riding on the highway with the vehicle. …
Experienced severe vibrations and shimming after hitting a bump in the road. Had to bring the truck to a complete stop before I could go on. I though I must of had a flat tire, but no. Took the truck to the dealer, they said they tightened some things and adjusted the tire pressure. A couple of months later it happened again. I went straight to the local garage to have the tires checked, but the tire pressure was fine. It continues to happen about twice a year with no reason, just depends how I hit a bump on the road. It usually happens when crossing a bridge on the interstate. This last time in October 2011, I was crossing a bridge on interstate pa 80 in the passing lane, when it happened. I was all over the road before I could stop. I was fortunate that there were no other vehicles around, or it would have been a disaster. …
I own a 2006 Ford f-350 king ranch crew cab four wheel drive truck. I am the original owner. A few times through out the years there had been a shake after hitting a bump in the road at 60mph+. We received a letter noting a potential problem. We brought the truck to the dealer and they replaced brakes and 2 tires (other 2 had been replaced previously) and when we drove it home it started "the death wobble" (as the dealer calls it-and as I see many others on the internet). The truck started experiencing violent front-end shaking. During an episode of left-to-right shaking, the truck is very difficult to control. With my hand placed on the 12:00 position on the steering wheel, the shaking violently turns the steering wheel to where my hand is going back and forth between 10:00 and 2:00. Slowing down to 30mph has stopped each of the three episodes. …
Purchased this vehicle less than a year ago and was originally very pleased. Suddenly we are now experiencing the death wobble as other have described. The violent shaking of the front end. This usually occurs when you are approaching the speed of 60mph. We do not have to hit a bump for it to happen. The other complaint, is that we bought this truck with very low mileage for the year, ran great, looked great, very pleased until this last month when the check engine light came on and it seems to sputter. Put some high quality fuel injector cleaner in the truck, thinking it May be a injector sticking. Nope, didn't fix the problem. Light never went off. Took it to a dealership, they tested it and came back with your fuel tank is deteriorating putting little metal shards in your engine. You are looking at a potential full engine rebuild costing a minimum of $6000. …
Steering complaints in other F-350 SD years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2006 Ford F-350 SD?
NHTSA has 45 complaints about the steering of the 2006 Ford F-350 SD, 35% of the model year's 127 complaints. The component named most often is linkages › tie rod assembly (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Ford F-350 SD steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2006 Ford F-350 SD, 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-350 SD steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 19% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury 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.