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 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. …
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.
Death shimmy. Steering wheel shakes violently when a bump or discontinuity in the road is encountered. You cannot hold the steering wheel during this event. Cure is to reduce vehicle speed below 15 MPH. This is hazardous if traveling at high speed or pulling a trailer. As you cannot hold the wheel during this event, the vehicle will change lanes and presents a fatal hazard as you attempt to reduce speed from 65 MPH to below 15 MPH without steering control. Ford acknowledges the problem in letter 09l02 sent in 2009 and again in 2015. Their solution to properly inflate the tires is false as tire pressure has no effect on occurance or severity. I have replaced the tires and run up the pressure in 5 lb increments from 55 to 80 psi. No effect in the frequency or severity of the vibration. ## VIN passed ## Ford f350 super duty 2006 ##
Traveling @55 MPH, when I ran over a small pot hole. My truck shook violently and was extremely difficult to control and stay in the lane of traffic and slow down to a speed wherein I could bring my vehicle under control ( 35 MPH). Visual inspection showed no anomalies. My tires did not appear to be damaged as if I had run over an object. There were no objects in the highway. Approximately 60 minutes later, after I finished my errand and was returning home, another incident occurred. This as more violent erratic front end jumping and I had to move to two lanes to stop my vehicle. Again, inspection showed nothing out of the ordinary. I then proceeded directly to my Ford dealership where I spoke with a service person. I requested that my vehicle be placed on a lift to get a complete inspection. …
I own a 2006 Ford f-350 4x4 short bed crew cab pickup truck. I am the original owner and no modifications have ever been made. I have kept the vehicle in good mechanical shape, kept the tires inflated to recommended levels, and kept the tires balanced and rotated. The vehicle has always experienced a severe steering oscillation whenever the vehicle is traveling over 50 MPH and hits a small bump on the highway. The oscillation is most severe if the bump is hit while in a left turn. When this occurs, I break until speed is reduced to about 30 MPH to 40 MPH and the oscillation stops. When this oscillation occurs, the vehicle has limited steering control. It generally travels in a straight direction but does not respond well to steering wheel input until the oscillation is dampened. The vehicle is difficult and in some cases impossible to control. …
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. …
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. …
I am disappointed in the findings on the f-350 superduty front suspension shimmy as it is called. I have a 06 f-350 SD with only 54,000 miles on it. The front end has been completely replaced twice and needs it again but Ford will not warranty it because of the factory warranty expiring. This severe shimmy is real and to allow a finding that states the tire pressure is to blame is completely false and so stunning. Does the odi really expect the vehicle owners to buy this. Looks like Ford had its hand in this one again. I want my truck fixed and I will not pay for it. Ford knows this problem exist but is not large enough yet to recall. Will someone die first? My truck is that severe it will leave the road if your not expecting it. The tire pressure is correct and no suspension modifications. …
I purchased my 2006 superduty new in June 2006 when the truck was new I had some shaking in the front end at speeds over 65 but recently it has got much worse. This has occurred at least ten times now and the last few times on the interstate when going around 70 MPH if you hit rough spots it will start a violent shake if I slowly reduce speed it will stop around 45 MPH. I am starting to think it is not even safe enough for my family to ride in the truck anymore. My dealer says they don't see any problems so I have not been able to get anything done to resolve this problem even though the truck has less than 36,000 and is still under bumper to bumper warranty till June of this year. I have had many fords over the past 8 years and I would like to think that Ford will take care of this if they want to keep me as a loyal customer. …
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-350 SD years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2006 Ford F-350 SD?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the suspension of the 2006 Ford F-350 SD, 34% of the model year's 127 complaints. The component named most often is front (21 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Ford F-350 SD suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension 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 suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 31,000 miles, and 24% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 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.