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 2008 Ford F-350 SD owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The 2008, as well as other years of the Ford f-350 are known to have a problem with a front-end shimmy or "death wobble". I have had several thousand dollars of work done to my f-350 in order to resolve the death wobble problem. The repairs work for a time and then, without warning, the death wobble returns. The fact that this can occur without warning, at high speeds, by driving over a very small bump in the road, makes this an extraordinarily dangerous problem. I don't think I can adequately describe the extreme nature of the death wobble. The front-end of the truck is bouncing left and right, the entire vehicle is twisting and rolling, the steering wheel is barely controllable, anything loose in the passenger compartment goes flying and keeping the vehicle in its lane is not always possible. …
2008 Ford f-350 super duty truck. Consumer states vehicle is inherently unsafe because of a design flaw the consumer believed the front suspension and steering mechanisms were too light for the weight of the truck and for the type of load it was supposed to handle. The consumer stated the front end was rated to carry 5200lbs. However, when the truck was empty, there was already 4800lbs on the front end. The consumer stated the truck is supposed to be a super duty truck, but apparently it can't carry anything except a passenger or two before the front end is overloaded. The steering box broke suddenly for the time at 26,050 miles. Which caused the consumer to crash into a parked vehicle at about 20 MPH. The dealer replaced the steering box, but the new one failed at 29, 581 miles. The current steering box is feeling loose and the truck wanders. …
Tl contact owns a 2008 Ford f-350 SD. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH there was a loss of steering control, which caused him to crash into a ditch. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and a technician concluded that the gear box failed. The gear box was replaced at a reduced rate of $100.00; however, they would not assume responsibility for the collateral damage. The failure resurfaced after the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified and he is awaiting a response. The failure mileage was 11,190. The current mileage was 60,200.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Ford f-350 SD. While driving approximately 12 MPH, the steering failed without warning. The contact stated that the steering wheel became detached from the steering box. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the steering box needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Bob bell Ford was contacted by phone at [phone] (located at 7125 ritchie hwy, glen burnie, md 21061). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Ford f-350 SD. While driving various speeds, the brake pedal was depressed and the power steering lost power and became difficult to operate. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic who stated that a bolt in the power steering mechanism fractured and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000. Updated 09/06/16 updated 09/08/16.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Ford f-350 SD. While the vehicle was parked, the steering wheel became stuck for two minutes and then failed to move. The air bag warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to drive the vehicle and the steering wheel failed to turn. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.
Steering gearbox failed. Steering felt very loose, pulled into parking lot. Steering would turn right but would not turn to the left.could hear a crunching or popping noise when attempting top turn left. Had vehicle towed to local repair shop that found the steering gearbox failed internally.
On the evening of 6/13/2014, I was driving my 2008 Ford f-350 through the drive through line of white castle in commack, new york, 11725. As I went to make a right turn to follow the drive through lane, a heard a metal breaking sound followed by complete loss of steering. Within less than 1 second from this happening, my vehicle collided with a cinder block wall causing significant front end damage to the bumper, fender and headlight. There were no injuries to myself or any passengers as well as the wall had minimal damage. I had a police report filed with the suffolk county police department. The report corroborates my statement of complete steering loss as the direct result of the accident. The vehicle was towed to my mechanic, north shore Firestone in commack. Upon investigation they determined the gears inside of the steering box completely failed. …
Start of multiple occurrences of death wobble with this truck and numerous trips to the Ford dealerships with no fix. Tires replaced approximately 28,000 miles at my expense: ( was told this would most likely fix the wobble). I was advised the front end alignment out (caster setting) and could not be fixed by Ford because the caster adjusters necessary to repair - not available at the time. But Ford advised me the alignment without the caster adjusters was still within Ford specs and would be fine. Last visit to the dealership for the death wobble around 09-19-2012, vehicle @ 34,090. Advised the mechanic attempted to align vehicle with caster adjuster sleeves; was unable to fix, wrong sleeves. Would have been charged for the repair approx. 400.00. I was told that if I had the front aligned correctly it would take care of death wobble. 95% sure it would fix. …
Our business owns 4 Ford f-350 super duty trucks (2-2006 and 2-2008). All of them have a very serious defect that causes what our employees refer to as the "death wobble". At about 55 miles per hour, the front end of the truck experiences a violent shimmy that has almost caused a number of accident. We tow large trailers (20'), loaded with large spools of coaxial cable. These reels and the trailer have a combined wait in excess of 3000-4000 lbs., and the trucks weigh approximately 6,000 lbs. When you lose control of this much weight at highway speeds, it is only a matter of time before someone is killed. All four trucks have experienced this problem. Ford claims that if you slow down, it will go away, but often that creates another safety hazard in and of itself, and often you cannot slow down fast enough with a 4,000lb in tow. …
NHTSA investigations
Alleged Loss of Steering
The Office of DefectsInvestigation (ODI) opened PE13-014 after identifying five complaints alleging steering gear failure in model year (MY) 2008 Ford F-250 and F-350 Super Duty pick-up trucks and to evaluate the relationship between the design history of the steering gear assembly and the alleged defect.As background, ODI investigated steering gear sector shaft fractures in approximately 1.3 million MY 1999 - 2001…
Steering complaints in other F-350 SD years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2008 Ford F-350 SD?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the steering of the 2008 Ford F-350 SD, 25% of the model year's 101 complaints. The component named most often is gear box (other than rack and pinion) (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Ford F-350 SD steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2008 Ford F-350 SD. 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 2008 Ford F-350 SD steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 52,000 miles, and 30% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 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.